Of things to come, Yes! I'm getting some news or rumors of Samurai Shodown 5 looming out there. I wholeheartedly hope its a reality. SNK, the five and a half Samurai Shodown-less years is enough, enough I say. We hunger for ye'old Katana battle misfits to surface yet again in what we hope to be a "Samurai Shodown Millennium Masterpiece". We long for Haohmaru's dreaded Hangetsuzan splash the screens yet again with colorful artistic flare. Genjuro's almost infinite flaming rage over his arch-rival and to see his malevolent blade sing of bloody hunger to ye he faces in the next rumored installment. The bone-breaking ninjutsu techniques that can be performed with aesthetic balletic finesse by the seemingly immortal Hattori Hanzo is just asking to be displayed yet again in the big game-screen. The unmatched style and grace (...and good looks of course) of the perennial Samurai heartthrob Tachibana Ukyo as he lures some suspecting Japanese lovelies, hhehehehh.... And of course the unforgettable girly (but deadly) anime gaze of Nakoruru and Rimururu as they fill the 25-inch-tube.

Samurai Shodown 5. Hhhmmmm...... That game will be a glorious sight. I sincerely hope the rumors surrounding the latest builds that SNK plan to show in AMOA includes Samurai Shodown 5 in it. I know when the MVS cart starts-a-sellin, I'm surely gonna start-a-shellin for this masterpiece. I'm so glad a got my 2-slot/1-slot Neo Geo MVS PCBs and my Hyper Neo Geo PCBs sets. I now own all of the SS games thus far - Samurai Shodown, Shin Samurai Spirits, Samurai Shodown 3, Samurai Shodown 4 Amakusa's Revenge for Neo MVS, Samurai Shodown RPG BushidohRetsuden for Neo CD, and of course my two new faves, Samurai Shodown 64 and 62 2 (the SS 3D versions). I just love'em all and I think its my most favorite treasured collections thus far. I finally got the chance to play SS64 2 and though gamers might say the game play is slow, I thought the designers just plain opt for a more sword-fencing simulation speed beefed up with the good'ol graphical SFX the SS series is worldly known for. For all the fans out there, if you get a chance to own one of these Hyper Neo Geo 64 sets, as you can get a set that includes a Hyper Neo motherboard and three Hyper games for mear $300 + shipping (can we say Vectorlogic??? What about one Jeff Ferrier the owner of Vectorlogic of whom you can order Hyper Neo Masterpieces???), and then while you're at it, get a MAS SuperNova supergun unit for $295 + shipping and wella, behold the masterpiece of a game that is Samurai Shodown in 3D, YESSS!!! If you see your fatal slice in action in this game, ohh man, RUDELY AWESOME. Shiki is a goddess beefed up with blades and can get really ballistic with her opponents, WHOAH, what a sight she is.

For the rumored Samurai Shodown next installment, I hope they include Shiki in there or the other characters they introduced in the PSX Samurai Shodown Warriors Rage 2. We would love to see them in 2D greatness that only SNK can produce (back off Capcom, watch it now, hhehehehh....). One fan can hope for the most glorious return of the much anticipated series in hibernation long enough.

SNK, if you're listening, don't let Capcom bash in the limelight of 2D fighting Lordship, release NOW your most AWESOME 2D greatness wrapped in a software build that is SAMURAI SHODOWN 5. From Heaven to Purgatory and back the SS fans have waited long enough for a series that'll never can be imitated nor duplicated (...nor even licensed, SNK don't you dare). We Fans hope for your tenacity to rebound and retake the fighting game era throne with a weapon to bash the competition, SAMURAI SHODOWN FOREVER. PEACE to all the Samurai Fans and you CK.