Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge

After the defeat of the fearsome warrior Zankuro, a sinister castle rises belonging to the evil sorceror Amakusa (the antagonist from the first game) rises in the fourth installment of the Samurai Shodown series.

Overview

Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge (known in Japan as Samurai Spirits Amakusa Kourin, loosely translated to "Samurai Spirits: Amakusa's Descent") is a 2D historical-fantasy weapon-based fighting game developed and released by SNK for arcades (running Neo Geo MVS hardware) and the Neo Geo AES on November 29, 1996.

The fourth installment of the Samurai Shodown series (and the direct sequel to Samurai Shodown III), Amakusa's Revenge adds some combatants from the first two games (Charlotte, Tam Tam, and Jubei) while adding two new protagonists (the Kazama brothers Kazuki and Sogetsu) and removing some of the controversial gameplay mechanics added in the third game (such as the ability to block in the air and the ability to charge up the Power Meter). New gameplay mechanics include the "Combo Slash" attack (beginning a predetermined chain combo), the "Rage Explosion" (turning the Power Meter into a one-time Rage Meter and giving the player additional attacks), the ability to forfeit a round (giving a full Power Meter the next round), and the introduction of Fatalities (known as "No Contest").

The game was ported to the Neo Geo CD on December 27, 1996, the Saturn on October 2, 1997 (in Japan only), and the PlayStation on December 25, 1997 (in Japan only as Samurai Spirits Amakusa Kourin SPECIAL, which was also digitally re-released for the PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Network in 2007). The game was also digitally re-released for the Wii (via Wii Virtual Console) on March 15, 2012 and was included in the Samurai Shodown Anthology compilation for the PlayStation 2 and Wii.

Characters

New Characters

  • Kazuki Kazama - One of the two main protagonists of the game, Kazuki is a member of the Kazama ninja clan and specializes in fire jutsu. Hot-headed and skilled with his ninjatou "Suzaku", he abandons his clan in order to rescue his young sister Hazuki from the clutches of Amakusa.
  • Sogetsu Kazama - The other of the two main protagonists of the game and Kazuki's brother who specializes in water jutsu. Stoic and skilled with his ninjatou "Seiryu", he is dispatched to assassinate Kazuki for his desertion.

Returning Characters