Samurai Shodown (2019 video game)

Last updated

Samurai Shodown
Samurai Shodown 2019 cover art.png
Developer(s) SNK
Publisher(s)
Director(s) Nobuyuki Kuroki
Producer(s) Yasuyuki Oda
Designer(s)
  • Hidetoshi Ishizawa
  • Yuji Watanabe
  • Kaito Soranaka
Programmer(s) Masanori Tsuji
Artist(s)
  • Nobuyuki Kuroki
  • Yumi Saji
Composer(s)
  • Hiroshi Yamazoe
  • Masato Horiuchi
  • Hideki Asanaka
  • Mayuko Hino
  • Naoki Kita
  • Minori Sasaki
  • Kensuke Inage
  • Jun Hoshina
Series Samurai Shodown
Engine Unreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
ReleasePlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • WW: June 25, 2019
  • JP: June 27, 2019
Arcade
  • JP: October 24, 2019
Stadia
  • WW: November 19, 2019
Nintendo Switch
  • JP: December 12, 2019
  • WW: February 25, 2020
Microsoft Windows
  • WW: June 11, 2020 (Epic Games)
  • WW: June 14, 2021 (Steam) [1]
Xbox Series X/S
  • WW: March 16, 2021
Android, iOS
  • WW: August 29, 2023
Genre(s) Fighting
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system Taito Type X3 (NESiCAxLive2)

Samurai Shodown (known as Samurai Spirits in Japan) is a 2019 fighting game developed and published by SNK for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, Xbox Series X and Series S, Android and iOS via Netflix Games, and Windows as an entry in the Samurai Shodown series, as well as a reboot to the series. An arcade version was released by Taito.

Contents

Gameplay

Samurai Shodown is a 2D fighting game with 3D graphics that uses many elements from past games in the series. It shares similarities with The King of Fighters XIV and SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy .

The controls consists of four buttons: weak, medium, strong blows with weapons and kick. By pressing special combinations, the character can carry out captures, counterattacks, interceptions and evasions. The Rage Gauge is back in the game. It replenishes after each damage taken by the character. A fully filled scale gives access to new abilities. After gaining a full scale, the player can activate the rage mode, which increases the character's strength for a while and opens up the opportunity to inflict a disarming blow to the opponent. During the activation of the fury mode, an explosion occurs, pushing the enemy away and opening him up for attack. After the end of the rage mode, the player is deprived of the opportunity to use the scale until the end of the match.

Each character has a Super Special Move, which deals very powerful damage when hitting an opponent. However, it can only be attempted once during the entire match. [2]

The game uses a trainable artificial intelligence. The player can create his/her own so-called ghost. The AI will observe the player's actions and then try to copy them. [3] In a battle with the player's own ghost, weaknesses in tactics, movement patterns and offensive and defensive habits can be observed, useful for the player's gameplay improvement.

The bloody finishing moves that were absent in the previous titles of the series returned to this game. [4]

Plot

Samurai Shodown takes place in the time period between Samurai Shodown V and the original Samurai Shodown , and has been commonly cited as a reboot of the series. [5]

The game takes place in 1787, during the Tenmei Era of Japanese history. During that period, the entire country is beset by a terrible and looming evil. Fire, ruin and famine ran rampant throughout Japan. [6] Meanwhile, as these events unfold, a sinister cloud envelops the air with a foreboding sense of dread. Shizuka Gozen, the deceased spirit of a young woman who is possessed and trapped in Yomi, (labeled Eternity in the game itself) threatens to destroy Japan. Warriors from all across Japan and beyond the ocean, driven by their own needs and desires, converge to investigate these evil forces and vanquish them.

Characters

Samurai Shodown features a base roster of 16 playable characters, with extra ones available as paid and free downloadable content. [7] Newcomers are listed in bold, guest characters are listed in italics. All third-party guest characters are unavailable on the Netflix version of the game.

