Samurai Shodown, known as Samurai Spirits (サムライスピリッツ) in Japan, is the first game in SNK Playmore's popular series of fighting games.
It is set in the late 18th century and all of its characters wield weapons. It also bears comparatively authentic music from the time period and a refined version of the camera zoom first found in Art of Fighting. True to its use of bladed weapons, the game also includes copious amounts of blood.
The game was set in the late 18th century and all of its characters wielded weapons. It also bore comparatively authentic music from the time period and a refined version of the camera zoom first found in Art of Fighting. True to its use of bladed weapons, the game also included copious amounts of blood. Its overall aesthetic drew in the curious, and made SNK many fans.
Samurai Shodown quickly became renowned for its fast pace, focused more on quick, powerful strikes than combos. As to emphasize the distinction of this gameplay system, slow motion was added to intensify damage dealt from hard hits. Also during a match, a referee held flags representing each player (player 1 was white; player 2 red). When a player landed a successful hit, the referee would lift the corresponding flag, letting everyone watching know who dealt the blow. To lessen the repetition of fights, a delivery man running in the background threw items such as chicken (that healed) or bombs, which could significantly change the outcome of a play.
Click here for more information about Charlotte's other fighting game appearances.
Charlotte Christine Colde (シャルロット) is a female fencer who fights with an épée. She is a minor French noble, but dislikes the notion of nobility. She travels to Japan to battle Amakusa, whose evil is plaguing her home country. Her physical design is based off Oscar François de Jarjayes from the manga The Rose of Versailles, but the name is actually a distortion of the Japanese phonetic interpretation of Charlotte Corday. She is voiced by Harumi Ikoma.
Charlotte is a skilled female fencer who roamed the countryside (despite her noble origins), increasing her strength and honing her skills. Whilst on her travels, she caught word of a "series of calamities" with no apparent signals. Being the ever-vigilant warrior, she sets out to investigate. Later, the painter of the picture of the battle with Amakusa, as if possessed by something, suddenly starts to produce a picture of a malformed being never before seen in this world. Finding the goddess Ambrosia to be the further source of the malicious acts occurring around the world, Charlotte sets out once again to defeat the deity. Afterwards, she returns home to take part in the French Revolution.
Click here for more information about Haohmaru's other fighting game appearances.
Haohmaru (覇王丸) and Kibagami Genjuro once trained under master Nicotine Caffeine. They were very close friends. One day, master Nicotine told them they would battle to determine who would learn the secrets in a magical scroll to increase their fighting ability. Genjuro won, but almost killed Haohmaru; in response, Nicotine expelled Genjuro. After this, Haohmaru traveled the lands perfecting his sword skills, and searching for worthy challengers. Hearing of Amakusa's return into the world, Haohmaru sets out to defeat him. He does so with the assistance of Nakoruru, Hanzo, Galford, Charlotte and Ukyo. On his many travels, Haohmaru found a village that had been slaughtered to the last man, save a small child. He took in the child, Shizumaru, and trained him in the fighting arts.
In Samurai Shodown 5, Haohmaru has just defeated an opponent and let him go when Yoshitora arrives, calling Haohmaru a fool for letting an enemy go. Upon seeing Yoshitora's swords, Haohmaru challenges Yoshitora to a duel but Yoshitora declines the offer, stating he doesn't have time, but vows they will fight the next time they cross paths. Haohmaru then reveals that he is going to Hinowa because the strongest warriors are meeting there and whether Yoshitora would join him in the journey, but again Yoshitora declines. Haohmaru then tells Yoshitora to go there if he changes his mind and runs off. Upon reaching Hinowa, Haohmaru finally meets Gaoh, who says that he will build a new country. Gaoh then tells Haohmaru that he has to kill him. After beating Gaoh, Yoshitora shows up for the duel and formally introduces himself. Before the fight begins, Yoshitora asks Haohmaru to join him and help him build a new country. Haohmaru then says that if he loses, he'll join him. After the battle, Haohmaru reflects on his samurai life.
