PS1

Samurai Shodown III

Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood is a 1995 fighting game developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms. While it is the third game in the main Samurai Shodown series, it is the first part of a two-chapter story that is chronologically set between the events of Samurai Shodown and Samurai Shodown II.

Fighting

Time to beat: about 1.3 hours

Overview

The game has a darker aesthetic compared to its predecessors. Gameplay is significantly changed introduction of two selectable versions of each character: "Slash" (chivalry) and "Bust" (treachery). Each version comes with its own moves and fighting styles; Slash is closer to the first two games, while Bust is a more aggressive style that introduces new moves. Controls were also updated; a new layout dedicates three of four buttons to weapon attacks and one for kicking attacks, as opposed to two buttons for weapons and kicks each. Tactical changes include priority for special moves as well as replacing the free movement system with a more restrained parry system.

Samurai Shodown III was released on SNK's Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD consoles as well as the PlayStation and Saturn systems. A Game Boy version with a slightly different roster and features was released only in Japan by Takara, a team responsible for the porting of several other SNK arcade games to consoles and handhelds.