They already outsourced it before to Yuki, the makers of Arcana Heart. They did a solid job. I’d rather have SNK themselves make a sequel though.
Was that the one on Xbox?
They did 5 and 5sp.
I always selected Samurai Shodown II as favorite Samurai Shodown ever, but after watching longplay videos of Samurai Shodown III, I think that’s the greatest SS. It’s so dark and I like how when both won a round and both critical, it goes crazy intense silent and the last moments of the duel feel more profound, it gave me Bushido Blade feeling.
Samurai Shodown IV was ok, but I think it was harder to do fatalities/split them in half. I like how it tries something different, but I think stacking HP bars cheapened the fighting for the sake of combos and made the attacks feel weaker since they can take so much extra damage.
Samurai Shodown V Special is somewhat better than SSIII in that the females are not immune to fatalities/finishers in the uncensored version, and it seems like the most brutal in the series, but it’s graphics/presentation feels like a bunch of MUGEN fans put it together, it doesn’t appear as polished as the first four. I saw some of Samurai Shodown Sen and I like how they preserve the blocked clashes, great weapon sounds and made it look more realistic, though I read there are about 9 Samurai Shodown games. Currently I gotten more interest in the series. SNK really should bring at least the first 4, the uncensored SSVSpecial, and Sen to PS4.
but yes at least SSII and III, which are in my opinion the greatest in the series. and of the two, well either one is a great masterpiece, though I am kinda warming up to SSIII’s atmosphere, which is incredible, even though there are some exclusive favorites in SSII like Cham Cham. SNK really should treat PS4 as this gen’s Neo Geo for Samurai Shodown games, at least the first 5 should come to PS4, but of course sales play a factor, that’s why it’s good to put the greatest ones on PS4 first, like SSII and SSIII.
Samurai Shodown 3 is a broken mess. It was a rushed game, full of bugs. Also no Charlotte or Jubei… so it’s automatically trash in my book, Samurai Shodown 4 is what 3 should of been, a much better more complete game, but even that game is full of it’s own issues, although I personally enjoy how ridiculous it is sometimes.
ss3 has sometimes amazing atmosphere. maybe the best in the series when it is at its best, but it isnt super consistently good. but i think most agree it is flawed as a game and thus its atmosphere serves little purpose if it isnt played… i’d still give the best atmosphere to ss2. I just love how bold the atmosphere is…where the last blade series focused on elegance and refinement, samurai shodown 2 is explosively colorful, crazy, bold, the howling man in the intro sets the tone well… it just is one of those magical moments where all its parts come together incredibly well. A work of art and love. I do however really wish ss2 sprites were better pixelled, and cleaned up animation (no added frames necessary) specifically characters with outlines that are different from the rest like the ninjas and charlotte. i do really like the design though, such as short fat kyoshiro.
i agree heavily with you that ss5s is overrated in terms of atmosphere and aesthetics. theres nice stuff, but youre right it really feels like a mugen clusterfuck.
I like SS2’s art the best. The artwork and art direction in SS3 and SS4 is too… busy for my tastes; there are weird screen transitions that don’t really make sense. SS2 took SS1’s art and cleaned it up while adding extra flavor (e.g. the ninjas are now different).
graphically, SS3 and SS4 look the best. but I understand the SS5 games looking like Mugen hacks, I don’t think they would have achieved all those amazing unique fatalities and extra animations if they prioritized polishing the sprites like in SS3 and especially 4.
Look how at how awkward Eternal Champions Challenge from the Dark Side looks, and that yet has the most massive variety of finishing moves and high quality finisher animations in 2D history (yes, even more creative and detailed than the 2D MK games, epecially with EC sprites made from scratch.) Gameplay wise, I think SS3 is the most well rounded in the series combined with the greatest atmosphere.
SS4, I dunno, everyone feels like a damage sponge with how they beefed the health system and put too much emphasis on combos, plus it has the 2nd worst (or worst?) HUD display next to SS5’s mugenish amateur looking health/status bars). I haven’t played SSV/Special, but it if were visually polished like SS4, while having the atmopshere of SS3 and maintaining the variety/pros of SS5 Special, it would be the greatest. gameplay wise is a toss up, because even SS2 has a feel that is some ways cooler than SS4 feel.
Samurai Shodown’s strengths are divided and spread across all the games, lol. 
the thing that SS3 lacks the most is of course roster selection, but it’s still tied with whatever people choose as the greatest in the series. it preserves more of the classic damage balance, while having the greatest atmosphere. With SS5 Special roster and finishers, as well as those that only were playable in specific SS like Cham Cham in SS2, it could be perfected. ^.^
5 sp is not mugen like at all, it’s just based off of a really old game in ss4
What other series would have done that? imagine sf based off of st 3 engine or tekken 7 based off of tekken 3, you’d be laughing your socks off right?
But that’s what snk did, in hindsight it was a mistake, but they still made a pretty good game out of rehashing an almost decade old game, you know the old saying? “you cut your cloth accordingly” which is was they had to do with ss5 and 5sp
I apologize. SS5 Special looks better than it seems. though I still say SS3 has the best 2D feel and tone, but yes, SS5 Special wouldn’t have achieved the level of qualities it has if it prioritized graphics, and the HUD is actually not that bad, better than SS4’s super flickery energy bars.
It was not a mistake with the engine/visuals they chose for SS5/SP, but it was a mistake censoring it.
