Samurai Shodown! 2

Overall, Samurai Shodown! 2 has come over quite well to the Switch. If you've played the original, you'll find most everything is in-tact save for the trading card send/receive system (which is understandable). Cards can still be collected in-game, just not traded to friends from what I could tell. I can think of some better fighting games on the Switch that I would probably purchase first but for a walk down memory lane or to see a classic portable fighting game in action, Samurai Shodown! 2 is certainly a fun novelty.

A commendable attempt to bring Samurai Shodown to an old portable format, even though the limited nature of the Neo Geo Pocket Color at the time does hinder Samurai Shodown! 2's chances of being able to hold much attention today. One for the diehard fans that will appreciate the effort of what was achieved with the hardware.

For better or worse, Samurai Shodown! 2 is exactly what you'd expect from a portable adaptation of the arcade fighting game.

Ultimately, Samurai Shodown!2 is another one of the games that is easy to pick up and play when you have a limited amount of time to play.

With very charming and well-crafted sprites, SAMURAI SHODOWN! 2 leaves Neo Geo Pocket in the past and officially returns to the arena. But the lack of online resources and limitations in the game itself give little reason for anyone who is not an enthusiast to acquire the relaunch. If you are curious about old video games or a fan of the franchise, the title may be interestin. But if not, it may be a game of little benefit.

All in all, Samurai Shodown! 2 is a great little port of an admittedly overlooked part of gaming history. Though the Neo Geo Pocket/Pocket Color lost its steam due to corporate shenanigans, it has a good library and is very fun to play. Seeing these games being modernized and re-released is charming to see, and I’m hoping SNK brings even more titles out in the near future. Though the controls really won’t translate 100% with the lack of the Pocket’s wonderful clicky-stick, Samurai Shodown! 2 and other SNK Pocket Fighting Games are a blast to play, especially for the low cost of entry.

The Samurai Shodown series has always been a bit of an outlier in the fighting game space, possessing a certain aesthetic and control style that set itself apart...

I found Samurai Shodown 2 nostalgic and enjoyable. It's a fun game to play with friends and I can see matches getting very intense quick.