Play Samurai Shodown Online

Samurai Shodown, also known as Samurai Spirits in Japan, is a fighting game developed and published by SNK for the Sega Genesis Mega Drive. It was released in 1993 in North America and Europe, and 1994 in Japan.

The game plays much like other popular fighting games of the time such as Street Fighter II or Mortal Kombat. The player takes control of one out of ten different characters who must fight their way through six opponents plus two secret bosses to win the game. All characters have unique moves and special techniques that must be mastered if the player is to stand a chance against their AI controlled opponents. Certain attacks deal more damage than others and there are even techniques that can be used to evade an enemy attack.

The graphics are quite good for a 16-bit system, particularly backgrounds which feature detailed animations given the limitations of the console at the time. The music also adds to the atmosphere with it’s traditional Japanese inspired tracks giving a distinct feel to each stage you fight in.

The gameplay has been praised as being either easier or harder than Street Fighter II depending on your level of skill but overall it’s widely seen as being one of the best fighting games available on a 16-bit system. The variety of characters all boasting their own unique abilities forced players to think strategically when approaching their next opponent which kept gamers engaged throughout and helped Samurai Shodown stand out from similar titles at the time.

It was later released on home based consoles such as Super Nintendo, Playstation Portable, Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network where it was well received by fans old and new alike due to its polished visuals, solid controls and intense battle system. Despite this however, it failed to reach critical success though remained popular with those who had grown up playing it on Sega Genesis Mega Drive during its initial release in 1993 along with fans who appreciated how this classic title stood among many newer fighting games at the time making Samurai Shodown persevere even today more than two decades after its original release.