SNK has tried their hardest to make the NeonGeo live on into the future. Like clockwork, releases from the past glory of SNK appear on new devices. Mini devices rear their heads and come in the form of tiny arcade cabinets of debatable quality. Not forgetting the past is important, especially when it comes to one of SNK’s most beloved franchises, Samurai Shodown. For many, the one on one samurai fighter was their first taste of non-Capcom fighting glory and one of the first times weapon-based combat was used in a fighter. If you’re looking to throw down in some Shodown then this new Samurai Showdown NeoGeo Collection is yours for the taking, coming on July 28 for $39.99 on the PlayStation 4.
What’s in the box? Well, here you go:
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Samurai Shodown (1993)
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Samurai Shodown II (1994）
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Samurai Shodown III (1995）
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Samurai Shodown IV Amakusa’s Revenge (1996）
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Samurai Shodown V (2003）
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Samurai Shodown V Special (2004）
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Samurai Shodown V Perfect (NEW）
That’s a lot of Samurai Shodown, to be perfectly honest. You might be wondering about some of the later additions in this list, including what, exactly a “perfect” Samurai Shodown V might entail.
Samurai Shodown released on the Neo Geo in 1993, followed by its sequel Samurai Shodown II in 1994, and the series became a trilogy in 1995 with Samurai Shodown III. Soon afterSamurai Shodown IV came in 1996, and seven years later Samurai Shodown V was released in 2003, with Samurai Shodown V Special releasing the following year in 2004. Never before released to the public, Samurai Shodown V Perfect is a mysterious final version of Samurai Shodown V that is the stuff of legends to SNK fans. Players can select between either Japanese or English MVS arcade versions for each title. Additionally, there are features such as scanlines for that retro flair, save functions, and arcade mode can even be set to free mode meaning no more game overs!
Brandon Sheffield also has a fascinating story about how the game that went unreleased for 15 years finally saw the light of day:
So, it has finally been announced! Samurai Shodown V Perfect, a game that has gone unreleased for 15 years, is included in the upcoming Samurai Shodown collection from @SNKPofficial. In this thread I’ll share with you how this game got saved after so long! https://t.co/U5X8b0TVIq
— brandon sheffield (@necrosofty) May 27, 2020
Well, there you go. Prepare yourself for yet another fighting game when the Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection comes in July.
