The starry night contends for dominion over the sky with the moon, never so high and bright. On the cliffs overlooking the Japanese village where you were born, you prepare to draw your katana, aware that your opponent is no ordinary samurai, but Haohmaru, the greatest living swordsman of your era.
And it will be a fight to the death.
Pochissimi fighting games have managed to convey the epic feel of armed duels and the refined class of a combat system unique of its kind: one of these is Samurai Showdown, a Neo Geo masterpiece produced by SNK and the progenitor of a special branch of fighting games, namely the one with the aid of bladed weapons.
Known in the Land of the Rising Sun by the evocative name Samurai Spirits, this saga began as far back as 1993 and today boasts six official chapters, along with numerous spin-offs and even an RPG-style version.
After the enormous success of the first title, the sequel was released the very next year: 1994 was a prolific year for video games, but not when it came to fighting games. Samurai Showdown II was a true godsend, thanks to stylish gameplay and the return of exhilarating sword clashes, precise thrusts, and slashes capable of slicing enemies in half (literally!).
We are in the eighteenth century, an era in which not all Japanese territories enjoyed rights, privileges, and especially wealth like the central states: taking many creative liberties, the game developers implemented an entire series of creatures drawn from Eastern folklore, from the terrifying oni to the yokai, thus outlining supernatural scenarios alongside arenas that seem lifted from a historical film directed by Akira Kurosawa.
Il mio primo approccio al titolo in questione avvenne all’interno di una sala giochi del centro: attracted by the clanging of weapons and the agitated shoulders of the two contenders standing in front of the cabinet, I leaned out to watch the contest: nothing was ever the same again. The game’s soundtrack is among the most fascinating you could ever hear, with its evocative drums and poignant sonatas recreated through the plucking of shamisen strings.
E then there are the silences. Between one clash and the next, our avatars on the screen tend to study one another, and gamers do the same through mimesis, as if they were ensnared by the timeless magic of an era where a heart pierced by a cold blade often meant dying with honor, dying well.
All this is Samurai Showdown II, which, like every proper sequel, boasts a roster with many more warriors, more elaborate and spectacular combos, and a storyline so engaging that it will make you want to finish the game with every fighter, so you can see every available ending, each one customized and full of a pathos that sends shivers down your spine.
Traditionally, every post-Street Fighter beat’em up follows certain unwritten rules, such as including among the selectable characters one that can be compared to Capcom’s Ryu and his less zen, more exuberant counterpart: Samurai Shodown II does not disappoint expectations. The wandering samurai Haohmaru, in fact, is the ronin par excellence, a chaotic good Ryu in search of justice and revenge, as skilled with the katana as he is inclined to satisfy his palate with a few sips of sake during the fight. On the other side is the new entry Genjuro Kibagami, a powerful ponytailed warrior and just as unstoppable as the blond Ken.
Alternating between gameplay sections where you have to hammer the attack button like raging barbarians to disarm your opponent and gain an early advantage in the fight, and others where you must study the right moment to drive your blade into the enemy and turn the opening in their defense into a crushing victory for you, Samurai Showdown II stands as a pillar of the genre, and if you ever see me play with my Hattori Hanzo, be careful if you truly mean to challenge me: the spirit of a warrior burns for victory!
A worthy follow-up to a recognized masterpiece, everything has been improved and you couldn't ask for better
We find almost all the charismatic characters that made the first chapter a must, with sprites and movements in line with the adopted fighting style
Unique arenas, atmospheres that will immerse you in a violent and fascinating Japan
The game is almost entirely free of flaws: perhaps the direction the series has taken, geared toward thoughtful and tactical clashes rather than frantic exchanges of kicks and punches without rhyme or reason, makes it unsuitable for everyone
