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Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits - Haohmaru Jigokuhen (NGM-063 ~ NGH-063)
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- Console
- Arcade
- Players
- 2P sim
About Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits - Haohmaru Jigokuhen (NGM-063 ~ NGH-063)
SNK Neo-Geo MVS cart. published 32 years ago:
真 SAMURAI SPIRITS 覇王丸地獄変 (c) 1994 SNK Corporation. (Shin Samurai Spirits - Haohmaru Jigoku Hen)
Shin Samurai Spirits is a one-on-one fighting game featuring 15 weapon-wielding combatants, fighting to earn the right to face the game's powerful and difficult end boss.
Building upon the success of the first game, SNK added several new characters and more moves. This is particularly evident in the addition of the POW meter, which acts as a super special-move meter. These moves not only cause severe damage to opponents but also break their weapons, forcing them to fight unarmed for a short time before a replacement weapon is issued.
Gameplay was further expanded to include several new movement options, including the ability to roll forwards and backwards, to duck to avoid high attacks, or to do small hops to avoid low strikes. This was also the first game to incorporate an offensive blocking technique, or 'parry'. Via a command issued at the last second, players can deflect an incoming attack and leave their adversary open to counter-attack.
Shin Samurai Spirits featured cameo appearances from other SNK characters, as well as a hidden boss who would occasionally come out to challenge players.
- TECHNICAL -
Runs on the SNK "Neo-Geo MVS" hardware. Game ID: NGM-063
Players: 2 Control: 8-Way Joystick Buttons: 4 => [A] Light Attack with weapon, [B] Medium Attack with weapon, [C] Light Kick, [D] Medium Kick
- TRIVIA -
Shin Samurai Spirits was released in October 1994.
The title of the game translates from Japanese as 'True Samurai Spirits - Haohmaru's Incident In Hell'.
Player layout in our catalog: 2P sim.
If you are exploring by feel rather than by title, jump from the tags above into the matching genre rooms, or return to the Arcade hall for the full wall.
Open Play on this page to start Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits - Haohmaru Jigokuhen (NGM-063 ~ NGH-063). Keyboard, USB/Bluetooth pads, and the on-screen touch gamepad all work inside the emulator bar. Save states and fullscreen live on that same bar so you can pause mid-session and resume later.
Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits - Haohmaru Jigokuhen (NGM-063 ~ NGH-063) — play guide
What Samurai Shodown II wants from you
Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits (SNK Neo Geo) is a weapons fighter about space, whiff punishment, and the Rage gauge—not about endless string confirms like later 2D fighters. Your objective is to control mid-range with weapon normals, respect hop/jump timings, and spend Rage on a real punish instead of a panicked slash. One solid hit often decides more than a ten-hit dream combo. Treat Samurai Shodown II as SNK’s footsies-with-swords exam.
First minutes in Samurai Shodown II
Boot Samurai Shodown II and pick a character whose weapon length you can see clearly—Haohmaru is the classic teacher; Charlotte and Nakoruru teach different approaches once basics stick. Spend the first credit only on walk speed, far slash spacing, and not jumping into anti-air ranges. Learn the difference between hops and full jumps; hopping into a waiting slash is a free life loss. Rage builds as you take damage—survive long enough to use it as a comeback tool, not as a reason to face-tank. Versus CPU, stop mashing when they block; SamSho rewards the pause before the punish.
Weapons, Rage, and disarms
Samurai Shodown II’s systems: heavy weapon normals with real recovery; Rage gauge that powers devastating attacks when filled; and the constant threat of being punished for greedy swings. Some situations involve weapon loss or shifts in range—play as if every whiff can be fatal. Throws and close lows still exist; players who only stand-block after a knockdown eat mixups. Specials are fewer and more committed than in Street Fighter—use them as answers, not as a neutral autopilot. In mirror matches, the player who whiffs fewer mid-screen heavies usually wins.
Score, continues, and Rage patience
Arcade score favors clean rounds, but Samurai Shodown II is a lives-and-respect game. Continues while learning hop timings are normal; one-credit clears need fewer jump-ins and better Rage spends. Do not dump Rage the frame it fills if the opponent is outside punish range. Extends matter less than consistent mid-range control. Dying with full Rage after a whiffed heavy is the classic bad story—hold the gauge for a real opening.
Mistakes that burn Samurai Shodown II credits
Common mistakes: jumping as a habit; swinging max-range heavies on cooldown; spending Rage on block; ignoring hop timing and eating anti-airs; and playing Street Fighter rushdown into a game that loves whiff punish. Also: panic-mashing when the CPU blocks two normals. Fix by walking more than jumping for a full credit, then lab one character’s safe poke, then practice holding Rage until a knockdown or whiff appears.
After Samurai Shodown II
Samurai Shodown is SNK weapon literacy if Samurai Shodown II’s slash honesty still feels soft—re-learn anti-air peeks there first under clearer weapon gospel. Fatal Fury keeps SNK plane company warm on denser plane boards. The Last Blade is SNK once Samurai Shodown II timing honesty finally sticks and you want denser weapon stress instead of Samurai Shodown II boards. Counters drop once panic-mash specials stop mid-bout. Win one careful match before vanity specials return on denser SNK cabinets.
