SAMURAI SHODOWN RPG

by wagesofsyn

An SNK rpg... finally, somebody upstairs listed to me (even if it is Samurai Shodown... ugh.) The Samurai Shodown series has always had a pretty good story behind it, and this games gives fans the chance to explore that story as one of their favorite characters. SNK released this game on PSX, Saturn, and Neo Geo CD, but not the home cart system (odd...). If I could read more Japanese, I would definitely play this game more, as it seems to be an excellent game.

Graphics
Remember the old SNES and Genesis RPG's done from the overhead perspective? That's what this game looks like. To a 'T', with the 16-bit graphics and everything. I really don't understand why this game looks a generation old on the PSX. My guess is they didn't want to spend money developing the game graphically on the Saturn and PSX and just used the Neo Geo CD version for the port. The game does look good all things considered though, with big, recognizable characters and nice looking, Final Fantasy V-esque fight scenes.

Gameplay
Simple button commands in towns and an easy to understand battle menu make this a good RPG. It plays very similar to the Final Fantasy series in terms of gameplay, which is a definite plus. You get to select which story you follow, as either Ukyo (the best), Haomaru, Genjuro, Galford, Nakoruru, and Rinka. Battle scenes, as mentioned before, play like the Final Fantasy series, with better looking characters, and a move system, where you can perform special moves that have appeared in the fighting games in addition to using attacks and items.

Sound
Excellent music tracks accompany the gameplay, in terms of both clarity and quality. The music really fits the mood of what you're doing, and everything - music, sound effects, etc. - is CD quality. No complaints here.

Final Thoughts
Samurai Shodown RPG is a great game. It combines the popular characters of the Samurai Shodown fighting game series with unique and effective RPG elements. There's not much to complain about here, and fans of the series will definitely want to play this deep and interesting game.

- John Gillerlain
Overall: 8.3 / 10

Forums  |  Neo Collection  |  Master List  |  AES Price Guide  |  MVS Price Guide
CD Price Guide  |  Neo Store  |  Screenshots  |  Reviews  |  Home  |  Email