<s>
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
,	O
known	O
in	O
Japan	O
as	O
is	O
a	O
fighting	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
SNK	O
for	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
arcade	I-Application
and	O
home	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Released	O
in	O
1993	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
to	O
other	O
fighting	O
games	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
set	O
in	O
modern	O
times	O
and	O
focused	O
primarily	O
on	O
hand-to-hand	O
combat	O
,	O
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
feudal-era	O
Japan	O
(	O
similar	O
to	O
Kaneko	O
's	O
Shogun	B-Application
Warriors	I-Application
which	O
was	O
released	O
the	O
year	O
prior	O
)	O
and	O
was	O
SNK	O
's	O
first	O
arcade	B-Application
fighting	O
game	O
to	O
focus	O
primarily	O
on	O
weapon-based	O
combat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
,	O
becoming	O
Japan	O
's	O
sixth	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
1993	I-Application
and	O
one	O
of	O
America	O
's	O
top	O
five	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
conversion	O
kits	O
of	B-Application
1994	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
refined	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
camera	O
zoom	O
first	O
found	O
in	O
Art	B-Application
of	I-Application
Fighting	I-Application
is	O
used	O
in	O
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shiro	O
Tokisada	O
Amakusa	O
,	O
slain	O
in	O
Japan	O
of	O
1638	O
by	O
the	O
forces	O
of	O
the	O
Tokugawa	O
Shogunate	O
for	O
his	O
part	O
in	O
the	O
Shimabara	O
Rebellion	O
,	O
was	O
resurrected	O
in	O
1787	B-Application
as	O
an	O
akuma	O
from	O
making	O
a	O
deal	O
with	O
the	O
dark	O
god	O
Ambrosia	O
by	O
bringing	O
the	O
evil	O
entity	O
into	O
the	O
world	O
by	O
using	O
the	O
Palenke	O
stone	O
and	O
its	O
energy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
evolved	O
from	O
what	O
was	O
originally	O
planned	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
traditional	O
side-scrolling	B-Application
beat	I-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
up	I-Application
,	O
featuring	O
monsters	O
as	O
the	O
dark	O
heroes	O
(	O
similar	O
to	O
Data	O
East	O
's	O
Night	B-Application
Slashers	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
programming	O
team	O
for	O
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
consisted	O
of	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
veteran	O
SNK	O
programmers	O
and	O
former	O
Capcom	O
employees	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
idea	O
to	O
spell	O
the	O
English	O
title	O
"	O
Shodown	O
"	O
rather	O
than	O
"	O
Showdown	O
"	O
came	O
from	O
SNK	O
's	O
U.S.	O
distributor	O
:	O
They	O
felt	O
the	O
Japanese	O
title	O
"	O
Samurai	B-Application
Spirits	I-Application
"	O
did	O
not	O
adequately	O
explain	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
felt	O
the	O
spelling	O
could	O
be	O
a	O
play	O
on	O
the	O
word	O
shogun	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
lingering	O
popularity	O
of	O
the	O
Shogun	O
miniseries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
AES	I-Application
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
on	O
October	O
16	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
in	O
Japan	O
;	O
May	O
30	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
in	O
Europe	O
;	O
and	O
June	O
16	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
before	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
version	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
SNK	O
Arcade	B-Application
Classics	O
Vol	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
version	O
,	O
the	O
blood	O
was	O
recolored	O
orange	O
and	O
the	O
fatal	O
attacks	O
were	O
removed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3DO	B-Device
version	O
was	O
first	O
released	O
in	O
1994	B-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
then	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
Europe	O
the	O
following	O
year	O
,	O
with	O
all	O
blood	O
and	O
fatality	O
graphics	O
intact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
censoring	O
of	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
console	O
version	O
was	O
unusual	O
in	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
tied	O
to	O
the	O
specific	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
instance	O
,	O
a	O
North	O
American	O
cartridge	O
running	O
on	O
a	O
North	O
American	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
would	O
display	O
white	O
sweat	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
same	O
cartridge	O
,	O
when	O
plugged	O
into	O
a	O
Japanese	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
,	O
would	O
run	O
the	O
uncensored	O
game	O
with	O
blood	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
console	O
modifications	O
would	O
enable	O
users	O
to	O
set	O
the	O
system	O
's	O
region	O
to	O
Japan	O
,	O
or	O
play	O
in	O
arcade	B-Application
mode	O
,	O
either	O
of	O
which	O
would	O
cause	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
played	O
with	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
blood	O
and	O
death	O
animations	O
intact	O
,	O
even	O
on	O
a	O
North	O
American/PAL	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
system	O
,	O
the	O
AES	O
,	O
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
was	O
ported	O
to	O
multiple	O
other	O
platforms	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
,	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
,	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive/Genesis	I-Operating_System
,	O
Game	O
Gear	O
,	O
Sega	B-Device
CD	I-Device
,	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
,	O
3DO	B-Device
,	O
FM	B-Device
Towns	I-Device
