Samurai Shodown V

Samurai Shodown V, known as Samurai Spirits Zero (サムライスピリッツ零, Samurai Supirittsu Zero) in Japan, is the eighth game in SNK's Samurai Shodown/Samurai Spirits series of fighting games. It was one of the last ever games to be released on the Neo Geo and the first game of the official chronology of the series. The original Japanese version of the game also has a great deal of dialogue in single-player mode, but all of those scenes are simply left out when the game's language is set to English. Unsurprisingly, this upset most English-speaking fans. The domestic Xbox version of that release restores these scenes and translates them into English. The game was also released on the PlayStation 2, but that version was only made available in Japan and Europe due to SCEA not approving the game.

Gameplay
Following the revitalization of SNK after its collapse in 2001, the company decided that it would be worthwhile to create another game in the largely-defunct Samurai Shodown series. As part of their reorganization, development duties were given over to the relatively-unknown Yuki Enterprise, which had mainly only created simulation and board games for the Simple 2000 series of PlayStation 2 games in Japan, and had no experience in developing fighting games. This announcement caused considerable unease among series fans.

In spite of this, SNK managed to raise excitement by announcing that Nobuhiro Watsuki, the creator and author of the Rurouni Kenshin manga and anime series, was hired to design some of the new characters, and they were gradually revealed by way of silhouettes on the official website, and slowly showing the official artwork. Word finally got out that the game was to be a true prequel to the rest of the series, taking place two years before Samurai Shodown. This created its own issues with the series timeline.

The gameplay was sped up slightly from Samurai Shodown IV, and the button layout was changed again.

The Slash/Bust system of the last few games was done away with, and each character now only had one version, though in several cases, the Bust mode was replaced by a new character of very similar setup.

Characters
The new characters added to the roster are:
 * Yoshitora Tokugawa, the sole heir of the Shogun and the next in the line of Shogunate, is disciple of Gaoh and Jubei Yagyu. More interested in women and partying than politics, he refuses to be the next ruler of Japan, and run away from home;
 * Mina Majikina, an exorcist from Ryukyu, who had her village destroyed by a demon. She goes looking for him to exterminate, in the company of a creature called Chample;
 * Rasetsumaru, a thristyblood demon from the world of Makai, opened up by Amakusa. He looks like Haohmaru;
 * Rera, a Rasetsu/Bust form of Nakoruru;
 * Enja, a disciple of Liu Yunfei who turned a fire demon;
 * Suija, a disciple of Liu Yunfei who turned a water demon;
 * Liu Yunfei, an old man who made a deal with a demon to obtain more power. He is master of Enja and Suija;
 * Youkai Kusaregedo, a cannibal gaki with an insatiable appetite;
 * Yumeji Kurokouchi, a sole swordsman successor of his father Sakon Kurokouchi, a sensei who also is mentor of Ukyo Tachibana, and disciple of Gaoh;
 * Sankuro Yorozu, leader of a trio of minions who want to be lord of Hinowa without much effort, hiring Genjuro Kibagami to kill Gaoh;
 * Gaoh, a former loyal serve of Tokugawa clan and lord of Hinowa who, revolted by the Shogun's indifference to the growing famine in Japan, decides to rebel against the Shogunate.

Returning Characters

 * Haohmaru
 * Nakoruru
 * Genjuro Kibagami
 * Charlotte Christine Colde
 * Galford D. Weller
 * Jubei Yagyu
 * Ukyo Tachibana
 * Hanzo Hattori
 * Kyoshiro Senryo
 * Tam Tam (SSV)
 * Shizumaru Hisame
 * Rimururu
 * Basara
 * Gaira Caffeine
 * Kazuki Kazama
 * Sogetsu Kazama

New Characters

 * Yoshitora Tokugawa (protagonist)
 * Mina Majikina
 * Rasetsumaru
 * Rera
 * Enja
 * Suija
 * Liu Yunfei
 * Youkai Kusaregedo

Mid-Boss

 * Sankuro Yorozu

Sub-Boss

 * Yumeji Kurokouchi

Final Boss

 * Gaoh Kyougoku Hinowanokami

Hidden Character

 * Poppy

Critical and Fan Reception
SS5 was a modest success, though not a smash hit. Though fans were glad to see a new installment, the gameplay failed to excite players as much as had been hoped. Common complaints usually revolved around the poor animation on the new characters, and the removal of the Slash/Bust system. Those who were familiar with Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage also noted that the new, alternate characters tended to be heavily watered-down versions of Bust characters in that game (Enja and Suija in particular). The newer characters were considered overpowered, leading to an unbalanced cast. It is more or less commonly regarded as a competent, if unexceptional, fighting game.

Stages
This game contains some stages of past games, with new versions, and some new, created exclusively for the game.

Old Stages (until SS 4)
The old stages present in the game (as well as their special versions) are:
 * Haohmaru's stage from Samurai Shodown III, with two versions: day and night;
 * Nakoruru's stage from Samurai Shodown III;
 * Genjuro's stage from Samurai Shodown III;
 * Galford's stage from Samurai Shodown III;
 * Kyoshiro's stage from Samurai Shodown III;
 * Rimururu's stage from Samurai Shodown III, with three versions: dawn, white and blue;
 * Shizumaru's stage from Samurai Shodown III, with two versions: misty and sunset;
 * Basara's stage from Samurai Shodown III, with two versions: sunset and night;
 * Gaira and Nicontine's stage from Samurai Shodown II and III;
 * Funatsu's stage from Samurai Shodown IV, in a day version;
 * Fukae's stage from Samurai Shodown IV.

New Stages
Sunpu — Yoshitora: The main suite of Shogunate's palace, messy, it seems, after a possible party between Yoshitora and his six lovers. Features pillows, a broken table, flags, an altar of devotion, lamps, besides red pillars and a sunset with the Mount Fuji, in the background.

Ryukyu — Mina:

Nagakasi — Charlotte & Tam Tam:

Sado — Kusaregedo:

Shin — Yunfei:

The Great Battlefield: