SAMURAI SHODOWN
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The VC Advantage: Samurai Letdown
Consider this a sort of anti-VC Advantage, because it covers cheats that don't exist. If you're reading The VC Advantage and you own (or plan to own) the new VC release of Samurai Shodown, it's probably occurred to you to head over to GameFAQs and look for additional content that can be unlocked. If you've done so, you'd be pleased to find codes to unlock three additional characters.You'd then be disappointed after trying them, because they're in error. The Shiki and Zankuro unlock codes originate from Samurai Spirits! on the Neo Geo Pocket Color, and the code to unlock the Kuroko judge character is from the Neo Geo Samurai Shodown II. It's easy to understand how the NGPC codes got mixed in: search engines and other automated systems wouldn't be able to tell between Samurai Spirits! and Samurai Spirits (the Japanese title for Shodown), making mixups easy.You're free to use those saved five minutes however you please! The VC Advantage is a weekly look at the secrets inside games -- not just cheat codes, but assorted trivia and oddities. We aim to bring back the feeling of the hint columns from game magazines, except when we do something else.
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 6/16/08
Only one Virtual Console release this week, but it's a good one. We won't waste any more time talking about the game, so hit up the video above. If that's not to your liking, head past the break for more.
Virtual Console gets cut in a Samurai Shodown
The latest update to the Wii's Virtual Console gives those of you with Wii arcade sticks on your shelf a sense of purpose, as well as an excuse to dust them off for a bit of classic arcade fighting, Neo Geo-style. Samurai Shodown (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points): Once all the rage in arcade parlors when first released in 1993, this first in the still-ongoing fighting game series lets players duke it out using 12 different weapon (and sometimes animal)-wielding fighters. While a bit archaic by today's standards, the game still beats the pants off many contemporary fighters. Plus where else can you see a kabuki performer throw down against a green hunchback doing his best Freddy Krueger impression?
VC Monday Madness: We could get used to this ...
Another week means another double dose of downloadable goodness. We get two WiiWare games this week, along with one Virtual Console game that is likely to put a smile on your face. So, let's check out what's on offer:WiiWare games available for download this week: Block Breaker Deluxe (Gameloft, 1 - 2 players, 800 Wii Points) Cocoto Fishing Master (Neko Entertainment, 1 player, 700 Wii Points) Virtual Console games available for download this week: Samurai Shodown (NEOGEO, 1 - 2 players, 900 Wii Points) Anyone like what they see? Planning on giving any of these a download?
More Samurai Shodown on the way to XBLA
Interesting. Very interesting. When it was first revealed via the ESRB that XBLA would be seeing a version of Samurai Shodown II, it was absolutely good news. This time the ESRB revealed that the original, Samurai Shodown, will be coming to XBLA as well. Given that XBLA has seen original games and sequels released separately, this likely means that both Samurai Shodown games will get separate release, but we can certainly hope in vain for some sort of compilation and upgrade, can't we?
Slew of SNK titles, along with Dig Dug, get rated by ESRB
Fans of SNK and the Virtual Console, you'll be happy you're reading this post today. A couple of titles, Fatal Fury 2 and Art of Fighting 2 both popped up on the ESRB website with Wii listings, as well as Samurai Shodown and Samurai Shodown 2. Not only that, but classic title Dig Dug also popped up. Now that's what we need! Some new, non-shooter titles on the Virtual Console are a welcome addition to the Wii's catalog.[Via Codename Revolution]
VC Friday: Become a Pokemon Puzzle Master!
Despite their ubiquity, the majority of Pokémon games manage to maintain a high standard, even when they abandon the more traditional Pokémans formula. Pokémon Puzzle League, for example, is one of the best examples of a Pokémon game that isn't a Pokémon game, and is comfortably worth its 1000 Wii Point price tag.A pair of Eikichi Kawasaki-designed Neo Geo titles round off the week in Europe and Australia -- Samurai Shodown is one of the Neo Geo's best fighting games, while Burning Fight is another addition to the already oversubscribed (on the VC, at least) dude-smashing genre. Pokémon Puzzle League -- Nintendo 64 -- 1000 Wii Points Samurai Shodown -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii Points Burning Fight -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii Points Footage of all three follows the break!
World of Kung Fu exclusive interview
World of Kung Fu is a game that features prominent imagery and themes from Chinese mythology. What's more, it offers some intriguing game mechanics that other, more well-known MMOs don't, such as the ability for characters to marry and have children. Currently in open beta, the North American version of the game is well on its way to its full launch, so we took advantage of this interim time to speak with the Director of Business Development at VestGame Entertainment, Jonathan Seidenfeld.Additionally, Jonathan was generous enough to share with us some artwork from Senri Kita, the originator of the character designs for the game, perhaps most famous for her work on Samurai Shodown. We'd like to thank Jonathan for the interview and wish VestGame the best for the launch of World of Kung Fu. Full interview after the jump!%Gallery-22923%
Non-Earthbound ESRB ratings fly high [update]
Okay, so they aren't Earthbound. That one got its own post (and, we hope, its own release sooner than ESRB-rated gems like Pro Wrestling and Zombies Ate My Neighbors). Even though we're all tired from freaking out about Shigesato Itoi's sci-fi RPG, a bunch of awesome game ratings that would normally cause us to freak out have as yet gone un-freaked-out-about, on both Virtual Console and WiiWare. The biggest news for us on the VC: Super Dodge Ball. It's probably the NES game, but there's an outside chance it's the Neo Geo game. Either way, we love Aksys. And from SNK, Samurai Shodown II and Metal Slug.WiiWare's ratings range from expected to thrilling. Among the games found on the ESRB website that were not yet confirmed for U.S. release, Dr. Mario Wii and Family Ping Pong stand out. Other new ratings include Gyrostarr, Pop, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, V.I.P Casino: Blackjack, and Magnetica Twist (Minna de Puzzloop).[Update: removed reference to Donkey Kong Country 3. Not sure why that was mixed in with the recent ratings, or why I forgot it was already out. Well, I know why I forgot about it.]