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
of	O
the	O
cartridge	O
versions	O
were	O
handled	O
by	O
Takara	O
,	O
while	O
Crystal	O
Dynamics	O
ported	O
the	O
3DO	B-Device
version	O
,	O
and	O
Funcom	O
handled	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
CD	I-Device
port	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive/Genesis	I-Operating_System
and	O
Sega	B-Device
CD	I-Device
versions	O
omit	O
the	O
character	O
Earthquake	O
and	O
his	O
stage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
some	O
attacks	O
were	O
altered	O
or	O
removed	O
entirely	O
from	O
the	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive/Genesis	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive/Genesis	I-Operating_System
version	O
lacks	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
introduction	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
displaying	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
's	O
text	O
with	O
no	O
background	O
graphics	O
or	O
speech	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Sega	B-Device
CD	I-Device
version	O
retains	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
introduction	O
and	O
is	O
only	O
missing	O
portions	O
of	O
some	O
characters	O
 '	O
endings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Sega	B-Device
CD	I-Device
version	O
also	O
includes	O
the	O
attacks	O
that	O
were	O
removed	O
or	O
altered	O
in	O
the	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive/Genesis	I-Operating_System
version	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
music	O
is	O
the	O
same	O
as	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
has	O
the	O
character	O
line-up	O
intact	O
but	O
has	O
the	O
game	O
zoomed	O
out	O
,	O
which	O
makes	O
the	O
character	O
sprites	O
smaller	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
other	O
ports	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
version	O
has	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
stages	O
from	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
are	O
less	O
restricted	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive/Genesis	I-Operating_System
and	O
Sega	B-Device
CD	I-Device
ports	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
includes	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
intro	O
sequence	O
,	O
although	O
the	O
voice	O
accompanying	O
the	O
text	O
is	O
missing	O
,	O
the	O
character	O
artwork	O
shown	O
after	O
beating	O
an	O
opponent	O
is	O
present	O
,	O
as	O
are	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
endings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
announcer	O
,	O
like	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
CD	I-Device
version	O
,	O
says	O
the	O
names	O
of	O
the	O
characters	O
before	O
a	O
fight	O
and	O
after	O
winning	O
a	O
fight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
has	O
no	O
blood	O
,	O
being	O
replaced	O
by	O
sweat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
version	O
includes	O
all	O
the	O
characters	O
,	O
stages	O
,	O
and	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
special	O
moves	O
,	O
but	O
has	O
no	O
combos	O
,	O
fatalities	O
,	O
or	O
voices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
most	O
early	O
home	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
3DO	B-Device
version	O
includes	O
the	O
camera	O
zoom	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
all	O
the	O
characters	O
,	O
special	O
moves	O
,	O
and	O
fatalities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Game	O
Machine	O
listed	O
Samurai	B-Application
Spirits	I-Application
on	O
their	O
August	O
15	O
,	O
1993	O
,	O
issue	O
as	O
being	O
the	O
most-popular	O
table	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
be	O
Japan	O
's	O
sixth	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
1993	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
RePlay	O
reported	O
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
to	O
be	O
the	O
most-popular	O
arcade	B-Application
software	O
kit	O
for	O
four	O
months	O
in	O
1993	O
,	O
from	O
August	O
to	O
October	O
and	O
then	O
again	O
in	O
December	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Play	O
Meter	O
listed	O
it	O
as	O
America	O
's	O
third	O
most-popular	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
in	O
October	O
1993	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
be	O
one	O
of	O
America	O
's	O
top	O
five	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
conversion	O
kits	O
of	B-Application
1994	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
February	O
1994	B-Application
issue	O
of	O
Gamest	O
magazine	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
was	O
awarded	O
Best	O
Game	O
of	O
1993	O
in	O
the	O
Seventh	O
Annual	O
Gamest	O
Grand	O
Prize	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
being	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
win	O
in	O
the	O
category	O
of	O
Best	O
Fighting	O
Game	O
(	O
Street	O
Fighter	O
II	O
Dash	O
,	O
the	O
previous	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
,	O
won	O
as	O
Best	O
Action	O
Game	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
also	O
placed	O
first	O
in	O
Best	O
VGM	O
,	O
Best	O
Album	O
and	O
Best	O
Direction	O
,	O
and	O
second	O
place	O
in	O
Best	O
Graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
16	O
(	O
tied	O
with	O
Duck	O
King	O
from	O
Fatal	B-Application
Fury	I-Application
Special	I-Application
)	O
,	O
Kuroko	O
at	O
No	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
won	O
multiple	O
awards	O
from	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
in	O
their	O
1993	O
video	O
game	O
awards	O
,	O
including	O
Best	B-Application
Neo-Geo	I-Application
Game	I-Application
,	O
Best	O
Fighting	O
Game	O
,	O
and	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
