The
Total Recall DUD OF THE MONTH COLLECTION!
SAMURAI
SHODOWN
(Takana/SNK, 1994)
Here
we have the Super Nintendo version of Samurai Shodown, this is a huge 32 Meg
game with all the 13 characters, their own backgrounds, and soundtracks, so
it's mostly all here but it's still has it's list of problems especially in
the graphic and sound departments.
Perhaps the greatest move from the makers of SNES Samurai Shodown is the improved
controls. Now you don't have to press the two buttons at once to do a strong
strike like in the arcade game. The super nintendo controller is great especially
with it's percise digital pad but the button lay out is not custom made for
fighting games like this. Still better than the Game Cube controller at least
especially for arcade-like fighters like SNK Vs. Capcom 2EO.
The game looks arcade perfect!........... but something's wrong here?? The fighters
are always super tiny like in that stupid game Shaq Fu and the backgrounds are
always zoomed out all the time too so even during in close up battles the action
is always, well... small, disappointing! Sure the Super NES can do some cool
stuff but even this powerful 16-bitter can't compete with the precise scaling
of the near 100 Meg game and the tough 24-bit Neo Geo arcade unit. Even
the 10 foot Earthquake looks small in this game.
The highly acclaimed sound engine of the Super Nintendo even has
some problems with the music when compared with the better Neo Geo cousin. The
music is all here so don't get me wrong, but it just doesn't sound as good,
for example; Galford's samurai/rock mix on his stage sounds like it's coming
out of a tin can and some of the notes are off their key. Some stages like Tam
Tam's track still sound cool though.
The Super NES owners unfortunately get the short end of the stick..... literally.
Thanks to the miniture characters it can be hard to take this game seriously
but it's not all bad here. Unlike the all powerful Panasonic 3D0's Samurai Shodown,
this game actually has the Amakusa intermissions which gives the game more of
a storyline. However, the multiple problems still remain like the game's censorship
(no blood, no bad words, no decapitations), short fighters unlike the Sega versions
(they are always zoomed in), and some annoying music aswell. Samurai Shodown
for the Super Nintendo could have so much more.
|
Conclusion: |
|
|
SAMURAI SHODOWN |