There are very few game consoles in existence that can compete with the diverse fighting game library of SNK's Neo Geo system. While some of the earlier efforts came up short of reaching the quality of Capcom's Street Fighter II series, many later efforts ended up being some of the best 2D fighting releases of the era. Samurai Shodown may have kicked off the weapons-based 2D fighting rage on the system, but it wasn't until The Last Blade that SNK truly took things to a whole new level.
The Last Blade doesn't stray too far from the standard fighting game style of play made famous by many fighting games of the time period. You choose your fighter from a cast of 12 characters, each with their own unique look and fighting style, followed by choosing a special fighting characteristic you want your character to feature. Speed allows your character to be quicker and more agile whereas the Power setting makes your character do greater damage. It's more of a personal preference, but can also complement your specific character's attributes.
The controls are responsive and there's a wide range of combos that can be executed. While the strong and weak slashes are going to be your main line of attack, you will need to learn to use the kick button to help catch your opponent off-guard. You'll also need to make good use of the repel button as this is the best way to open an aggressive opponent to a barrage of combos. You'll soon learn that balancing offence and defence will be the key to success against some of the game's tougher fighters, especially if you like to crank the difficulty setting up.
The Last Blade may seem simplistic, but don't let appearances fool you. There's a lot more than meets the eye to the game's fighting engine and if you're willing to put in the time to master a character, you'll get far more out of the game than someone who's just mashing a bunch of buttons. As solid as the Samurai Shodown games were in terms of gameplay, The Last Blade basically perfects the system and makes for a much more fluid and intense fighting experience.
As with most Neo Geo fighting games, you're definitely going to be treated to a nice array of scenery and animations going on in the backdrops of each area. The characters all show a nice degree of detail and silky smooth animation and some of the special moves and combos feature a lot of visual flair. The music shares a lot of similarities with the Samurai Shodown titles, but in most areas it even exceeds it with some fantastic tunes and realistic sound effects.
Conclusion
The Last Blade is and will likely always be one of the truly great Neo Geo fighting titles and just oozes variety and responsive execution. Add in an amazing cast of very evenly balanced fighters and you're left with one of the most impressive fighting titles of its generation and a game that no fighting game fan should be without.
Comments 22
I reckon this is the best Neo Geo fighting game ever! It's perfect
Let's hope the sequel makes it to the Wii VC as well.
Never heard of it until now. Looks and sounds great.
I only recently picked up Metal Slug 3 and now I can't believe I will be getting another Virtual console title! I am only getting them now because I will be able to transfer these to my future Wii U! Go Neo Geo!
One of my all time favorite fighter on the Neo Geo, hopefully the sequel is coming too.
Still can't believe this on the VC. Picking this up as soon as I can.
Ah, finally! Great review, Corbie, hit all the main points and then some. This really is a great game, and I've been having a blast with it since I got it. Now all we need is Last Blade 2, and my fighting library will be complete.
I agree. This is an excellent fighting game.
I liked part 2 on Dreamcast so I had to pick the prequel.
^ Technically a prequel is a sequel with events that occur before the original. The term prequel doesn't apply to versions prior to a sequel.
Great game and it is pretty deep. It's much less of a button masher than other fighters.
The Arcade game center near my house still have this game.
I love it. One of the best looking game in VC service. An instant download. The gameplay is impressive.
This game seldom, if ever, leaves my Neo Geo arcade cabinet. This is a truly amazing fighting game.
BALANCED?
TAKE MY MONEY
Corbie, when is this coming out on the Europe VC? I must play this now!
Does this game have the option of re-assigning the controller configuration?
this game is freaking awsome! i love the characters and how easy it is to pick up and play,i hope we get last blade 2 on the vc
So glad this is coming to virtual console
Oh man, I LOVED the Last Blade on Neo Geo Pocket Colour, I might just have to try this out on the big screen! Great review Corbie!
Sold! This is what my arcade fightstick has been waiting for!
I bought it around 2 days ago after reading this review,simply fantastic,i love fighting games and this has quickly become one of my favorites.
I especially love how you can cut in-half people on the last round,kinda like a fatality.
By the way for anyone that wants to use the 2 boss characters here's a code that you can use on the character select screen to unlock them(you have to do it in like 3 seconds,it's easy though):
C,C,C,C,C,C,B,B,B,C,C,C,C.
I am using the Gamecube controller so if you are like me(without changing the control scheme) it should be:
X,X,X,X,X,X,A,A,A,X,X,X,X.
If you did it correctly you'll notice arrows on the side,go there and the characters should be able to use,sadly the code doesn't save,so you'll have to input them every time you want to use them :/
Finally picked this up - what a fantastic game!! The snow & bamboo stages are gorgeous!
Tap here to load 22 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...