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The Last Blade 2

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The Last Blade 2
Developer(s)SNK
Code Mystics (PC/PS4/VITA)
Publisher(s)
SNK
Writer(s)Hidetaka Suehiro[1]
SeriesThe Last Blade
Platform(s)
Release
  • Arcade
    • WW: 25 November 1998
    Neo Geo AES
    Neo Geo CD
    • JP/NA: 27 February 1999
    Dreamcast
    PS4, VITA
    • NA: 24 May 2016
    • WW: 25 May 2016
    Windows
    • WW: 17 November 2017
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)
Arcade systemNeo Geo MVS

The Last Blade 2[a] is a video game developed and released by SNK in 1998. Like its predecessor, The Last Blade, it is a weapons-based versus fighting game originally released to arcades via the Neo Geo MVS arcade system, although it has since been released for various other platforms.

Gameplay

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Gameplay screenshot showcasing a match between Akari Ichijou and Hibiki Takane.

Gameplay elements remain the same as their predecessor with some minor adjustments. An "EX" mode was added to play, which is a combination of "Speed" and "Power". The mood is grimmer than its predecessor through the introduction to the game. The characters are colored slightly darker, and the game's cut-scenes are made longer to emphasize the importance of the plot. Characters are no longer equal, hosting greater differences in strengths and weaknesses than before.

Characters

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See also: The Last Blade § Characters

Three new characters were introduced:

  • Hibiki Takane (高嶺 響, Takane Hibiki) is the 17-year-old daughter of Genzō Takane (高嶺 源蔵, Takane Genzō), a renowned swordsmith known throughout Japan during the Bakumatsu era. He had retired to an isolated area in the countryside with his daughter but continued his work with various swordsmen around the country. One fateful day, Setsuna approaches Genzō and requests that he forge a new sword. Though the man radiated an aura of pure, unfathomable evil, the master swordsmith finds himself unable to refuse the request. He spends a time of almost 3 months forging this sword, which he dubs the “Yaso Magatsu Hi no Tachi” (八十枉津日太刀, “Blade of Eighty Days Harbored Unwillingly”), detailing the amount of time he invested in the weapon. The labor renders him ill, however, and he is soon permanently bedridden. He tells his daughter that the silver-haired man was the reason for his condition, and that she should pursue him and the sword that he had forged. With a concerned Hibiki by his side, he utters his last words: “The thing that I saw... that I felt, even you must understand.” Though she was confused by her father's cryptic request, Hibiki gathers her belongings and leaves in search of the silver-haired man. Several days later, a man named Hyo Amano stops by, hoping that Genzō would repair his weapon, the “Otokomae”, when he learns of the swordsmith's death, he sets out to find his daughter. Hibiki has 2 endings in the game; one of them involve her deciding to improve her swordsmanship which can be gained if the player defeats the opponents they face in Arcade mode with her super moves in every round.
  • Setsuna (刹那) is a powerful spirit that was released after Kagami was defeated by Kaede. Finding a deceased baby on a field of battle, he possesses it. After maturing his human form into an adult, he walks the path of destruction, killing and filled with hate for the human race. He uses a black katana-like blade, which leaves a trail of dark energy in its wake. He is directly responsible for the death of Hibiki's father, forcing him by sheer charisma to forge his sword and work on it to the utter limit.
  • Kojiroh Sanada (真田 小次郎, Sanada Kojirō) was the captain of the fictional Shinsengumi Unit Zero, which investigated demonic forces in Japan, following the concept of Bushidō. After Kojiroh dies investigating “Hell’s Gate”, his sister Kaori disguises herself as him, using his identity in order to investigate the evils within, as well as to restore the faith in the Shinsengumi. She also travels to finish off the former Shinsengumi, Shikyoh. Washizuka is the only known person to know her true identity. Kaori shares similar moves with Washizuka, but does not perform them via the "charge" mechanism.

Home versions

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The Last Blade 2 was made available for various consoles, including SNK's own Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD. The Neo Geo CD version includes an extra quiz mode, voiced cutscenes, and a gallery section featuring art from both Last Blade titles. Most of these additional features were also included with the Dreamcast port titled The Last Blade 2: Heart of the Samurai, released in 2001.[2] The Neo Geo CD and Dreamcast versions added an additional character named Musashi Akatsuki, the sub-boss from the first game.

