Overview
Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny (known in Japan as Samurai Spirits Sen, the sub-title loosely translating to "Flash") is a 3D historical-fantasy fighting game developed by K2 (in conjunction with SNK Playmore) and released by SNK Playmore for arcades (using PC-based Taito Type X² hardware) in Japan on April 17, 2008, with a limited worldwide release in November 2009 and a digital release (via the NESiCAxLive service) on October 5, 2011.
The fourth 3D-focused spin-off of the Samurai Shodown series, Edge of Destiny brought a new approach to the series's Sengoku-era swordfighting with controls and gameplay similar to the SoulCalibur series. It also features a large 26-character roster, half of which are newcomers (including including a Viking brute, a Native American warrior, a Spanish bullfighter, and an American outlaw wielding a lever-action rifle).
Unlike most games in the series, Edge of Destiny focuses less on demonic uprising in Japan and more on worldwide events in the late 18th century. The main story involves Suzu, a young princess of the fictional European kingdom of Lesphia who was orphaned after a shipwreck and raised by a Japanese daimyo. The game's main villain is Golba, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War (with a mysterious past) who is in the process of building a powerful army for world domination.
The game was later ported to the Xbox 360, with the overseas title changed to Samurai Shodown Sen. This version was published in Japan by SNK Playmore on December 10, 2009), in North America by XSEED on March 30, 2010, and in Europe by Rising Star on April 16, 2010. Along with new game modes, it features online multiplayer.
Gameplay
This is a four button fighting game with horizontal slash, vertical slash, kick, and special action. Stronger versions of the slash can be performed by pressing both horizontal and vertical slash (horizontal strong slash), or vertical slash and kick (vertical strong slash). The special action button can be used to throw opponents, deflect, or perform an unblockable slash attack (with a combination of the buttons). Rage explosion returns, but it acts as rage activation. Fatal flash is back, however its range is shorten a bit and the player has to have minimal life to use this.
New systems introduced here include Special Step and Fastest Input. Special Step is a simple input command that acts as a preset for special moves. When different attacks are used with this input command, this results in different special moves with some of the characters having different abilities to cancel the Special Step. Fastest Input alters versions of Special Step moves by the timing of the button presses. The longer the delay, the weaker the special move. Timing the button press without delay results in the best properties of the move.
Some characters that had helpers (ie: Nakoruru) summon their pets from an off-screen location and appear during win-poses or attacks. Multi-hit moves are now more interactive here in the fact that the player has to keep hitting the button to continue the attack.
The ability to dismember and impale opponents, from the older Samurai Shodown games, return here. These options are only in the international versions of the game.
Characters
The game includes 24 playable characters and 2 boss characters (who were unplayable until the Xbox 360 version).
New Additions
Returning Characters
Log in to comment