Base RosterSeason OneSeason Two [8] Season Three [9] [10]
  • Charlotte
  • Darli Dagger [11] [12]
  • Earthquake
  • Galford
  • Genjuro Kibagami
  • Hanzo Hattori
  • Tam Tam
  • Ukyo Tachibana
  • Yashamaru Kurama [13]
  • Yoshitora Tokugawa
  • Wu-Ruixiang [13]
  • Basara
  • Kazuki Kazama
  • Rimururu
  • Shizumaru Hisame d
  • Wan-Fu

Notes

Development

Samurai Shodown was unveiled at the SNK Investor Relations 2018 IPO conference, [17] being developed by SNK Corporation. [18] The game was published by Athlon Games in Global version. [19]

The twelfth main game in the Samurai Shodown series, it is the first mainline entry since 2008's Samurai Shodown Sen .

The development team consists of members who worked on The King of Fighters XIV and SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy . [20] Nobuyuki Kuroki is the director and one of the artists, [20] while Yasuyuki Oda serves as producer. Kuroki has been previously involved with the series through the Samurai Shodown 64 titles. [5] The characters of the game were designed by Yumi Saji. [21]

The internal staff at SNK who worked on the game consisted of 50 to 60 employees, as well as outsourcing some art assets, to form a total of an estimated 200 employees who worked on the game. [22] Some of the reasons for making a new title were the recent focus on the esports community and the many fan requests. [5] The team considered using a realistic art style for the graphics but decided against it because too many fighting games were using it already. [23] Oda has expressed interest in adding guest characters from other franchises. [5] [23] This was realized with guest characters from Tencent (which would later acquiring Athlon's parent company Leyou), Ubisoft, and Arc System Works-produced games.

Due to outdated graphics involving the releases of The King of Fighters XIV and SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy, SNK chairman Zhihui GE had stated that the future SNK fighting games will use Unreal Engine 4 in order to give a better graphical presentation. Samurai Shodown became the first SNK game to use Unreal Engine 4. [24] [25]

First announced for PlayStation 4 in September 2018, the game was later revealed to be a multiplatform title. [26] It was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One worldwide in June 2019 with versions for the Nintendo Switch, Windows and Stadia releasing at a later date. [27] [28] The enhanced version for Xbox Series X/S was revealed during Tokyo Game Show 2020 for a Q4 2020 launch. [29] It released on March 16, 2021, and was published by Deep Silver (part of Embracer Group's Koch Media). The version supports a higher frame rate of 120fps. [30] With help from Code Mystics, rollback netcode will be implemented in a late summer 2023 update for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles via GGPO similar to the one The King of Fighters XV uses. [31] [32] The netcode update was finalized on Steam on December 14, 2023 with consoles following at a later date.

Reception

Samurai Shodown has received generally favorable reviews, the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch versions earning a Metacritic score of 81, 78, 76, and 75 respectively. [33] [34] [35] [36] Den of Geek gave the game 3.5 out of 5 stars, and commented that Samurai Shodown "is a fighting game that’s incredibly solid in its core gameplay and looks swell enough, but it sadly feels like it’s lacking because there’s little else to do." [44] The Mercury News called the game a solid revamp for the series, and noted that SNK upgraded the visuals and was as challenging as ever. [45] In their review of the game, GameSpot called the game a great reboot that captured what made the original fun and unique, while also drawing attention to the fact that the single-player experience was somewhat lacking. [42] IGN praised the game's fighting mechanics, and noted that there was an extraordinarily tense style of fighting that is unlike just about anything else in the genre in the current fighting game climate. [43] The PlayStation 4 version was the fourth bestselling game in Japan during its first week of release, selling 16,662 copies. [46] On July 4, SNK reported that first-week shipments plus digital sales totaled 40,606 units. [47]

The game was nominated for "Best Fighting Game" at The Game Awards 2019, [48] and for "Fighting Game of the Year" at the 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, [49] and won the award for "Game, Franchise Fighting" at the NAVGTR Awards. [50]

Related Research Articles

<i>Garou: Mark of the Wolves</i> 1999 video game

Garou: Mark of the Wolves is a 1999 fighting game produced by SNK, originally for the Neo Geo system and then as Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves for the Dreamcast. It is the eighth installment of the Fatal Fury series.

