(LAST UPDATE: 7/5/09)
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Developer(s): SNK
Publisher(s): SNK
Platform(s): Neo
Geo, Neo Geo CD, PC, Playstation 2, Dreamcast
Release: December 5th, 1997
Characters:
Kaede,
Moriya,
Yuki,
Juzoh,
Akari,
Amano,
Shigen,
Zantetsu,
Shikyo,
Washizuka, Rekka,
Genbu,
Musashi,
Kagami
Related Games:
The Last Blade 2, The
Last Blade: Pocket
Story: Long before humanity existed, in a far off time of myth, death was an unknown, equally distant concept, but when death first came to the world, the "Messenger from Afar" was born. With time, the Sealing Rite was held in order to seal Death behind Hell's Gate. At that time, two worlds, one near and one far, were born. Thus the history of life and death began.
Half a year
has passed since Suzaku's madness, and the underworld is still linked by
a great portal. Kagami's great sin is still heard as if ringing from the
heavens. Our world has been called upon. Legends of long ago told of the
sealing of the boundary between the two worlds. The Sealing Rite would
be necessary to hold back the spirits of that far away world. However, the
Sealing Rite brings together the power of the Four Gods and Sealing Maiden,
for the first time properly completing the ritual.To find the Sealing Maiden,
Genbu began searching in the center of the world, from which all things
begin. At the same time in the underworld, in the depths of darkness, many
spirits conspired, plotting to hinder the Sealing Rite. They had but one
wish, to be reborn into our world.
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Review: Made to
follow in the footsteps of the
Samurai Shodown series,
The
Last Blade offered a brand new cast of samurai-styled characters in a
traditional setting. It was one of the only 2D weapon based fighting game around
at the time of it's debut, and features characters inspired by the Bakumatsu period
in ancient Japan. Though it didn't become as popular as other SNK franchises,
this series is known among NeoGeo fans for it's interesting
characters, superb animation and graphics, and solid gameplay.
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Besides Last Blade's slick
graphics and cool characters, the innovation lies within it's unique gameplay, featuring two different
"styles" per character, those being Speed and Power. Speed Mode allows for "speed
combos," chain combos, and desperation moves. Power Mode increases damage
potential but limits combos, requiring more strict inputs, and also gives
the character the ability to do a Super Desperation Move. The gameplay also has a deflecting or parrying system which allows for quick countering
and some quite epic looking sword battles... It's a deep system, and is rather
easy to pick up!
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8 / 10 |
Closing
Comment: Though a very pretty
and technical game, The Last Blade never gained quite the popularity
of it's neighborhood rival, Samurai Shodown. That very well may be
simply because the Samurai
Shodown series has the flashier moves, more exciting & charismatic
characters, and of course has the blood & awesome deaths at the end of a
fight... In fact, after playing the Shodown series for all these years
(before Last Blade) it really seems like this game is missing something.
Last Blade can definitely hold it's own as a technical fighting
game, but the characters don't quite have that "ferocity" seen in
other characters at the time... Yeah, the Last Blade characters don't really
seem like they want to hurt each other all that much... 
Seems more like they're all friends or something (which you might guess by
looking at the box art). I personally like to see a bit more bloodthirstiness
out of my fighters. ~F.Yagami,
Webmaster
of TFG
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