"A samurai fears not death, struggles to triumph over evil, and lives for one purpose: TO DESTROY ALL ENEMIES."
An emphasis on strategic footsies, weapon-based combat and Japanese Edo 江戸-era (1603-1867) atmosphere are all aspects the Samurai Shodown series, known as Samurai Spirits 『サムライスピリッツ』 in Japan, is extremely famous for. But despite being known for the aforementioned facets, the series itself wasn't actually in charge of those contributions to the genre: it's not necessarily the first weapon-based fighter, nor is it the first fighting game to heavily feature a pre-modern Japanese setting – that would be Kaneko's Shogun Warriors (1992); but it is a series produced by arcade giant SNK, who held the budget, talent and acclaim that elevated the series to be what it is today. But yet to understand the standing of something today, we have to understand how it got its footing first. In the face of the reality where most people know the series for Samurai Shodown 2 (1994) through Samurai Shodown 5 (2003) and its newest entry Samurai Shodown (2019), the franchise first saw its debut in 1993 with the original Samurai Shodown for Arcades and the Neo Geo AES, among many other platforms ported by various companies in later years.
__The Fighting Game Landscape in 1993__
The hectic year of 1993 was a competitively turbulent one for arcade fighting games, no doubt. For the third year in a row, Street Fighter II (1991) domineered the market as it was the year's highest-grossing video game worldwide yet again – mostly thanks to its release of Street Fighter II Turbo (1992). Ironically enough, there was inner competition within companies as well. Most notoriously SNK, who had multiple teams in charge of different series: Fatal Fury 2 saw its arcade release in December 1992 to rival Street Fighter II Turbo, and its release for Neo Geo AES later in March of 1993; Art of Fighting released in late 1992 as well; World Heroes 2 in April 1993; with Samurai Shodown following in July and Fatal Fury Special releasing 2 months later. The rest of the year proved to be stimulating in terms of competition as well, especially with Virtua Fighter (1993) and Mortal Kombat II (1993) releasing closer to the end of the year, the latter being a huge success in the West.
Within this certain rivalrous landscape, Samurai Shodown (1993) needed something to set it self apart – especially against the stronghold that is Capcom's Street Fighter II. Their answer to Capcom's and their own takes (see: Fatal Fury (1991) and Art of Fighting (1992)) on a multinational and predominantly Western cast became the series' most identifying aspect. SNK opted for a more isolated setting, literally. You see, Samurai Shodown takes place during the time known as sakoku 鎖国 (1639-1853) of Japanese history, which is a time of national isolation during the Edo period. This aspect further snowballed the game's focus on that Japanese element – with its history and their tropes being incorporated and slightly exaggerated. To put it simple, in this narrative the ruling Samurai class consists of honored men with a distinct "Samurai Spirit" who are always in search of training and stand up for justice, with bushidō 武士道 being a strong code of honor all those Samurai abide by. Which admittedly makes the entry feel somewhat Hollywood-inspired when it comes to its own tropes. Although, of course, Samurai Shodown (1993) is a fighting game wherein the narrative experience takes a backseat in favor of action and its characters. It's not supposed to be a story that contains strong criticisms on Japanese history and the lens that people use when looking back on it. With that being said, this magnifying glass on Japan naturally leads to most of the cast being of Japanese origin – with a few exceptions.
__Sakoku Japan and its Representation Through Characters__
The backdrop surrounding our cast is quite unique, albeit simple. While Samurai Shodown (1993) is the first mainline entry, it is the third chronological entry of the series; directly following its latest installment, Samurai Shodown (2019). The story centers around a villain, Amakusa Shirō Tokisada 天草 四郎 時貞 , a character based on an actual historical figure who was deemed a heretic and slain in Japan in 1638 by the Tokugawa Shogunate for his part in the Shimabara Rebellion (1637-1638). Now being resurrected more than hundred years later in 1787, thanks to a deal with the evil god Ambrosia, he is driven by hate for both the Shogunate and the world itself; and along with his newly acquired dark powers, he's ready to bring chaos to all of existence in 1788. Unfortunately for him, a diverse set of 12 warriors — some historic like him, and some fictional — are all headed towards the source of the chaos, each driven by their own reasons.
