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134-468: Toy giant Takara produced the game during a six month period in 1994 as their first original video game, together with new developer Tamsoft, both of whom had worked on porting Samurai Showdown and other SNK fighters to consoles. Initially made to be a PlayStation exclusive, the game was released in Japan a few weeks after the console's debut, and released internationally by Sony Computer Entertainment as

268-425: A North American Neo Geo would display white sweat, but the same cartridge, when plugged into a Japanese Neo Geo, would run the uncensored game with blood. Neo Geo console modifications would enable users to set the system's region to Japan, or play in arcade mode, either of which would cause the game to be played with all of the blood and death animations intact, even on a North American/PAL console. In addition to

402-505: A Sega Saturn specific version, subtitled U.R.A . It builds on the original and is often considered to be the series's best. This was later followed by Battle Arena Toshinden 3 in 1996, and Toshinden 4 (Subaru) in 1999 which never had an American release. release An intended prequel named Toshinden Next was given anticipatory promotion in a 1997 issue of the Japanese video game magazine Dengeki PlayStation . This game however

536-483: A certain meaning to the fragility of existence, […]. Beliefs in the pure land of Buddha Amida […] allowed some warriors to hope for an Amidist paradise […]. Zen Buddhism with its doctrine of the oneness between life and death was also appreciated by many samurai […]. The world of medieval warriors remained a universe still largely dominated by the supernatural, and the belief in particular, in the tormented souls of warriors fallen in combat (who) returned almost obsessively in

670-521: A combination of veteran SNK programmers and former Capcom employees. The idea to spell the English title "Shodown" rather than "Showdown" came from SNK's U.S. distributor: They felt the Japanese title "Samurai Spirits" did not adequately explain the game, and felt the spelling could be a play on the word shogun, based on the lingering popularity of the Shogun miniseries. The Neo Geo AES version of

804-520: A desperation attack that can only be used when the player has low energy (around 10% or less). The player can move around the arenas using the L/R shoulder buttons, which can be used to dodge projectile attacks or get away from a dangerous spot. Players move using the directional pad. Holding the backward directional button allows the player to block basic attacks and reduces most of the damage from opponents' special moves. Players can also run by quickly tapping

938-420: A global audience, series-creator and director Yasushi Adachi decided that a fighting game with distinctly Japanese characters, such as samurai and ninjas, would do better. The only hold-over from the original concept was Genan Shiranui, the hunchbacked claw-handed creature who was inspired by Adachi's fascination with Tim Burton 's Edward Scissorhands . The programming team for Samurai Shodown consisted of

1072-489: A launch title. Its American division had promoted it as a " Saturn killer" (against Sega's Virtua Fighter ), but ironically a Saturn port published by Sega , titled Battle Arena Toshinden Remix and with additional features, was released less than a year later. A 2D version was developed and released for the Game Boy in 1996, published internationally by Nintendo , making it the only game to have been published by all of

1206-547: A man. However, Naoshige also suggests that "everyone should personally know exertion as it is known in the lower classes". By the mid-16th century, several of Japan's most powerful warlords began to vie for supremacy over territories amidst the Kyoto government's waning power. With Kyoto's capture by the warlord Oda Nobunaga in 1573, the Muromachi period concluded. In 1551 CE, one of the first western people to visit Japan

1340-474: A monthly series by Takeshi Takibayashi on Monthly Shōnen Ace (with elements from Toshinden 2 ), another comic published by Softbank Creative, and one by Kozumi Shiita published by Enix . Drama CDs serving as sequels to the game were released named Before Stage , the first volume of which was released in March 1996, using the original Japanese voice cast. This would be followed by an anime OVA adaptation of

1474-433: A much more powerful experience to play than a typical 2D fighter. However, they concluded that the game loses "by a hair" when compared to its rival, Virtua Fighter . On the other hand, Hyper magazine rated Toshinden higher than Virtua Fighter . The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game a positive review, chiefly praising the character design, graphics, and special moves. Battle Arena Toshinden

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1608-535: A mysterious organization known only as the Secret Society, believed to be related to a world leading multinational megaconglomerate, the Gerard Foundation, the Secret Society has picked eight worthy challengers from around the world to pit against each other for the chance at a prize for fortune, fame, and glory. Initial playable characters are: Unlockable characters: Battle Arena Toshinden

1742-436: A number of attendants, and do not in the least care to save money. They are, in short, a very warlike people, and engaged in continual wars among themselves; the most powerful in arms bearing the most extensive sway. They have all one sovereign, although for one hundred and fifty years past the princes have ceased to obey him, and this is the cause of their perpetual feuds. The practice of decapitating and collecting enemy heads

1876-539: A point of complaint among Europeans. Samurai did head collection with a ritual to beautify severed heads of worthy rivals and put on display. The samurai applied various cruel punishments on criminals. The most common capital punishments up until the Meiji Restoration were (in order of severity): decapitation, decapitation with disgraceful exposure of head post-death, crucifixion (for e.g. parricide ), and death by burning with incendiaries. Members of

2010-606: A segment from Toccata and Fugue in D minor . The original game's music was also re-arranged for the game's global PlayStation release in September 1995. In Japan, Battle Arena Toshinden sold 696,851 units for the PlayStation. Upon the PlayStation's launch in the United States, Toshinden sold out in its first week on sale. The game, as well as Ridge Racer , sold at a nearly one-to-one ratio per hardware system in

2144-458: A tie between Ukyo Tachibana , Galford , and Poppy at No. 11, Charlotte at No. 16 (tied with Duck King from Fatal Fury Special ), Kuroko at No. 18, Tam Tam and Hanzo Hattori tied for No. 22, Gen-an Shiranui at No. 29, and Wan-Fu tied at No. 45 with five other characters. Samurai Shodown won multiple awards from Electronic Gaming Monthly in their 1993 video game awards, including Best Neo-Geo Game, Best Fighting Game, and Game of

2278-456: A warrior class seeking more general application of martial principles and experience in peacetime, as well as reflection on the land's long history of war. The literature of this time includes: The first mention of the term bushido is in the scriptures Koyo Gunkan (甲陽軍鑑) from Takeda-ryū (martial arts school), written around 1616 by samurai Kōsaka Masanobu (1527–1578). It consists of 20 scrolls that mention bushido over 30 times. It contains

