Samurai Showdown II is the best NEO•GEO game

itsofrustratin

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I've never understood the hype behind SSII, not enough combos or action for my liking.

More about getting that perfect hit in that does 80% damage.

It was the game that made want to get an AES. I find its aged great, much better than other fighters from that year. Some of my favourite stages are from that game , Nakoruru's and Charlotte's are especially good.

It's far from the best neo geo game, Garou and Last Blade are better I'd say. There's really so many better games, but it is one of the most iconic games.
 
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Dr. Meat

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More about getting that perfect hit in that does 80% damage.

It was the game that made want to get an AES. I find its aged great, much better than other fighters from that year. Some of my favourite stages are from that game , Nakoruru's and Charlotte's are especially good.

It's far from the best neo geo game, Garou and Last Blade are better I'd say. There's really so many better games, but it is one of the most iconic games.

The ability to end the fight with only a couple hits was great. I love this game along with Bushido Blade for the same reasons. Fights take on a much different feel when they can be over with just a single blow.

SSII I think is one of the standout titles for the first half of the NG's life. The latter half, though, is a tough choice. Last Blade would definitely be a top pick, though.
 

oliverclaude

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I remember playing SFII when it first hit the arcade's. As much as I was blown away by the looks and the control of its characters, their individual stories, as well as the whole plot, was more or less archetypal garbage. It didn't even touch those characters I played with, it certainly didn't provide their smoothly animated pixel-art postures with depth. As much can be said about the backgrounds. They were great, but at the same time as thin as a piece of paper. Back then I didn't care, I was sure that's the way it should be.

SSII changed all that. It created a world of its own, where even the most comical characters like Neinhalt, Earthquake or Nicotine were taken seriously and were carefully embedded into the their backgrounds, into the story. Galford's dog Poppy, Nakoruru's hawk Mamahaha, they all are so much more then just sidekicks. They're deadly weapons, loyal friends and a fragile framework for emotions.

SSII is a game where a simple frog, an umbrella, a dagger or a card game mean more than just their predestined form and form does not follow function here, for here the unrequited rule, secrets that remain unanswered, thus making us coming back for more. Seeing it from that perspective, "the best"... is an understatement.
 

sr20det510

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I remember playing SFII when it first hit the arcade's. As much as I was blown away by the looks and the control of its characters, their individual stories, as well as the whole plot, was more or less archetypal garbage. It didn't even touch those characters I played with, it certainly didn't provide their smoothly animated pixel-art postures with depth. As much can be said about the backgrounds. They were great, but at the same time as thin as a piece of paper. Back then I didn't care, I was sure that's the way it should be.

SSII changed all that. It created a world of its own, where even the most comical characters like Neinhalt, Earthquake or Nicotine were taken seriously and were carefully embedded into the their backgrounds, into the story. Galford's dog Poppy, Nakoruru's hawk Mamahaha, they all are so much more then just sidekicks. They're deadly weapons, loyal friends and a fragile framework for emotions.

SSII is a game where a simple frog, an umbrella, a dagger or a card game mean more than just their predestined form and form does not follow function here, for here the unrequited rule, secrets that remain unanswered, thus making us coming back for more. Seeing it from that perspective, "the best"... is an understatement.

Nicely put!!
 

MetalSludge

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I remember playing SFII when it first hit the arcade's. As much as I was blown away by the looks and the control of its characters, their individual stories, as well as the whole plot, was more or less archetypal garbage. It didn't even touch those characters I played with, it certainly didn't provide their smoothly animated pixel-art postures with depth. As much can be said about the backgrounds. They were great, but at the same time as thin as a piece of paper. Back then I didn't care, I was sure that's the way it should be.

SSII changed all that. It created a world of its own, where even the most comical characters like Neinhalt, Earthquake or Nicotine were taken seriously and were carefully embedded into the their backgrounds, into the story. Galford's dog Poppy, Nakoruru's hawk Mamahaha, they all are so much more then just sidekicks. They're deadly weapons, loyal friends and a fragile framework for emotions.

SSII is a game where a simple frog, an umbrella, a dagger or a card game mean more than just their predestined form and form does not follow function here, for here the unrequited rule, secrets that remain unanswered, thus making us coming back for more. Seeing it from that perspective, "the best"... is an understatement.

I think this is part of the charm of a number of SNK games. I mean, the character designs were often more grounded and thoughtful yet cool in their own way and, as you say, less archetype or cliche driven. A female artist I used to associate with absolutely loved SNK female characters for this - with the possible exception of Mai, most of them were more cool and well thought out than about cliches and sex appeal alone. Capcom gets the nod in many artistic categories. But I would take SNK's design aesthetic any day.
 

oliverclaude

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Capcom gets the nod in many artistic categories. But I would take SNK's design aesthetic any day.

I agree with you, MetalSludge, Capcom gets the nod in many artistic categories, which reminds me of my most favorite background icon in SSII, the moon in Kibagami's stage. The way how it's bound to bear the Japanese Neo Geo logo in puristic monochrome, would easily become kitschy in anyone else's hands. It doesn't here. Here it shines.

It also tells a story about the sun in the arcade world's firmament, that is called Capcom, and that of another astronomical body, which is the moon, called SNK. Now, as we know, the moon doesn't shine on its own, it merely reflects the sun's light, but we also know, that at night, the moon shines brighter than the sun. Like the old time...
 

8bitForLife

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This was my favorite ss as i played it alot in arcades. Trying to get a mvs for it myself.
 

samdiep

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I personally like Metal Slug III better but Samurai Shodown II is definitely the best in the Samurai Shodown series.
 

ssjlance

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Nah, best game is Twinkle Star Sprites, followed by Metal Slug 1/X/3 (take your pick) because they're all practically perfect 5/5 games in single and multiplayer.

Samurai Shodown II is amazing as a multiplayer, but singleplayer is... well, it's a 2D fighting game from the 90's. It's halfway broken as a single player game, basically.

But, Samurai Shodown II does get my current pick for best fighting game on Neo Geo, and 100%, definitely the best home cart that a peasant like me can afford.

Should probably spend some more time playing Garou and Last Blade 2, considering they seem to get the votes from anybody who doesn't pick SS2.
 

Ip Man

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Nah, best game is Twinkle Star Sprites, followed by Metal Slug 1/X/3 (take your pick) because they're all practically perfect 5/5 games in single and multiplayer.

Samurai Shodown II is amazing as a multiplayer, but singleplayer is... well, it's a 2D fighting game from the 90's. It's halfway broken as a single player game, basically.

But, Samurai Shodown II does get my current pick for best fighting game on Neo Geo, and 100%, definitely the best home cart that a peasant like me can afford.

Should probably spend some more time playing Garou and Last Blade 2, considering they seem to get the votes from anybody who doesn't pick SS2.

so samurai shodown 2 is the best fighter on the system but also broken?. meaning the best fighter the neo geo has to offer is a broken game?
 

enix2093

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Nah, that would be KoF2000...followed by SS1, and then I'll consider SS2.
 

oliverclaude

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...well, it's a 2D fighting game from the 90's.

That's one of the canonical rules to fulfill, if a game wants to be considered as the best. Subjectively, we all have our own fave's for this title, mine's a golf game by the way, but on a more dispassionate level, a broken SSII is better than perfection. You just didn't grasp its concept: All things will be broken ;).
 
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