The seemingly lack of cultural diversity that feels void when compared games with heavy themes of cross-culturalism like Street Fighter and even other SNK titles is something that the franchise has been remedying with each and every entry – Darli Dagger in Samurai Shodown (2019) as a recent and notable example. With that being said, even in the first entry, no two people in our cast of characters are the same in both background and personality. Our easy-going protagonist rōnin 浪人 – a swordsman with no loyalties to any lord – Haohmaru 覇王丸 for example is very much your average romanticized samurai 侍. He's based on Miyamoto Musashi 宮本 武蔵 (1584-1645), a character popularized by tons of other media – most prominently the Samurai Trilogy (1954-1956) by Inagaki Hiroshi 稲垣 浩 – and one of the most idolized rōnin in history as someone who's been told to have never lost a match once. Miyamoto Musashi was also present during the Shimabara Rebellion, aiding the Tokugawa Shogunate against the real Amakusa, which ties the connection between him and Haohmaru significantly further. Then there's Nakoruru ナコルル, a young Ainu priestess who fights to protect nature who is aided by her trusty hawk companion, Mamahaha ママハハ, who can lift her into the air and can even be used as a projectile. Nakoruru swiftly became somewhat of a deuteragonist and mascot of the franchise right after this entry, which makes her inclusion as an Ainu character feel all the more important. It's not often that you come by a property of the early 90's that puts a spotlight on a representative of a group of people who have historically suffered from economic and social discrimination, an unfortunate aspect of Japanese society that continues to this day.
Outside of our two big mascots, there are 10 more interesting faces to meet in that character select screen. Tachibana Ukyō 橘 右京 is a romantic ill Samurai – inspired by the likes of Sasaki Kojiro 佐々木 小次郎 (1575-1612) and Okita Sōji 沖田 総司 (1842-1868) – who fights in the swift style of iaidō 居合道 and practices haiku, searching for the ultimate flower for his beloved woman. Galford D. Weller, a bright Californian sailor who trained in the arts of ninjutsu 忍術 and became a "hero of justice", involves his pet dog, Poppy, in not only his travels but combat as well. Charlotte Christine de Colde is a French noblewoman who travels to Japan, believing Amakusa the source to be of the dark power that is infiltrating her home country. She fights in the art of fencing, and uses an épée in combat. Yagyū Jūbei 柳生 十兵衞 is a seasoned samurai, providing a stark contrast to the youthful samurai in our cast. He is heavily inspired by the historical figure of the same name (1607–1650). Fighting with dual katana, he has multiple sword-based techniques: including a ground projectile, a series of rapid strikes, and a forward-charge into an uppercut. Earthquake is a Texan leader of a gang of American bandits searching for treasure and fights with a large kusarigama 鎖鎌. Funnily enough, due to his size, he's unavailable in the Genesis, Sega CD, and Game Gear versions of the game. Nonetheless, his body can be a positive considering it allows him to bounce himself towards foes or rush himself as a spinning blade ball.
Senryō Kyōshirō 千両 狂死郎 is a Japanese kabuki 歌舞伎 actor who fights with a large naginata 薙刀, all the while performing traditional kabuki dance style; emblematic of Japan's most popular form of entertainment and storytelling during the Edo period. He also has a variety of fire-based skills at his disposal. Tam Tam is a masked Mayan warrior from "Green Hell" who travels to Japan to retrieve the sacred artifact, the Palenke Stone, which was stolen by Amakusa to bolster Ambrosia's resurrection. Wan-Fu 王虎 is a Chinese general from the Great Qing 大清 Dynasty (1644-1911) seeking to recruit powerful warriors for his army in hopes for the unification of his country. Armed with a large dāo 刀, he has the unique ability to disarm himself and throw his weapon as a projectile, which creates a powerful explosion on impact. The green gremlin Shiranui Gen'an 不知火 幻庵 is a small monstrous creature from the Japanese island Kikoku-tō 鬼哭島, who fights with his signature scissor hands – very much based on Adachi Yasushi's アダチヤスシ fascination with Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands (1990). On the surface, Gen'an is a weird inclusion in our cast of human figures, but he's actually a remnant of the early developments of a project that was originally planned as a side-scrolling beat 'em up featuring monsters as protagonists – a concept that unexpectedly evolved into Samurai Shodown (1993) during its development. Last but not least, we have the Japanese Ninja Hattori Hanzō 服部 半蔵, who is based on the famous historical figure of the same name (1542-1597) and fights using ninjutsu – very much like his Western counterpart Galford. All of these characters somewhat suitably fit into a roster focused on a Japan within the middle of its isolationist Edo period; a bit ironic considering the notable four non-Asian characters, which all somewhat organically piece together within the given timeframe and their ability to enter Japan – especially the sailor, and noblewoman.