<i>Samurai Shodown VI</i> 2005 video game

Samurai Shodown VI, known as Samurai Spirits: Tale of the World's Greatest Swordsman in Japan, is the tenth iteration in the Samurai Shodown series.

GGPO is middleware designed to help create a near-lagless online experience for various emulated arcade games and fighting games. The program was created by Tony Cannon, co-founder of fighting game community site Shoryuken and the popular Evolution Championship Series.

<i>Earth Defense Force</i> Science fiction shooter series

Earth Defense Force, known in Japan as Chikyū Bōeigun, is a science fiction third-person shooter video game series by D3 Publisher, originating as an offshoot of the Simple series. As of 2024, it consists of eleven entries and six main installments, developed and published by various studios and publishers since 2003, most predominantly Sandlot. The series follows the titular Earth Defense Force (EDF), an international armed force that fights to defend Earth from alien invasions. Earth Defense Force generally receives mixed or average reviews, but it has been lauded for its simplistic but entertaining premise and campy tone, and maintains a strong cult following.

In the video game industry, 2020 saw the launch of the next generation of video game consoles, with both Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment having released the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 consoles, respectively, in November 2020. The industry was heavily affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which had begun in March and was characterized by COVID-19 lockdowns and remote work. While this caused numerous delays in software and hardware releases and the cancellation of live conferences and events in favor of virtual shows, it also created a boon for the industry as people turned to gaming as a means to pass the time. The industry also reacted to various political/cultural events.

<i>One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4</i> 2020 video game

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 is an action-adventure video game developed by Omega Force and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. It is the fourth installment in Pirate Warriors video-game series, based on the One Piece franchise. It is a sequel to the 2015 game One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3. It was released on March 27, 2020.

<i>One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows</i> 2020 superhero video game

One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is a fighting RPG video game developed by Spike Chunsoft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment on February 28, 2020, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The game is based on the manga series One-Punch Man.

In the video game industry, 2021 saw the release of many new titles. The numerous delays in software and hardware releases due to the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacted development schedules, leading to several games being delayed into 2022 or even postponed indefinitely. Additionally, computer and console hardware were impacted by the combined effects of a semiconductor shortage and a rising growth of bitcoin mining that strained the supply of critical components.

In the video game industry, 2022 saw the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry, slowing hardware sales for most of the year as well as development delays for major titles. The industry continued its trend of acquisitions and mergers, highlighted by Microsoft announcing its plan to acquire Activision Blizzard for nearly $69 billion. The industry as a whole continued to deal with issues such as workplace harassment and discrimination, alongside crunch periods, leading to at least the quality assurance staff at three separate studios to vote to unionize.

Yasuyuki Oda is a Japanese game designer. Oda showed an interest in gaming during his childhood that led him to study animations when growing up. He debuted as a developer for SNK, doing debugs of certain games while being a major planner in Garou: Mark of the Wolves. In 2000, he moved Dimps to later work once again in SNK in mid-2010s to direct The King of Fighters XIV and other installments from SNK's properties.

Nobuyuki Kuroki is a Japanese game designer working for SNK. He did art for several Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury games and took a bigger role in The King of Fighters XIV and Samurai Shodown.

<i>The King of Fighters XV</i> 2022 video game

The King of Fighters XV, also called KOF XV, is a fighting game developed by SNK. It was released on February 17, 2022, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. This is also the first game in The King of Fighters series created using Unreal Engine 4, and the first to implement GGPO rollback networking. Taking place after the events of The King of Fighters XIV, the narrative primarily revolves around two fighters with multiverse-related supernatural powers, Shun'ei and Isla, among other returning heroes facing revived threats. King of Fighters XV generally received praise for its character roster, team-based gameplay, and smooth online performance, but criticism for its story mode, complex tutorials, and mechanics.