2412-400: Is "still decent enough, but ... lacks the speed and depth of its more illustrious successors". A reviewer for Next Generation said that the visuals of the Japanese release were not up to par with those of the PlayStation version, and advised Saturn owners to wait for the U.S. release in hopes that Sega of America would fix the graphical shortcomings. GamePro' s Tommy Glide commented that there

2546-516: Is a fighting game developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. Released in 1993, it is the first installment in the Samurai Shodown series. In contrast to other fighting games at the time, which were set in modern times and focused primarily on hand-to-hand combat, Samurai Shodown is set in feudal-era Japan (similar to Kaneko 's Shogun Warriors which

2680-470: Is an example of honor in samurai culture. The severed heads were shown to a general as evidence that they killed wanted opponents and to collect rewards. More heads meant higher prestige, honor and rewards. A beautification ritual of the severed heads called Ohaguro was performed. Prestigious heads were arranged on a table and presented in front of the warriors. All heads were identified and marked to prevent mistakes. The guards were left and right of

2814-472: Is compared with chivalry. Christianity had a modifying influence on the virtues of chivalry, whereas bushido was influenced by Zen Buddhism , Shinto , and Confucianism . Bushido is commonly associated with the moral norms of Nitobe Inazō's Bushido: The Soul of Japan (1900), because his book popularized the term bushido internationally. However, it is a romanticized interpretation of bushido which differs from other historical literature by samurai. Thus,

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2948-468: Is loosely analogous to the European concept of chivalry , but with some major differences. Ideas of the samurai code formalized earlier moral values and ethics, most commonly stressing a combination of sincerity, frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, honour until death, "bravery", and "loyalty to the samurai's lord." The idea of a samurai code or codes was developed and refined centuries before

3082-563: Is not enough additional content in the Saturn version and the graphics do not look as smooth as the PlayStation version's, assessing it as overall "a poor conversion". Maximum ' s Rich Leadbetter stated that it fails to recreate the graphical effects of the PlayStation original, which he opined were the only saving grace of an extremely dull game. He held the additional character and the PAL conversion's lack of borders to be its only advantages over

3216-520: Is nothing of which they are so proud as of weapons adorned with gold and silver. They always wear swords and daggers both in and out of the house, and when they go to sleep they hang them at the bed's head. In short, they value arms more than any people I have ever seen. They are excellent archers, and usually fight on foot, though there is no lack of horses in the country. They are very polite to each other, but not to foreigners, whom they utterly despise. They spend their means on arms, bodily adornment, and on

3350-420: Is noticeable, but acceptable." He gave it three out of five stars. GamePro praised the general gameplay but criticized the quality of the conversion, complaining that the scaling is not as smooth as the arcade version, the animations are slower, the load times are interminably long, and the gameplay is crippled by a poor control configuration, which the player is not given the option to change. GamePro named

3484-553: Is often described as a specific moral code that all members of the samurai class were obligated to follow. However, historically, the samurai adhered to multiple warrior codes and the interpretations varied per samurai clan, individuals and eras. These codes and philosophies changed dramatically during the different eras. The earliest proto-bushido type existed since the Kamakura period (1185). The degrees of devotion and interpretations varied between individuals. Since at least

3618-430: Is the code of moral principles which the samurai were required or instructed to observe...More frequently it is a code unuttered and unwritten...It was an organic growth of decades and centuries of military career. In order to become a samurai this code has to be mastered. In Feudal and Modern Japan (1896), historian Arthur May Knapp wrote: The samurai of thirty years ago had behind him a thousand years of training in

3752-583: The Edo period (1600 to the mid-19th century). Japan didn't have domestic or international conflict. These peaceful times in Tokugawa society enabled bushido to be refined from a focus on valor in battle to more moral integrity . The Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1867) codified aspects of the Samurai warrior values and formalized them into parts of the Japanese feudal law. In addition to the "house codes" issued in

3886-515: The Koyo Gunkan of roughly circa 1616, an account of the military exploits of the Takeda clan . Bushido evolved from being totally devoted to valor in battle into refined types that were more related to moral integrity. The samurai had different types of bushido in each era in history , reflecting changing requirements on the battlefield and in society. The era name should be used to describe

4020-653: The PlayStation Network was released as a downloadable PlayStation game on November 22, 2016 in Japan. The game was also re-released in 2018 on the PlayStation Classic . Specifically it is the PAL version which runs slower at 50hz. The game had different and distinct box art for every release and region. The original release in Japan came with an outer paper box depicting many of the characters in anime, illustrated by Tsukasa Kotobuki who also did

4154-456: The Sengoku period , samurai didn't have compunction to use certain weapons. Retreating from battles did occur if it was unwinnable while others chose to fight till the end. Samurai did not actively seek an honorable death. However, it was honorable to die in the service of a daimyo only while furthering the daimyo's cause. Samurai had dark customs, the most notable: Kiri-sute gomen was

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4288-675: The Takara -published Super NES , Sega Genesis , Game Boy and Game Gear versions in 1994. It has since been re-released for various modern platforms as part of the SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 (2008), Samurai Shodown Anthology (2008) and Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection (2020) compilations, the ACA Neo Geo series, and on the Wii Virtual Console . The game is set in the late 18th century, and all

4422-597: The Tokugawa Shogunate executed over 400 Christians ( Martyrs of Japan ) for being more loyal to their faith than the Shogunate. The capital punishments were beheading, crucifixion, death by burning and Ana-tsurushi ( 穴吊るし , lit. "hole hanging") . Bushido has been described as Japanese chivalry , and samurai in general have been described as being like Western knights . There are notable similarities and differences depending on which bushido type

4556-549: The Toshinden manga art. The base cover itself had the Toshinden logo against a blue background with text in English boasting its "90,000 polygons per second". On the other hand, the American cover featured Eiji and Mondo in battle, albeit looking significantly different than their actual looks. The PAL version box art was drawn by Paul Kidby and depicts a shield-like symbol with a sword and dragon; Kidby had stated that he