__A Rough Cutting Edge__
There are other ways to express a character besides their personality, lore and design however. In fighting games, one could argue that the characters, along with everything that encompasses them, are ideal manifestations and representation of the moveset they hold. The moves at a character disposal are key elements of character expression - one instantaneously thinks of Ryu when his shōryūken 昇龍拳 or hadōken 波動拳 gets brought up for example. Releasing about 5 to 7 months later after Art of Fighting's (September 1992) and Street Fighter II Turbo's (December 1992) invention of supers – and in the former's case: desperation moves – it's a bit of a letdown to acknowledge that the original Samurai Shodown (1993) has none of those. Meter management comes in the form of your Rage Gauge, which fills up the more you receive damage and once full, the gauge flashes POW and for a limited time, all your character's attacks inflict critical damage – with their skin's redness signifying their rage.
On the topic of moves in general, the game does feature a 4-button layout, but it very much plays like a 6-button fighter with the use of macros; with the implementation of a light, medium and heavy version for both slash and kick moves. Normally, to execute the heavy version of a move you'd have to simultaneously press the light and medium buttons for that type of move, which isn't really a problem when using macros on a controller that has more than 4 buttons – which you normally would have outside of playing on a Neo Geo AES or the arcades. However despite having an amount of normal moves that rival Street Fighter's quantity-wise, they all feel redundant, with some medium moves looking exactly the same as lighter versions besides their speed and power. In the case of special moves, a lot of the characters feel underworked relative to some others. Take the example of Haohmaru and Nakoruru. Haohmaru only has 2 special moves in this installment: a grounded projectile that when hit, elevates the opponent within a twister; and a traditional Dragon Punch – a short-coming 2/3rd of your average shōtō 松濤 moveset. Meanwhile, Nakoruru comprises a moveset that feels more fleshed out, which includes moves with her hawk Mamahaha in a multitude of ways: one that launches Mamahaha to the opponent; and one that makes her hang on Mamahaha, with two possible follow ups where she can either launch vertically right beneath her or diagonally; among others. The characters' kits all feel a bit oddly proportioned in relation to each other.
The game has elements of randomness to its gameplay as well. For example, when starting a fight or if both characters attack in a precise way, you have the chance to run into a Sword Clash where both characters will lock their weapons. Each player must then rapidly smash buttons to win the standstill; the loser drops their weapon which they will then have to pick up, while a tie results in both players losing their weapons. When playing against the computer, you can safely bet that you'll lose considering the AI pretty much presses the button per-frame, or so it feels. Its arcade mode is quite gruesome as well, with one having to go through the entire cast, including the character you play as, to then have a chance at Amakusa – who he himself is indeed a fine example of the old SNK Boss Syndrome trope. The entirety feels like a rather big grind. On top of that, unlike other fighters, the game features items. These include treasure (which will increase points), food (which will heal), and bombs (which deal damage to any close players). A running character in the background who is said to work for Amakusa tosses them into the arena at random intervals - he is based on the pre-modern Japanese courier, named hikyaku 飛脚. These are men who would need to run mile-long marathons to and from places for the Shogunate to deliver information and letters.
With that said and done, the aforementioned gripes are naturally aspects that have been fixed as the series went on: with the latest entries utilizing three slash and one kick button which feels more aptly condensed compared to this entry's more convoluted take on a control scheme for example, on top of the cast's moveset getting more fleshed out by the entry; but it all leads to this entry feeling riddled with that experimental first-entry-ism, with it not dedicating itself to what it really wants to do besides laying a foundational base for its successors to build upon by merely introducing ideas. With that in mind, in retrospect, it becomes increasingly clear why the fanbase either opts for the other Samurai Shodown games when interacting with the franchise.
__The Search of Japanese Spirit__
To accompany our dominantly Japanese cast, Samurai Shodown (1993) features an appropriate Japanese atmosphere as well. The music in the game is aptly inspired by Edo Japan, dominantly featuring the shamisen 三味線 and the shakuhachi 尺八 in most tracks. A lot of tracks are atmospheric, with most not really having an energetic melody. There are some interesting tracks to note however. Ukyō's theme, Honor's Melody "Night" 『男節 月』, plays shamisen samples on two channels, for the left and right ear respectively, one with a very slight delay relative to the other; all of which makes the strumming intensely realistic and solemn – SNK was always known for being relatively revolutionary when it came to their adaptation of music in their games. After all, one of their most well-known music tracks, Psycho Soldier Theme, is noteworthy for being the first ever full vocal track implemented in a video game. When it concerns the Japanese tracks, there are some others that stick out. Most notably, Kyōshirō's theme Magatama 『勾玉』, which is funnily one of the more livelier tracks of the bunch, all in sake for referencing his kabuki profession; there's also Nakoruru's theme Banquet of Nature 『自然の宴』 which distinctly emphasizes her association with nature through its harmonious melody – this track got so popular that it eventually became one of the franchise's unofficial main themes, with it being either remastered or remixed in most subsequent entries to coincide with Nakoruru's appearances, it even received a remixed by Ōkami's 大神 composer, Ueda Masami 上田雅美, which greatly enhanced its Japanese flair all the more for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
There are some outliers to the the OST being distinctly Japanese-inspired, mainly in the case of the foreign characters of the game. Charlotte's theme Exotic Lady 『舶来女』 feels appropriately aristocratic and European, as it features an organ playing a Baroque melody. A violin tags along in the official arranged version of the track, with drum beats to notify her dominant aristocratic presence. It honestly feels like it's a song that could organically fit within the Castlevania franchise of all places. There's also Galford's theme Tuna 『鮪』, which even made its way in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with Terry's inclusion. This Hard Rock track features Electric Guitar, which albeit not a thing in the 18th century, accentuates Galford's foreign quality as an American surfer-turned-sailor ninja.
It's also very difficult to make an overview of an SNK game without mentioning its stages. SNK stages have always been one of the most iconic aspects of their games. Following Fatal Fury 2 in terms of in-house SNK releases and the slew of popular stages it brought to the table - think of Terry's stage West Albuquerque, Andy's Venice and Krauser's diegetic Mittelgebilde; Samurai Shodown (1993) offers beautiful stages that feel more aptly atmospheric compared to Fatal Fury 2's more charmingly chaotic and mostly urban settings. As an example, in this entry we have both a noon and night counterpart for the Gairyūjima 骸流島 stage, which are Haohmaru's and Ukyō's stages respectively, signifying their contrasting rivalry (albeit short-lived, as their rivalry got dropped in favor of Kibagami Genjurō's 牙神 幻十郎 inclusion as Haohmaru's rival in the following entry). Gairyūjima is also the most iconic stage of the series, it's the first stage a player sees when playing this entry, being the one featured in the tutorial – its now iconic quality only being elevated by the fact that it has evolved over time with it being featured in subsequent entries, and even in SoulCalibur VI (2018) with Haohmaru's inclusion. Its atmosphere is very simple – its a cove surrounded by rocky waters with a tall mountain reminiscent of Mt. Fuji 富士山 looming in the distance, surrounded by clouds. All of it brings up a certain feeling of an epic samurai duel, very evocative of jidaigeki 時代劇 movies. This is practically the atmosphere Samurai Shodown (1993) wants to evoke through its stages. With most of them being deceptively simple in their composition, complemented by beautiful sprite-work, which make the duels feel upmost personal – which are only being witnessed by the referee.
__Closing Note__
And there we have it. The first entry, Samurai Shodown (1993), might look as an odd piece in its contemporary landscape filled with urban-focused fighting games on the surface; but in retrospect everything makes sense if you frame it as a reaction to its competitors. From its evolution from a monster-focused beat-em-up to a strategic fighting game through development, to its focus on a pre-modern Japanese setting, and its incorporation of an appropriate Edo and more solemn atmosphere – even its incorporation of some of its elements like items; they all feel like elements meticulously put there to set itself apart from its notable contemporaries as a pioneering weapon-based 2D fighter. It's also an entry riddled with first-entry-ism, with it not feeling as polished as it should be. Leaving the task to its successors to pick up the slack and keep building on its basic groundwork.
