(LAST UPDATE: 7/13/09)
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Developer(s): SNK
Publisher(s): SNK
Platform(s): Neo
Geo, Sega Saturn, Wii, PSP, PS2
Release: October 25th, 1996
Characters:
Haohmaru,
Ukyo,
Hanzo,
Nakoruru,
Genjuro,
Kyoshiro,
Shizumaru,
Gaira,
Rimururu,
Basara,
Sogetsu,
Kazuki,
Tam Tam, Charlotte,
Galford,
Jubei,
Amakusa,
Zankuro
Related Games:
Samurai
Shodown, Samurai Shodown 2, Samurai
Shodown 3, Samurai Shodown 5, Samurai
Shodown 5 Special,
Samurai Shodown 6, Samurai
Shodown 64, Samurai Shodown 64 - 2, Samurai
Shodown Pocket, Samurai Shodown
2 Pocket, Samurai Shodown Warrior's
Rage, Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny, Samurai
Shodown Anthology
Story: Amakusa had returned once again from the dead. Planning to create his ideal world, he summons Zankuro from the dead and kidnaps Hazuki to regain his powers once more. Sensing Amakusa's evil, the warriors stand up once again. (this takes place after SS3 and before SS2)
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Review: The
fourth installment to the Samurai Shodown series feels (and looks) very much like Samurai
Shodown 3, but along with some gameplay tweaks for the better, now features a
different super bar style (more similar to SS1
and SS2) and a brand new combo system. Several
interesting new fighters join
the roster and several classic characters make the return, offering a much more
diverse and well rounded cast than
what we had in SS3. You can still select between 2 different versions of
each character (Slash & Bust), which means that there are not 17 fighting
styles, but actually 34... Yeah, the characters do play very differently
depending on which version you select, which means it's more than likely you'll
find a character (or two) who suits your style perfectly.
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Straight up, the
gameplay is much more fun and quite a bit deeper than SS3. Of course, with
a connected super you can force your opponent to drop their weapon, although
their weapon will not "break" like in SS2. You can also now cause the rage meter to "explode"
in a desperation maneuver, giving you a limited amount of time to launch
one very strong combo or "fatal flash," which is a single strike that
can only be used once during a match and if connected, will take quite a bit of
life off of your opponents life bar. The lower your life bar is, the more damage
that the "fatal flash" will do... It's a strategic and downright dirty
attack (since it can be done right after a throw) but overall I think it's a
great addition to the
gameplay! Your character
can also commit hara-kiri AKA kill themselves (for a round). 
Why would you want to do that?!? Well, let's say you're getting
your ass kicked pretty bad in the first round... Your opponent has close to full heath
and you're in the red zone... Well, you might as well just kill yourself, because in the next
round
you'll have a FULL Rage meter ready to go... Strategy!!! 
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Visually, SS4 is a gorgeous 2D fighting game... The presentation of each
background is beautifully done,
and unlike most fighting games, SS4 really has a defined setting and atmosphere.
For example: There's a huge castle
that can be seen in the background of every stage at a different distance... Unlike in most fighting games where you feel
like you just "teleported" to another environment, every stage in SS4
feels like it's "connected". The soundtracks fit the setting perfectly, and the character intros and overall animations are
superb. Although, to shamelessly nitpick, a few frames of animation from the prequel were mysteriously taken out, which causes the game
to lose a bit of it's fluidity... Example: Haohmaru's & Genjuro's walking forward and walking
backward animation, as well as Genjuro's stance. 
They probably did this to make SS4's animation more orthodox, so all characters
have a similar frame count. It may be hard to notice for some, but it's slightly
disappointing to those that really admired the animation in SS3. I'm only
talking about "a few" animations here and there, so it's not a big
deal of course. Overall SS4 looks a lot like SS3, but noticeably
brighter! One of the only other gripes I have about the visual presentation is the somewhat
uninspired character selection screen... Besides that, everything else about the
package is nothing but epic.
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9.5 / 10 |
Closing
Comment:
With the release of SS4, SNK fixed some of Samurai Shodown 3's gameplay quirks, and
added some of the classic Samurai Shodown characters that were sadly missing
from the prequel. SS4 is a badass game all around and is also rewarding to
become skilled at, especially if you ever meet another player. 
Samurai Shodown 4 is my favorite installment in the series, besides Samurai Shodown
2... And yes, I still say this even after playing Samurai Shodown 6.
On a side note, even in the American release, some of the
translation is just plain hilarious (bad). Yeah, when you win a round you will
see "VICTOLY" flash across the screen, possibly the most blatant
Engrish ever seen in a video game. The win quotes and mid-game dialogue is also
bad at times, but it never fails to entertain.
~F.Yagami,
Webmaster
of TFG
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