Customer Reviews

Samurai Shodown Anthology

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's about time this anthology gets released in North America; we had to watch as it gets delayed time & time again while the PAL version gets released in Europe before ours.

This is basically a localization of the Japanese version, so no V Special. I'm not disappointed that it's not in this collection. As to why it's not here, take your guess from one of the following possibilities:

1. It being the last game for the Neo*Geo, SNK Playmore wanted to keep it available only for that system.

2. SNK Playmore USA wanted to add it the North American release, but took it out to keep its Teen Rating.

3. Seeing the negative response that the American-made King of Fighters Collection- The Orochi Saga got from gamers, they decided to just localize the Japanese version.

Like the previous collections (the Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting & World Heroes ones), the main screen has a beehive design. From there you pick which mode you wanna play (arcade, vs. & training mode) & from there pick from the 5 Neo*Geo Samurai Shodown games. The first 2 games have virtually no loading once the game starts while the rest loads between matches & the load time is very brief. Of the 1st 5 games, the only one I found to be a dud is SSV due to the fact that bosses are very cheat & the fact that there are no endings. (the XBOX version of Samurai Shodown V had endings) Even III had endings albeit text ones & is more enjoyable despite the bad balance that game had.

Samurai Shodown VI is separate from the 1st 5 games & has to switch emulators as it runs on different hardware than the other ones. Basically a dream match, bringing back every fighter that appeared in the 2-D series, it's the "Street Fighter Alpha 3" of the series. After picking your fighter, you choose from 6 "spirits" based on previous installments. Unlike the other games in this collection, this isn't based on the arcade game but the PS2 version & for good reason; there's more fighters, extra spirits (including one where you can customize your own spirit) & extra modes like training, & survival mode. As this is based on the version found in the Japanese version of this collection, everything's already unlocked from the get-go (in the PS2 version that came out a few years ago in Japan you had to unlock everything on your own.). Also unlike the other games in this collection, there's no blood or gore & for the record, the arcade game didn't have it either.

At the end of day, you'll either love or hate Samurai Shodown VI. I happen to love it...a lot. Love the large number of fighters you can pick from & the new fighters (esp. Andrew who's based on President Jackson & Iroha). While the final boss Shin Gaoh is a bit of a cheat, he's easilier to beat than Gaoh in V & the endings are some of the best I've seen in the series. While not the best game here, it's WAY better than V will ever be.

Even without V Special or even unlockablies, this is still a great collection & Samurai Shodown fans should rejoice. When you have cousins who play mostly modern 3-D games & can't wait for this to come out, you know this will be a big bestseller. Now I'm waiting to see if King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match gets released in North America something in the future.

Pros:(1)Overall, the collection is a perfect arcade port perfect transfer from NeoGeo engine and Arcade systems, inc engines. Brilliant color and graphics and fast action like never before making the individual Samurai games"(Console version -based) terrible now. The main menu system is very nice and easy to access and save your progress. While in idle mode, the game displays multiple scenes of each dual from each series, which is very cool.
(2)Specifics on the game: the feel of the controls are pretty much the same compared to joystick action, except for the special moves and rage engage, but that is easily relearned. The sound is crisp and the custom mode is super cool, changing thier color outfits and choosing which spirit you want to use for any of the first 5 games, really cool.
(3)Special bonus: Samurai Shodown 6 is top notch and makes part 5 like part 3. Not only are the special moves easier to manuever, but the special finishing moves and power gauge is totally "BOSS"and so beautifully painted! Great playability and couldn't stop playing part 6 until I defeated the Main Boss three times in different levels, a great game.
Cons: (1)It was a real pity that they didn't include Samurai Shodown 5 Special, despite the slight difference, special was better. (2)How come they didn't include the option to change it to the original Japanese mode? Sometimes its cool to see those Japanese characters on fire when fighting!
(3)I felt the introduction music and video sucked! Since this game represents a long timeline of the games, I was expecting a real authentic Japanese and in depth and personal introduction, whereas the video intro appears to be a cheap method of putting together clips of each series with the Earthquake theme from part 1, which I felt was crap.
(4) The way they made the index was weird, making part 6 standing on its own, probably because of the original format(PAL) and the game size they had to apply it as a stand alone title on the disc, still they could have used a better indexing system or even a cool intro video similar to Soul Calibur intro video.

