Samurai Shodown IV for Neo Geo

After Samurai Shodown III was received more or less poorly by the fighting game community, SNK again went back to address the complaints, and tried to deliver a followup that would hopefully regain some of the magic that had made Samurai Shodown II such a hit.The most obvious change is visual, with dramatically adjusted color palettes for the individual characters, GeneRally brightening them up and reducing contrast, in the attempt to make the game more cartoonish. Aerial blocking was removed entirely, and the switcharound move, which enabled a player to shift quickly behind the other`s back, as well as the Dodge (Evade; side-step), in which the move virtually brings a semi-3D environment to the defense in attempt to use each sword more effectively.Following the same philosophy, some of the older characters were restored, such as Charlotte, Tam Tam and Yagyu Jubei. The entire cast of the previous game also returns, though some have been retouched to further enhance the cartoonish look.Overall, the game plays not terribly unlike SS3, but the feel is considerably different. Control has been loosened and more accurately modified, controller motions have been improved, overall damage has been reduced and one can no longer charge his/her own POW gauge. The off-screen delivery man was omitted entirely from the game. The biggest addition is probably the "CD Combo," wherein a player can press the C and D buttons together, triggering a strike that can be followed up by a sequence of button taps. The single-player mode now has a timer, as well. Only by reaching the final boss within a specified time limit can one see a character`s ending.