"take your favorite samurais anywhere!"

General
This is a very fun game that Samurai Shodown fans and fighting game fans in general will totally enjoy. The game has many familiar characters, and many familiar game play features, plus some new things! The ending in the game

Graphics
For a pocket game, the graphics are very good. The backgrounds have lots of color, and are well detailed. The characters themselves don't have as much color as the backgrounds, but they are very well done. All the characters are drawn superdeformed (small bodies, and large heads. Very cute). The characters are animated very well, with a surprising amount of detail. Some characters such as bust Kazuki, and Genjuro have a slight shaking during their standing animation. In some characters stances, their mouths move as they breathe. SNK didn't even skimp on re-using animations too much. Some bust and slash versions of the same character are different from each other. The endings for the characters continue old stories, and some new parts are added. Other than your character running across the screen, there are no graphics for the end, just text. The LCS display is good, but the more light you have the better. It doesn't fade when the batteries run down, which is a big plus.

Sound
The sound for this game is not very impressive, but SNK did a good job with it. Many of the songs are "gritty" sounding versions of the arcade classics. There are no voices in the game, but the familiar win quotes are all there written at the bottom of the screen. The variety of sound effects is pretty good, and there is even a sound test in the options menu.

Game Play
This game has many elements of SS4. There are simplified chain combos in this game, but they are much more interesting to use than in SS4. One chain will do a lot of damage, one will charge your POW meter 50 %, and one will give you the ability to juggle your opponent. You are unable to switch sides in this game, but you are able to dodge. There are many different kinds of parries depending on the character. The game has a plethora of special moves. With only two buttons they can get easily confused, but with some practice it shouldn't be a problem. Some of the slash or bust versions have been totally re-done, and some remain unchanged.

There is a new system of cards, similar to trading cards in the game. By meeting certain criteria during the game, you will receive a card. These cards will boost your character's power, defense, or give them new moves. This adds a lot to the replay value of the game. You can also trade cards via a link cable.

Another part of the game that gives it added life is the survival mode. This is just fighting one character after another until your character falls. You'll get cards along the way, and when the game is over you get a ranking.

Drawbacks
My complaints about the game are few. Choosing cards for your character to use is awkward at first. This could be done in a simpler way, but after you do it several times it won't bother you. Some of the special moves you get from cards, are nothing more than command throws that look like a guard crush plus a hit.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 09/03/02