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Language: English & Japanese
Platform: Steam, MVS version through the Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection
Runtime: 12:30
Completion: Played through half of the cast's arcade mode on varying degrees of difficulty (ranging 2-4)
Favorite Track: Banquet of Nature
Favorite Character: Ukyo Tachibana
An emphasis on strategic footsies, weapon-based combat and Japanese Edo 江戸-era (1603-1867) atmosphere are all aspects the Samurai Shodown series, known as Samurai Spirits 『サムライスピリッツ』 in Japan, is extremely famous for. But despite being known for the aforementioned facets, the series itself wasn't actually in charge of those contributions to the genre: it's not necessarily the first weapon-based fighter, nor is it the first fighting game to heavily feature a pre-modern Japanese setting – that would be Kaneko's Shogun Warriors (1992); but it is a series produced by arcade giant SNK, who held the budget, talent and acclaim that elevated the series to be what it is today. But yet to understand the standing of something today, we have to understand how it got its footing first. In the face of the reality where most people know the series for Samurai Shodown 2 (1994) through Samurai Shodown 5 (2003) and its newest entry Samurai Shodown (2019), the franchise first saw its debut in 1993 with the original Samurai Shodown for Arcades and the Neo Geo AES, among many other platforms ported by various companies in later years.
__The Fighting Game Landscape in 1993__
The hectic year of 1993 was a competitively turbulent one for arcade fighting games, no doubt. For the third year in a row, Street Fighter II (1991) domineered the market as it was the year's highest-grossing video game worldwide yet again – mostly thanks to its release of Street Fighter II Turbo (1992). Ironically enough, there was inner competition within companies as well. Most notoriously SNK, who had multiple teams in charge of different series: Fatal Fury 2 saw its arcade release in December 1992 to rival Street Fighter II Turbo, and its release for Neo Geo AES later in March of 1993; Art of Fighting released in late 1992 as well; World Heroes 2 in April 1993; with Samurai Shodown following in July and Fatal Fury Special releasing 2 months later. The rest of the year proved to be stimulating in terms of competition as well, especially with Virtua Fighter (1993) and Mortal Kombat II (1993) releasing closer to the end of the year, the latter being a huge success in the West.
Within this certain rivalrous landscape, Samurai Shodown (1993) needed something to set it self apart – especially against the stronghold that is Capcom's Street Fighter II. Their answer to Capcom's and their own takes (see: Fatal Fury (1991) and Art of Fighting (1992)) on a multinational and predominantly Western cast became the series' most identifying aspect. SNK opted for a more isolated setting, literally. You see, Samurai Shodown takes place during the time known as sakoku 鎖国 (1639-1853) of Japanese history, which is a time of national isolation during the Edo period. This aspect further snowballed the game's focus on that Japanese element – with its history and their tropes being incorporated and slightly exaggerated. To put it simple, in this narrative the ruling Samurai class consists of honored men with a distinct "Samurai Spirit" who are always in search of training and stand up for justice, with bushidō 武士道 being a strong code of honor all those Samurai abide by. Which admittedly makes the entry feel somewhat Hollywood-inspired when it comes to its own tropes. Although, of course, Samurai Shodown (1993) is a fighting game wherein the narrative experience takes a backseat in favor of action and its characters. It's not supposed to be a story that contains strong criticisms on Japanese history and the lens that people use when looking back on it. With that being said, this magnifying glass on Japan naturally leads to most of the cast being of Japanese origin – with a few exceptions.
__Sakoku Japan and its Representation Through Characters__
The backdrop surrounding our cast is quite unique, albeit simple. While Samurai Shodown (1993) is the first mainline entry, it is the third chronological entry of the series; directly following its latest installment, Samurai Shodown (2019). The story centers around a villain, Amakusa Shirō Tokisada 天草 四郎 時貞 , a character based on an actual historical figure who was deemed a heretic and slain in Japan in 1638 by the Tokugawa Shogunate for his part in the Shimabara Rebellion (1637-1638). Now being resurrected more than hundred years later in 1787, thanks to a deal with the evil god Ambrosia, he is driven by hate for both the Shogunate and the world itself; and along with his newly acquired dark powers, he's ready to bring chaos to all of existence in 1788. Unfortunately for him, a diverse set of 12 warriors — some historic like him, and some fictional — are all headed towards the source of the chaos, each driven by their own reasons.
