Rating: 4.8/5
Samurai Shodown (Samurai Spirits in Japan) is a 2D fighting game centered around sword play and magic rather than fire balls and martial arts. Players choose from eleven (the Genesis version removes the character Earthquake) different characters as they take on Arcade mode or battle friends in Versus mode. The game is rather basic as it has six attack buttons and special move inputs as you would expect from most traditional 2D fighters. What sets Samurai Shodown apart from other fighters at the time was the emphasis on fast paced sword play as the game focuses more on quick and powerful strikes rather than combos. The game also has some difficult inputs for specials that may be cumbersome for some players. Overall, the game is fairly standard fair, but may deliver a good experience for fighting game players who are tired of never ending combos and want to focus more on timing and spacing. It is worth noting that certain moves are either altered or completely removed in the Genesis version.
You also need an emulator to run this game. To grab one quickly, please check out our Genesis emulators section.