4690-792: The Way of the Man-At-Arms (Tsuwamon no michi), and the Way of the Bow and Arrows (Kyûsen / kyûya no Michi). At the time of the Genpei War (1180–1185) , it was called "Way of the Bow and the Horse" (弓馬の道, kyūba no michi) because of the major importance of this style of combat for the warriors of the time, and because it was considered a traditional method, that of the oldest samurai heroes, such as Prince Shōtoku , Minamoto no Yorimitsu and Minamoto no Yoshiie (Hachimantarō). According to Louis Frédéric ,

4824-483: The shogun (将軍) as the overlord until the mid 19th century. The shogun was originally the Emperor's military deputy. After the Genpei War (1180–1185), Minamoto no Yoritomo usurped power from the civil aristocracy by establishing a military government called the bakufu situated in Kamakura since 1192. The Emperor and his court became figureheads . The appearance of bushido is linked to that of feudal Japan and

4958-414: The tea ceremony , poetry such as the death poem (written by samurai before suicidal missions or battles) and literature . Carl Steenstrup noted that 13th- and 14th-century writings ( gunki monogatari ) "portrayed the bushi in their natural element, war, eulogizing such virtues as reckless bravery, fierce family pride, and selfless, at times senseless devotion of master and man". Every farmer

5092-418: The tea ceremony . Such as the medieval Japanese proverb Hana wa sakuragi, hito wa bushi ( Japanese : 花は桜木人は武士 , literally "the [best] blossom is the cherry blossom; the [best] man is the warrior"). In 1843 Nakamura said: Our nation is a nation of arms. The land to the west [China] is a nation of letters. Nations of letters value the pen. Nations of arms value the sword. That's the way it has been from

5226-401: The texture-mapped polygon graphics, original fighters, myriad moves, unique style of play, and the sidestep move, commenting that "the only problem with this slick defensive move is that from some viewing angles, the fighters obstruct the front of the screen, making it impossible to see where a move is coming from". Their review of the later U.S. release was also generally positive; they praised

5360-508: The ukiyo-e book Kokon Bushidō ezukushi ( 古今武士道絵つくし , "Images of Bushidō Through the Ages" ) by artist Hishikawa Moronobu included the term and artwork of samurai with simple descriptions meant for children. In 1642, the Kashoki ( 可笑記 , "Amusing Notes" ) was written by samurai Saito Chikamori and included moral precepts which explained the theoretical aspects of bushido. It

5494-596: The Edo period in the Kamakura period . Bushido proper developed between the 16th and 20th centuries, but this was debated by pundits who believed they were building on a legacy dating back to the 10th century. The term bushido itself is "rarely attested in pre-modern literature", but a code of honor did exist among the writing elite and historians who were generally disgusted enough at the dishonorable activity of some fighters such as shinobi as to rarely mention them. Ideas of honor that led to bushido developed in reaction to

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5628-410: The Edo period. There is no strict definition, and interpretations of the code have varied over time. Bushido has undergone many changes throughout Japanese history, and various Japanese clans interpreted it in their own way until the 19th century, enough for it to be most often a series of unwritten oral expectations that could be described as different codes, with further variations likely existing in

5762-579: The Japanese release; a sword and burning fire in the North American release; and Eiri, Duke, Rungo and Fo on the PAL cover. Background music was composed by Yasuhiro Nakano and Makoto Mukai. A soundtrack CD featuring arranged versions by the original composers, Toh Shin Den Retake & Remix , was released by Sony Records in April 1995. Bach is credited on Sho's theme track as it contains

5896-571: The Kamakura period ), was a notable idea in the Kamakura period , due to the relative peace of Japan during this time. Pre-bushido honor codes during this time were also contributed to by commoners, who sometimes took on similar roles to samurai and often used their family names as introductions to fighting despite not being noble. However, even during the relatively small family and land quarrels of this time, as well as duels thought to be honorable, warriors often disregarded these norms of combat and

6030-536: The Meiji period, bushido absorbed European ideals and formed the foundation of Japan's political ethics. Chinese writer Zhou Zuoren supported the historical legitimacy, although it was thought to be altered and corrupted in the modern period. The values that became bushido evolved significantly over the centuries to the present. These first appeared as unwritten customs in the 12th century with shogun Minamoto Yoritomo . The written term bushido first appears in

6164-650: The Neo Geo system, the AES, Samurai Shodown was ported to multiple other platforms, including the Super NES , Game Boy , Mega Drive/Genesis , Game Gear , Sega CD , Sega Saturn , 3DO , FM Towns , PlayStation and PlayStation 2 . All of the cartridge versions were handled by Takara , while Crystal Dynamics ported the 3DO version, and Funcom handled the Sega CD port. The Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega CD versions omit

6298-438: The PlayStation version. During the 200th issue leadup of Electronic Gaming Monthly in 2005, they ranked Battle Arena Toshinden as their single most overrated game. They explained that it "was 3D, it was flashy-- Battle Arena Toshinden was exciting and new. But later Namco showed us what really could be done with 3D fighting on the PlayStation ( Tekken , Soul Blade ). (...) But is it actually good? Oh God, no". Following

6432-533: The Saturn release had "disappointing sales" in Japan, which they attributed to the strong association of the game with the PlayStation (due to the use of the character Ellis in Japanese ads for the PlayStation) and its weak use of the Saturn hardware when compared to Virtua Fighter 2 . Battle Arena Toshinden Remix for the Saturn sold 84,231 units in Japan, bringing combined sales of the PlayStation and Saturn versions to at least 1,313,806 units sold in Japan and

6566-484: The Sega CD port the best Sega CD game at the 1994 Consumer Electronics Show . Their eventual review, however, was largely mixed. They criticized the slowdown, lack of scaling, frequent load times, and low-quality reproduction of the arcade version's sounds, and added that the fact that Samurai Shodown was by then a three-year-old game makes the Sega CD version's faults stand out more. Electronic Gaming Monthly scored it 30 out of 40 and declared it "the best conversion of

6700-732: The Seventh Annual Gamest Grand Prize, as well as being the first to win in the category of Best Fighting Game ( Street Fighter II Dash , the previous Game of the Year, won as Best Action Game). Samurai Shodown also placed first in Best VGM, Best Album and Best Direction, and second place in Best Graphics. In the Best Characters list, Nakoruru placed No. 1, Haohmaru at No. 6, Jubei Yagyu at No. 8,

