History VideoGame / SamuraiShodown

** Basara the Executioner's appearance is very similar to that of [[Film/TheCrow Eric Draven]], as is his backstory.

* ''Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage'' (2003)

* CompilationRerelease: ''Samurai Shodown Anthology'' (Wii, PSP, [=PS2=]), which includes parts one through six in the series - but does not include ''Samurai Shodown V Special''. Incidentally, this is the only way US and European players can play ''Samurai Shodown VI'' without resorting to [[UsefulNotes/ImportGaming importing]] the game from Japan. Luckily for them, ''Samurai Shodown VI'' has all UnlockableContent available from the start.

And bring the franchise back they did with a new game simply titled ''Samurai Shodown'' [[RecycledTitle again]], a [=2.5D=] game running on Unreal Engine 4 which [[RevisitingTheRoots harkens back to the classic gameplay]]. Released for Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/XboxOne, Platform/NintendoSwitch and PC in 2019, it took the UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity by storm and it quickly earned a spot in Evolution Championship Series 2019, thus completing the resurgence of SNK. The launch was also accompanied by a quartet of special edition Platform/NeoGeo Minis, each themed around a character of the franchise (Kuroko, Ukyo Tachibana, Nakoruru and Haohmaru).

* DropTheHammer: Ran Po and Sankuro fight with hammers. Minto too has a variation of this as her weapon.

And bring the franchise back they did with a new game simply titled ''Samurai Shodown'' [[RecycledTitle again]], a [=2.5D=] game running on Unreal Engine 4 which [[RevisitingTheRoots harkens back to the classic gameplay]]. Released for UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and PC in 2019, it took the UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity by storm and it quickly earned a spot in Evolution Championship Series 2019, thus completing the resurgence of SNK. The launch was also accompanied by a quartet of special edition UsefulNotes/NeoGeo Minis, each themed around a character of the franchise (Kuroko, Ukyo Tachibana, Nakoruru and Haohmaru).

* BonusBoss: Also known as "intrusion characters", those are: Kuroko in Samurai Shodown II, Gandara in Samurai Shodown 64, and Asura Zanmaden, Sugoroku in Samurai Shodown VI.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* GuideDangIt: In ''2'', several characters have super secret moves, some of them would ascend as their official Rage DesperationAttack in latter games (Haohmaru's Tenha Fuujinzan and Nakoruru's Ererushi Kamui Rise are the examples of those, whereas Galford and Hanzo can inflict {{Invisibility}} on them). You don't need the full Rage meters to do them, but ''good luck'' doing those, not only they're not revealed in anywhere except guides (official Rage DesperationAttack for that game is put on screen when the Rage meter is full), [[SomeDexterityRequired they need even MORE dexterity required...]]

** In the first ''Samurai Shodown 64'' game, female fighters do not have a cinematic for being cleaved in two. ''Warriors Rage'' averts this: gender has no bearing on who can be bisected.
** Averted in Samurai Shodown 5 Special and onward, where all the female characters are vulnerable to fatalities.

* GoryDiscretionShot: While Samurai Shodown usually averts this, a couple of characters use this for particularly gruesome finishing moves. Kusaregedo for example, hauls the enemy offscreen before devouring them. He then lumbers back onscreen and coughs up their skull. Suija lifts his enemy offscreen, crushes and liquefies him/her and let their blood rain down on him!

* HideYourChildren: Averted - in all but one game (and there only by accident), the finishing moves are useable on ''everyone'', regardless of age.
** A literal use comes into play with one of the installments: a couple of kids attempt to play in the streets of a largely abandoned village complete with the [=SS3/4=] EmpathicEnvironment right before a match. A lady (presumably their mother) quickly comes in and gets them to run off. Good move.

'''IPPON!'''\\

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Gaoh, who is a ruler of one of Japan's provinces, leader of a rebel army, has deadly spear skills and can turn into a demon mid-battle by tapping into Dark Emperor's powers.

* DarkChick: Role of Mizuki, Han-In to nari shi Shiki, Mikoto and Angelica.

* BladeOnAStick: Kyoshiro, Taizan, Jin-Emon, Gaoh and Jinbei are all polearm users, which grants them extended weapon reach.

* KabukiTheatre: Kyoshiro Senryo is the Kabuki dancer of the series, present since the first game and using a [[BladeOnAStick naginata]] as his weapon. His movements are Kabuki dances, speaks in KabukiSounds, throws [[PlayingWithFire flamming fans]] and even uses a giant frog in a theatrical way. Also his stages are usually Kabuki theatres.

A total of six games were made for the original Neo-Geo (MVS and AES) system, with ''Samurai Shodown V Special'' being the last game to be released for the system. An update for that game called ''Samurai Shodown V Perfect'' was in development, but was never actually released until years later as part of a collection, then finally getting an official arcade release a full 18 years after the release of''Special''. Other two games, ''Samurai Shodown 64'' and ''Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage'', were released for the ill-fated Hyper Neo-Geo 64 in the late nineties, while a DistantFinale game, sharing the title (losing only the "64") ''Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage'' was later released for the Playstation, much to the confusion of the players; in Japan the games are known as ''Samurai Spirits 2 Asura Zanmaden'' and ''Kenkaku Ibunroku - Yomigaerishi Soukou no Yaiba - Samurai Supirittsu Shinshou'' respectively. ''Samurai Shodown VI'' was released for the Atomiswave arcade board and ''Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny'' was released for the Taito Type X2.

* ExcitedShowTitle: The Neo Geo Pocket Color versions of Samurai Shodown are called Samurai Shodown! and Samurai Shodown 2!

** Averted in Samurai Shodown 5 Special and onward, where all the female characters are vulnerable to fatalities. Every single girl -- even the young and cute Rimururu -- gains a full range of death animations; she can be decapitated, sliced in half, eaten, dismembered, or exploded into a rain of blood. Nakoruru, Rimururu and Mina even have animations where their clothes are cut or torn off right after they are struck by a strong blow that kills them, exposing their body parts or underwear, before their bodies collapse or fall apart. Nakoruru and Rimururu are also given special [[DeathCryEcho KO screams]] if they are hit with particularly brutal fatalities.