Special news: I am happy to say that Samurai Shodown has not died just yet, and a new game release is coming out on the PS-3, called THE SPIRIT OF DESTINY. Looks awesome and very real, and can't wait to play it.

Overall I give it 5 gold stars!!
Thanks for reading.

With SNK's recent compilation releases of their various franchises, I've been anxiously waiting one featuring the Samurai Shodown games. Well, here we are finally. Samurai Shodown Anthology features Samurai Shodown's I-VI, with Samurai Shodown VI making its first appearance on the PS2 in America. The games have been emulated wonderfully, and all play just as well as I remember them being. For me personally, Samurai Shodown VI is worth the price of admission alone, featuring a huge roster of fighters and some deep and varied fighting mechanics as well. While it isn't without its flaws and not such a favorite of other fans of the franchise, it's the best of the bunch, and it's good to finally see it make it to our shores on a console. The only real flaw of Samurai Shodown Anthology is that Samurai Shodown V Special isn't included here, which is a crying shame. That aside though, Samurai Shodown Anthology is another great, budget-priced SNK compilation that is definitely worth your time if old school, 2-D fighters are your thing; and if you're an SNK buff, this is more than worth picking up.

Samurai shodown was a great series. I played the first one in tedium until I got every ending and it can be considered the 2D parent of soul calibur. (Samurai shodown likely did "inspire" soul edge)

The problem is some games age well and some do not. Perhaps it's safe to say that I forgot just how hard these games could be.

Samurai shodown has always been more about timing than combos and if you are used to very fast paced fighters this anthology may disappoint you somewhat. The first few games feel a bit "broken" in the multi hit chain department and the big emphasis is placed around "fury strikes" which is the equivalent of a hard hitting fierce attack. In addition there is a very slow movement flow which hampers enjoyment. Many of the Samurai shodown characters were "redone" for Neo Geo battle coliseum and it seems as if they were a lot more quick and effective in that brawler.

However this is not to say that things do not pick up a bit with samurai shodown 4 and 6.

Many people complain SS 6 has no blood or fatalities BUT it is by far the best in the series featuring EVERY character, decent story progression, a more balanced and combo friendly dueling system, returned disarm and weapon breaking techniques, and even the opportunity to change up "spirits" for each protagonist and antagonist which give you different bonuses and styles during combat.

Pretty much SS 6 can be related to Street fighter Alpha 3. It's spirit styles are akin to different "isms" and despite it's huge roster it refused to sacrifice the plot. This is very commendable to put it mildly.

If you love hard fighters I whole heartedly suggest playing the first 2 SS games. They do not have as many options to tweak as the later installments and even on "beginner" they can be unrelenting. Also if you enjoy the blood and gore factor the earlier entries are a safer bet.

My biggest disappointment is SS 5. It is not the "special" version and not only were the coolest fatalities in the franchise removed from this iteration but it also has NO endings. Even SS 3 which many fans consider one of the weakest links in the series still shines brighter than V.

As far as 2D weapon based brawlers go you cannot get much better than samurai shodown. Last Blade is perhaps the only other title out there that can compete with it.

In closing the price you pay for all 6 of these games is quite a steal.

Pros

+ A weapon based fighter with deep characters and a good story

+ most games feature things in your environment you can damage to reveal power ups or other goodies.

+The fighting physics gradually improve with each sequel

+ First few games offer a very competitive challenge for enthusiasts that like to work hard for their victories.

+Good sound tracks from beginning to end.

+Worth the price just for SS 6 by itself.

Cons

-Jaggy pixels are showing age

-First few games feel a bit slow and unresponsive.

- SS V has NO endings and NO fatalities.

-The number of game options in each title vary so in some iterations you are able to tweak away until you are satisfied whereas in others you are not.

- The text translations can be awful. Some female characters are referred to as "he" and there are numerous other grammar errors. If you are a English language elitist this collection will put you in the loony bin!

Worth it? If you like "retro gaming" this is a piece of nostalgia heaven. The character designs are vibrant with a lot of lovable personality and underneath the "bad engrish" there is a captivating story line. When you think about today's hyped brawlers most of them have begun failing miserably in the plot department and are guilty of shamelessly putting in "famous icons" from big names in entertainment just for extra advertising. (Cough. Soul Calibur 4! Cough.) Samurai Shodown is from that bygone age when developers were not afraid to be original and have a franchise stand on its' own merits.

