Samurai Shodown III for Neo Geo

In keeping with their curious habit of using the third game in a series as a place to wipe the slate clean and start fresh, Samurai Shodown III was to be the start of a bold new direction for the franchise.The most obvious difference Between this game and the others in the series is the notably darker aesthetic. The more light-hearted characters (Earthquake, Cham Cham, and Gen-An to name a few) from the previous games have been excised, and even the kabuki master, Kyoshiro Senryo, received a bold redesign, transforming him from a flamboyant stage performer into a grim-faced, muscular man. All of the characters have been completely redrawn, and impressively so. The animation is very smooth for all characters, another departure from the graphical style of the second game.Perhaps most significant, Haohmaru`s role in the story was diminished, in favor of the new main character, and the overall story was smaller in scope.In spite of the removal of several characters, new ones were added in their place.