Play Samurai Spirits II Online

Samurai Spirits II on the Genesis (or Samurai Shodown II if you're more familiar with the arcade version) is one of those fighters where every match feels like a single mistake could cost you everything. The sword swings have real weight to them—none of that floaty, button-mashy nonsense. You’ll quickly learn that blocking at the wrong moment means losing half your health bar in one brutal counter.

The roster’s full of weirdos, from the giant earthquake guy to the tiny ninja girl who fights with a marionette. I always end up going back to Haohmaru, even though his moves are straightforward—there’s something satisfying about landing that overhead slash just as your opponent tries to backstep. And yeah, the blood splatters are still here, just pixelated enough to sneak past Sega’s censors.

It’s not the prettiest port compared to the Neo Geo original, but the core tension of spacing and timing is totally intact. You can practically hear the controller creaking in your hands during a close round.