Note: This article is specifically about the original Samurai Shodown game. For information on the series as a whole, see Samurai Shodown series. Samurai Shodown (Samurai Spirits in Japan), or SS for short, is the name of a fighting game series by SNK. It is considered to be the premier 2D weapons fighter, and is one of the best-known video games created by SNK. This series also started SNKs reputation for...

Samurai Shodown
Developer(s)	SNK
Publisher(s)	SNK
Designer(s)	Galapagos Team
Release date(s)	August 11, 1993
Genre(s)	Fighting game
Mode(s)	Up to 2 players simultaneously
Rating(s)	ESRB: Not Rated (NR)
Platform(s)	Neo-Geo (Ports available on various other platforms of the time)
Media	118 MB Neo-Geo cartridge

Samurai Shodown (Japanese title: 'Samurai Spirits' / サムライスピリッツ) is the first game in SNK's popular series of fighting games. Its initial, primary distinction from its contemporaries (most significantly, Street Fighter II) was its time period, since it was set in the late 18th century. All of its characters also wielded weapons, and in addition to its unusual look, it also bore comparatively authentic music from the time period, rife with sounds of traditional Japanese instruments, such as the shakuhachi and shamisen. True to its use of bladed weapons, the game also included copious amounts of blood, though generally never as over-the-top as Mortal Kombat tended to be. Its overall aesthetic drew in the curious, and made SNK many fans. screenshot Samurai_Showdown by me This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates computer or video games. ... It has been suggested that SNK Playmore be merged into this article or section. ... Video game publishers are companies that publish video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer. ... It has been suggested that SNK Playmore be merged into this article or section. ... A game designer is a person who designs games. ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... This is a listing of computer and video game genres with brief descriptions and examples from each genre. ... Screenshot of Kung Fu Master (1984, Irem). ... Putt Putt: Peps Birthday Surprise is rated EC (Early Childhood). ... This article is about computer and video games. ... The original Neo-Geo console was greatly advanced for its time. ... In a variety of electronic equipments, a cartridge (in video game terms, cart, game pack, or Game Pak) can be one method of programming different functionality, providing variable content, or a method by which consumables may be replenished. ... It has been suggested that SNK Playmore be merged into this article or section. ... Screenshot of Kung Fu Master (1984, Irem). ... Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991) was a highly popular and immensely successful fighting game created by Capcom. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Music is a human activity which involves structured and audible sounds, which is used for artistic or aesthetic, entertainment, or ceremonial purposes. ... A shakuhachi, showing its utaguchi (blowing edge) and inlay The shakuhachi (尺八 in Japanese, pronounced /shakoo-hatchee/) is a Japanese end-blown flute which is held vertically like a recorder instead of being held transversely like the familiar Western transverse flute. ... Kitagawa Utamaro, Flowers of Edo: Young Womans Narrative Chanting to the Samisen, ca. ... Mortal Kombat has multiple meanings. ...

The game quickly became renowned for its fast pace, focused more on quick, powerful strikes than the combos that SFII was known for.

Home Version

When SNK released the game for the home console version of the Neo*Geo system, the AES, the fans bought it up in droves, and it still stands as the most successful run of home Neo cartridges ever produced. The original Neo-Geo console was greatly advanced for its time. ...

However, the release incited controversy in the United States, as it was decided to censor the game for most platforms, by changing the blood from red to white and disabling all of the fatal attack animations. There was no code to re-enable it, and many US fans who bought the game were angry that the game they had purchased was not 100% true to the arcade experience, a notion which ran contrary to the professed point of the AES in the first place. The 3DO version, however, was ported almost a year later, and managed to reach the console with all blood and fatality graphics intact. As a result, some retailers didn't even carry this edition of the game. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

SS1, as it is typically abbreviated, is justifiably considered the starting point for the wave of Neo*Geo console modifications, which would enable users to set the system's region to Japan, or play in arcade mode, which would in turn allow the game to be played with all of the blood and death animations intact, even on a U.S. console. It also marked the beginning of SNK's nebulous and much-discussed policy of censoring their games for release in the United States, which still persists (albeit sporadically) to this day. Xenium Mod Chip soldered into a Xbox. ...

The game was ported to multiple other platforms, including the Super Nintendo, Nintendo Gameboy, Sega Genesis, Sega CD, 3DO, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. All the ports vary in quality, given the individual capabilities of the systems it appeared on. The European SNES design is identical to the Super Famicom. ... The original Game Boys design set the standard for handheld gaming consoles. ... The Mega Drive/Genesis was a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in Japan (1988), Europe (1990) and most of the rest of the world as the Mega Drive. ... The Sega Mega-CD (Japanese: メガCD) is an add-on device for the Sega Mega Drive released in Europe, Australia, and Japan. ... 3DO can refer to: The 3DO Company, a developer of computer and video game software and hardware 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, the name of a number of video game consoles based on specifications created by above company This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might... The PlayStation is a video game console of the 32/64-bit era, first produced by Sony Computer Entertainment in the mid-1990s. ... |score = The PlayStation 2 (PS2) (Japanese: プレイステーション2) is Sonys second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3. ... Microsoft Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console first released on November 15, 2001 in North America and Puerto Rico , then released on February 22, 2002 in Japan, and on March 14, 2002 in Europe. ...

Story

The official story, as given by SNK, is as follows:

"Plagues of unknown origin, strange phenomena, repeated outbreaks of war: these were enough to cause panic and plunge people into despair.

But one smiled as he surveyed the unfolding chaos rending the world asunder.

For this 'man,' once slain by the forces of the Tokugawa Shogunate, hate for the Shogunate is all he possesses along with newly acquired dark powers to bring it down.

