Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection

71%
Game Brain Score Based on 109 reviews
  • graphics
  • music
  • story
Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection Game Cover
The Samurai Shodown is not a thing with a big wheel that determines who goes on to the Samurai.
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The "Samurai Shodown NEOGEO Collection" contains 7 games from the classic weapon-based fighting series, including the never-before-released "Samurai Shodown V Perfect." Each game features online battle modes, a museum mode, and a music player, making it a must-have for fans of the series.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 109 reviews
optimization2 positive mentions
monetization2 negative mentions
  • The collection includes all mainline Samurai Shodown titles, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of the series.
  • The museum mode is packed with behind-the-scenes content, artwork, and interviews, making it a treasure trove for fans.
  • The games are well-optimized and play similarly to their original arcade versions, offering a satisfying offline experience.
  • The online multiplayer is poorly implemented, with reports of lag and a very low player base, making it nearly unplayable.
  • There is a lack of essential features such as a training mode and customizable display options, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • The collection is considered overpriced, especially given that it was available for free on another platform and lacks significant enhancements over previous versions.
  • graphics16 mentions

    The graphics of the Samurai Shodown collection are rooted in mid to late 1990s standards, showcasing the original visuals of the arcade games without significant improvements or filter options. While the character designs and artwork are praised for their nostalgic appeal, the overall presentation is considered dated, and some players find the controls clunky. The inclusion of a museum featuring extensive artwork, soundtracks, and developer interviews adds value for fans, but may not satisfy those seeking modern graphical enhancements.

    • “The arcade filter, the museum with the interviews, the detailed character info and artwork are amazing.”
    • “As a treasure trove for Samurai Shodown fans, it is a good collection packed with unreleased artwork and dev interviews.”
    • “The games themselves are, for the most part, classic fighting games that earned quite the reputation among fighting game fans thanks to their solid cast of characters, inspired visuals and soundtracks as well as solid gameplay that encourages a more defensive and tactical approach to matches instead of rushing opponents with combos like most of its competition.”
    • “No graphic improvement, little to no graphic/filter setting, and most of all the clunky control!”
    • “One minor note, the graphics are mid to late 1990s standards.”
    • “A collection of Samurai Shodown titles, using the original graphics, sometimes bordered.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music aspect of the collection is praised for its extensive variety, featuring soundtracks from numerous classic fighting games, complemented by character artwork and development insights. However, some users express disappointment over the absence of arranged soundtracks, particularly the beloved Neo Geo CD versions, and feel that the overall content could have been more efficiently presented given the steep price. Despite these critiques, the inclusion of additional materials like interviews and gameplay videos enriches the experience for fans.

    • “The games themselves are, for the most part, classic fighting games that earned quite the reputation among fighting game fans thanks to their solid cast of characters, inspired visuals and soundtracks as well as solid gameplay that encourages a more defensive and tactical approach to matches instead of rushing opponents with combos like most of its competition.”
    • “It also gives info about how the games were made in the gallery and there is artwork of all the characters featuring their soundtrack from the games in the collection.”
    • “Character artwork, concept sketches, stage art, music, etc. there's even interviews with some of the folks who worked on past games and some professional matches from past tournaments.”
    • “Another big complaint of mine in those re-editions of any classic SNK hit games is they never include the Neo Geo CD versions of soundtracks, which I love way too much to describe with words.”
    • “The main downsides for me personally are the steep price and lack of arranged soundtrack for any of the games (c'mon, it's 2022... even the PS2 Samurai Shodown Anthology had the inclusion of the arranged soundtracks).”
    • “I never could find a satisfying version of KOF '94, for example; old graphics plus arranged soundtracks is what I want for all the oldest KOF games.”
  • story6 mentions

    The story aspect of the game is largely criticized for its minimal presence, with many users noting the lack of a substantial narrative in the fighting mechanics. While some appreciate the inclusion of character stories and the ability to save progress mid-match, the absence of fully translated dialogues and a dedicated story mode in the international version detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as a solid collection for gameplay but falls short in storytelling depth.

    • “It's martial arts and storytelling in a fighter game.”
    • “It's a shame Samurai Shodown V here doesn't include its story mode's official English translation, but it's still a nice collection if you're looking to play the NeoGeo Samurai Shodown games on PC.”
    • “Cool feature is you can save at any time during a match if, say, you're in line somewhere or you want to finish a character's story later.”
    • “Cool visuals, cool characters, good fighting mechanics but sadly almost no story to speak of.”
    • “It's a shame Samurai Shodown V here doesn't include its story mode's official English translation but it's still a nice collection if you're looking to play the NeoGeo Samurai Shodown games on PC.”
    • “Another thing that would have been great to see is the audio from the Neo Geo CD versions, as well as the fully translated dialogues in Samurai Shodown V and V Special, which are 1:1 dumps of the original MVS cartridge, which means you won't have access to the story mode in the international version.”
  • gameplay6 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by solid fighting mechanics and a tactical approach, appealing to fans of classic fighting games. While the visuals and character design are praised, the collection lacks a compelling story and features limited online multiplayer options. Additionally, some games in the collection are better polished than others, and the absence of tutorials or training modes is noted as a missed opportunity for players to learn the mechanics.

    • “The games themselves are, for the most part, classic fighting games that earned quite the reputation among fighting game fans thanks to their solid cast of characters, inspired visuals and soundtracks, as well as solid gameplay that encourages a more defensive and tactical approach to matches instead of rushing opponents with combos like most of its competition.”
    • “It can be quite obvious to see some games were better polished gameplay-wise than others.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, the collection gives you the arcade versions of the games and that's it.”
    • “Cool visuals, cool characters, good fighting mechanics, but sadly almost no story to speak of.”
    • “+ gameplay-wise, the collection gives you the arcade versions of the games and that's it.”
    • “+ it can be quite obvious to see some games were better polished gameplay-wise than others.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the classic Samurai Shodown collection is generally well-received, with decent emulation across the games. However, some users have reported occasional stuttering, particularly in Samurai Shodown V.

    • “Optimization is really good.”
    • “The game is pretty well-optimized.”
    • “Having all the classic Samurai Shodown games (besides RPG) in a single convenient package is great. The emulation is pretty decent; however, I noticed some instances of stuttering here and there, particularly in Samurai Shodown V.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for being exploitative, with users feeling that it prioritizes profit over quality, leading to a perception of it as a "cash grab." Additionally, there are concerns about the community management's response to feedback, which some players find dismissive and untrustworthy.

    • “Another cash grab, poorly executed port!”
    • “If you try to report a bug, the community managers will erase your comments and call you a liar, making insane claims that are disproven by their own advertising.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Users report significant stability issues, noting that several console game ports are buggy on the RTX 2060 Omen-15 gaming laptop, with only a small fraction of games performing well.

    • “For me, this was four buggy ports of console games out of about 200 games that were perfect buys for my RTX 2060 Omen 15 gaming laptop.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

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