The Last Blade 2 was subsequently bundled with the original Last Blade for a PlayStation 2 compilation released only in Japan; both games are arcade perfect emulations of the original games and do not contain additions from the other console versions. At PlayStation Experience 2015, SNK Playmore announced PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions of The Last Blade 2 developed by Code Mystics.[3]

Reception

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In Japan, Game Machine listed The Last Blade 2 on their December 15, 1998 issue as being the second most popular arcade game at the time.[18] According to Famitsu, the Neo Geo CD sold over 9,379 copies in its first week on the market.[19] Blake Fischer reviewed the Dreamcast version of the game for Next Generation, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "A unique 2D fighter for Dreamcast which is a welcome break from the plethora of Street Fighter variants we've seen in the States. Too bad you'll have to track down an import to play."[11] In 2012, GamesRadar included Last Blade 2 among the little-known classic fighting games that deserve HD remakes, calling it "one of the Neo Geo’s prettiest, deepest fighters."[20]

Notes

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  1. ^ Known in Japan as Bakumatsu Roman Dainimaku: Gekka no Kenshi - Tsuki ni Saku Hana, Chiri Yuku Hana (幕末浪漫第二幕 月華の剣士 ～月に咲く華、散りゆく花～)

References

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  1. ^ Suehiro, Hidetaka (February–March 2011). "Game Design in the Coffee. Lovable Game Design by SWERY". Game Developers Conference. Informa. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  2. ^ "Last Blade 2: Heart of the Samurai". IGN. 2 August 2001. Archived from the original on 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
  3. ^ Keisuke Nishikawa. "The Last Blade 2 Strikes PS4, PS Vita on May 24". blog.us.playstation.com/. PlayStation Blog. Archived from the original on 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
  4. ^ Knight, Kyle (1998). "The Last Blade 2 (Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  5. ^ Frankle, Gavin (1998). "The Last Blade 2: Heart of the Samurai (Dreamcast) - Overview". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  6. ^ Roure, Maxime (March 1999). "Test NeoGeo - The Last Blade 2". Consoles (in French). No. 86. M.E.R.7. p. 99.
  7. ^ "Testscreen - Last Blade 2 (Dreamcast)". Edge. No. 94. Future plc. February 2001. p. 102.
  8. ^ Park, Andrew (13 August 2001). "The Last Blade 2: Heart of the Samurai Review - All things considered, The Last Blade 2 for the Dreamcast is a faithful port of a good game". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  9. ^ "Last Blade 2: Heart of the Samurai - Agetec delivers what might be the last great 2D fighting game for the US Dreamcast". IGN. Ziff Davis. 2 August 2001. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  10. ^ Hellot, Grégoire (March 1999). "Zoom - Sorties U.S.A.: The Last Blade 2 (Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System)". Joypad (in French). No. 84. Yellow Media. pp. 124–125.
  11. ^ a b Fischer, Blake (May 2001). "Finals - Dreamcast - Last Blade 2: Final Edition (Japan)". Next Generation. No. 77. Imagine Media. p. 82.
  12. ^ Dillard, Corbie (18 October 2012). "The Last Blade 2 Review (Neo Geo) - Last Blade Part Deux". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Archived from the original on 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  13. ^ Frear, Dave (2 July 2018). "The Last Blade 2 Review (Switch eShop / Neo Geo) - Another contender for Switch fighting champion". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Archived from the original on 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  14. ^ Karels, Ralph (April 1999). "NeoGeo Test - The Last Blade 2". Video Games (in German). No. 89. Future-Verlag. p. 78.
  15. ^ Karels, Ralph (July 2001). "DC Import: The Last Blade 2 Final Edition - SNKs letzer Streich auf Dreamcast?". Video Games (in German). No. 112. Future-Verlag. p. 84. Archived from the original on 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  16. ^ Dangerboy (1 September 2001). "Last Blade 2: Heart of the Samurai Review (Dreamcast) - Bring on the sprites!". GameShark.com. Mad Catz. Archived from the original on 13 February 2002. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  17. ^ "Review - The Last Blade 2 - Dreamcast". Power Unlimited (in Dutch). No. 92. VNU Media. October 2001.
  18. ^ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 578. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 December 1998. p. 21.
  19. ^ "Game Search". Game Data Library. Archived from the original on 2019-04-24. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  20. ^ Sullivan, Lucas (October 20, 2012). "29 obscure fighters that deserve HD remakes". GamesRadar . Future US. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
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