Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge
  

 
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).

 

 
REVIEW:  The fourth installment to SNK's excellent Samurai Shodown series looks and feels very similarly to the prequel. Many assets are reused from Samurai Shodown III, although, the overall visual aesthetic of the game is notably "brighter" (and improved) over the prequel. In addition to some gameplay and character tweaks, a new Super Gauge based on the original style from SS1 and SS2, and an all new combo system make this latest installment a huge improvement over SS3.


In addition to two newcomers (the ninja brothers: Kazuki and Sogetsu Kazama), several returning favorites such as Charlotte Colde, Jubei, & Tam Tam make their epic return (redrawn with brand new 2D sprites), offering a much more diverse and well-rounded cast over the prequel. Like in Samurai Shodown 3, players can still select between 2 different versions of each character (Slash & Bust), which means that there are now a total of 34 different fighting styles. And in case you were wondering, yes, the characters actually 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. That said, SS4 presents more gameplay options than ever before in the series!

 

 

Simply put, Samurai Shodown 4's gameplay is deeper & more fun than SS3's... and it actually plays closer to the earlier installments than it does to the prequel. Air blocking (which was first featured in SS3) was removed along with the "Dodge" maneuver which enabled fighters to quickly shift behind their opponent. Charging of the POW gauge and power-ups during gameplay were also omitted from the gameplay entirely. The most notable addition to the gameplay is the "CD Combo," a command combo which can be triggered by pressing the C and D buttons simultaneously.


Like in the prequels, a connected super move will force your opponent to drop their weapon, although their weapon will not "break" like in SS2. A new feature introduced in SS4 is the ability to cause your POW meter to "explode" in a desperation maneuver, giving fighters a limited amount of time to launch a devastating combo or a "Fatal Flash;" a single strike that can only be used once during a match and if connected, will take a rather large chunk of your opponents life bar. The lower your life bar is, the more damage that the "fatal flash" will do to your opponent... it's a strategic and downright dirty attack (since it can be done right after a throw) but overall I think it's a solid addition to the overall gameplay.


Another new gameplay element introduced in SS4 are "Command Fatalities" which can be initiated at the end of a battle, most of which leaving the opponent in several pieces. Traditional "random" fatalities are still in the game as well, and there are quite a few variations! Also introduced were Hara-kiri's or "Honorable Deaths"... yes, fighters can kill themselves. And why would one want to commit suicide, you ask? Well, let's say you're getting your ass kicked pretty bad in the first round... and your opponent has close to full heath and you're in the red zone.... Well, if you kill yourself, you'll have a completely full "POW" meter in the next round!

 

 

Visually, SS4 is a gorgeous 2D fighting game... hands down. The presentation of each hand-drawn background is beautifully done, and unlike most fighting games, SS4 has a noticeably defined setting and atmosphere. To further elaborate, 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 probably feel like you just "teleported" to another continent, every stage in SS4 feels "connected". After being awed by SS4's atmospheric backgrounds, I'm definitely surprised no other fighting game in history ever attempted something similar. In continuation, the soundtracks fit the setting perfectly, and the character intros and overall animations are superb. The single-player mode also features a timer, and players can only see the character's ending by reaching the final boss within the specified time limit!


SS4 isn't without flaws. To nitpick, a few frames of animation (and moves) 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-looking, that way all characters have a similar frame count and no particular characters "stand out". The slight drop in animation quality won't be noticed by casual players, but definitely a bit disappointing to fans who greatly admired the animation in SS3. One of the only other gripes I have about the visual presentation is the somewhat uninspired character selection screen. Besides those flaws, everything else about the package is nothing short of epic.

Page Updated: July 15th, 2024 Developer(s): SNK Publisher(s): SNK Platform(s): Neo Geo, Sega Saturn, Wii, PSP, PS2 Release Date(s): October 25th, 1996  Characters:  Haohmaru, Ukyo, Hanzo, Nakoruru, Genjuro, Kyoshiro, Shizumaru, Gaira, Rimururu, Basara, Sogetsu, Kazuki, Tam Tam, Charlotte, Galford, Jubei, Amakusa, Zankuro, Cham Cham (PS1) Featured Video: Related Games: Samurai Shodown 3, Samurai Shodown V, Samurai Shodown V Special, Samurai Shodown V Perfect, Samurai Shodown 6, Samurai Shodown, Samurai Shodown 2, Samurai Shodown 64, SS64 - Warriors Rage, Samurai Shodown Pocket, Samurai Shodown 2 Pocket, Samurai Shodown: Warrior's Rage, Samurai Shodown Sen, Samurai Shodown (2019), Samurai Shodown Anthology, Art of Fighting 3, The King of Fighters '96, Killer Instinct Gold, Ninja Master's, Soul Edge, Star Gladiator, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Warzard, X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, Golden Axe: The Duel, Asura Blade: Sword of Dynasty, Groove On Fight    Gameplay Engine  9.5 / 10 Story / Theme  10 / 10 Overall Graphics  9.5 / 10 Animation  9.0 / 10 Music / Sound Effects  9.5 / 10 Innovation  9.0 / 10 Art Direction  9.0 / 10 Customization  9.0 / 10 Options / Extras  8.5 / 10 Intro / Presentation  8.0 / 10 Replayability / Fun  8.5 / 10 "Ouch" Factor  9.0 / 10 Characters  9.0 / 10 BOTTOM LINE  9.1 / 10  Review based on Arcade version       Final Words: SNK remedied most of Samurai Shodown 3's quirks with SS4, and thankfully brought back some of the classic Samurai Shodown characters that were sadly missing from the prequel. SS4 is a game very ahead of its time, and perhaps very underrated as well. SS4 is a badass game all around and in my experience is a rewarding fighting game 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 of course... and yes, I say this long after playing Samurai Shodown 5, Samurai Shodown 5 Special, and Samurai Shodown 6. On a side note, some of the translation is just plain hilarious (bad). Possibly the most notable is "VICTOLY" after every round, which is possibly the most blatant "Engrish" ever seen in a video game. The win quotes and mid-game dialogue is also quite terrible at times, but even so... it never fails to entertain. ~TFG Webmaster | @Fighters_Gen    Click Here for all Animated Stages! Click Here for box artwork / movelists! Click Here for more Screenshots! FOLLOW    ON:                             TFG NEWS CHARACTERS GAMES