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Last Battle (video game)
Encyclopedia
Last Battle is a side-scrolling beat 'em up
released for the Sega Mega Drive
in 1989 by Sega
. The Japanese version, titled , is based on the manga
series Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star
in English). Since the international version did not retain the Hokuto no Ken license, the graphics and characters' names were altered. It was the second Hokuto no Ken game released by Sega, following the Mark III
original (released internationally as Black Belt
). Versions for the Commodore 64
and Amiga
based upon Last Battle were developed and released by Elite
in Europe in 1991.
in the Japanese original), who fights against his enemies using his punches and kicks. Aarzak can attack while standing, jumping, and crouching, for a total of six basic attacks. In addition to his life gauge, Aarzak has a power-up meter that will gradually fill as he defeats enemies. When the meter reaches a certain point (depending on the stage), Aarzak will transform into a super-powered state, allowing him to perform rapid punches and kicks for the rest of the stage. The game's levels (with the exception of boss battles and maze stages) feature a time limit at the lower-right corner of the screen; but unlike other time limits, instead of killing the character immediately when it reaches, it will instead gradually drain the player's life gauge until the player completes the level.
The game is divided into four stages or chapters, each featuring several levels. After completing a level the player will be shown a map which displays the player's current location and the paths they can take. Most of the levels are linear side-scrolling segments where the player must simply walk from one to side to the other while fighting every enemy who gets in the way. Other levels are dungeon mazes in which the player must figure out the correct path to the goal while avoiding traps. The player will encounter various allies throughout the game that will increase Aarzak's offensive or defensive strength, or replenish their health. The game features several one-on-one encounters with bosses
as well. The player must sometime complete levels in a certain order in order to finish a chapter.
'Last Battle' is also notorious amongst gamers for its harsh difficulty throughout.
series, which spans Vol. 16-24 of the original manga. Kenshiro
was renamed Aarzak (a name maybe inspired by the comic of Moebius
) and his two sidekicks from the series, Bat and Lin, became Max and Alyssa. Duke, the initial antagonist is actually Falco, while the three Rashō were rewritten into rebel generals of the empire that after the defeat of Duke escaped and schemed a plot to exact their revenge on Aarzak.
Also, the blood and gore from the original game was edited out of the western localizations. In the original game, any of the normal enemies would have their heads explode, followed by their bodies in a bloody fashion as well as some boss characters having more of a gory finishes to their fights. Last Battle, however, edited down the gore so that the normal enemies would only fly offscreen when hit and many of the bloody animations for the bosses were removed or some of the bosses were recolored to look more like mutants than humans (for example, Bask got a green skin, Geira a pale green skin and Alf a purple skin).
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
released for the Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
in 1989 by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
. The Japanese version, titled , is based on the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star
is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha...
in English). Since the international version did not retain the Hokuto no Ken license, the graphics and characters' names were altered. It was the second Hokuto no Ken game released by Sega, following the Mark III
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
original (released internationally as Black Belt
Black Belt (video game)
Black Belt is a 1986 beat 'em up game released for the Sega Master System. It is a localization of the Japanese Mark III game, , based on the manga and anime series of the same name . The international version was stripped of the Hokuto no Ken license, forcing graphic alterations to the game...
). Versions for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
based upon Last Battle were developed and released by Elite
Elite Systems
Elite Systems is a UK video game developer and publisher established in 1984 as Richard Wilcox Software. They are best known for producing home computer conversions of popular arcade games...
in Europe in 1991.
Gameplay
Last Battle is a side-scrolling action game similarly to its predecessor Black Belt. The player takes control of Aarzak (KenshiroKenshiro
is the main protagonist of the manga franchise Fist of the North Star by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. According to Buronson, Kenshiro's character design was inspired by the character of Max Rockatansky from the Mad Max film series and martial artist Bruce Lee.In the story, Kenshiro is the rightful...
in the Japanese original), who fights against his enemies using his punches and kicks. Aarzak can attack while standing, jumping, and crouching, for a total of six basic attacks. In addition to his life gauge, Aarzak has a power-up meter that will gradually fill as he defeats enemies. When the meter reaches a certain point (depending on the stage), Aarzak will transform into a super-powered state, allowing him to perform rapid punches and kicks for the rest of the stage. The game's levels (with the exception of boss battles and maze stages) feature a time limit at the lower-right corner of the screen; but unlike other time limits, instead of killing the character immediately when it reaches, it will instead gradually drain the player's life gauge until the player completes the level.