In the video game industry, 2023 saw significant changes within larger publishers and developers. Microsoft, after having satisfied worldwide regulatory bodies, completed its US$69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, making them the third largest game publisher in the world. Embracer Group, which had been in an acquisition spree over the previous few years, had an estimated $2 billion deal fall through, causing many of the studios under Embracer to either lay off staff or close entirely. Similar layoffs were seen at Unity, Amazon, ByteDance, Epic Games, Bungie, and Ubisoft, leading to over 9,000 jobs lost in the industry in 2023 and part of a larger trend of layoffs at technology companies in 2023.

<i>Samurai Warriors 5</i> 2021 video game

Samurai Warriors 5, known in Japan as Sengoku Musou 5 (戦国無双5), is a hack and slash game by Koei Tecmo, and a reboot of the Samurai Warriors series, part of the long-running Warriors series of hack and slash games published by Koei Tecmo. Announced during a Nintendo Direct presentation on February 17, 2021, the game was stated to be a "fresh re-imagining" of the franchise, featuring an all-new storyline, revamped character designs, and a new visual presentation. It was released in Japan in June 2021 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, with a worldwide release in July 2021 for those platforms and PC via Steam. A version for Amazon Luna was made available on June 30, 2022.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is an upcoming fighting game developed and published by SNK. It is the first new entry in the Fatal Fury series in 26 years, following the release of Garou: Mark of the Wolves (1999), and serves as a continuation of that game's story. The game is currently scheduled to be released in the first half of 2025.