The seemingly lack of cultural diversity that feels void when compared games with heavy themes of cross-culturalism like Street Fighter and even other SNK titles is something that the franchise has been remedying with each and every entry – Darli Dagger in Samurai Shodown (2019) as a recent and notable example. With that being said, even in the first entry, no two people in our cast of characters are the same in both background and personality. Our easy-going protagonist rōnin 浪人 – a swordsman with no loyalties to any lord – Haohmaru 覇王丸 for example is very much your average romanticized samurai 侍. He's based on Miyamoto Musashi 宮本 武蔵 (1584-1645), a character popularized by tons of other media – most prominently the Samurai Trilogy (1954-1956) by Inagaki Hiroshi 稲垣 浩 – and one of the most idolized rōnin in history as someone who's been told to have never lost a match once. Miyamoto Musashi was also present during the Shimabara Rebellion, aiding the Tokugawa Shogunate against the real Amakusa, which ties the connection between him and Haohmaru significantly further. Then there's Nakoruru ナコルル, a young Ainu priestess who fights to protect nature who is aided by her trusty hawk companion, Mamahaha ママハハ, who can lift her into the air and can even be used as a projectile. Nakoruru swiftly became somewhat of a deuteragonist and mascot of the franchise right after this entry, which makes her inclusion as an Ainu character feel all the more important. It's not often that you come by a property of the early 90's that puts a spotlight on a representative of a group of people who have historically suffered from economic and social discrimination, an unfortunate aspect of Japanese society that continues to this day.
Outside of our two big mascots, there are 10 more interesting faces to meet in that character select screen. Tachibana Ukyō 橘 右京 is a romantic ill Samurai – inspired by the likes of Sasaki Kojiro 佐々木 小次郎 (1575-1612) and Okita Sōji 沖田 総司 (1842-1868) – who fights in the swift style of iaidō 居合道 and practices haiku, searching for the ultimate flower for his beloved woman. Galford D. Weller, a bright Californian sailor who trained in the arts of ninjutsu 忍術 and became a "hero of justice", involves his pet dog, Poppy, in not only his travels but combat as well. Charlotte Christine de Colde is a French noblewoman who travels to Japan, believing Amakusa the source to be of the dark power that is infiltrating her home country. She fights in the art of fencing, and uses an épée in combat. Yagyū Jūbei 柳生 十兵衞 is a seasoned samurai, providing a stark contrast to the youthful samurai in our cast. He is heavily inspired by the historical figure of the same name (1607–1650). Fighting with dual katana, he has multiple sword-based techniques: including a ground projectile, a series of rapid strikes, and a forward-charge into an uppercut. Earthquake is a Texan leader of a gang of American bandits searching for treasure and fights with a large kusarigama 鎖鎌. Funnily enough, due to his size, he's unavailable in the Genesis, Sega CD, and Game Gear versions of the game. Nonetheless, his body can be a positive considering it allows him to bounce himself towards foes or rush himself as a spinning blade ball.
Senryō Kyōshirō 千両 狂死郎 is a Japanese kabuki 歌舞伎 actor who fights with a large naginata 薙刀, all the while performing traditional kabuki dance style; emblematic of Japan's most popular form of entertainment and storytelling during the Edo period. He also has a variety of fire-based skills at his disposal. Tam Tam is a masked Mayan warrior from "Green Hell" who travels to Japan to retrieve the sacred artifact, the Palenke Stone, which was stolen by Amakusa to bolster Ambrosia's resurrection. Wan-Fu 王虎 is a Chinese general from the Great Qing 大清 Dynasty (1644-1911) seeking to recruit powerful warriors for his army in hopes for the unification of his country. Armed with a large dāo 刀, he has the unique ability to disarm himself and throw his weapon as a projectile, which creates a powerful explosion on impact. The green gremlin Shiranui Gen'an 不知火 幻庵 is a small monstrous creature from the Japanese island Kikoku-tō 鬼哭島, who fights with his signature scissor hands – very much based on Adachi Yasushi's アダチヤスシ fascination with Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands (1990). On the surface, Gen'an is a weird inclusion in our cast of human figures, but he's actually a remnant of the early developments of a project that was originally planned as a side-scrolling beat 'em up featuring monsters as protagonists – a concept that unexpectedly evolved into Samurai Shodown (1993) during its development. Last but not least, we have the Japanese Ninja Hattori Hanzō 服部 半蔵, who is based on the famous historical figure of the same name (1542-1597) and fights using ninjutsu – very much like his Western counterpart Galford. All of these characters somewhat suitably fit into a roster focused on a Japan within the middle of its isolationist Edo period; a bit ironic considering the notable four non-Asian characters, which all somewhat organically piece together within the given timeframe and their ability to enter Japan – especially the sailor, and noblewoman.
