Samurai Shodown V

"A pretty fun 2D figther"

Samurai Showdown 2 was one of the first fighting games I ever played. I remember getting lunch money from my mom, going hungry during school, then going to the liquor store after school to play it. Now since then I haven't really kept up with the series, but I picked this up about 2 months ago, and I am happy to see that it is a fun game. Also, with online capabilities and the price quite low, you really can't go wrong if you're a fighting game fan.

Graphics:
8/10
This game does not really set any new standpoints for graphics, so if you have next-gen fever, it may bother you. However, SSV was an SNK arcade game, and therefore is a port from the arcade. For what it was made on, the game is pretty decent looking. It's not terrible, but like I said, don't expect Dead or Alive graphics (or even Guilty Gear graphics). Basically, the animation is pretty good and flows pretty smooth. It didn't really bother me, but I have never been one to dismiss a game for the graphics.

Sound:
7/10
The background music was very good in my opinion, as well as the character voices and the combat sounds. The one thing that got to me was a character named Mina. You see, she has this cat thing with her that makes this extremely annoying sound the entire time you face her.

Controls:
8/10
I felt the button layout for this game was a little awkward. SNK fighters usually have a 4 button layout, but this game gives you more options, like a slight jump forward, a hard slash, and a button to go into a rage explosion (and possibly one more, but I can't recall it at this moment). Performing super combos can be a little difficult since when you press two buttons at the same time, your character will often do either the kick or the special function. Also, some grappling moves are somewhat difficult to perform on a controller.

Gameplay:
9/10
Like I said, the game is pretty solid. Some characters are a bit overpowered, while some are overpowered, but hey, it's not like anyone is playing in serious tournaments or anything, so from a fun standpoint, the tiers don't particularly effect which characters you can and can't use.

One thing that makes this game really fun is the online feature. While the SSV community is a little scarce, there are players who still play this on a regular basis, and it can be pretty fun when you are playing a friend , or a couple of people in the lobby. Also, there is very little lag while playing this game online. I don't know if it is because the graphics are not that great, or because there are never more than 4 people on at a given time, but it is what it is.

Overall:
8/10
So while this game makes know graphical breakthrough, it is still a fun game to play, and it is not very expensive. So here comes the big question: Should I get it?

Well, if you do not have live, and are not a fan of 2D fighting games, the obvious answer is no, but if you do have live, and enjoy 2D fighting games I would say yes.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/16/06