Customer Reviews

Samurai Shodown V

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Anyone who has played Samusrai Showdown III will know what my review title means. You can't have a real Samurai Showdown video game without the French Femme Fatale.
Anyway, some people may be a little angry that the controls in this game no not match that of the first game. Personally, I like the new set-up. Three slashes and one kick may not make sense, but it's effective. What I don't like is that when you change the button settings in the game, the moves list in the pause-screen menu becomes less helpful: for example, when I changed fierce slahs from trigger L to button A, the list still told me that to execute Charlotte's projectile attack (it had a name, but I can't remember) I still had to end the button combination with either X, Y, or L. This isn't very bothersome if you know all the moves by heart ... I can almost see you Samurai Showdown enthusiasts shaking your heads! Not everyone has played thist series inside out!!
Anyway, the online play would be much better if there were others who played the game. Unfortunately, you'll usually find yourself waiting a long time for an opponent if you create a match or you'll just get the game's error message if you go into quickmatch or optimatch. This is a problem: there are a lot of Samurai Showdown fans and there are a lot of XBox owners, but there are apparently not a lot of Samurai Showdown fans who own XBoxes and have XBox Live. If you want to know if this game is compatible with 360, you'll have to look at another review or ask Microsoft because I don't know. I'm sorry if this review is not helpful. Please vote accordingly so I'll know for sure. If this review is unhelpful, I need not take up valuable space on this website and will delete this review.

I remember playing this game for hours in the arcade of a bowling alley in high school. We used to play against each other for quarters, and eventually see if we can win the game using one man. The characters, sound effects, game-play, colors, and storyline are outstanding. I know this game is not like todays new games, but this brings back traditional combat games we have grown to love. I definitely recommend this to everyone who loves martial arts, fighting games, and those who would like to challenge all their friends online or perfect their own fighting style with their favorite character.

Plain and simple this game is made for those 2d fighter fans out there who waited years and years to be able to play the 2D games they loved online. This is an excellent port of the Neo Geo original which adds online play as a part of the package.

The graphics are dated and can't compare in sharpness or quality to those in SF3 or any of the GG games, but then again, if you're a Neo fan you already know what to expect. The game runs fast and fluidly both in single player and online. The new characters are ok, but I still tend to play with most of the SS1/SS2 cast. The online ranking system is flawed IMO, as the way it counts wins/losses wasn't very well thought out IMO.

Overall, a solid 2d title with LIVE support and a great price tag. If you're a 2D fighter fan waiting for something new to play on LIVE this is it. Stay tuned for KOF94 Rebout and more from SNK this year!

Those who played this (or any other SS game) more than once in arcades will love it. New(er) generation of gamers may not.

This is a direct port from the NEOGEO platform. Graphics prove it. They are easily the worst thing in the game. Controls are very smooth and responsive (I gave up playing SF Aniv. Ed. because of its horrible controls). Gameplay is much more advanced then I remember from SS and SS2. Most of the original characters are present, plus a whole bunch of new ones, some good some bad. Sound is a marginal improvement over the previous titles and some character noises are downright annoying. The Arcade mode starts out pretty easy, but gets more difficult after first three challenges.


For those nostalgic for "the way games used to be" this should be a lot of fun. With XBOX Live (Which I don't have) it should be a blast.

Samurai Shodown V is a classic arcade-style game with its roots in those stand-up machines that you pumped quarters in. The graphics are blocky - but it's true to the original game!

The first thing to get out of the way is that the graphics are NOT standard XBox good quality graphics. They deliberately made the game make the console version, "retro style", to please people who adored that game. It's sort of like having a "true to life" Space Invaders game that has the original graphics. It's what it was meant to do, and you either appreciate it or you play another game with the higher end graphics. I personally love retro games and enjoy them for their classic appeal.

This is a classic side-scrolling fighter game. You choose your character, get a pretty background behind you as you fight, and start button mashing. Once you get the key strokes down for your character you can have a LOT of fun throwing out ice shards, sweeping down a samurai sword, and performing a number of other activities. Every character has his or her own personality and background. You really get fond of certain characters and get to know their moves intuitively.

The backgrounds are very nicely done for what they had to work with. The cherry blossoms are pink and fluffy. The snow is sharp-edged and sparkly. Yes, they're flat and static, but they do give you a sense of atmosphere.

There isn't much to be said for sound - lots of screaming, yelling, and blade clanging. You usually aren't paying attention to the sounds, though - you are watching your opponent carefully, blocking, dodging and attacking.

I really enjoy this game for low-stress quick fun. Some other games like Fable involve hours of commitment and serious attention. Here, if I have 15 minutes before I have to do something, I can pop the game in, play some mindless fun for a while, and then go on with my other tasks. That has appeal to me.

Well recommended for fans of retro gaming! If you're the type who insists on cutting edge graphics and sounds, you probably should pass on this, though.

I will firstly mention - that unlike most of the countless narrow minded attempts at reviewing this game that I have recently read (by so-called professionals), my rating will be one aimed at the hardcore 2D fighting game connoisseur and NOT one aimed at the modern day `give me amazing 3D graphics or I'm not interested' gamer! AND, it will be about the GAME, and not an attempt to impress the viewer with cryptic metaphors and useless pulp.

Games like these are specifically aimed at those who have an appreciation for traditional artwork in games, and characterisation - something that most will agree SNK are the grand masters of.


