Save it for the end of the fight when you are confident you can win with ease.Īnother mechanic is disarming your opponent. There’s no point in using this mode early in the fight and lose your trump card. That means you can no longer use your special moves or enter rage explosion. After you meet these conditions, you can use your overkill move.Īctivating rage explosion has a major drawback. It must be the final round of the fight and your opponent’s health must be at a certain point (it will turn blue). These are over-the-top finishing moves which will end your opponent if you land the hit. You can also activate rage explosion which allows you to use an overkill move. When this fills up, you can use powerful special moves. The first is the rage gauge at the bottom of the screen. Aside from the usual, there are a few different mechanics. You have your quarter-circle and half-circle motions. With 28 characters to choose from, you’re bound to find a favourite.Īs you would expect, Samurai Shodown V Special features basic fighting game nuances. Even modern fighters don’t reach this number in the base roster. That’s a large roster, especially for an older title. You have 28 characters to choose from with unique special moves and finishers. The fighting mechanics are solid and impressive. Other than some unlockable artwork, which is a nice addition. There is no incentive to complete arcade with all characters. The character endings are necessary due to the lack of a story mode. The endings from the regular Samurai Shodown V would have been enough. It’s disappointing that there’s no story in the game. There are gems like “Your style cannot match my sword” and “I can see your soul…It’s yellow”. However, Samurai Shodown V Special does not have character endings. The original Samurai Shodown V had these endings. Usually, you would get a character specific ending after completing the arcade mode. This wasn’t the case in older fighting games. It’s become a standard feature in fighting games to have a story, alongside arcade and versus. Most modern fighting games have a proper story mode. Samurai Shodown V Special does a lot right but has its shortcomings. SNK is a master at their craft and delivers excellent fighting game experiences. It’s a “special” version of Samurai Shodown V featuring balance updates and different characters. Samurai Shodown V Special is a fighting game for the Neo Geo.

Samurai shodown ps4 review