Samurai Shodown III

The third installment of the famous series created by SNK, a studio specializing in 2D fighting games. Again, the players have the chance to fight as masters of various martial arts, using melee weapons. The game is a port version of a hit from a arcade machine, which went to salons in 1995.

Story

The mighty demon Zankuro Minazuki has been terrorizing the country for decades, attacking subsequent villages and murdering all inhabitants. Legends say that only one child managed to survive the meeting with him. One day a group of daredevils, each with a different goal and ambition, decides to deal with the powerful being once and for all. Before them the most difficult fight in their lives.

Mechanics

Samurai Shodown III is kept in a much darker style than the previous installment of the series. For this reason, the devs made a few changes in the line-up of available warriors. Some of them were removed, others re-modeled, and the list was supplemented by several new weapon masters. The players can control the mysterious umbrella-wielding boy Shizumaru, Rimururu with the power of ice, or a revenge-hungry soul of the late ninja Basara Kubikiri.

A big novelty in the third installment of the series is the availability of two versions of each character, Slash, and Bust, which differ in behavior in the arena and attacks. The devs also introduced a number of modifications, such as increasing the damage from sword attacks and the ability to move from a simple move to a special attack in no time. As a result, the battles are more dynamic and often end much quicker.

Technical aspects

Samurai Shodown III once again stands out with its beautiful, hand-painted 2D arenas, detailed character models and spectacular attack animations. Unfortunately, the PS1 port suffers from several irritating bugs and graphic issues.

Last updated on April 9, 2020