I've been a rabid fan of the Samurai Shodown series from the beginning. It captured my interest and an ungodly amount of my quarters throughout my high school and college years. My mastery of the first game in the series was so complete, I used to do incredibly cocky things like letting my opponent choose which character I played. Much to my opponent's dismay, I still always won.
When I found out that this game was available for review, my first reaction was, "Holy crap! I didn't even know this was coming out." The nostalgia came flooding back in that instant. A quick search told me that this new version had 3D models and HD graphics. I was truly excited, and I thought that this game would be the Street Fighter 4 equivalent of the Samurai Shodown series.
About an hour after I put the disc into my Xbox 360, my reaction was a lot less "holy," and a lot more "crap." Samurai Shodown rapidly became Samurai Letdown.
The only resemblances that Samurai Shodown: Sen bears with its predecessors are the likenesses of its characters. Although they are three-dimensional and much more realistic now, they are undeniably supposed to be the same people I grew to love so many years back.
Unfortunately, the control of said characters has been completely scrapped -- gone are the cartoony (and sometimes goofy) animations and the over-the-top special attacks. Even the basic staples of the series, such as Ukyo's diving slash or Galford and Hanzo's devastating low sweeping cuts are conspicuously absent. In short, Samurai Shodown: Sen is a completely different game.
This drastic change put me in the unenviable position of eating my own words. I've loudly proclaimed my dislike of game publishers consistently pushing derivative sequels on us. I've often publicly espoused the virtues of innovation and cried when it is in such short supply. Now I find myself wanting more of the same and getting really upset because I didn't get it.
So where does one draw the line? I'm not sure I have all the answers, but it seems to me that if publishers are going to completely change a series that has a loyal fan-base, they damn-well better create something amazing that stands out from its peers and brings in new fans. Samurai Shodown: Sen does none of this. The programmers stripped away everything I loved about the series and replaced it with a soulless, sub-par, combo-based fighting game which tries to be gritty, violent, and more realistic but ultimately falls flat. The result is debacle.
So, here is my impassioned plea: please make another Samurai Shodown game with updated graphics, but please return the gameplay to its roots. Give me more of the same game I used to love. Bring the magic back. Until then, I'm not drinking your Kool-Aid.
I heard about this game a year ago,I'm still interested in it but I honestly from what I have read,it should have what retained much of what made Samurai Showdown stand out.It's fine that they made it 3D though I wish it could have been just high res 2D or cell shaded like Tatsunoko vs. Capcom,but it seems they could have at least retained some of the core game mechanics instead pushing it as a gritty version of Soul Calibur.
I always say the same thing. I ask for change and innovation, and when I get change I sometimes complain. People call me out on it and say "You wanted change and now that you got it you don't want it anymore. Your a hypocrite". What these morons do not understand is that the changes I want needed one important thing to succeed. Not Suck.
Yes I want my favorite franchises to move forward and give me something new. They can get stale quick otherwise (I'm looking at you Call of Duty). But just because a Developer makes changes to the game does not mean the game is instantly better. Sometimes they make mistakes. Like turning Mass Effect 2 into a 40 hour shooter. Or turning Splinter Cell Conviction into a watered down shadow of its former self. These were not good changes in my opinion.
Look at what Nintendo did with Metroid Prime. THAT is a prime (giggidy) example of drastically changing a beloved franchise for the better. I am not sitting on a high horse here and saying that this is easy. I know damn well that changing a franchise's mechanics is one of the hardest things you can do in this industry. You need to keep too many people happy, as well as bring in the $$$.
There is a good way to solve this problem, but I do not see it happening anytime soon. Developers, YOU need to start asking US what we want! Enough of this secrecy crap. I know you want to build up suspense for your game and unveil it to the public with something substantial to show them, but by then you have already made the majority of your decisions and our complaints and suggestions are going to fall on deaf ears. Your not going to go back and spend millions and millions to make changes for us. Not usually, anyway.
What you need to do is let us know when you are about to take on a franchise (I know, I know, that will ruin the suspense). Let us know when you plan on making changes. ASK US WHAT WE WANT. You are, after all, making this game for us. You want to please us. You want our money yet you don't want to ask us what we want from the game. This needs to change. Sometimes I get my hopes up when I see a Developer start asking for our feedback, then when the final game is released and almost none of our suggestions made it into the final product I begin to think it was all for show. Get us excited by making us think we had a hand in its development, only to find out after we buy it that nothing was really implemented. Well, I for one know that something needs to change quick, and WE are your only hope.
Wake up industry, and smell us gamers...(That sour cheese smell is normal)