Developer: Saurus
Publisher: SNK
Release Date: 1999
SNK had a very noble goal when releasing the Neo Geo Pocket Color. They wanted to actually make good handheld fighting games. In the late 90s that seemed like an impossible task. Ever since Street Fighter II became a game changing hit, fighting games became a staple on just about every console. Even venerable consoles like the NES and Master System had some interesting fighting games near the end of their lives. Game Boy and Game Gear had plenty of fighting games as well, but they were almost always universally panned. They must've sold alright because there really are a lot of them, but it was difficult taking something so famously 16-bit and shrinking it down on a much less powerful system. Thankfully, SNK was here to save the day. They were very confident in their abilities too, because fighting games take up almost a sixth of the console's scant US library. It's what SNK was most known for, so of course they were going to flood the market. So, was it a success? The handheld's quick death would imply that it was not, but the Pocket Color's death had nothing to do with the quality of the games. This is a very complicated was of saying that Samurai Shodown 2 is a quality game.
I am not very familiar with the Samurai Shodown series, so I can't judge it by the series as a whole, but the handheld version is certainly well-executed. In a way it's the opposite of Double Dragon V. Samurai Shodown 2 has a much more varied roster of fighters who feel unique. There are fifteen characters to choose from, and with each one having two different fighting styles it's more like having thirty fighters. That may be a slight exaggeration, but fifteen was still an impressive roster at the time. It's funny that Samurai Shodown is mostly humans and Double Dragon V is cartoonish monsters, but Double Dragon V is still the one that feels more generic. It doesn't matter how wacky your characters look if all they're going to do is spam weak punches.
Samurai Shodown 2 remembered to focus on the combat, and it works surprisingly well with only two buttons. I am certainly a more casual fighting game fan, so I don't know how a Sushi-X type might feel about it, but I would have a hard time faulting a game for being easy to execute. I could pick any player and grow comfortable with their moveset fairly quickly. Special moves were fairly easy to figure out on my own, and some are gained on cards earned throughout the game. Characters have a boost gauge that fills over the course of the battle, and this can be used for devastating special moves. The moves are not automatic, so there is still some skill needed for them to land properly. I enjoy that there are no cheap moves. The game manages to be fairly challenging as well. It's not a punch spamming game in the slightest. I always felt that I could improve with practice, so nothing ever seemed hopeless. It's easy to play and offers a decent challenge. That's a recipe for success.
I always thought I would get back to Neo Geo Pocket Color sooner. I reviewed that big chunk of terrible casino games all at once, and never did get around to reviewing any of the more significant games. The only good review I have given out so far is for Pac-Man, and that is a game I'm sure you're all getting tired of reading about. Well, the redemption starts today. Samurai Shodown 2 is now game #71 on the list. It's easily in the good section, and it won't be the last good fighting game I play for the NGPC. I'm only ten games away from having a full hundred good ones, and if I focus, I'm sure the Pocket Color will help me get there. Of course I've never focused before, but you never know. Maybe 2025 will be my year.
Neo Geo Pocket Color Quality Percentage: 2/7 or 28.57%
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