[SNK] Sengoku trilogy

Sengoku/Sengoku Denshou:
Arcade, Neo-Geo, & Neo-Geo CD (1991):
1-2 players:



Controls:
button 1 - attack
button 2 jump
button 3 - change/revert(only brings up the menu, press a directional to select a character to transform into, then press either of the other buttons to actually change)
2/forward & 2, 1 - jump attack(different animation for the default character if holding forward)

You can only change when a spirit joins your character(dog, samurai, and ninja). You have 60 seconds, so be wary, or you'll possibly lose them for a long time, if you like the one your character has currently changed to(the timer resets when you lose all the lives in a single credit, if you still have the character when you lose). There are colored orbs that can either give the characters weapons(default character: Red-single sword, blue-double swords, purple-holy sword) or projectile attacks(Gold). Every 10th green orb can restore a fragment of health. Sometimes another character will help you, by giving you another projectile attack.


Sengoku Denshou:
Super Famicom (Data East, 1993):
1-2 players:
Note: If the first character is the same one, they completely changed the way he looks(as you'll see below). Barring greater details in the arcade/NG/NGCD version, the 2nd character looks the same. The players can choose between the two in this version.



Controls:
Y - attack
B - jump
B & Y - desperation attack
B/Forward & B, Y - jump kick(different animation if holding forward)
walk into enemy - grab
grab, Y - throw(you can direct it with Left/Right)
grab, B, Y - slam

Enemies have health bars here. This time changing occurs when your character jumps into an icon of the character he can transform into. The orbs are still in play as well(a single green orb will automatically restore health). Only the default characters can grab or perform the desperation attacks. You can change some things in the options menu(lives, when points give you an extra life, etc.), Game A is without friendly fire, while Game B is with.


Sengoku 2/Sengoku Denshou 2:
Arcade, Neo-Geo, & Neo-Geo CD (1993):
1-2 players:



Controls:
button 1 - attack 1
button 2 - attack 2
button 3 - jump
button 4 - change/revert(this time any button, including 4 itself, can make the change)
3, 1 - jump attack 1
3, 2 - jump attack 2
1 & 2 - guard(on foot)/duck(horseback)
1 & 2 & 3 - special(no health loss)

Now you can change from the very start. The dog seems to be the same, the ninja is a woman, and the other character is a Tengu(or at least a tall Tengu mask wearer) with a staff. Since you start with them, and the timer resets with each life this time, I'm not sure it's possible to lose them for long. Especially since if you waste time, enemies push a large spike wall on wheels across the screen, that does 1/3 damage. The orbs return to give various powers(since the default characters already come with their own swords). One interesting aspect is that some sword wielding enemy can be guarded against with a well timed attack by the default characters, with some button mashing to gain an edge. On horseback you have no control over movement, so you can only attack(1-forward, 2-behind) or duck.

This is the only beat 'em up outside of the 2nd TMNT arcade game(4th console game) that deals with time travel, that I can recall.


Sengoku 3/Sengoku Denshou 2001:
Arcade, & Neo-Geo (Noise Factory, Published by SNK, 2001):
1-2 players:

Characters: Kongoh(strong), Kagetsura(average), Falcon(also average, but faster than Kagetsura), & Kurenai(fast).



Controls:
button 1 - weapon attack
button 2 - unarmed strike/pick up items
button 3 - jump
button 4 - projectile(limited, but more can be picked up)
2,2,2, Up/Down & 2(alternatively, just hold Up/Down while comboing) - combo into throw(Up = forward, Down = behind)
3,1 - jump weapon attack
3,2 - jump kick
double tap(Left, Left/Right, Right) - run(this is an attack by itself, if you start it while your character is close enough to the enemy)(can be combined with the jump attacks, if you're not too close to bowl enemies over)
run, 1/2 - attack(it's a different move with each button)
walk into enemy - grab
grab, 1/2 - throw(can be directed with Left/Right)
Down, Down & 1 - special attack 1
Down, Down & 2 - special attack 2
Down, Up & 1 & 2 - ultimate
1 & 2 & 3 - escape(costs health)

This is the first of the arcade/Neo-Geo types to have health bars for enemies. Early on, there are 3 stage choices, China(easy), Italy(hard), and Japan(also hard). You have a special gauge, underneath the health bar, that can fill up 3 times(noted by 2 circles on the right side, and the bar can fill up once more while the 2 circles are glowing blue). Any attack will begin to fill this gauge. The 2 specials will drain just under half a bar of it, while the ultimate uses a full bar. Combos come from mixing the 2 attack types. You can hold up to 9 of any projectile, but upon continue your character will come back with 3 shuriken. Often, as well as health restoring foods, they can be found in breakable items. If you clear both hard stages, you get 2 new characters, Byakki and Okuni. They share the same gender and stats of Kagetsura and Kurenai, respectively. Sometimes an alternative path can be found(the clue might be when the "Go" signal is blue instead of red).

Similar to the Denjin Makai games, the series is pretty much an upward climb in quality. It even has a downgraded Super Famicom port, with improved controls, of the original game. The only difference is the middle game of the arcade/Neo-Geo series, which isn't as massive an improvement, but still a good improvement anyway.

Sengoku 3 is a serious departure from the first two.