The game is divided into four stages or chapters, each featuring several levels. After completing a level the player will be shown a map which displays the player's current location and the paths they can take. Most of the levels are linear side-scrolling segments where the player must simply walk from one to side to the other while fighting every enemy who gets in the way. Other levels are dungeon mazes in which the player must figure out the correct path to the goal while avoiding traps. The player will encounter various allies throughout the game that will increase Aarzak's offensive or defensive strength, or replenish their health. The game features several one-on-one encounters with bosses
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
as well. The player must sometime complete levels in a certain order in order to finish a chapter.
'Last Battle' is also notorious amongst gamers for its harsh difficulty throughout.
Localization
Because the English localization of the game did not retain the Fist of the North Star license, the developers changed the names of all characters, as well as their fighting styles, although the plot is relatively unchanged. The original Japanese version is specifically based on the second animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series, which spans Vol. 16-24 of the original manga. Kenshiro
Kenshiro
is the main protagonist of the manga franchise Fist of the North Star by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. According to Buronson, Kenshiro's character design was inspired by the character of Max Rockatansky from the Mad Max film series and martial artist Bruce Lee.In the story, Kenshiro is the rightful...
was renamed Aarzak (a name maybe inspired by the comic of Moebius
Moebius
-People:* August Ferdinand Möbius , German mathematician and astronomer* Karl Möbius , German zoologist and ecologist* Paul Julius Möbius , German neurologist* Dieter Moebius , German/Swiss musician...
) and his two sidekicks from the series, Bat and Lin, became Max and Alyssa. Duke, the initial antagonist is actually Falco, while the three Rashō were rewritten into rebel generals of the empire that after the defeat of Duke escaped and schemed a plot to exact their revenge on Aarzak.
Also, the blood and gore from the original game was edited out of the western localizations. In the original game, any of the normal enemies would have their heads explode, followed by their bodies in a bloody fashion as well as some boss characters having more of a gory finishes to their fights. Last Battle, however, edited down the gore so that the normal enemies would only fly offscreen when hit and many of the bloody animations for the bosses were removed or some of the bosses were recolored to look more like mutants than humans (for example, Bask got a green skin, Geira a pale green skin and Alf a purple skin).
List of name changes
| Last Battle | Hokuto no Ken |
|---|---|
| Jet-Kwon-Do | Hokuto Shinken Hokuto Shinken is a fictional two thousand year old martial art that is shrouded in mystery, from the eponymous manga and anime franchise, Fist of the North Star. Hokuto Shinken is based loosely on Dim Mak kung fu, but very few conventional martial arts compare to it.... |
| Tae-Kung-Fu | Gento Koken |
| Aarzak | Kenshiro Kenshiro is the main protagonist of the manga franchise Fist of the North Star by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. According to Buronson, Kenshiro's character design was inspired by the character of Max Rockatansky from the Mad Max film series and martial artist Bruce Lee.In the story, Kenshiro is the rightful... (ケンシロウ) |
| Alyssa | Lin (リン) |
| Max | Bat (バット) |
| Luisa | Mamiya (マミヤ) |
| Gere | Ein (アイン) |
| Anne | Asuka (アスカ) |
| Zee-Bee | Buzz and Gill Harn (ハーン兄弟) |
| Syd | Solia (ソリア) |
| Duke | Falco (ファルコ) |
| Sophia | Lui (ルイ) |
| Dare-Devil | Akashachi (赤鯱) |
| Cynara | Leia (レイア) |
| Rob | Shachi (シャチ) |
| Gromm | Han (ハン) |
| Gross | Hyou (ヒョウ) |
| Garokk | Kaioh (カイオウ) |