References

  1. ↑ @SNKPofficial (May 17, 2021). "【SAMURAI SHODOWN】Weapon-based fighter SAMURAI SHODOWN is coming to Steam on June 14th! #SNK #SamSho #Steam" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ↑ Удален, Аккаунт (June 5, 2019). "Игровые механики Samurai Shodown". DTF. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  3. ↑ "The incredible potential of Samurai Shodown's new ghost A.I." Gamecrate. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Samurai Shodown Demo Fatality Compilation ! (Haomaru, Nakoruru, Yashamaru) | Samsho 6/'19". YouTube . Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Romano, Sal (March 25, 2019). "Samurai Shodown launches for PS4 and Xbox One in June, Switch in Q4 2019 and PC later; 44 minutes of gameplay and staff interview". Gematsu. Gematsu. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  6. ↑ Taylor, Nicholas 'MajinTenshinhan' (September 11, 2018). "SNK's new Samurai Spirits takes place in 1787 in historical Japan — Where does this leave it in the Samurai Shodown timeline? Let's analyze continuity". EventHubs. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  7. ↑ Saltzman, Mitchell (June 24, 2019). "Samurai Shodown Review". IGN Southeast Asia. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  8. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 25, 2020). "Samurai Shodown DLC characters Sogetsu Kazama and Iroha announced". Gematsu. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  9. ↑ Romano, Sal (July 31, 2020). "Samurai Shodown DLC characters Season 3 Pass announced". Gematsu. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  10. ↑ "【ENG】First Official Reveal: KOF XV & SAMURAI SHODOWN" . Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  11. ↑ Gordon, Justin 'AdaptiveTrigger' (March 30, 2019). "Darli Dagger announced as first newcomer for Samurai Shodown". EventHubs. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Samurai Shodown Unveils Darli, The Series' First New Character In A Long Time". Game Informer. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  13. 1 2 "SAMURAI SHODOWN / SAMURAI SPIRITS – Trailer (Asia)" . Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  14. ↑ "GONGSUN LI: SAMURAI SHODOWN - DLC Character (North America)" . Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Warden: Samurai Shodown - DLC Character (North America)" . Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  16. ↑ Romano, Sal (February 21, 2021). "Samurai Shodown DLC Character Cham Cham Launches March 16; Character from Guilty Gear Teased". Gematsu. Archived from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  17. ↑ Moyse, Chris (December 5, 2018). "Samurai Shodown is reportedly coming early 2019 for PS4, PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch". Destructoid . Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  18. ↑ "With Samurai Shodown, SNK is properly back". Eurogamer.net. March 25, 2019. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Samurai Shodown to be published by Athlon Games". Gematsu. March 7, 2019. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  20. 1 2 Co, Franz (September 13, 2018). "Nobuyuki Kuroki confirms that new Samurai Shodown is being made by the same team as The King of Fighters XIV and SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy". Shoryuken. Complex. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Nobuyuki KUROKI & Yumi SAJI: signing". Japan Expo Paris. June 21, 2019. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019. Nobuyuki KUROKI and Yumi SAJI, Art Director and Chara-Designer of the new opus.
  22. ↑ Kane, Alex (June 21, 2019). "The making of Samurai Shodown (2019)". Polygon. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  23. 1 2 Nelva, Giuseppe (March 30, 2019). "New Samurai Shodown Character Revealed: Darli Dagger; Neogeo Collection Announced". Twinfinite. Twinfinite. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  24. ↑ "SAMURAI SHODOWN releases in 2019! Watch the teaser trailer now!" (Press release). Suita-city, Osaka, Japan: SNK Corporation. September 10, 2018. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  25. ↑ "SNK 갈지휘 회장 겸 개발총괄 "언리얼 엔진 사용 확대, KOF15도 언리얼로 개발중"". GameFocus. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  26. ↑ Romano, Sal (September 10, 2018). "Samurai Shodown announced for PS4". Gematsu. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  27. ↑ Romano, Sal (March 25, 2019). "Samurai Shodown launches for PS4 and Xbox One in June, Switch in Q4 2019 and PC later; 44 minutes of gameplay and staff interview". Gematsu. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Google adds 10 more games to Stadia launch line-up, plus free Samurai Shodown". Metro. November 18, 2019. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  29. ↑ Romano, Sal (September 24, 2021). "Samurai Shodown coming to Xbox Series this winter". Gematsu. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  30. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 15, 2021). "Samurai Shodown for Xbox Series launches March 16". Gematsu. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Samurai Shodown Rollback Netcode Update Delayed to Late Summer - Try Hard Guides". May 31, 2023. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  32. ↑ Moyse, Chris (August 6, 2022). "Rollback netcode coming to Samurai Shodown spring 2023". Destructoid. Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  33. 1 2 "Samurai Showdown for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  34. 1 2 "Samurai Shodown for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  35. 1 2 "Samurai Shodown for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  36. 1 2 "Samurai Shodown for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  37. ↑ Glagowski, Peter (June 30, 2019). "Review: Samurai Shodown". Destructoid . Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  38. ↑ "Samurai Shodown". EDGE . September 2019. p. 118.
  39. ↑ Patterson, Mollie (June 29, 2019). "Samurai Shodown review". Electronic Gaming Monthly . Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  40. ↑ Vazquez, Suriel (June 25, 2019). "Samurai Shodown Review – an Intense Return with Rough Edges". Game Informer . Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  41. ↑ Treese, Tyler (June 24, 2019). "Samurai Shodown Review | A slice of nostalgia done right". GameRevolution . Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  42. 1 2 Kemps, Heidi (June 28, 2019). "Samurai Shodown Review - New Blood". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  43. 1 2 Saltzman, Mitchell (June 24, 2019). "Samurai Shodown Review - IGN". IGN. Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  44. ↑ Jasper, Gavin (June 28, 2018). "Samurai Shodown Review: Fun Swordplay with Only a Slice of Content". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  45. ↑ Chaco, Giesen (June 28, 2019). "'Samurai Shodown' a solid revamp for cult fighting game series". The Mercury News . Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  46. ↑ Romano, Sal (July 3, 2019). "Famitsu Sales: 6/24/19 – 6/30/19". Gematsu. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  47. ↑ Romano, Sal (July 4, 2019). "Samurai Shodown PS4 shipments and digital sales top 40,606 in Japan". Gematsu. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  48. ↑ Winslow, Jeremy (November 19, 2019). "The Game Awards 2019 Nominees Full List [game title mislabeled as "Samurai Showdown"]". GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 23, 2019. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  49. ↑ Chalk, Andy (January 13, 2020). "Control and Death Stranding get 8 nominations each for the 2020 DICE Awards". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  50. ↑ "2019 Winners". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. February 24, 2020. Archived from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.