Samurai Shodown! review by substance J

Samurai Spirits is the 2nd fighting game to be released for the Neo Geo Pocket. It was released on December 24th, 1998. Surprisingly, it features undocumented limited-full-color support (an oxymoron?) for use with Neo Geo Pocket Color. It was the last game ever to be released that was not branded as a title made specifically (but not exclusively) for Neo Geo Pocket Color.

Graphics: B
The graphics are very good, as expected, but I did not find them to be as pleasing as those in King of Fighters R-1. They're nicely drawn and scroll smoothly. However, the character sprites somehow seem a bit smaller and less detailed than in other NGP fighting titles. All the attacks and combos look good (and are easy to identify), and the backgrounds add a lot of atmosphere.

Sound: B-
Good music and sound effects, by portable standards. The music is actually quite refreshing, being a mixture of ambient "Japanese" tones, along with some typically catchy videogame fare. However, I feel the sound effects leave a bit to be desired. They sound sort of tinny and fuzzy. Of course, this could partly be due to the more low-key music failing to mask them. Certainly not a big deal though.

Gameplay: B
As with all ports that have found their way to NGP, Samurai Spirits is top notch. All the original gameplay elements have made the cut, and the timing/strategy is very similar to that of its Arcade relatives, regardless of the characters' Super Deformed nature. When playing Samurai Spirits, you must be ready for a change of pace. This is no King of Fighters or Fatal Fury. Having not played a Samurai game in years, I had a difficult time getting into the gameplay Samurai Spirits offers. But once I became adjusted, I began to love the slower, more strategic, more psychological play involved. The only perceivable gameplay limitation is the list of characters at your disposal. The gameplay system and character roster is based on Samurai Shodown 4, so you may draw your own conclusions from that. Most of my favorites have made it in, including a hidden bonus from Samurai Spirits 64 - Shiki! Shiki makes a great addition to the cast, and she's just so cute!

Presentation: B
Very cool art everywhere. From the game box, right up to the character select screen. As usual, there's a great gameplay/animation intro, etc, etc. I found the menu and title screens to be very hard to see though. Getting a good contrast while viewing them was almost impossible.

Overall: B
At times it feels unfinished, but Samurai Spirits is a very good game if you're looking for something a little different. An enjoyable departure from the usual KOF/Fatal Fury style of gameplay. The additions of a Survival Mode and hidden characters, such as Shiki, are very cool. However, at the time of writing this, Samurai Spirits is nearly 6 months old, and about to be replaced (but not necessarily surpassed) by Samurai Spirits 2 - Purcahse with caution. But regardless of that fact, Samurai Spirits is a very solid title - and a great excuse to add to your NGP collection.