Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood, known as Samurai Spirits: Zankuro Musouken (サムライスピリッツ 斬紅郎無双剣) in Japan and Fighters Swords in Korea, released in the arcades on November 15, 1995. It is the third game in SNK's popular Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. While it is the third game in the main series, it is the first part of a two-chapter story set between Samurai Shodown and Samurai Shodown II.
The game has a darker aesthetic compared to its predecessors. All characters consequently underwent a visual makeover to match this new tone. The humor that characterized the series made way for a more somber and gritty feel. Along with the aesthetic overhaul came significant changes in the gameplay with introduction of two selectable versions of each character: “Slash” (chivalry) and “Bust” (treachery). Each version comes with its own moves and fighting styles; Slash is closer to the first two games, while Bust is a more aggressive style that introduces new moves.
Controls were also updated; a new layout dedicates three of four buttons to weapon attacks and one for kicking attacks, as opposed to two buttons for weapons and kicks each. Tactical changes include priority for special moves as well as replacing the free movement system with a more restrained parry system.
Samurai Shodown III was released on SNK's Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD consoles as well as the PlayStation and Saturn systems. A Game Boy version with a slightly different roster and features was released only in Japan by Takara, a team responsible for the porting of several other SNK arcade games to consoles and handhelds.