This 'man,' Tokisada Amakusa, unleashes his unworldly forces and spreads his false creed in an attempt to lead the world to ruin.

But in the midst of such calamities, there were still warriors who put their beliefs to the test. These warriors spurred by different motives and beliefs converge as if drawn together, battle, and make their way to the source of the chaos."

Cast

Note: In the English versions of the video games, character names are in the Western order (given name, then family name). The character names here reflect the English version.

Samurai Shodown

Characters
Asura - Cham Cham - Charlotte Christine Colde - Earthquake - Enja - Gaira Caffeine - Galford - Gedo Kusaregedo - Genjuro Kibagami - Hanma Yagyu - Hanzo Hattori - Haohmaru - Jubei Yagyu- Kazuki Kazama - Kubikiri Basara - Kuroko - Mikoto - Mina Majikina - Nakoruru - Neinhalt Sieger - Nicotine Caffeine - Rinka Yoshino - Rimururu - Tam Tam - Saya - Seishiro Kuki - Kyoshiro Senryo - Shiranui Gen-an - Shizumaru Hisame - Sogetsu Kazama - Taizan Morosumi - Wan-Fu - Shiki - Suija - Ukyo Tachibana - Yumeji Kurokouchi - Yoshitora Tokugawa - Yaci Izanagi
Boss characters
Deku and Dekuin - Gandara - Gaoh Kyougoku Hinowanokami - Mizuki "The Marauding Deity" Rashojin- Shiro Tokisada Amakusa - Yuga the Destroyer - Zankuro Minazuki

Samurai Shodown (Samurai Spirits in Japan), or SS for short, is the name of a fighting game series by SNK. It is considered to be the premier 2D weapons fighter, and is one of the best-known video games created by SNK. This series also started SNKs reputation for... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1994x1644, 86 KB) fr: Sabre japonais de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale. ... Asura (アスラ) is a character from SNKs Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. ... Cham Cham is a character who was introduced in SNKs fighting game Samurai Shodown II. History Samurai Shodown 2 Cham Cham is the younger sister of Tam Tam, a character from the first Samurai Shodown. ... Charlotte Christine Colde (シャルロット) is a character in SNKs Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. ... Earthquake is a video game character from SNK Playmores Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. ... Enja (炎邪) is an video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Gaira Caffeine is an video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Galford D. Weiler (ガルフォード) is one of the characters in the popular arcade game Samurai Shodown. ... Kusaregedo (妖怪腐れ外道) is an video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Genjuro Kibagami (牙神 幻十郎 Kibagami Genjuurou, with Genjuro meaning Mystic Tenth Son in Japanese) is a character from SNK Playmores Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. ... Hanma Yagyu is an video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Hanzo Hattori is video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Haohmaru(Japanese: 覇王丸) is a video game character from SNK Playmores Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. ... Jubei Yagyu is a character in the Samurai Shodown video game series. ... Kazuki Kazama (風間火月) is a video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Kubikiri Basara (Japanese: 首切り破沙羅 Kubikiri Basara) is a character from SNK Playmores Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. ... Kuroko (黒子) is a stagehand in kabuki theatre. ... Mikoto (命) is an character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Mina Majikina (真鏡名ミナ) is a character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Nakoruru in Nakoruru: Anohito Kara no Okurimono Nakoruru(Japanese: ナコルル) is a character in the Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. ... Neinhalt Sieger is a character who was introduced in SNKs fighting game Samurai Shodown II. History Samurai Shodown 2 Categories: | | ... Nicotine Caffeine is a video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Rinka Yoshino is a video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Rimururu (Japanese: リムルル) is a character in the Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Saya is an video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Seishiro Kuki is an fictional character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Kyoshiro Senryo is a charcter in the Samurai Shodown video game series. ... Genan Shiranui (不知火幻庵) is a character in the Samurai Shodown video game series. ... Shizumaru Hisame (緋雨閑丸) is a video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Sogetsu Kazama is an video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Taizan Morosumi (八角泰山) is an video game character in the Samurai Shodown series, making his only appearence in the Samurai Shodown 64: Warriorss Rage iterarion. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Shiki Shiki is a video game character in the fighting game series Samurai Shodown. ... Suija (水邪) is a video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Ukyo Tachibana (橘右京 Tachibana Ukyō) is a character from SNK Playmores Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. ... Yumeji Kurokouchi is a character in the Samurai Shodown series of video games. ... Yoshitora Tokugawa (徳川 慶寅; Yoshitora Tokugawa) is a character from SNK Playmores Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. ... Yaci Izanagi (十六薙夜血) is an character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Deku and Dekuin are boss characters in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Buddhas First Sermon at Sarnath, Kushan Period, ca. ... Gaoh Kyougoku Hinowanokami (兇國日輪守我旺) is an character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Mizuki The Marauding Deity Rashojin (羅将神ミヅキ) is a video game character in the Samurai Shodown series. ... Shiro Tokisada Amakusa Shiro Tokisada Amakusa (天草四郎時貞 Amakusa Shirō Tokisada) is a video game character from SNK Playmores Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. ... Yuga is a character in the Samurai Shodown series, and is the main antagonist of the Samurai Shodown 64 iteration. ... Zankuro Minazuki is the final boss from Samurai Shodown 3, a most excellent fighting game made by SNK. He is very cheap, and suffers from SNK Boss Syndrome. ...

External links

• Review of Samurai Shodown at Neo-Geo.com
• Samurai Shodown official website
• Samurai Shodown Forever fan site
• Samurai Shodown at KLOV
• Samurai Shodown at MobyGames