6834-602: The Super NES version a 37 out of 50, commenting that despite the lack of scaling, it is still a very good port. GamePro considered the Genesis version to be superior to the Super NES version, citing the Genesis version's better scale (zoomed-in versus the zoomed-out graphics of the Super NES version) and the awkward control configuration on the Super NES version. They held the Game Boy version to be surprisingly good given

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6968-495: The United States by the end of 1995. The game went on to sell 532,724 units for the PlayStation in the United States, including 327,412 standalone copies and 205,312 bundled copies. Battle Arena Toshinden was included in the Greatest Hits range for having sold more than 150,000 units in the United States. The PlayStation version sold a total of 1,229,575 units in Japan and the United States. According to Next Generation ,

7102-407: The United States. Battle Arena Toshinden was critically acclaimed when released. Electric Playground gave the game a perfect score of 10 out of 10 in 1995. On release, Famicom Tsūshin scored the PlayStation version of the game a 30 out of 40, and gave it first a 9 out of 10 and later a 10 out of 10 in their Reader Cross Review. In an early 1995 interview, when asked which PlayStation game he

7236-565: The Year. It was awarded "Game of the Year" at the April 1994 European Computer Trade Show (ECTS). In 1997, Electronic Gaming Monthly listed the Neo Geo AES version as number 99 on their "100 Best Games of All Time", citing the solid fighting engine, realistic use of blood, and easy to execute moves. Famicom Tsūshin gave the Super Famicom version an 8 out of 10 in their Reader Cross Review. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave

7370-427: The announcement of family names or lineages was mostly a way to brag and assert a right to fight and/or gain whatever a faction was looking for after a fight. Outright bragging was also known to happen. These already tenuous codes of honor were weakened when the Japanese, expecting the invading Mongols to be laid-back with their combat, humiliatingly sent an envoy that fired a noisemaker arrow to officially commence

7504-422: The arcade intro sequence, although the voice accompanying the text is missing, the character artwork shown after beating an opponent is present, as are the arcade endings. The announcer, like the Sega CD version, says the names of the characters before a fight and after winning a fight. The SNES version has no blood, being replaced by sweat. An exclusive mode, count down, is included in this port. Players can also use

7638-480: The arcade introduction, instead of displaying the arcade version's text with no background graphics or speech. Also, the character artwork shown after beating an opponent is missing, and portions of some characters' endings are missing. The announcer no longer says the names of the characters before a fight or after winning a fight. The Sega CD version retains the arcade introduction and is only missing portions of some characters' endings. The Sega CD version also includes

7772-566: The attacks that were removed or altered in the Mega Drive/Genesis version, and the music is the same as the arcade version. The SNES version has the character line-up intact but has the game zoomed out, which makes the character sprites smaller compared to the other ports. This version has all of the stages from the arcade version, and they are less restricted compared to the Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega CD ports. This version also supports Dolby Surround sound. The SNES version includes

7906-422: The battlefield as any other warriors. These concepts, codes and ideals were ingrained in the samurai since they rose to power in the Kamakura period (1185–1333). At certain eras, there were prevalent rules and unwritten customs such as the "Way of the Bow and the Horse" (弓馬の道, kyūba no michi) since the 12th century and, in the Edo period , the code of the samurai was formalized with specific virtues and laws by

8040-538: The beginning... Our country and theirs are separated from one another by hundreds of miles, our customs are completely different, the temperaments of our people are dissimilar – so how could we possibly share the same Way? (Nakamura 1843 cited in Watanabe 2012: 285). During the Muromachi period (1336–1573) the way of the warrior began to refine by inserting in their daily activities, alongside martial training, Zen meditation, painting (monochrome style), ikebana ,

8174-432: The birth of the Edo period, Samurai codes of conduct continued to extend beyond the realms of warfare. Forms of bushido-related Zen Buddhism and Confucianism also emerged during this period. A Samurai adhering to bushido-like codes was expected to live a just and ethical social life; honoring the practices of the gentry in the absence of military campaigns. Japan enjoyed two and a half centuries of relative peace during

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8308-581: The boss, while the other mode is for a single battle against an opponent chosen by the player. However the enhanced Remix version on Sega Saturn does have a story mode. Throughout the criminal underworld, announcements of a famed underworld tournament reemerging after a long hiatus has made word throughout the globe. Known as the Battle Arena Toshinden, this underworld tournament is a weapons fighting tournament broadcast as bloodsport entertainment for an elite and interested audience. Hosted by

8442-420: The character Earthquake and his stage. Both versions lack the camera zoom, and the camera is locked in a close zoom. This gives better detail to the characters, but the fighting area is smaller. In addition, some attacks were altered or removed entirely from the Mega Drive/Genesis version of the game. The final boss is playable in the two-player mode without the use of a code. The Mega Drive/Genesis version lacks

8576-551: The character Sofia sounding less suggestive and Ellis sounding older than in the original Japanese version. At E3 1995 before the American PlayStation release, Battle Arena Toshinden was promoted as a "Saturn killer" to be a rival to the Sega Saturn . After Polygon Man was dropped, Sony Computer Entertainment America used the Toshinden character Sofia as a mascot. Despite this, Takara later announced that

8710-516: The characters wield weapons. The game uses music from the time period, with sounds of traditional Japanese instruments, such as the shakuhachi and shamisen . A refined version of the camera zoom first found in Art of Fighting is used in Samurai Shodown . The game includes the portrayal of blood. The game became renowned for its fast pace. Focusing more on quick, powerful strikes than combos,

8844-616: The context of the fiefdoms (han) and texts that described the right behavior of a warrior (such as the Hagakure), the first Buke shohatto (Laws for the Military Houses, 武家諸法度) was issued by the government in 1615, which prescribed to the lords of the fiefdoms ( daimyo ) and the samurai warrior aristocracy responsibilities and activities, the rules of conduct, simple and decent clothing, the correct supply in case of official visits, etc. The edicts were reissued in 1629, and in 1635, by

8978-491: The court wars of the Nanboku-chō period . Born from Neo-Confucianism during times of peace in the Edo period and following Confucian texts, while also being influenced by Shinto and Zen Buddhism , it balanced violence with the therapeutic ideals of wisdom and peace accepted at the time. It was developed further during the Muromachi period (1336–1573) and formally defined and applied in law by Tokugawa shogunates in