Ultra violence sells more than censored violence, but SNK was too insecure back then.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLIt_lvy4Xw
I am so miffed I didnt buy Samurai Shodown Anthology when it was around on PS2. I bought Fatal Fury collection and Art of Fighting collection, but anyways I probably would have been dumb back then to trade it in, like I did those other games. but now my interest in Samurai Shodown series is massive. I would buy SS1-VI on PS4. though I dunno their PSN plans, not sure if they are gonna bring all the greatest SS games, and they probably still don’t realize that a restored and uncensored SSV:Special on PS4, would be massive for the fans. some are concerned that they might only pick one SS game for PSN localization. it could depend on overall sales, but they really should treat PS4 like the modern Neo Geo of Samurai Shodown games. yea, it’s a uphill idea about Samurai Shodown becoming mainstream, but gaming is more popular than ever. I would bundle the first six Samurai Shodown games with the next 2.5D/3D Samurai Shodown they make, digital and physical. And they could put together another Samurai Shodown Anthology/Collection for PS4.
SS5s looks like mugen?? What the actual fuck?
I’ll agree that SS3 has some of the best atmosphere in the series, but trying to play it can be an exercise in frustration. Vsp was very atmospheric plus played the way a newer SamSho game should. The combat was well oiled and they gave you a lot of great meter options, a ton of characters to pick from, and it was a treat to look at.
Sadly I haven’t played any of the SS games after 5SP, but I’d been playing SamSho since the first game, and as much as I love the first two games, when I played 5SP I was like, “Yeah!” SNK really needs to revive the series, but I don’t imagine it would play anything like we’d expect if they did.
Samurai Shodown Sen was a humble attempt at making a high quality 3D SS game, I think developers from Tenchu were involved, with the company now getting better organized, maybe the KOFXIV team would do the next SS, and they understand SNK series better than most others. though yea, it should have a different feel and tone, though dunno if they wanna make it kid friendly like SS6, or more mature like SS3 and graphic like uncensored SS5S. it’s really tricky getting the right decision makers to give it the right feel and presentation and flavor.
it’s kind of like Hard Corps Uprising, ASW did phenomenol effort (with outstanding soundtrack as well, beyond that of Shattered Soldier) and that game is better than overrated Contra games like Contra III, however, it’s art direction really cheesified its atmosphere, it didn’t look bad, but it just wasn’t “Contra”, add on top of that of the fact they were so stupid as to try to optimize sales by selling it without Contra on the title (it even has the Contra 1 title screen theme! and a button code for the classic stage 1 theme for the first stage), AND they upset customers selling three of the characters as DLC, sure they weren’t ready for x360 launch, but on PS3, it was like a slap in the face to a lot of people, thinking it was withheld content since it was day 1 paid DLC. and 2 of those characters appear in the game’s opening and stuff and counted as part of the team.
but the moral of that example is that it’s very sensitive how even the right people can make the wrong decisions that could hurt a videogame’s overall design, which could have avoided setting itself up with weaknesses and subtracting points, if the key members were thinking in the right direction and had better judgement.
with how much they are accomplishing with KOFXIV in a single attempt, I think it’s very doable for the next Samurai Shodown to have as massive a roster and gameplay qualities. though it’s mostly up to the asian fanbase to remind them of Samurai Shodown’s strengths, maybe the fanbase share interest in something like SS3 and uncensored version of SS5S, though not sure if SS2 or 4 is their favorite. Ah well, if they push for another game like SS5S, that could be a start. it will be interesting how they would apply dismemberment/cutting people in half using 3D models, as well as blood effects. the sound effects and clashing should sound and feel right too.
also I think SS2 was the first fighting game ever to have a parry/just defend system before other popular fighting games added the concept. I didn’t even know SS2 had such a system, but I played the game casual anyways.
Do you know where to find high level SS2 footage?
High-level ninja play:
Some more high-level play:
We need Samurai Shodown 7
I don’t know if I want more SamSho if they’re going to pull this crap:
Never look to terrible Western sensation developers for inspiration. Never.
If only science could find a cure for Ed Boon / Midway / Netherealm trash as quickly as it found a cure for ebola.
I think they mean MK in the graphic violence and gore sense, which uncensored SSV Special has, and all the SS games before SSVI have also. even the first one has blood and splitting opponents in half, as well as Samurai Shodown Sen, a 3D game.
not sure what they mean by traditional japanese samurai drama, but if it’s dark atmosphere like SS III it could be great. but yea the gameplay should be brutal with slashes doing a lot of damage. SS is better being less about combos and more about clashing, breaking opponents guard and landing fatal attacks.
kind of like For Honor with some inspiration from Bushido Blade.
I would love to see a new SS game in the spirit of SS5SP and Tenka. Great style and unique gameplay for a fighter series. Only shame is they added Kusaregedo to the game.
Kusaregedo is great though. Only bad thing about him is his dumb SPD input.
new Samurai Shodown + first person option would be so awesome. Bushido Blade is ahead of its time featuring first person option. the wireframes were strange, but with the tech back then, they really burst through the boundaries of fighting game design.
heard rumor Tekken might be attempted first person option too. though they should make it authentic first person with full visible body like first person realistically sees, not just floating hands or camera that only shows from the waist down, that’s so unrealistic. it’s absurd that even mirror’s edge games prioritize graphics and they don’t even have the basics of realistic first person view like the PC version of Project Eden does.
developers are still cutting corners with first person design and presentation. but perhaps SNK with new Samurai Shodown could show how it’s done.