__A Rough Cutting Edge__
There are other ways to express a character besides their personality, lore and design however. In fighting games, one could argue that the characters, along with everything that encompasses them, are ideal manifestations and representation of the moveset they hold. The moves at a character disposal are key elements of character expression - one instantaneously thinks of Ryu when his shōryūken 昇龍拳 or hadōken 波動拳 gets brought up for example. Releasing about 5 to 7 months later after Art of Fighting's (September 1992) and Street Fighter II Turbo's (December 1992) invention of supers – and in the former's case: desperation moves – it's a bit of a letdown to acknowledge that the original Samurai Shodown (1993) has none of those. Meter management comes in the form of your Rage Gauge, which fills up the more you receive damage and once full, the gauge flashes POW and for a limited time, all your character's attacks inflict critical damage – with their skin's redness signifying their rage.
On the topic of moves in general, the game does feature a 4-button layout, but it very much plays like a 6-button fighter with the use of macros; with the implementation of a light, medium and heavy version for both slash and kick moves. Normally, to execute the heavy version of a move you'd have to simultaneously press the light and medium buttons for that type of move, which isn't really a problem when using macros on a controller that has more than 4 buttons – which you normally would have outside of playing on a Neo Geo AES or the arcades. However despite having an amount of normal moves that rival Street Fighter's quantity-wise, they all feel redundant, with some medium moves looking exactly the same as lighter versions besides their speed and power. In the case of special moves, a lot of the characters feel underworked relative to some others. Take the example of Haohmaru and Nakoruru. Haohmaru only has 2 special moves in this installment: a grounded projectile that when hit, elevates the opponent within a twister; and a traditional Dragon Punch – a short-coming 2/3rd of your average shōtō 松濤 moveset. Meanwhile, Nakoruru comprises a moveset that feels more fleshed out, which includes moves with her hawk Mamahaha in a multitude of ways: one that launches Mamahaha to the opponent; and one that makes her hang on Mamahaha, with two possible follow ups where she can either launch vertically right beneath her or diagonally; among others. The characters' kits all feel a bit oddly proportioned in relation to each other.
The game has elements of randomness to its gameplay as well. For example, when starting a fight or if both characters attack in a precise way, you have the chance to run into a Sword Clash where both characters will lock their weapons. Each player must then rapidly smash buttons to win the standstill; the loser drops their weapon which they will then have to pick up, while a tie results in both players losing their weapons. When playing against the computer, you can safely bet that you'll lose considering the AI pretty much presses the button per-frame, or so it feels. Its arcade mode is quite gruesome as well, with one having to go through the entire cast, including the character you play as, to then have a chance at Amakusa – who he himself is indeed a fine example of the old SNK Boss Syndrome trope. The entirety feels like a rather big grind. On top of that, unlike other fighters, the game features items. These include treasure (which will increase points), food (which will heal), and bombs (which deal damage to any close players). A running character in the background who is said to work for Amakusa tosses them into the arena at random intervals - he is based on the pre-modern Japanese courier, named hikyaku 飛脚. These are men who would need to run mile-long marathons to and from places for the Shogunate to deliver information and letters.
With that said and done, the aforementioned gripes are naturally aspects that have been fixed as the series went on: with the latest entries utilizing three slash and one kick button which feels more aptly condensed compared to this entry's more convoluted take on a control scheme for example, on top of the cast's moveset getting more fleshed out by the entry; but it all leads to this entry feeling riddled with that experimental first-entry-ism, with it not dedicating itself to what it really wants to do besides laying a foundational base for its successors to build upon by merely introducing ideas. With that in mind, in retrospect, it becomes increasingly clear why the fanbase either opts for the other Samurai Shodown games when interacting with the franchise.