9112-465: The days of the Kamakura shogunate , the "way of the warrior" has been an integral part of Japanese culture. Scholars generally regard pre-modern Japan as a "warrior nation" since the medieval period. The samurai were role models for society since medieval times. In accordance with Confucianism , one of their duties was to serve as a role model for society. They balanced their martial arts skills with peaceful accomplishments such as literature, poetry and

9246-459: The dishonorable behavior of samurai that had always existed, newer stealth and espionage techniques, and Zen Buddhist soldier tenets. Honor in battle, as expressed through announcing one's family name and/or lineages before fighting, attempting to limit fights among warrior nobles to horseback archery or sword duels with no subterfuge or trickery, and conducting oneself like a legendary character or renowned hero (tales of daring were popular in

9380-662: The dreams of the living. This idea also ensured the success of the Noh theater. The Tale of the Heike depicts an idealized story of the Genpei War (1180–1185) with a struggle between two powerful samurai clans, the Minamoto and the Taira . Clearly depicted throughout the epic is the ideal of the cultivated warrior. During the early modern era, these ideals were vigorously pursued in the upper echelons of warrior society and recommended as

9514-475: The end of May 1994 and there were 25 people working on it by the end of development. According to Takara executives, about 1,000 polygons were used for each character. The inspiration of some of the characters came from the Japanese tradition of bushido ; Takara had already published SNK titles including Samurai Showdown based on similar themes. Toshinden 's 3D environment naturally drew comparisons with Virtua Fighter . In an interview, Takara boasted that

9648-435: The exploits of the Takeda clan . The term is a compound of bushi ( 武士 , "warrior", literally 'military + man') , a Chinese-derived word first attested in Japanese in 712 with the on'yomi (Sino-Japanese reading), and dō ( 道 , 'road, way') . In modern usage, bushi is often used as a synonym for samurai ; however, historical sources make it clear that bushi and samurai were distinct concepts, with

9782-452: The fact that the graphics were not improved from the PlayStation version, and felt that the game was overshadowed by the recent release of Battle Arena Toshinden 2 . While Rob Allsetter of Sega Saturn Magazine greatly praised the visuals of the game and judged the button configuration to be superior to that of the PlayStation version, he criticized the "slow" gameplay and the limited variety of moves, concluding that Battle Arena Toshinden

9916-472: The fatal attacks were removed. The 3DO version was first released in 1994 in North America, then in Japan and Europe the following year, with all blood and fatality graphics intact. As a result, some retailers didn't carry this edition of the game. The censoring of the Neo Geo console version was unusual in that it was tied to the specific system. For instance, a North American cartridge running on

10050-413: The final boss in two-player mode with a secret code. The Game Boy version includes all the characters, stages, and most of the special moves, but has no combos, fatalities, or voices. All the music tracks are included, albeit in scaled-down form. The Game Gear port offered only 9 fighting characters to choose from (Gen-An, Galford, Haohmaru, Ukyo, Charlotte, Nakoruru, Jubei, Hanzo, and Kyoshiro), whilst

10184-399: The first shogun at the time of Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199) in the 12th century. The own moral dimension bushido gradually appears in the warrior culture and landmark in stories and military treaties only from the 14th and 15th century. Thus is noted a permanence of the modern representation of its antiquity in Japanese culture and its diffusion. In the 10th and 11th century there was

10318-458: The former referring to soldiers or warriors and the latter referring instead to a kind of hereditary nobility . In the early 17th century, the term bushidō ( 武士道 ) with its on'yomi reading was used alongside the synonymous alternative form ( 武士の道 ) , read using native Japanese vocabulary ( kun'yomi ) as mono no fu no michi . Another important term is bushi katagi ( 武士気質 , literally 'warrior temperament') . For centuries

10452-519: The forward directional button. As with other games of the genre, the player wins by depleting the opposing players health, having more health than their opponent if the time runs out, or knocking their opponent out of the non-walled arena. Unlike many fighting games of the time, it was possible for a player character to accidentally fall off the arena with a miss-timed run or special move, resulting in some unique tactics. The main single-player mode only consists of battles against all characters followed by

10586-399: The full game to enable the use of them. Following the success of Battle Arena Toshinden , Takara produced a number of follow-ups (and spin-offs, such as the chibi fighter Nitoshinden ) although with limited success. Later in 1995, Battle Arena Toshinden 2 was released. Unlike the original, this sequel was originally released on arcades, by Capcom , before consoles, and again had

10720-430: The game 99th on its Top 100 SNES Games of All Time. Three anime adaptations based on the game have been made. Samurai Spirits: Haten Gouma no Shou in 1994, which is a full-length film; Samurai Spirits 2: Asura Zanmaden in 1999, with two episodes and Nakoruru ~Ano hito kara no okurimono~ in 2002, a one-episode OVA. Bushido This is an accepted version of this page Bushidō ( 武士道 , "the way of

10854-410: The game as good overall, they advised gamers to instead hold out for the PlayStation port of Tekken , which they felt to be far superior in every respect. Dragon gave the game 3 out of 5 stars. Later reviews from 1996 onwards, for later ports as well as retrospective reviews of the PlayStation version, have been generally mixed. In 1996, IGN gave the game a score of 7 out of 10, by which time it

10988-462: The game had more realistic three-dimensionality: Virtua Fighter uses 3D characters, but the fights and attacks take place on one plane, in the same direct line. In contrast, Toh Shin Den uses all the dimensions of the screen (X, Y, and Z), and attacks can be made to the side or behind the enemy. It is also possible to circle the opponent. The November 1994 issue of Japanese magazine Game Blast noted that

11122-552: The game is to be ported by Nextech / Sega to the Sega Saturn as Toh Shin Den S in Japan and as Battle Arena Toshinden Remix internationally. A few new features were added, including an exclusive new character named Cupido and a story mode with dialog and voice acting (also dubbed in English), which enables the player to learn a few details about the characters' story backgrounds and the reasons of why they had entered into

