SAMURAI SHODOWN
Fight weapon duels built around lateral positioning and damaging individual strikes. Taking hits fills the Rage Gauge, while spending it on Rage Explosion opens Lightning Blade and removes that resource for the rest of the match.
- AI score · out of 10
- 7.7 / 10
About this game
SAMURAI SHODOWN brings SNK's weapon fighting to duels set in Japan before the original game's story. You move laterally, judge the distance between fighters and look for an opening to land a damaging strike. Taking damage fills the Rage Gauge; reaching maximum rage increases attack power, so a wounded fighter gains access to a stronger offensive state. Your decisions also extend across the match. Rage Explosion spends the gauge for the remainder of that match and enables Lightning Blade while active. Each character additionally has a Super Special Move that can be attempted once per match. These limited opportunities sit alongside the recurring exchange of weapon attacks. On Nintendo Switch, two players can also face each other in tabletop mode by sharing the Joy-Con controllers.
Collected in series
Samurai Shodown is SNK’s weapon-based fighting series, built around measured duels and powerful individual strikes. Judging reach, provoking a mistake and choosing when to commit give each clash its tension.
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Nintendo Switch
AI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
A strong conceptual fit for players who value spacing, restraint and committing a limited trump card.
The emphasis on individual weapon strikes can make waiting for an opening more meaningful than constantly attacking. Rage that grows through damage, then disappears after Rage Explosion, gives players a reason to weigh an immediate offensive chance against keeping a resource for later.
Strengths
- Limited match resources can give a single decision significance beyond the current exchange.
- Shared Joy-Con tabletop battles can make arranging a local duel straightforward.
Weaknesses
- If you prefer room for frequent mistakes, the emphasis on damaging individual hits may make experimentation feel costly.
Who it is for: Players interested in weapon spacing and the timing of limited attacks, especially those with a local sparring partner.
Play notes: Rage Explosion spends the Rage Gauge for the rest of the match; the Super Special Move is also limited to one use per match.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Rage accumulation and irreversible expenditure can give each match a developing resource arc without requiring a claim about campaign length. | Reviewed | 6.8 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension High-impact weapon strikes put a premium on choosing when to commit, which may reward players who enjoy restraint and reading distance. | Reviewed | 8.3 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Blood effects accompanying sword fights may reinforce the stakes of the weapon-duel theme for players comfortable with graphic violence. | Reviewed | 8.1 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension The explicitly supported shared Joy-Con tabletop setup lowers the equipment needed to arrange an in-person duel on a standard Switch. | Reviewed | 7.2 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- SNK
- Publisher
- SNK
- Release date
- 2019
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Fighting · Primary genre
- Tags
- Short SessionsPlayer versus PlayerMain Story Under 10 HoursSolo-friendlyMelee CombatReal-time CombatReplayableFast-paced3D GraphicsCombos
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- MultiplayerCo-opSingle player
- Perspectives
- Side view
Release editions
- Nintendo SwitchWorldwide2019
Game gallery
Sources
- www.nintendo.comSource revision: 1
- www.nintendo.com