In Warriors Rage, Haohmaru is now an older, yet still skilled and active swordsman at the age of 47. After hearing that his adopted niece Mikoto had departed from the temple where she was raised, Haomaru follows her to the cursed island of Riten Kyo. There, he grows aware of the evil entity at work there, and departs on a journey to stop the Razor Trio, and as well as duel worthy opponents along the way. In the end, Haohmaru eventually reaches Mikoto at the Riten Kyo. Shortly after killing Oboro, he retrieves Mikoto and reveals some of her past.
Click here for more information about Jubei's other fighting game appearances.
Jubei Yagyu (柳生十兵衛,Yagyū Jūbē?) is the epitome of Bushido, the guiding principles of the samurai. He carries out his duties as an enforcer for the empire.
Click here for more information about Nakoruru's other fighting game appearances.
Nakoruru (ナコルル) is a young girl dressed in clothing that looks like Ainu traditional clothes. The basic colors of her clothes are white and red. She fights with a kodachi named Chichiushi and a hawk named Mamahaha assists her in her Slash version. She also has a wolf named Shikuru who also assists her when in Bust and Rera versions. The original idea of her came from the indigenous Ainu people of Hokkaidō, Japan, who are analogous in Japan to the Native Americans in the United States. As the Japanese perceive the Ainu as living closer to nature, Nakoruru's role in the game is of a defender of Mother Nature; in some material Nakoruru has been referred to as a priestess of the Ainu religion. She was born in October 11, 1771, in a place called Ainu Moshiri Kamui Kotan (Meaning "Ainu Territory Kamui Village" in Ainu), located somewhere in Hokkaidō. She lived in there alongside her grandparent Sanoku, her grandmother Monashiri and her little sister Rimururu.
Some day in 1786, when she was 15, she and Rimururu were playing in the forest when Mamahaha flew in, holding her father's sword. Sensing her father was in trouble, she apologized to Rimururu and ran off. Upon reaching Hinowa, Nakoruru tells Gaoh that his war is hurting the planet but Gaoh tells her that he will build a new country and that he has to kill her. Upon defeating Gaoh, Kamui, the Spirit of Nature, appeared to her, asking Nakoruru to be her successor. Kamui also told her that her father was the last Ainu fighter and that he gave his life to her. Nakoruru, devastated by the news of her father, asked what would happen if she declined and Kamui told her she would ask another maiden to be her successor. Nakoruru then accepted and became the new Kamui warrior of Kamui Kotan. [Note that kamui is the Japanese spelling of kamuy, an Ainu word which approximates the Japanese term kami 神, usually translated as "spirit" or "god".]
During the late winter of 1789, Nakoruru could not hear the voices of nature and this worried her. She found out then that the spirits of nature were sucked in the Makai (demon world) and she set out to bring nature to balance. She then fought on alongside Haohmaru again and defeated Mizuki but, even after his defeat, nature's balance was still not achieved. She died in the end of 1789 at the age of 18, while giving away her life to bring balance to nature. She then became a Spirit of Nature and the new Kamui of Kamui Kotan. During 1790, Nakoruru, as the new Kamui of Kamui Kotan, was resting peacefully. She was awakened when she felt a new evil in the world and had to take human form to fight the demons sent by Yuga. Then, alongside with Rimururu and Haohmaru, they destroyed Yuga's physical body, although, Nakoruru could not save Kamui Kotan. She went then into a long sleep again in order to restore Kamui Kotan.
Wanting to be even closer to nature, Nakoruru transcends even further and becomes one with the sprits of nature, melding her own soul with Gaia to become a Divine Spirit in nature's service. Now as The holy spirit who transcends time, she travels across space and time to prevent the disasters of the world from occurring. However, she is stopped in her quest by a magical spell cast by Jigen Taishi in Ritenkyo. This leaves Nakoruru unable to assume her original form, and she can only battle evil through the strength of her fellow forest sprits. Now weakened, she knows she must stop Oboro's evil plan, but cannot without the Maiden of Light Rimururu, who has been sealed by Oboro. She sets out on a quest to free her sister and together combine their powers to defeat evil.
In her ending in Gals Fighters, Nakoruru makes a wish to the talisman, wishing to go home. The talisman grants her wish and her life is restored. She falls in front Rimururu as Rimururu is eating.
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