11256-482: The game that made the Neo Geo the system of choice for fighting games." They particularly praised the accurate graphics, short load times, and ease of pulling off special moves. In 2018, Complex rated Samurai Shodown 40th on their "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time." They praised the graphics, game controls and saying everything is on point in the game. In 1995, Flux magazine listed Samurai Shodown 80th in their "Top 100 Video Games." In 1996, Super Play named

11390-415: The game was 30% completed, although the game was completed shortly before the console's domestic debut on December 3, 1994 with a release on January 1, 1995. Magazines just before the time of its release also named it Hyper Solid Toshinden . In September 1995 the game was released in North American and PAL regions as a launch title . This version has slightly altered music and re-done the English voices, with

11524-590: The game was released for the Wii Virtual Console on October 16, 2007, in Japan; May 30, 2008, in Europe; and June 16, 2008, in North America. However, before the Virtual Console version was released in North America, the game was released as part of SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 . Mostly due to the negative publicity surrounding the use of violence in video games, the game was edited when it

11658-444: The game's release on PlayStation Classic in 2018, Jamie O'Neill was critical of "slow, unresponsive controls for moves like Special Attacks" and the lack of any story mode, but praised the "energetic" soundtrack and the innovative ability of circling opponents. From the beginning there was a manga tie-in with characters drawn by Tsukasa Kotobuki , alongside a number of other anthology comics in Japan, including from Hobby Japan ,

11792-414: The general and cited spells to transfix demonic spirits of the enemy. Then a samurai said his own name, lifted a box to show and describe the severed head. The general inspected the trophy heads while holding a fan so that the dead could not recognize his face. If the claimed head was correct then the samurai received a payment otherwise he was dismissed. Despite the war-torn culmination of this era and

11926-432: The graphics, stage design, playability, and dynamic camera, but criticized the game for being simplistic and easy, remarking that "this game relies more on flash than fighting". They summarized the game as "an enjoyable fight". Next Generation also reviewed the game prior to the PlayStation's U.S. launch. They commented that while the gameplay lacks originality and good reaction speed, the 3D aesthetics and graphics make it

12060-406: The hardware, but ultimately unsatisfying, and concluded that hardcore fans should pass on even the Genesis version in favor of the upcoming 3DO and Sega CD versions. Next Generation reviewed the Genesis version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "fans of the arcade game won't be disappointed with this solid translation, complete with blood and all the varied endings of

12194-429: The history of the Takeda family and their military tactics. The Koyo Gunkan describes valor and exploits in battle. For example, it is a waste of talent when a bushido practitioner takes on administrative roles in government or financial affairs (e.g. dealings in rice, money, timber, or forest land). It emphasizes that bushido lies only in "becoming as a spear" on the battlefield. The scrolls were widely disseminated as

12328-409: The kyūba no michi appeared around the 10th century as a set of rules and unwritten customs that samurai were expected to comply. There was also "Yumiya toru mi no narai" (customs for those who draw the bow). This shows there was an emerging sense of ideal warrior behavior that evolved from daily training and warfare experience. Towards the 10th and 11th centuries we began to use expressions such as

12462-425: The largest console manufacturers of its time. A version for MS-DOS was also released. A weapons-based fighter, Toh Shin Den features eight anime-style characters — the work of Tsukasa Kotobuki — and has gameplay mechanics such as special and projectile attacks akin to 2D fighters like Street Fighter . Critically acclaimed for graphical innovations like gouraud shading and transparent effects, Toh Shin Den

12596-413: The law of honor, obedience, duty, and self-sacrifice ... It was not needed to create or establish them. As a child he had but to be instructed, as indeed he was from his earliest years, in the etiquette of self-immolation . Bushidō ( 武士道 ) is a Japanese word that literally means "warrior way". It is first attested in the 1616 work Kōyō Gunkan ( 甲陽軍鑑 ) , a military chronicle recording

12730-429: The morals defined by Nitobe do not represent all of bushido. Some researchers claim that chivalric bushido as defined by Nitobe (a.k.a. Meiji Bushido) was invented in the 19th century. However, there is a plethora of historical literature about Japanese warrior codes, practices, philosophies since the Kamakura period . These types can be categorized by era into Sengoku, Edo, Meiji and Contemporary Bushido. Therefore

12864-581: The most-popular arcade software kit for four months in 1993, from August to October and then again in December. Play Meter listed it as America's third most-popular arcade game in October 1993. It went on to be one of America's top five highest-grossing arcade conversion kits of 1994 . In the February 1994 issue of Gamest magazine in Japan, Samurai Shodown was awarded Best Game of 1993 in

12998-473: The original (SNK arcades) version offered 12. Unlike most early home versions of the game, the 3DO version includes the camera zoom, as well as all the characters, special moves, and fatalities. In Japan, Game Machine listed Samurai Spirits on their August 15, 1993, issue as being the most-popular table arcade game at the time. It went on to be Japan's sixth highest-grossing arcade game of 1993 . In North America, RePlay reported Samurai Shodown to be

13132-433: The original." Famicom Tsūshin scored the 3DO version of the game a 25 out of 40. Electronic Gaming Monthly scored the 3DO version 38 out of 50, calling it "A very faithful home version of the arcade fighter". A reviewer for Next Generation remarked that "The 3DO conversion is nearly identical to the arcade version, much more faithful than the previous SNES, Genesis, and Sega CD versions. The load time between rounds

13266-672: The outcome. Shiro Tokisada Amakusa , slain in Japan of 1638 by the forces of the Tokugawa Shogunate for his part in the Shimabara Rebellion , was resurrected in 1787 as an akuma from making a deal with the dark god Ambrosia by bringing the evil entity into the world by using the Palenke stone and its energy. Driven by hatred for the Shogunate and having a nihilistic streak towards the world, he unleashes his dark powers to bring chaos to all of existence in 1788. A variety of warriors—some historic, some fictional—converge upon

13400-452: The proper form of the Japanese man of arms. The influence of Shinto, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism on bushido's early development instilled among those who live by the code a religious respect for it. Many early literary works of Japan talk of warriors, but the term bushidō does not appear in text until the Edo period. The code which would become bushido was conceptualized during the late- Kamakura period (1185–1333) in Japan. Since

