The perfect showdown
Osaka-based game company SNK is famous for its fighting games, populated with cool-looking characters who unleash a flurry of punches and kicks. Samurai Shodown (known as Samurai Spirits in Japan) follows in the tradition of great SNK fighting games, but with a twist. The characters aren't brawlers: Instead, they’re katana-equipped samurai, and the games are set during the Edo Period (1603-1868).
The first Samurai Shodown was released in Japanese arcades back in 1993. It was also released on SNK's Neo Geo home console system, which was the most advanced video game console available at the time. The new Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection contains all six original Samurai Shodown games, so if you've never played them before, here's your chance to get up to speed. Each game has an English-language online battle mode, and the collection is filled with bonus digital art, interviews, music and history about the franchise.