When SNK and Hamster began bringing the Arcade Archives line of NEOGEO ports to cell platforms, it wasn’t significantly shocking to see the Samurai Shodown sequence represented among the many opening salvo of titles. Traditionally, it’s been one in every of SNK’s hottest IPs, solely coming in behind The King of Fighters and Steel Slug. With Samurai Shodown II ported by Dotemu a strong decade in the past, SNK opted to open with Samurai Shodown IV. Little by little, it has been filling in the remainder of the sequence. Samurai Shodown III ($3.99) is the final NEOGEO mainline entry within the franchise to make the hop. Does it reside as much as its siblings? Is there any compelling motive to select it up if you happen to’ve grabbed one of many others? Is Shaun actually doing that factor the place the opening paragraph of the evaluate ends with a query?
Kind of, sure, and completely. I don’t like leaving questions unsettled for too lengthy. Once I wrote my evaluate of Samurai Shodown IV ACA NEOGEO, I discussed that it’s uncommon to seek out anybody that loves each entry within the Samurai Shodown sequence resulting from how inconsistent the video games are of their mechanics and aesthetics. I feel if you happen to polled the plenty, you’d see lots of people citing Samurai Shodown II as their favourite, adopted by a near-equal variety of votes for IV and V Particular. So far as the NEOGEO entries go, you’ll in all probability see the least variety of folks pulling for the unique recreation and Samurai Shodown III.
But I feel if you happen to requested those self same folks what their second-favorite recreation within the sequence is, you’d see much more assist for Samurai Shodown III. It’s a bizarre recreation by the requirements of the sequence, one which its sequels largely got down to stroll again from. That weirdness, nonetheless, is exactly what makes it stand out amongst its friends. Samurai Shodown III has numerous concepts. A few of them are good, a few of them are dangerous, and a few of them are good however badly applied. However there’s one thing to it. A captivating taste that calls to thoughts the likes of Bushido Blade, chopping right down to the essence of pop samurai media. Samurai Shodown has at all times been characterised by how swift and brutal rounds might be, however Samurai Shodown III is maybe the epitome of that ethos. It’s solely potential for matches to be over in two or three strikes.
The character line-up is without doubt one of the the reason why numerous followers are inclined to draw back from Samurai Shodown III. The roster is smaller than the earlier recreation, with simply twelve characters to select from. It introduces a couple of new characters however cuts tons of fan favorites like Charlotte, Cham Cham, and Earthquake. A few of these new characters are numerous enjoyable to make use of, and so they match the sport’s grittier, extra reasonable aesthetic higher in some methods. It’s a bit arduous to hash all the pieces with the larger timeline of the sequence, and the sport doesn’t appear significantly enthusiastic about storytelling relative to the opposite entries. Certainly, one of many issues I don’t look after in Samurai Shodown III is in how few probabilities the characters get to indicate off their personalities in comparison with the opposite video games. Story isn’t the largest factor in combating video games, however in these ACA NEOGEO releases we’re largely relegated to single participant so it does tackle a barely larger significance.
There are numerous gameplay modifications right here from Samurai Shodown II, and a few of them ended up sticking round within the sequence. There are extra buttons devoted to your weapon assaults, with only one serving because the kick. Throws are out in favor of shoves that go away the enemy open to an excellent slash or two. After choosing your character, you possibly can select a grade that determines, roughly talking, how balanced your offense and protection are. Decide the superior grade and also you received’t even be capable to guard, with a completely full Rage Gauge as a comfort prize. Notably, this recreation brings within the Bust and Slash system that provides you mild and darkish variations of every character, with slight variations within the movesets between them.
As I discussed earlier than, matches in Samurai Shodown III might be fast and nasty. You’ll be able to sidestep assaults, counter-attack, and whip out unblockable slashes. Your Rage Gauge fills up like a shot glass below a Slurpee spout. You’ll be able to block within the air now, which offers extra incentive to take to the skies with out worry. A few of these components didn’t return for the subsequent go-around, and it’s not arduous to see why. Even a pair of evenly-matched knowledgeable gamers can really feel cheated by how briskly issues end, and if you happen to’re up towards the CPU your quarters can disappear so quick you’d suppose your pockets was the dimensional area from which all of the uncles of the world pull the cash they pluck from behind kids’s ears. And in true SNK style, the final boss is an entire and utter… holy smokes, is that Dick Van Dyke?! Sorry, I assumed I noticed one thing there.
That being stated, we don’t have to fret about blowing all our quarters, can we? By the magic of the Arcade Archives line, we solely want to fret in regards to the sixteen quarters wanted to purchase the app itself. After that, we can assist ourselves to an countless provide of credit. Higher nonetheless, we have now entry to these coveted problem choices. Flip all of it the way in which down and the CPU is barely mildly impolite. It’s okay, Shaun stated you possibly can do it. Go study the ropes that method after which flip it up once more as wanted. ACA NEOGEO choices are pretty issues, and also you’ve received the total suite of them right here as typical. Not simply problem, but in addition all types of different issues. Tweak as you want.
Additionally just like different ACA NEOGEO video games, you possibly can play the sport with an exterior controller if you want. I extremely advise it because the motions it is advisable to pull off on this recreation could be a actual bear with the contact controls. You’ll be able to nonetheless have some enjoyable with digital button bashing with no controller, however there are in all probability higher video games to play if that’s all you’ve received. Exterior controllers are additionally the one approach to play multiplayer on this model, and that’s an actual disgrace as a result of I feel the actual charms of Samurai Shodown III are finest introduced out with countless credit and one other human. I do know I hold banging this drum, however I want another possibility might be found out for multiplayer in these releases. Most gamers must get by with the CPU opponent, and I simply don’t know that I’d name that very fulfilling on this recreation.
Samurai Shodown III in all probability shouldn’t be anybody’s first Samurai Shodown recreation, particularly within the ACA NEOGEO cell line with its restricted multiplayer choices. However its quirky qualities do make it an attention-grabbing selection for a second Samurai Shodown recreation. Due to how a lot it divided the fandom, Samurai Shodown III noticed numerous its tough edges sanded down or utterly lower away in successive entries within the sequence. That makes it reasonably distinctive, and I feel there’s one thing to be stated for that. Be sure you pack an exterior controller of some type and numerous persistence if you happen to determine to select this one up, although.