Sources cited below under Further reading.
Cabinet dossier
Player layout on this cabinet: 2P sim.
Genre tags on Classic Arcade Games: Fighter, Arcade.
Screenshots
Next cabinets
Nearby cabinets you may also open from this hall (each on its own play page):Samurai Shodown 64 / Samurai Spirits 64, Samurai Shodown: Warrior's Rage / Samurai Spirits 2: Asura Zanmaden, Samurai Shodown V Special / Samurai Spirits Zero Special (NGM-2720), Samurai Shodown IV - Amakusa's Revenge / Samurai Spirits - Amakusa Kourin (NGM-222 ~ NGH-222), Samurai Shodown / Samurai Spirits (NGM-045), Samurai Shodown III / Samurai Spirits - Zankurou Musouken (NGM-087), Samurai Shodown V / Samurai Spirits Zero (NGM-2700, set 1), Samurai Spirits Tenkaichi Kenkakuden, 64th. Street - A Detective Story (World), Aero Fighters (World / USA + Canada / Korea / Hong Kong / Taiwan) (newer hardware), Aggressors of Dark Kombat / Tsuukai GANGAN Koushinkyoku (ADM-008 ~ ADH-008), Art of Fighting / Ryuuko no Ken (NGM-044 ~ NGH-044)
Explore more on this site
Same series
Samurai Shodown 64 / Samurai Spirits 64 · Samurai Shodown: Warrior's Rage / Samurai Spirits 2: Asura Zanmaden · Samurai Shodown V Special / Samurai Spirits Zero Special (NGM-2720) · Samurai Shodown IV - Amakusa's Revenge / Samurai Spirits - Amakusa Kourin (NGM-222 ~ NGH-222) · Samurai Shodown / Samurai Spirits (NGM-045) · Samurai Shodown III / Samurai Spirits - Zankurou Musouken (NGM-087) · Samurai Shodown V / Samurai Spirits Zero (NGM-2700, set 1) · Samurai Spirits Tenkaichi Kenkakuden
Same genre
Samurai Shodown 64 / Samurai Spirits 64 · Samurai Shodown: Warrior's Rage / Samurai Spirits 2: Asura Zanmaden · Samurai Shodown V Special / Samurai Spirits Zero Special (NGM-2720) · Samurai Shodown IV - Amakusa's Revenge / Samurai Spirits - Amakusa Kourin (NGM-222 ~ NGH-222) · Samurai Shodown / Samurai Spirits (NGM-045) · Samurai Shodown III / Samurai Spirits - Zankurou Musouken (NGM-087) · Samurai Shodown V / Samurai Spirits Zero (NGM-2700, set 1) · Samurai Spirits Tenkaichi Kenkakuden · 64th. Street - A Detective Story (World) · Aero Fighters (World / USA + Canada / Korea / Hong Kong / Taiwan) (newer hardware) · Aggressors of Dark Kombat / Tsuukai GANGAN Koushinkyoku (ADM-008 ~ ADH-008) · Art of Fighting / Ryuuko no Ken (NGM-044 ~ NGH-044)
How to play Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits - Haohmaru Jigokuhen (NGM-063 ~ NGH-063) online
- Arcade stick feel: Arrow keys for the joystick, X/Z (and nearby keys) for buttons, Enter=Start.
- USB / Bluetooth pads map cleanly; six-button fighters use the face-button cluster.
- On phones, open the on-screen pad from the emulator bar; rotate sits next to fullscreen.
- Save states, load, volume, and fullscreen stay on the emulator bar between credits.
Questions about Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits - Haohmaru Jigokuhen (NGM-063 ~ NGH-063)
Can I play Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits - Haohmaru Jigokuhen (NGM-063 ~ NGH-063) free in a browser?
Yes. Classic Arcade Games hosts Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits - Haohmaru Jigokuhen (NGM-063 ~ NGH-063) as a Arcade cabinet you can start on this page. The emulator loads in the browser; you do not need to install a separate app.
What controls does Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits - Haohmaru Jigokuhen (NGM-063 ~ NGH-063) support?
Arcade stick feel: Arrow keys for the joystick, X/Z (and nearby keys) for buttons, Enter=Start. USB / Bluetooth pads map cleanly; six-button fighters use the face-button cluster.
Are there other games in the same series as Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits - Haohmaru Jigokuhen (NGM-063 ~ NGH-063)?
Yes — related series cabinets on this site include Samurai Shodown 64 / Samurai Spirits 64, Samurai Shodown: Warrior's Rage / Samurai Spirits 2: Asura Zanmaden, Samurai Shodown V Special / Samurai Spirits Zero Special (NGM-2720), Samurai Shodown IV - Amakusa's Revenge / Samurai Spirits - Amakusa Kourin (NGM-222 ~ NGH-222), Samurai Shodown / Samurai Spirits (NGM-045), Samurai Shodown III / Samurai Spirits - Zankurou Musouken (NGM-087), Samurai Shodown V / Samurai Spirits Zero (NGM-2700, set 1), Samurai Spirits Tenkaichi Kenkakuden. Each has its own play page with the same browser emulator path.
Further reading
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