This title was one of the first games to be released for the Neo Geo Pocket, so the game was only in black & white... strikingly appropriate for an ancient samurai-themed game. The cute art style, tiny character sprites and slower gameplay might not be for everyone, but this charming little title took the Samurai Shodown series to a place it's never been and adds a touch of humor as well.
   

  
The classic Samurai Shodown gameplay you'd expect is intact at it's core. It's impressive SNK was able to transition to characters and gameplay engine to the smaller handheld layout and aesthetic, but the overall experience is very condensed and it's not nearly as striking or as smooth as the OG NeoGeo fighting games. The gameplay is particularly slower and very simplified... which really kills the replayability.
  
Characters retain most of their specials and super moves at least, but the deeper gameplay strategies from the arcade iterations are pretty much gone or dumbed down at the very best. While based on the awesome Samurai Shodown 4, this is basically a new game all together... and it's nothing all that spectacular, but it's pretty fun for a mini handheld title and has some fan service elements that old school SNK fighting lovers might enjoy.
  

Page Updated: October 10th, 2025 Developer(s): SNK Publisher(s): SNK Platform(s): Neo Geo Pocket Release Date(s): December 25th, 1998 Characters:  Haohmaru, Galford, Ukyo, Hanzo, Nakoruru, Genjuro, Rimururu, Sogetsu, Amakusa, Jubei, Shizumaru, Kazuki, Zankuro Featured Video: Related Games: Samurai Shodown! 2 Pocket, The King of Fighters R-1, The King of Fighters R-2, Fatal Fury: 1st Contact, SNK Gals Fighters, The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny, The Last Blade 2, The Last Blade, SNK Vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium, Marvel vs. Capcom, Samurai Shodown, Samurai Shodown 2, Samurai Shodown 3, Samurai Shodown 4, Samurai Shodown 5, Samurai Shodown 5 Special, Samurai Shodown 6, Samurai Shodown 64, Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage, Samurai Shodown Warriors Rage, Samurai Shodown Sen, Samurai Shodown Anthology    Gameplay Engine  6.0 / 10 Story / Theme  7.0 / 10 Overall Graphics  6.0 / 10 Animation  6.0 / 10 Music / Sound Effects  5.0 / 10 Innovation  6.0 / 10 Art Direction  7.5 / 10 Customization  5.0 / 10 Options / Extras  5.0 / 10 Intro / Presentation  5.0 / 10 Replayability / Fun  4.5 / 10 "Ouch" Factor  6.0 / 10 Characters  7.0 / 10 BOTTOM LINE  6.2 / 10     Final Words:   Samurai Shodown Pocket! was an earnest attempt and the first of several weapon-based (and non weapon-based) 2D fighting games to eventually come to the obscure and under-appreciated NEOGEO Pocket (and later, NEOGEO Pocket Color). The small sprites and animations are compact, but treated with love thanks to the game's clean lines and art style.   While clearly limited by the hardware, this game is a charming example of what's possible when bringing well-known fighting game characters into a Japanese chibi-fied portable experience. As an actual game, it's quite slow and lacks polish and definitely isn't anything close to a serious or hardcore 2D fighting game (like the original Samurai Shodown games). Even so, any hardcore fan of Samurai Shodown 4 and its characters should find some enjoyment out of this "mini" version of the game and modern roster.   The sequel to this title, Samurai Shodown! 2: Pocket added more characters and... *drumroll please*...COLOR! While I do enjoy 99.9% of my fighting games in color, there's something cool and suiting about the ancient black and white graphics — perfectly complimenting the historical samurai time period. Other than that, it's a mediocre fighting game with some really cute and highly-inspired artwork. ~TFG Webmaster | @FIGHTERS_GEN      MORE OFFICIAL ARTWORK COMING SOON! FOLLOW    ON:                             TFG NEWS CHARACTERS GAMES