Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood

Compared to the others in the series, the game has a darker aesthetic. The more light-hearted characters ( Earthquake , Cham Cham , and Gen-an ) from the previous games have been excised, and the kabuki master, Kyoshiro Senryo , received a redesign, transforming him from a flamboyant stage performer into a grim-faced, muscular man. All of the characters have been completely redrawn. Also, the button layout was changed, mapping the first three of the four available buttons to weak, medium and strong slash attacks, respectively.

The fourth button is used for kick attacks. The pace of the game shifted somewhat, as many basic attacks can be canceled into special moves, something which is extremely rare in the first two installments. Most of Samurai Shodown 2 ' s movement options were removed, in favor of the ability to dodge attacks by pressing the A and B buttons simultaneously. When close, performing this command results in a quick switch-around to the opponent's back, which can then be followed up by other attacks.

It is also possible to block attacks in mid-air. Items are also thrown onto the battlefield from off-screen as opposed from a delivery man running in the background. Along with the aesthetic overhaul came significant changes in the gameplay, such as the addition of two selectable versions of each character. Slash : Known to the Japanese as Shura (修羅), from Sanskrit word " Asura ".

Originally, in Brahmanism and Hinduism, a devil who loves to fight by nature. It is occasionally mistranslated as "Chivalry", and implies a regular fighter (compare a face in professional wrestling ). This version tends to be the closest in style and moves to the Samurai Shodown II version of the character. Bust : Known to the Japanese as Rasetsu (羅刹), which is a derivation of the Sanskrit word, " rakshasa ", in reference to a type of demon of black body (hence, the darker skin of bust characters).

It is occasionally mistranslated as "Treachery", implying a rulebreaking heel version of the character. This version typically differs considerably from its Slash counterpart in gameplay, though it visually does not look different beyond its color palette. The fighter Nakoruru is the only notable exception to this. The "Slash" version of her character is accompanied by her pet hawk , Mamahaha , as in the two previous SS games.

Her "Bust" version, however, is accompanied by her pet wolf , Shikuru . ) Galford in his "Bust" version fights without his dog , Poppy for the first time in the series.