SNK Arcade Classics confirmed for Wii plus more!
Not only is the fate of the SNK Arcade Classics collection no longer up in the air (yes! It is coming to Wii!), SNK went ahead and announced two more Wii compilations in an email sent out yesterday. Both Samurai Shodown Anthology and King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga will also see Wii releases, as well as versions for the PS2 and PSP.We don't know exactly which titles will be included, but the Japanese version of the Samurai Shodown Anthology contained Shodowns I through VI, and the KOF collection included KOF's '95, '96, and '97. That means that there's overlap between the collections, since Samurai Shodown will be on both the SNK Arcade and Samurai Shodown Anthology collections.SNK will have all three collections on display at GDC. Hopefully they'll have some Neo Geo Stick 2's with which to test the games!
VC Tuesday: Sonic Samurai Assault Club
SNK is wasting no time getting all its big fighting franchises onto the VC. Even though their VC offerings are already dominated by fighters, we imagine that most Neo fans will be pleased to see the arrival of Samurai Spirits, also known as Samurai Shodown, as it heralds the release of the game in our region.Other releases include one-time Turbo CD pack-in Ys I&II, a collection of two lovely action RPGs from Nihon Falcom; Assault Suits Valken, which you may recognize as Cybernator; and Famicom Tantei (Detective) Club, a graphical text adventure from Nintendo.Also there's Sonic 3D Blast, whose title is 2/3 accurate. Famicom Tantei Club (Famicom Disk System, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Assault Suits Valken (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Sonic 3D Blast (Mega Drive, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Ys I&II (PC Engine CD-ROM, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Samurai Spirits (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
Wii Warm Up: Greatest hits
The Namco Museum Remix collection includes, in addition to wacky, waggly remakes of arcade classics like Galaga, authentic emulated classic games. Just a few days after the first Neo Geo game became available on the Virtual Console, SNK announced their intention to release King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown collections on disc.We don't mind buying collections on disc, since they're inevitably cheaper than buying even a few of the games separately on the Virtual Console. How do you feel, though? Do these collections make the Virtual Console redundant? Is there room for both? What are the advantages of one approach over another?
TGS07: Hori joysticks rejoice as SNK announces King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown collections
It would appear that the Wii won't be getting the 16-title Neo Geo collection as reported, but rather two other Neo Geo compilations that should be plenty satisfying for people who love fighting games (which, we believe, is all Neo Geo fans).SNK Playmore USA announced The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga and Samurai Shodown Anthology for the Wii. The Orochi saga in King of Fighters spans King of Fighters games (Kings of Fighters?) '95, '96, and '97, and the Samurai Shodown Anthology hopefully contains all of 'em, including the Samurai Shodown RPG for Neo Geo CD and Samurai Shodown 64 for the Hyper Neo Geo 64 arcade system. It probably won't, but then, things rarely live up to our desired level of awesome. Speaking of our desired level of awesome, these had better support the Classic Controller, and, therefore, the Hori stick.The press release also reveals that, rather than Art of Fighting, the third Neo Geo game announced for the American Virtual Console is Magician Lord, which is in keeping with the Japanese lineup.
SNK to wait until 2009 to develop for PS3
According to Yoshihito Koyama, overseas marketing manager of SNK (King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Metal Slug), is hesitant to support the PlayStation 3 from day one. Koyama gives his perspective to Kotaku's Brian Ashcraft: "My first impression is that it's expensive. The PlayStation 2 is good enough. It's small and cheap. For us, for manufacturers, we have to invest in a new system, and the PlayStation 3 is a risk. There won't be enough consoles at launch. Few consoles mean few software sales. We need to wait three or four years. Maybe 2009-2010 is a good time to release a game for the PS3." SNK is still supporting the PlayStation 2, whose titles are backwards compatible on the PS3, and the PSP. The Metal Slug anthology coming to the PSP will probably arrive for $39 or $49, according to Koyama's statements. The Nintendo Wii's Metal Slug anthology will have the same graphics as the PSP version, and is expected to arrive at launch, although Koyama admits he isn't sure when that is. His best guess is "sometime in the middle of November, just before Thanksgiving." Atari also recently revealed that they would be holding off until 2007 to release a PlayStation 3 title.[via PS3 Fanboy; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
