[Playing…] Samurai Shodown 2 (Switch port)

One of the greatest ironies that virtual retro video game stores have brought has been being able to try titles developed for platforms in direct competition with the company that owns the console on which we are playing it. This is the case of Samurai Shodown 2 of Neo Geo Pocket Color, SNK's portable console that tried to compete, without much success, with Nintendo's Game Boy Color (at least on a global level, since apparently in Japan it did achieve a relatively important level of sales), and that today we can enjoy in the Switch eShop.

The title of the game can lead to confusion, as it is practically identical to Samurai Shodown II which came out for the arcade a few years before, except that one is in Latin numerals and the other in Arabic. It is actually based on Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage, for the Hyper Neo Geo 64 arcade, although that version contemplated a third dimension while, for obvious reasons, the one in question sticks to two dimensions, in addition to having a much more cartoonish design forced by the technical limitations of the platform. Its title is due to the fact that it is the second in the portable format, after its monochrome predecessor released for Neo Geo Pocket.

Samurai Shodown 2 belongs to fighting genre in its most classic aspect, so we will find many of the common elements in the rest of similar titles, although it includes other originals that I will detail later. In line with its counterparts, the basic pillar of the gameplay is the commands. The most basic are the attack with A (weakly pressing lightly and strongly holding it), the evasion with B (which, combined with the direction controls or with A, can make other variants or even attack as well), the motion by operating the stick to the sides, the leap by pressing up, the blockade pressing the left of the stick when receiving an attack and a whole series of combinations of buttons and directions that allow us to perform different techniques depending on the character, for all of which the digitized reproduction of the game manual It will be very helpful to us.

Furthermore, of course, we have a energy bar, which in this case is two levels, one of green color that, when reduced to zero, gives way to a red one after finishing which the combat is finished. On the other hand, in the lower margin we have the POW bar, which fills up as the character receives damage. When it is full, it allows you to release energy by simultaneously pressing A and B and then spend all the power in a single, powerful attack or release it little by little using the ordinary system but with greater force. Finally, two unlockable skill slots which I will talk about later.

We can deploy this gameplay in three game modes. The first is the single player mode, which could well be called “story mode.” Basically it is an arcade system like that of so many other games, in which we must face one on one with characters from the squad until we reach the final enemy, although this is among those that have a plot behind it. It begins with some crude cinematics that narrate the arrival of an evil entity that aspires to unify light and darkness to resurrect the Dark God let devastation reign in the world. In addition, it tells brief dialogues and small scenes before or after the fights. These follow the best of three system. That is to say, there can be a quick victory (or defeat) if you win (or lose) by two, or a somewhat longer combat if we tie one with the machine and it is necessary to play the tiebreaker combat, although the system varies with the final enemies.

Una vez finalizado el modo para un jugador, se desbloquearán “cartas” que, variando según el personaje, darán acceso a nuevos poderes y power ups. Esta opción transciende este modo, pues podremos beneficiarnos de ellas tanto en las nuevas partidas que iniciemos en el mismo como en los otros dos que comentaré en los párrafos siguientes.

En segundo lugar, tenemos el modo Supervivencia. En este caso los combates son a una sola ronda, sin límite de tiempo y contra personajes que se suceden en orden aleatorio. Otra particularidad con respecto a los otros dos reside en que tras cada combate no se recupera la totalidad de la energía perdida, sino sólo una parte. Eso incentiva la necesidad de ganar cada pelea con el menor daño posible. Cada victoria se contabiliza en la parte inferior derecha de la pantalla.

Por último, en Samurai Shodown 2 no podría faltar un modo para dos jugadores. La gran ventaja de este formato es que basta una sola copia del juego y la otra mitad del joycon para poder medirnos ante otro jugador (recordemos que en los multijugador de las portátiles hacían falta dos consolas y dos juegos, más el cable de conexión).

En general, la experiencia de juego para todo asiduo al género de lucha, y en particular de los clásicos, es bastante satisfactoria. Al amplio plantel de Samurai Shodown 2 hay que sumarle el aliciente de desbloquear los power ups y técnicas de cada personaje, las modificaciones jugables de los modos Slash y Bust y los niveles de dificultad fácil, normal y difícil, lo que supone una rejugabilidad considerable. También lo es a nivel visual, puesto que las características de Switch permiten jugarlo tanto en la televisión con diferentes marcos, lo que recuerda los tiempos de Super Game Boy, como en su pantalla al estilo puramente portátil.

Si además le añadimos el filtro  las pantallas de las viejas consolas, la emulación de la experiencia será aún mayor. Para algunos esto puede parecer un detalle trivial e insignificante, pero es algo que los fans de lo retro agradecen.