Samurai Shodown was one of 2019's best fighting game releases. Reviving a long-dormant franchise with a beautiful art style, intense combat, and decent online support, SNK brought a fan-favorite series back into the limelight and spurred interest in a whole new generation of fans. People with only a Switch can now mark their calendars because the publisher has announced when the hotly anticipated port of its fighter will be coming to Nintendo's platform.
Samurai Shodown will be jumping to Switch on February 25, 2020. Retailing for $49.99, players can currently pre-order the game on the Nintendo eShop for a 10% discount. All pre-orders will come with a bonus copy of the Neo Geo Pocket title Samurai Shodown! 2 and physical editions will come with an exclusive Joy-Con controller skin. The artwork on this skin features the main protagonist Haohmaru and newcomer Yashamaru.
SNK did not make mention of whether or not the first season of DLC characters would be included with this port. As an incentive to get people playing, SNK offered the first season for free to early adopters of the PS4 and Xbox One versions. With all four characters now available, it stands to reason the Switch port should have them included. Free bonus character Hisame Shizumaru will be included, though.
If you haven't already grabbed this title, the Switch version might be a solid way to experience it. Samurai Shodown isn't an overly complicated fighter, requiring only four buttons and an understanding of timing more than long combo strings. It is easy to pick up and hard to master, the hallmark of any truly brilliant game.
Being a competitive fighter, versus is obviously an emphasized feature of the package. With the Switch having the unique ability to offer split Joy-Con play, Samurai Shodown can become an impromptu throwdown with your friends. Need to settle a dispute on where you're eating tonight? Grab your swords and start swinging.
There are some obvious cutbacks to the visual fidelity of this port, but those are understandable. Having a portable fighter run at 60 FPS and not compromise on content is more important than looking flashy. Samurai Shodown still looks nice enough on Switch, so it was definitely worth the small sacrifices.
Source: SNK PR