Review - Very nicely drawn graphics and great music have never actually been enough to completely convince me.

Sure, the audio-visual experience is beyond many other Neo-Geo fighting games. For example, Gen-An Shiranui stage is amazing: you will have to fight him in a cavern while the sound of crackling fire will make its way in the background...details like these really add a special atmosphere to each and every stage.

About the gameplay, I think it feels somewhat weird and is a mixed-bag. I could never really adjust to the inbalances determined by the fact that some moves are way more powerful than others. Also, regular sword- swings are often more effective than special moves...but overall, fights are nevertheless solid.

When one of the opponents (or both) lose his weapon, fights become even more tense as the player must face the dilemma of keep on fighting bare-hands (and be more vulnerable and less effective) or concentrate on getting back the lost weapon. This makes for some interesting strategies :)

In the single-player, Samurai Spirits is fun enough although it really picks up only when Amakusa steps in! Too bad he is the last boss…

Bottom line: very beautiful and evocative fighting game, first of a long running series. 8/10