Samurai Shodown Spinoff Visual Novel ‘Nakoruru: Ano Hito kara no Okurimono’ Complete English Fan Translation Available

Fans Lewis Cox, Derek Pascarella, Duralumin, and Marshal Wong, have announced that their two-year-long English translation project of the visual novel Nakoruru: Ano Hito kara no Okurimono is complete.

Fans may recognize the titular character, Nakoruru, from the Samurai Shodown series. This spinoff was created by developer Inter-Let’s with SNK’s permission, with an initial PC launch (2001) followed by an enhanced Dreamcast release (2002). The fan team decided to title this entry Nakoruru: The Gift She Gave Me, which dives deeper into Nakororu’s characterization. They worked on translating the 12,000+ lines, an awe-inspiring feat.

The story follows the seven-year-old orphan Mikato who’s cared for by the villagers of Kamui Kotan. She then becomes the assistant of shrine maiden Nakoruru, a highly admired figure in the area. Yet, she’s enduring internal demons that she’s veiling from those around her. Several references to the Samurai Shodown franchise are seen throughout the story, but it can still be enjoyed as a standalone title.

Further, aside from the standard conventions of the visual novel genre one should expect, such as it primarily comprising text with choices branching the narrative, there are also some minigames to shake up progression.

Moreover, this fan team really went the extra mile by translating and implementing the game content included in the VMU, a Dreamcast accessory consisting of a clock depicting Samurai Shodown characters.

And if all that weren’t enough, the following was also done:

“Also available to download is a “bonus disc”, that is unique to our translation release. What Derek packaged together using the power of the Dream Passport browser is a collection of goodies relevant to the main game. These include a 30-minute pilot episode of the cancelled Nakoruru anime adaptation (complete with English subtitles), and two wonderful renditions of songs featured in the game from members of its voice cast. Finally, a 100% fully-unlocked save file is also available to download to your VMU, granting players access to all of the game’s built-in extra content.”

For far more details regarding this ambitious project, check out the official blog post.

You can download the patch via Github, though it’s advised to view the patching instructions and take a look at crucial tips to improve one’s gameplay experience.

Samurai Shodown is a reboot of the 2D fighting game series by presenting it with a new 3D graphical look. However, the developer has worked hard to retain the classic fantasy Samurai manga look of the series. Samurai Shodown is set in the late 18th century after the events of Samurai Showdown V and prior to the events of the original game. Each of the fighters has a personal mission which leads them to encounter many of their former foes.

In case you missed it, check out our impressions of the Xbox Series X version and our review of Samurai Shodown.

A rollback netcode update is arriving later this year.

Samurai Shodown is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Epic Games Store.