__The Search of Japanese Spirit__
To accompany our dominantly Japanese cast, Samurai Shodown (1993) features an appropriate Japanese atmosphere as well. The music in the game is aptly inspired by Edo Japan, dominantly featuring the shamisen 三味線 and the shakuhachi 尺八 in most tracks. A lot of tracks are atmospheric, with most not really having an energetic melody. There are some interesting tracks to note however. Ukyō's theme, Honor's Melody "Night" 『男節 月』, plays shamisen samples on two channels, for the left and right ear respectively, one with a very slight delay relative to the other; all of which makes the strumming intensely realistic and solemn – SNK was always known for being relatively revolutionary when it came to their adaptation of music in their games. After all, one of their most well-known music tracks, Psycho Soldier Theme, is noteworthy for being the first ever full vocal track implemented in a video game. When it concerns the Japanese tracks, there are some others that stick out. Most notably, Kyōshirō's theme Magatama 『勾玉』, which is funnily one of the more livelier tracks of the bunch, all in sake for referencing his kabuki profession; there's also Nakoruru's theme Banquet of Nature 『自然の宴』 which distinctly emphasizes her association with nature through its harmonious melody – this track got so popular that it eventually became one of the franchise's unofficial main themes, with it being either remastered or remixed in most subsequent entries to coincide with Nakoruru's appearances, it even received a remixed by Ōkami's 大神 composer, Ueda Masami 上田雅美, which greatly enhanced its Japanese flair all the more for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
There are some outliers to the the OST being distinctly Japanese-inspired, mainly in the case of the foreign characters of the game. Charlotte's theme Exotic Lady 『舶来女』 feels appropriately aristocratic and European, as it features an organ playing a Baroque melody. A violin tags along in the official arranged version of the track, with drum beats to notify her dominant aristocratic presence. It honestly feels like it's a song that could organically fit within the Castlevania franchise of all places. There's also Galford's theme Tuna 『鮪』, which even made its way in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with Terry's inclusion. This Hard Rock track features Electric Guitar, which albeit not a thing in the 18th century, accentuates Galford's foreign quality as an American surfer-turned-sailor ninja.
It's also very difficult to make an overview of an SNK game without mentioning its stages. SNK stages have always been one of the most iconic aspects of their games. Following Fatal Fury 2 in terms of in-house SNK releases and the slew of popular stages it brought to the table - think of Terry's stage West Albuquerque, Andy's Venice and Krauser's diegetic Mittelgebilde; Samurai Shodown (1993) offers beautiful stages that feel more aptly atmospheric compared to Fatal Fury 2's more charmingly chaotic and mostly urban settings. As an example, in this entry we have both a noon and night counterpart for the Gairyūjima 骸流島 stage, which are Haohmaru's and Ukyō's stages respectively, signifying their contrasting rivalry (albeit short-lived, as their rivalry got dropped in favor of Kibagami Genjurō's 牙神 幻十郎 inclusion as Haohmaru's rival in the following entry). Gairyūjima is also the most iconic stage of the series, it's the first stage a player sees when playing this entry, being the one featured in the tutorial – its now iconic quality only being elevated by the fact that it has evolved over time with it being featured in subsequent entries, and even in SoulCalibur VI (2018) with Haohmaru's inclusion. Its atmosphere is very simple – its a cove surrounded by rocky waters with a tall mountain reminiscent of Mt. Fuji 富士山 looming in the distance, surrounded by clouds. All of it brings up a certain feeling of an epic samurai duel, very evocative of jidaigeki 時代劇 movies. This is practically the atmosphere Samurai Shodown (1993) wants to evoke through its stages. With most of them being deceptively simple in their composition, complemented by beautiful sprite-work, which make the duels feel upmost personal – which are only being witnessed by the referee.
__Closing Note__
And there we have it. The first entry, Samurai Shodown (1993), might look as an odd piece in its contemporary landscape filled with urban-focused fighting games on the surface; but in retrospect everything makes sense if you frame it as a reaction to its competitors. From its evolution from a monster-focused beat-em-up to a strategic fighting game through development, to its focus on a pre-modern Japanese setting, and its incorporation of an appropriate Edo and more solemn atmosphere – even its incorporation of some of its elements like items; they all feel like elements meticulously put there to set itself apart from its notable contemporaries as a pioneering weapon-based 2D fighter. It's also an entry riddled with first-entry-ism, with it not feeling as polished as it should be. Leaving the task to its successors to pick up the slack and keep building on its basic groundwork.
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Language: English & Japanese
Platform: Steam, MVS version through the Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection
Runtime: 12:30
Completion: Played through half of the cast's arcade mode on varying degrees of difficulty (ranging 2-4)
Favorite Track: Banquet of Nature
Favorite Character: Ukyo Tachibana