However if you have "moved on" to 3D fighters without looking back Samurai Shodown is not going to miraculously convert you or make you reminisce about the days of old. Even on a 2D scale there are titles with smoother sprites and better overall fighting mechanics. (Such as Super Street Fighter II HD mega mix) Because of this I was forced to knock down both parts of my rating by one star.

Samurai Shodown I-VI all at your fingertips, all arcade-perfect, although SamSho 6 has slight load times. Unlike the Japanese release everything is unlocked from the start, so you're ready to go with all your favorites from day one. To purists, this does NOT include Samurai Shodown 5 Special, which may be a huge loss to some, but this is a solid collection for any fighting game fanatic.

Having played Samurai Shodown 1 and 2 on SNES, I felt that it was a must to purchase this collection to experience all that the series has to offer. With 5 games packed onto one disk at the extremely low price of $15, it was definitely worth a shot. And I was right.

If you're looking for the nostalgia of playing a great 2D fighter with an array of characters and lots of replay value than this is it. Unfortunately, the only way to get good at this game is play against your friends, and this can only be done with someone sitting next to you. I would have definitely given this game 5 stars if there were online battles. Without them, you're forced to play against the extremely difficult (and cheap!) AI to improve your skills.

I played a lot of SFIII: Third Strike, Capcom vs. SNK 2, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 in college and thought I was a decent player, even against computer opponents. With this game, it's nearly impossible to get through a single battle with out getting completely trashed by the weakest characters. With my first run through Samurai Shodown II, I had to play it on the easiest setting and I still spent an hour trying to defeat Hanzo, the second to last character, and another hour fighting the final boss. The frustration of not being able to land super moves right after your computer opponent has dropped his guard from executing a special move will make you want to throw your controller at the wall. The AI also has a tendency to throw out light punches or kicks right before you start combo-ing from light to heavy attacks. It'll make your head spin how hard some of these battles are.

But all in all, the game is a lot of fun when played with friends. It also has an added practice mode for you to hone your skills and a character edit mode which essentially lets you change the colors of each character. Nice touches, but nothing to go crazy over.

It's interesting the paramble of fighters that emerged from the confines of gaming history during the early 90's. It's strangely a now long forgotten and seemingly irrevelant era...but if there's any indicator of its willingness to survive on worthwhile compilations, than by all means. SNK...keep doing your thang. "Samurai Showdown" was one of the first gaming experiences in my life that offered a truly Eastern experience that never really relied on stereotypes...it more or less encompasses vestiges of history and the characters within being brought together, redrawn with pure 90's awesomeness, and thrown in with some palpable music to create one of the more engaging experiences on the 2-D fighting plain. "Anthology", with its limited run (a local Gamestop said I'd have to travel to South Carolina to pick up a copy...) will undoubtedly claim its hard-worn value in time. But I don't think I'm gonna sell this one down the road. I've only begun to attempt to master SS-1 and getting my butt slobbered. These are not the "Hyper" type of fighting games, and as my experience has yielded, I'm realizing that to truly succede is a matter of patience...as much with an actual sword fight, one would assume. It's truly a marvel how that essence is carried within this series. It would take "Soul Calibur" to provide a spiritual succesor to the throne of weapon based combat...and that's not bad at all.

If you enjoy 2D fighters with good bit of gameplay depth, I believe you will thoroughly enjoy this title. The nostalgia enhances this title for me. I remember playing the Samurai Shodown series in the arcade when I was very young. Even Samurai Showdown I is still a good 2D fighter in my opinion, and it was definitely an excellent 2D fighter for its time. Samurai Shodown VI has roughly 50 characters with tons of special moves. So, with all of these characters and 5 other parts to the series included, there is more than enough packed into this title to keep you entertained for days, weeks, and possibly even months.

It's a shame that the fan favorite version of Samurai Shodown V Special isn't in this collection, but don't let that dissuade you from purchasing this collection. Some confusing menus aside this collection offers near perfect versions of all the games in the collection. They run smooth and play well on the PS2 and the gameplay is all there. That alone makes it worth owning.

I've always like the Samurai Showdown games, and to get them all in a compilation like this is great. Gameplay wise it is pretty typical of fighters from the Street Figher II era. Looks still hold up fairly well, but the animation is starting to feel dated, and not as fluid as I remember them. If you like 2-D sprite vs. fighters you'll probably enjoy this compilation.