While most fighting fans are playing DOA 4 on their Xbox 360, there is another great title available for Xbox owners to play. Some of you may remember going to the local arcade in the 90’s and playing the Neo-Geo series Samurai Showdown. SNK Playmore has brought the 5th game of the series to the Xbox as an exclusive. While many fans, me included, may argue that the series peaked with the 2nd or 3rd versions, the game still has a special charm.

The new version is the original version of SSV; not the special edition that was released. While I would have preferred the special edition, SSV still offers plenty for fans of the fighting genre including an online mode. The question for fans is does this 2D Xbox version have enough features and action to make it a must have fighting title? Read the full review and find out.

Gameplay

As mentioned above this is the original version of the game and not the special edition created later. It still has an arcade mode, versus mode and a great online mode. For long time fans there are still all of the favorite fighters to pick from. While it has plenty to keep players busy, the game is a slower-paced one and may not be for everyone. It’s more of knowing when to time each attack and while each character has special combo moves that can cause serious damage, the problem is you can only pull off one super mover per round and then you need to have a full meter.

The slower-paced action may turn a few off at first, but after playing the arcade mode and learning the moves, the gameplay is actually good. After all, this was right before 2D games became a thing of the past and 3D fighter began to be king. One thing that I must point out is that the game book reads like you will unlock bosses and characters found in Samurai Showdown Special V. I am sure this is a misprint and I have yet to unlock the special bosses. While this is a bit confusing, it just needed pointed it out for those who may buy or already own the game and think they are missing something.

Even without the classic bosses the closer you get to the final boss the harder the A.I. is and it will challenge any fighting fanatic. It’s not impossible but even those who are true die-hard fighting fans may need to replay a few of the ‘best of three’ battles to get to the end. It is a challenging game and the new characters added along with the classic ones seem well balanced. Meaning most games that have classic characters tend to give the advantage to one or two characters and this gives you an unfair advantage.

If you happen to remember or played this one in the arcade, you will soon learn that the game is in English now. For those who want the original feel and sound, you will need to change your settings to Japanese in the dashboard first. Even if you play the Japanese version, everything is the same except for the voices and text on the screen. Samurai stays true to the original and plays well and is certainly going to appeal to fans of the Neo-Geo series. The game has the same look as the Neo-Geo version and adds to the feel of the gameplay and story. Of course the main draw is the different weapons and attacks. They could have added in more characters and bosses from past versions to make it a little longer but overall this is a fun game to play.

Control / Playability

The controls are laid out well and most gamers will learn the basic within the first 15-20 minutes of playing. Most of the controls are the same as in past SNK titles and respond well but really cries for an arcade stick. It’s not impossible to learn the more advanced moves, but since the classic game was configured for a 6 button layout, it takes awhile to adjust to the S-Controller. The response of each button and stick controls are great, but there are times when you will need to be fast and precise to pull off certain moves. The controls can be a little frustrating but like most fighting games, with practice most players will soon learn how to pull off even the most advanced moves. It does seem to play a little differently online though as far as the ease of the controls.

Xbox Live

If you go online and enter a match using the quick match option, you are sure to find someone online. It is the same lobby system as King of Fighters and the rest of the games from SNK from last year. However, there is one bad little issue. When the match is over, it will say rematch requested automatically. When you hit okay, it boots you back to the main menu. So there is an issue but nothing a patch can’t fix. When you create a game, you can set the rules and options. You can ask for a rematch and won’t get booted out after the fight is over. The game plays very smooth and as stated above no lag at all with a strong connection which is great.

You may find some of the controls and the pace of the game to be faster online. This is not uncommon since most who play any game online know moves and ways to win. What may work in the single-player mode may backfire, which makes the challenge great. The lobby set-up could have been tweaked a bit before the release and a little easier to find players. Overall, the online mode certainly adds to the value of the game. A good job but has a few issues like most of the other games from the Neo-Geo. The lag issue or lack of may be due to the fact it has 2D graphics and less to sync while playing.

Graphics / Presentation

Here again it all depends on what is important to you. If you’re looking for mind blowing graphics, SSV won’t deliver that. Instead it stays true to the classic 2D look and feel of the original version. At times certain levels and characters look better than others and this is not uncommon when playing a 2D version. They added a few tweaks but overall the graphics look good, however nothing spectacular either. You have to remember while it has been adjusted a little bit, you’re still playing something that was made in the early 90’s. Most fans will like the fact the graphics have not been changed or greatly enhanced. Overall a great port over and stays true to the roots of the title.

Audio

When playing with the default dashboard settings, the American version offers a few enhanced vocals and English comments. While sort of cool it may irritate a few fans who want the original soundtrack and the voice tracks as well. Having played both versions, the slight added lines do make the game standout a little in this area. They also seemed to have touched up the music a little and cleaned the tracks up. Generally, a great job and nothing to point out of concern.

Replay Value

Depending on how good you are at fighting games, the single-player mode may seem a little short but is a challenge. Throw in the online mode despite the fact of having to find another match after winning or losing and it has plenty to keep fighting fans happy. The amount of characters to pick from is impressive and they all have their own unique style and moves. At $29.99 it’s certainly worth it and offers some features that more expensive games lack in this genre.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 7.2/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

Samurai Shodown V is a great trip down memory lane and while the earlier versions were more popular it is worth the price. You may need to adjust your fighting style in the single-player mode to get the most out of this one but its fun and challenging. With a good online mode and lag free playing, this one is great for any fighting fan to pick up, just not as polished as some others.

Related Links

Filed under: Reviews

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!