awarded	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
April	O
1994	B-Application
European	O
Computer	O
Trade	O
Show	O
(	O
ECTS	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
listed	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
AES	I-Application
version	O
as	O
number	O
99	O
on	O
their	O
"	O
100	O
Best	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
,	O
citing	O
the	O
solid	O
fighting	O
engine	O
,	O
realistic	O
use	O
of	O
blood	O
,	O
and	O
easy	O
to	O
execute	O
moves	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Famicom	O
Tsūshin	O
gave	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
version	O
an	O
8	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
in	O
their	O
Reader	O
Cross	O
Review	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
gave	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
version	O
a	O
37	O
out	O
of	O
50	O
,	O
commenting	O
that	O
despite	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
scaling	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
still	O
a	O
very	O
good	O
port	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamePro	O
considered	O
the	O
Genesis	O
version	O
to	O
be	O
superior	O
to	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
version	O
,	O
citing	O
the	O
Genesis	O
version	O
's	O
better	O
scale	O
(	O
zoomed-in	O
versus	O
the	O
zoomed-out	O
graphics	O
of	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
version	O
)	O
and	O
the	O
awkward	O
control	O
configuration	O
on	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
held	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
version	O
to	O
be	O
surprisingly	O
good	O
given	O
the	O
hardware	O
,	O
but	O
ultimately	O
unsatisfying	O
,	O
and	O
concluded	O
that	O
hardcore	O
fans	O
should	O
pass	O
on	O
even	O
the	O
Genesis	O
version	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
the	O
upcoming	O
3DO	B-Device
and	O
Sega	B-Device
CD	I-Device
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
reviewed	O
the	O
Genesis	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
rating	O
it	O
three	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
,	O
and	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
wo	O
n't	O
be	O
disappointed	O
with	O
this	O
solid	O
translation	O
,	O
complete	O
with	O
blood	O
and	O
all	O
the	O
varied	O
endings	O
of	O
the	O
original.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Famicom	O
Tsūshin	O
scored	O
the	O
3DO	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
25	O
out	O
of	O
40	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
scored	O
the	O
3DO	B-Device
version	O
38	O
out	O
of	O
50	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
A	O
very	O
faithful	O
home	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
fighter	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
reviewer	O
for	O
Next	O
Generation	O
remarked	O
that	O
"	O
The	O
3DO	B-Device
conversion	O
is	O
nearly	O
identical	O
to	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
,	O
much	O
more	O
faithful	O
than	O
the	O
previous	O
SNES	B-Application
,	O
Genesis	O
,	O
and	O
Sega	B-Device
CD	I-Device
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamePro	O
praised	O
the	O
general	O
gameplay	O
but	O
criticized	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
the	O
conversion	O
,	O
complaining	O
that	O
the	O
scaling	O
is	O
not	O
as	O
smooth	O
as	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
,	O
the	O
animations	O
are	O
slower	O
,	O
the	O
load	O
times	O
are	O
interminably	O
long	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
gameplay	O
is	O
crippled	O
by	O
a	O
poor	O
control	O
configuration	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
not	O
given	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
change	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamePro	O
named	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
CD	I-Device
port	O
the	O
best	O
Sega	B-Device
CD	I-Device
game	O
at	O
the	O
1994	B-Application
Consumer	O
Electronics	O
Show	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
criticized	O
the	O
slowdown	O
,	O
lack	O
of	O
scaling	O
,	O
frequent	O
load	O
times	O
,	O
and	O
low-quality	O
reproduction	O
of	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
's	O
sounds	O
,	O
and	O
added	O
that	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
was	O
by	O
then	O
a	O
three-year-old	O
game	O
makes	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
CD	I-Device
version	O
's	O
faults	O
stand	O
out	O
more	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
scored	O
it	O
30	O
out	O
of	O
40	O
and	O
declared	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
best	O
conversion	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
that	O
made	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
the	O
system	O
of	O
choice	O
for	O
fighting	O
games.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2018	O
,	O
Complex	O
rated	O
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
40th	O
on	O
their	O
"	O
The	O
Best	O
Super	B-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1995	B-Application
,	O
Flux	O
magazine	O
listed	O
Samurai	B-Application
Shodown	I-Application
80th	O
in	O
their	O
"	O
Top	O
100	O
Video	O
Games.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	B-Application
,	O
Super	O
Play	O
named	O
the	O
game	O
99th	O
on	O
its	O
Top	O
100	O
SNES	B-Application
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Samurai	B-Application
Spirits	I-Application
:	O
Haten	O
Gouma	O
no	O
Shou	O
in	O
1994	B-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
full-length	O
film	O
;	O
Samurai	B-Application
Spirits	I-Application
2	O
:	O
Asura	O
Zanmaden	O
in	O
1999	O
,	O
with	O
two	O
episodes	O
and	O
Nakoruru	O
~	O
Ano	O
hito	O
kara	O
no	O
okurimono	O
~	O
in	O
2002	O
,	O
a	O
one-episode	O
OVA	O
.	O
</s>