13534-468: The right to strike lower class who dishonored them. Seppuku was ritual suicide, to die honorably or restore one's honor. Tsujigiri (crossroads killing) to attack a human opponent to test a weapon or skill became rampant in the early Edo period until a ban was issued. The exact frequency of tsujigiri is unknown and it was never officially condoned by any samurai clan. However, it and other types of samurai-committed murder did happen enough to become

13668-650: The ruling Tokugawa Shogunate . Notable samurai, such as Miyamoto Musashi (1584–1645) and Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659–1719)., wrote extensively about their interpretations of bushido. In the 1870s, the Meiji restoration abolished the samurai class and they were transferred to professional, military and business classes. However, the former samurai and their descendants continued to be influential in Japanese society because they occupied important positions. Bushido has continued to exist in various types. Additional concepts and ideas were added to bushido so that it could evolve with

13802-451: The same title , released in 1996 and also dubbed in English. Additionally, shortly after the game release came an official strategy guide published by Tokuma Shoten named Perfect Fighting Book . This included a bonus disc for PlayStation, Toshinden Otanoshimi-Ban (meaning Toshinden "fun edition"), to watch a round of CPU vs CPU combat and another mode featuring Eiji and Ellis with big heads or in black outfits. The disc can be swapped with

13936-471: The same warrior noble house, rather than a single code. One of the earliest known usages of bushido is in the extremely influential late 16th century text The Military Mirror of Kai , where it was used to describe unwritten rules in a complex metaphorical way that commoners could purportedly not live up to. Another early use of the written term is in the Kōyō Gunkan in 1616 by Kōsaka Masanobu . In 1685,

14070-402: The samurai adhered to multiple types of the code of which the interpretations varied per samurai clan and per member of the military nobility. This encompassed morality, their role in society, and how to live a life with honor and virtue. The samurai had some common values, but they did not have a single definition or path that all samurai were required to abide. The samurai were as practical on

14204-415: The samurai class had the privilege to perform hara-kiri (suicide disemboweling). If it was not lethal then a friend or relation performed decapitation (kaishaku). In 1597, Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the prosecution of 26 Martyrs of Japan . They were tortured, mutilated, paraded through villages and executed by crucifixion , tied to crosses on a hill and impaled by lances (spears). In the 17th century,

14338-510: The samurai ways of life in the broad sense. The world of warriors which developed […] in the medieval period (12th – 16th century) was […] placed under the domination of the Buddhist religion […]. Buddhism makes the prohibition of killing living beings one of its main principles. […] Faced with death, some samurai thought they had inherited bad karma […] others knew they were doing evil. The Buddhist notion of impermanence (Mujo) tended to express

14472-416: The slow motion was added to intensify the damage dealt from hard hits. During a match, a referee holds flags representing each player (Player 1 is white; Player 2 is red). When a player lands a successful hit, the referee lifts the corresponding flag, indicating who dealt the blow. A delivery man occasionally appears in the background and throws items such as bombs or health-restoring chicken, which can change

14606-484: The source of the chaos, each driven by their own reasons. Non playable characters that appear are Kuroko; a man dressed in all black who judges each match during the game and Hikyaku; a delivery man working for Amakusa who disrupts fights. Samurai Shodown evolved from what was originally planned to be a traditional side-scrolling beat 'em up , featuring monsters as the dark heroes (similar to Data East 's Night Slashers ). However, after considering what would sell to

14740-454: The start of what the Japanese assumed would be a series of small duels and skirmishes. Additionally, Mongols usually cut swathes through soldiers that attempted to announce their lineages before facing them. Despite ultimately winning against the Mongols, these honor norms, along with the shogunate , were weakened enough to cause endemic division that led to the end of the Kamakura period and

14874-494: The term bushido can be used as an overarching term for all the codes, practices, philosophies and principles of samurai culture. Chinese politician Dai Jitao acknowledged the historical legitimacy of bushido and said it originated as a theory of a social order, but it had evolved considerably. In the Tokugawa period , bushido was used to describe an ethical theory and it became a religious concept based on Shinto . In

15008-402: The third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu . The new edicts made clear the shogunate's authority and its desire to assert control. The swordsmanship skills of the samurai developed into character-building martial arts. During this period, the samurai class played a central role in the policing and administration of the country. The bushidō literature of this time contains much thought relevant to

15142-649: The times. It was used in the Armed Forces of the Empire of Japan and symbolically by the successor Japan Self-Defense Forces . In the Taisho period, bushido was advocated as the way of the merchant. It can be dormant for years and revived during geopolitical instability. Centuries of rule by the samurai class has left a deep impact on Japanese society. Thus various forms are still used today in e.g. Japanese culture, business, martial arts and communication. Bushido

15276-469: The tournament. The character select screen depicts original anime art by Tsukasa Kotobuki instead of rendered models and these also appear in thr story mode. Work on the Saturn port reportedly began while the PlayStation original was still in development. California -based Digital Dialect reprogrammed the game for DOS , and this version was released in 1996 published by Playmates Interactive . This version plays and looks differently. Earthworm Jim , which

15410-597: The turn of the 16th century when Japan had entered a period of relative peace. In a handbook addressed to "all samurai , regardless of rank", Katō states: If a man does not investigate into the matter of bushidō daily, it will be difficult for him to die a brave and manly death. Thus, it is essential to engrave this business of the warrior into one's mind well. Katō was a ferocious warrior who banned even recitation of poetry, stating: One should put forth great effort in matters of learning. One should read books concerning military matters, and direct his attention exclusively to

15544-551: The type of bushido. The first predecessor to bushido was the class morality system of the Heian period . The first proper Japanese central government was established around the year 700. Japan was ruled by the Emperor (Tennō) with bureaucratic support of the aristocracy. They gradually lost control of their armed servants, the samurai. By the mid-12th century, the samurai class had seized control. The samurai (bushi) ruled Japan with

15678-404: The virtues of loyalty and filial piety....Having been born into the house of a warrior, one's intentions should be to grasp the long and the short swords and to die." Nabeshima Naoshige (1538–1618) says similarly, that it is shameful for any man to die without having risked his life in battle, regardless of rank, and that " bushidō is in being crazy to die. Fifty or more could not kill one such

15812-443: The warrior") is a moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle, formalized in the Edo period (1603–1868). There are multiple types of bushido which evolved significantly through history. Contemporary forms of bushido are still used in the social and economic organization of Japan. Bushido is also used as an overarching term for all the codes, practices, philosophies and principles of samurai culture. It

