Samurai Shodown V
Score: 82% ESRB: Teen Publisher: SNK Playmore Developer: Signature Devices Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Fighting
Graphics & Sound: Samurai Shodown V looks almost exactly the same as the 2003 arcade game it was ported from. This is both bad and good. The classic animated feel of the series is kept up here. Each of the 26 different characters has a very unique feel to them, and most are very well drawn. Some of the newer characters, however, have slightly broken movements. The backgrounds are also a bittersweet story. Some look great, others not so much. And while the series prides itself as one of the first arcade games to be able to draw the perspective in and out, the level of detail suffers when zoomed in, especially on bigger screens. The sounds are equally classic, but the suite also suffers from the same ailments as the graphics. The audio taken from the older games is spot on and very diverse. Newer sounds, for some strange reason, don?t carry the same impact as the older ones, and seem like more of a half-assed job. The score is the saving grace here, as both classic and newer tracks are done very well.
Gameplay: Samurai Shodown V is a pure fighting game and doesn?t make any effort to hide that fact. It offers a lot of characters, classic gaming, and Single and Multiplayer modes that should whet your fighting appetite. At first glance, it would seem that the number of characters would make the gameplay host to an unlimited variety of fighting styles. However, upon closer inspection, a lot of the characters are actually offshoots of original characters. Things get worse when you realize that these clones have almost the same features and moves as their counterparts. This isn?t devastating and hardcore fans will undoubtedly try to master the subtleties of each and every fighter, but the first-timer to the series may find this situation deceiving. There aren?t a whole lot of options for different types of fights either. The standard Single player experience is included, and follows your character through a soap opera-style campaign as they meet, and fight, the rest of the characters. There are also no hidden goodies like unlockable characters. But as I said before, Samurai Shodown V does not try to be anything other and a straight up fighter. Of course, the most rewarding aspect of any fighting game is going toe-to-toe with a human opponent. You can do this in either the standard 2 player mode, or take your skills online with Xbox Live. Unfortunately, there are not a whole lot of people online with this game, but finding a challenging opponent out there is a rewarding experience.
Difficulty: Samurai Shodown V shows its classic roots most with its difficult but challenging A.I. The Single Player mode ramps up very quickly in terms of difficulty, but is by no means impossible to beat. The core of the game is easy to pick up, and the challenge lies not in memorizing long strings of buttons, but in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each character and exploiting them during a match to inflict the maximum amount of damage.
Game Mechanics: Samurai Shodown V plays as one might expect from an old 2D fighter. The fights are a definite throwback to the arcade games that ate so many of our quarters. You won?t find many throws or long combos here. Most of the fights consist of each player jostling for position to land a couple of extremely powerful hits. Jumping and hitting aren?t all there is to this game, though. There are a number of gauges and abilities that become more a part of your style the better you get. A power gauge that lowers your strength the more you hit buttons is present to thwart button mashers. There is also a rage meter that builds up whenever you take damage, and once full, you can unleash a devastating attack on your opponent. Similarly, there is an ability called "concentration one" that you can use when you are close to defeat. This attack can sometimes kill an opponent outright. These features make almost every match come down to the wire. While some may think it is cheap (especially when they are on the receiving end), its does make for some very exciting gameplay. Samurai Shodown V is not the greatest 2D fighter out there. It lacks the features that keep most casual gamers coming back for more. It?s also got some superficial blemishes that will make purists cringe. However, it does offer a solid, enjoyable Samurai Shodown experience. Fans of the series would do themselves a great injustice to let this game pass them by.
-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications AKA Andrew Horwitz
Strike Ball 2 Ape Escape 3