Just one day prior to the opening of last week’s annual ode to fighting games, EVO 2017, SNK dropped a tasty surprise: Samurai Showdown V: Special would be coming to PlayStation 4 this summer!

So what makes Samurai Showdown V: Special – well – special enough to get us all giddy with excitement?

For one, it’s the pinnacle of SNK’s classic sword swinging fighting series. Yes, there was a Samurai Showdown VI, however, it was a sharp (mini-pun intended) decline in quality from the strides made by the fifth entry.

The other reason why we were excited is because Samurai Showdown V: Special has never had a proper western release. Heck, it never even had a proper home Japanese release, as the console version of the game was heavily censored upon its initial release.

But now, Samurai Showdown V: Special is ready to get the love it deserved so long ago – in a completely faithful and uncensored version of the arcade masterpiece.

SNK brought along a demo build of the game to EVO 2017, and of course I was one of the first in line to check it out.

Check out some off-screen gameplay footage of the PS4 build in action, along with our immediate reactions after the demo’s conclusion.

Samurai Showdown V: Special will be hitting PlayStation 4 and PS Vita later this summer.