{"id":1005,"date":"2021-10-23T00:00:57","date_gmt":"2021-10-23T04:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gaminginsurrection.com\/reviews\/?p=1005"},"modified":"2022-07-17T17:07:47","modified_gmt":"2022-07-17T21:07:47","slug":"samurai-shodown-2019-issue-39","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gaminginsurrection.com\/reviews\/index.php\/2021\/10\/23\/samurai-shodown-2019-issue-39\/","title":{"rendered":"Samurai Shodown 2019 \u2014 Issue 39"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Show\u00ading up to show out<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Vet\u00ader\u00adan fight\u00ading series Samu\u00adrai Shodown returns with few flaws<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

SNK<\/span> has done it again. Gor\u00adgeous graph\u00adics, fun play mechan\u00adics and a sol\u00adid fight\u00ading game engine make up the core of one of its flag\u00adship fight\u00ading fran\u00adchis\u00ades fea\u00adtur\u00ading samu\u00adrai. If you\u2019re in the mode for beau\u00adti\u00adful fight\u00ading in the Japan\u00adese feu\u00addal era, you\u2019ve come to the right place in the 2019 revival of Samu\u00adrai Shodown.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get\u00adting back to the root of what makes Samu\u00adrai Shodown fun and unique, the 2019 reboot is basic in every way. The bare\u00adbones options mean there isn\u2019t much to do, but if you\u2019re look\u00ading to just pick a fight\u00ader and jump in, it\u2019s clear\u00adly there for that. You choose from 18 base ros\u00adter fight\u00aders and duke it out in feu\u00addal Japan with var\u00adi\u00adous moti\u00adva\u00adtions. All are inves\u00adti\u00adgat\u00ading a com\u00ading cat\u00ada\u00adstro\u00adphe, but their inten\u00adtion in the face of a sin\u00adis\u00adter envi\u00adron\u00adment is unique. Time\u00adline-wise, the game is set between the pre\u00adquel Samu\u00adrai Shodown V and the orig\u00adi\u00adnal Samu\u00adrai Shodown. So, you\u2019re get\u00adting a taste of the sto\u00adry before the main series even kicks off.<\/span><\/p>\n

The char\u00adac\u00adters, as well as the back\u00adgrounds, are stun\u00adning. SNK<\/span> has always been known for its impres\u00adsive atten\u00adtion to detail when it comes to graph\u00adics with Samu\u00adrai Shodown, and this entry is no dif\u00adfer\u00adent. The col\u00adors pop with an empha\u00adsis on non-real\u00adis\u00adtic graph\u00adics that resem\u00adble what we know in the West as ukiyo\u2011e and wood\u00adblock paint\u00adings; every\u00adthing is utter\u00adly gor\u00adgeous, begin\u00adning with the menu and options screens.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a title set in feu\u00addal Japan, the music must reflect the envi\u00adron\u00adment \u2014 and it\u2019s well done as well. The use of tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal Japan\u00adese instru\u00adments has always been present in Samu\u00adrai Shodown and it\u2019s used lib\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly and to great effect. Also, the voice work is excel\u00adlent. We appre\u00adci\u00adate the Japan\u00adese lan\u00adguage, and it sounds beau\u00adti\u00adful and clear here.<\/span><\/p>\n

We do have an obvi\u00adous issue with the reboot, despite its beau\u00adty. There is a notice\u00adable lack of things to do once you stop mar\u00adveling at the graph\u00adics. Where are the modes beyond the stan\u00addard offer\u00adings? So much more could have been added, espe\u00adcial\u00adly with the series\u2019 his\u00adto\u00adry at hand. It\u2019s a pret\u00adty pack\u00adage but it\u2019s miss\u00ading a lot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Samu\u00adrai Shodown has been around for a long time, and this revival is just that: A return to the roots of a fan\u00adtas\u00adtic fight\u00ading game series. This entry is stun\u00adning and grace\u00adful yet just enough to whet the appetite of a fight\u00ading game new\u00adcom\u00ader or a sea\u00adsoned vet\u00ader\u00adan. With this suc\u00adcess, SNK<\/span> now knows what it needs to do to show up and show out with the renewed inter\u00adest in the show\u00adstop\u00adper that is Samu\u00adrai Shodown.<\/span><\/p>\n