Among the many different Neo Geo titles that appeared in arcades throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, one of the most beloved was most certainly Samurai Shodown (Samurai Spirits in Japan), which introduced a slew of combat mechanics that would be used, mimicked, and evolved in weapon-based and regular fighting games for years to come. Now, after more than a decade since the last game, SNK seems ready to bring the series into a new era. The company has announced a new Samurai Shodown for 2019 in celebration of its 40th Anniversary.
SNK teased the game several days ago with a new website featuring a then-mystery title to be announced on September 10, 2018. Sure enough, come September 10 at the Tokyo Game Show, the first trailer for Samurai Showdown was revealed. The SNK website which had featured a countdown to the announcement has now been converted into a landing page for the new game. You can watch the 2019 Samurai Showdown reveal trailer below.
The last game in the series was Samurai Shodown: Sen in 2008, which was a poor attempt at crafting the franchise into a 3D fighter like Soulcalibur. Samurai Showdown 2019 appears to be a reboot of the series, taking it back to its roots with a coat of fresh paint. The gameplay looks set in the 2.5D style that has become popular in games like Street Fighter V and recent Marvel vs Capcom. The trailer gives us a look at what appears to be a cel-shaded 2D style of combat, featuring the stylish swordplay and bloody combat that made early Samurai Shodown games famous.
Samurai Shodown was a series that dominated arcades with its presence in SNK’s Neo Geo cabinets, not to mention translating well to home consoles in the 90s. As fighting game fans are waking up to see the trailer, the enthusiasm of those days can most certainly be felt. Watching Haohmaru deliver the Heaven Supreme Slash in 2018 for an upcoming game is something extraordinary.
— HiFight(??????) (@HiFightTH) September 10, 2018
With just a teaser trailer out right now, it remains to be seen if Samurai Shodown 2019 will be technical like its original games or more simple like Dragon Ball FighterZ, BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, and the recently released SNK Heroines. Either way, SNK’s new Samurai Shodown is looking sharp and we can’t wait to see more as we approach its release in 2019.