15946-416: The way of the man-at-arms (Tsuwamon no michi), the way of the bow and arrows (Kyûsen / kyûya no Michi), the way of the bow and the horse (Kyûba no Michi). These expressions refer to practices which are the ancestors of the way of the warrior (bushidô) but they did not then imply any relation whatsoever to a morality. These were only practices focused on training for real combat and which therefore had to do with

16080-513: Was a popular early title on the PlayStation and it spawned sequels starting with Battle Arena Toshinden 2 , as well as manga and anime adaptations. However, a lackluster reception to its sequels meant that it was overshadowed by the Tekken series, especially with Tekken 2 , and it fell in popularity. The weapons concept was then further popularized by Soul Edge . Each character has their own unique set of basic moves, special attacks, and

16214-473: Was awarded Best Fighting Game of 1995 by Electronic Gaming Monthly . Maximum made note of the graphical and gameplay innovations such as gouraud shading , rotational backgrounds, dramatic camera angles, and the sidestep. They however remarked that the poor quality directional pad on the original PlayStation controller "just isn't built for taking diagonals and quarter circle rolls", making it irritatingly difficult to pull off special moves. Though they assessed

16348-508: Was basically also a warrior until Hideyoshi confiscated weapons through a nation-wide "sword-hunt" in 1588. Every ashigaru had his first lessons on the mentality of war from the biwa hōshi . On the other hand, the Heike recitations also propagated civic virtues: loyalty, steadfastness in adversity, and pride of family honor. The sayings of Sengoku-period retainers and warlords such as Katō Kiyomasa (1562–1611) and Nabeshima Naoshige were generally recorded or passed down to posterity around

16482-454: Was developed by DreamFactory for the Wii but has no connection to the previous games' storyline and discards the mainly weapons-based combat found in earlier Toshinden games, featuring hand-to-hand combat alongside weapons-based battles. The game was released in Japan on December 10, 2009. Samurai Shodown (1993 video game) Samurai Shodown , known in Japan as Samurai Spirits ,

16616-402: Was developed by Tamsoft , an in-house developer part of the Takara toy company and their first original game. Takara had been concepting Toshinden on a different platform before Sony's announcement in late 1993 of releasing a new hardware system, after which Takara decided to develop the game specifically on Sony's PlayStation platform. Development took under six months. Programming began at

16750-420: Was first released for the AES as it featured blood and graphic fatal attacks that kill opponents by slicing them in half. As a result, it was decided to censor the game for most platforms by changing the blood from red to white and disabling the fatal attack animations. The win quotes were also censored, and references to death or blood were altered. In the Super NES version, the blood was recolored orange and

16884-523: Was most impressed with so far, Ken Kutaragi answered Battle Arena Toshinden . There was also a positive reception to the game's characters and their weapons; in particular, the young character Ellis with her outfit and see-through parts. GamePro reviewed the Japanese version of the game in early 1995 (prior to the PlayStation's launch in the U.S.). They remarked that the game is very impressive, and superior to Virtua Fighter in some aspects, but also flawed in several respects. They particularly praised

17018-489: Was not provided with any screenshots of the actual game. Meanwhile the DOS release depicts Sofia and Duke with their weapons against a dusk city background, and the Game Boy release in all regions is a colorful depiction of all characters deformed and closer to their anime drawings. The Saturn releases ( Toshinden Remix and Toshinden S ) also had their own box arts: a large depiction of Eiji above anime figures of other characters in

17152-577: Was not released. In 1997, Takara released the weapons-based Sega Saturn fighter D-Xhird . Battle Arena Toshinden 's protagonist Eiji appears as a secret guest character in this game. In 1998, Takara released the Tamsoft-developed AbalaBurn which combined fighting with role-playing adventure. Later in 2008, a new Toshinden action game with eight new characters was unveiled by Takara Tomy in Weekly Famitsu . It

17286-572: Was released the year prior) and was SNK's first arcade fighting game to focus primarily on weapon-based combat. Samurai Shodown was a commercial success, becoming Japan's sixth highest-grossing arcade game of 1993 and one of America's top five highest-grossing arcade conversion kits of 1994. It won several Game of the Year awards from Gamest , Electronic Gaming Monthly and the European Computer Trade Show . Samurai Showdown then appeared on other platforms, including

17420-447: Was seen as slow and "not as impressive" as the more recent Tekken 2 , though they praised Toshinden for important innovations to the fighting game genre, such as taking "the fighter into true 3-D" and "one little move" that "changed the fighter forever" with the introduction of sidestep movement. The Sega Saturn version was not as well-received as the PlayStation original. The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly complained of

17554-465: Was the Roman Catholic missionary Francis Xavier . The description of Francis shows that honor , weaponry and warfare were valued of utmost importance in Japanese culture. The Japanese are very ambitious of honors and distinctions, and think themselves superior to all nations in military glory and valor. They prize and honor all that has to do with war, and all such things, and there

17688-400: Was the fourth of Takara's 'Nettou' ( Dead Heat Fighters ) series of games with deformed characters ported to the Game Boy, following World Heroes 2 Jet . The game is based mostly on the original PlayStation version, but it includes a slightly altered story mode and two appearances from Battle Arena Toshinden 2 : the characters Uranus and Gaia (without his armor). An emulated version for

17822-552: Was the property of Playmates, was added as an exclusive guest character, with his unique arena music, but he only uses the moves of Rungo Iron. It uses the Japanese PlayStation version's voices and music in all regions, albeit at lower sound quality. The DOS version also supports resolutions up to 640x480 and network multiplayer using IPX/SPX or NetBIOS . The game was ported to the Game Boy by Takara/ Nintendo in 1996, titled Nettou Toshinden (熱闘闘神伝) in Japan. It

17956-481: Was written with accessible kana and intended for commoners, not warriors. It was very popular, demonstrating that the idea of bushido had spread among the population. The Kashoki shows that moral values were present in bushido by 1642. The term, bushido, came into common international usage with the 1899 publication of Nitobe Inazō 's Bushido: The Soul of Japan which was read by many influential western people. In Bushido (1899), Nitobe wrote: Bushidō, then,

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