GAMEPLAY
Awesome - depending on how much investment of time you put in you will get a lot out of this game. There are many elements to the gameplay that make it timelessly fun. You can dash, duck, retreat, and obviously block, to name a few of the core tactical defensive elements - and these really lay the foundations for some speedy epic gameplay, for which the controls a very responsive.
In terms of defence, there is nothing quite like the moments where you and your opponent each exchange blows, each defending one another's blows one after the other until an opening is left, this almost becomes a full blown sword fight at times! And the beauty of it is that unlike your average non-weapon based 2D fighters, you sustain no damage when blocking with weapons (unless you are disarmed), this makes for some very exciting moments which can draw the length of the bout out, giving it an amazingly challenging intensity. In the case that you are disarmed you may get relentlessly slashed at with only your arms to defend you which will cause blood loss and some small damage. The option menu allows you to increase the amount of successful bouts to I think FIVE a piece if I remember correctly - which is great if you like an epic lengthy battle.

This game's fun element pays off the most if you wait for the right moments to strike your opponent, instead of button mashing your way through. And to be honest you are not likely to be successful button mashing as the computer A.I. is very good most of the time. The A.I. is at a perfect balance for the most part - the computer is equally defensive as it is offensive - almost as if you are battling a human controlled opponent, a big plus. Much of the time you will have to study your opponents tactics in order to find openings for the best attack timing (this is something that many reviewers interpret as a severe imbalance because they were not prepared to learn their opponent's strengths and weaknesses, and have another shot)
Knock out's are nice with a slow motion effect kicking in as the looser gets sliced or smashed - this is particularly nice when you manage to KO your opponent with Genjuro's grab and stab style move, where you get to hear your opponents innards burst within them as Genjuro lifts them off the ground while he runs them through 2 times in a row with his razor sharp Katana blade. Nice.

It's a shame that SNK Playmore didn't release the `Special' version of Samurai Shodown V for PS2/XBOX which has the death moves, but it's understandable that with it being the final NEO GEO AES/MVS release that they wanted to keep it exclusive. This game still has enough to it to be worth your time despite it only being the standard release though - don't be swayed.


GRAPHICS/PRESENTATION
Good - and again I remind you that I aim this review at hardcore 2D fighting game connoisseurs and budding enthusiasts alike.

The sprite animation is not particularly consistent, but there is worse out there. It makes the grade at least. There are certain animations that are very fluid indeed leaving you with a satisfied `arcade reminiscent' feeling. Characters all have their own distinct stances and personalities - the animation conveys these very well and it gives the game a very interesting look. I personally find that having the colour/brightness settings on my TV lower than typical helps as it gives the graphics a less cartoony look and more of a washed out look which helps give the game the darker more brooding atmosphere that it lacks slightly compared with earlier games in the series. Because the characters may be stylised caricatures, but they are apparently loosely based on real people way back in history who had motives as dark as those conveyed in the game.

The zooming in and out effect is used with fluidity - just as it was in the arcade. Backdrops are pretty good - not the best I have seen by any means, but they are colourful and set the scene nicely. What's nice about the backdrops is they extend beyond the top of the screen with separate layers for horizon detail which is nice to see as you get pummelled up into the sky by your opponent or vice-versa.


SOUND/MUSIC
Very nice - You get `chings' and `changs' of colliding metal weapons, slicing flesh sounds, monotone spurting blood sounds - all very effective - and best if you have your console linked up to a hi-fi system so you can really feel the bass impact of the body blows or when a body hits the deck. The battle cries are brilliant for the most part - each character has more of these than you would find in your typical 2D fighter which keeps it interesting. Some of the characters have some repetitive battle cries which can become a little irritating, but hey, this just gives you an incentive to decimate them a whole lot faster! - A little annoying but you just overlook it because for the most part battle grunts and such are modest and realistic. It tends to be the quirkier characters that are a little more flamboyant in this department.

Music is good - some good variation - some stages are up-tempo and energetic while others are more sombre or melancholy, but all done with the distinct traditional Japanese instruments which sets the scene just right, and at times create almost a ghostly atmosphere - excellent.


IN A NUTSHELL
Basically if you're like me and LOVE the oldskool 2D fighters for their unique feel and have been deprived of a decent Samurai Shodown game because you didn't have the money or the right console or whatever the case may be - BUY THIS. As long as you expect a strictly oldskool affair and don't build yourself up into thinking its trying to be something more than what it's actually aiming to be, it's money well spent.

SSV is from a series that started the armed 2-D fighting genre. While most games are 3-D, this is still quite fun.

For years the Samurai Shodown Series when ported over to a video game system always just plain flat sucked.....Except mabye the Game Boy cartridge version. Strangly it had good graphics for a primative hand held system and played well for only having two buttons. Anyways this is it other than shelling out a lot of money for a neo geo system and getting that 4 pound cartridge of Samurai Shodown (ok there was an arcade translation but, who the hell had 700 bucks for the machine and 150 bucks for the cartridge in 1994-1995) I've played all 5 of these in the arcades and all the characters are here! Most people are familer with 1-3 but, 4 and 5 was out and about if you were lucky to find them! For some this game may be a bit out dated and rather frustrating. Battles are a bit diffrent than the Street Fighter Series and Mortal Kombat. But, it's rather easy to learn the basic of every character. Once you master that you're not to far from figuring out the rage mode and whatnot which quickly speeds up the game into a good ol samurai shodown!!!! Which you'll need cause the later stages in arcade mode get hard unless you're playing on lower leval settings. You have a choice between 1-10 so beginners to hard core fighters can all enjoy this fun game. If you're not a hard core fan of SNK or 2d fighters you may want to pass on this one or rent it for a weekend. Best way to enjoy this game is with friends or play some rounds online. I've always found this series a good relaxing game to play after a day at work.

This game sucks! I was shocked to learn that even though you have a great console (ps3, xbox, etc.) you can get games that contain graphics from 8-bit designs. Unless you're a hardcore fan of the title, don't get this game. It's like they took a Nintendo game from '89 and allow you to play it on your Xbox! Where's the update? I live in the new millennium and I expect my games (even 2-d fighters) to have outstanding graphics...