Last Battle is one of the stranger games that I’ve played in the last few years. It is an atrocious localization of Fist of the North Star. This is a side-scrolling beat’em up, but it also feels like an adventure game.
I had no idea this game existed until the 2010s. It wasn’t a game that I played as a kid, and it wasn’t something I collected in the 1990s. If it weren’t for the internet, I would never have known about it.
This game has been sanitized of everything that made the game unique. If you didn’t know this was based on Fist of the North Star, you would never know it. The original version was based on the manga, and this version has a somewhat nonsensical story.
TLDR: It has some interesting ideas, but is ultimately disappointing.
Narrative
There is a story in the manual. I’m not sure what to make of it. It explains what you’re going to be doing and that you’ll beat the bad guy and save your girlfriend.
So, your name is Aarzak, your girlfriend is Alyssa, and you have to defeat Garokk. Several of the names read like the localization team bashed the keyboard against their heads. Whatever ended up on the screen was the character’s new name. Some wonderful person added a key to the Wikipedia page so you can know who is who.
This is one of the stranger stories I’ve read. Because of the bizarre localization, a lot of the story had to be explained. What is in the manual felt like overkill (Link). All you needed was who you are, who the bad guy is, and what your goal is. The manual seems to explain what you’re going to do.
Gameplay
This is a side scrolling beat’em up. This was a style of arcade game in the 1980s, and I’m glad that it was passed up. There are a few good ideas in this game. Last Battle plays less like an arcade game and more like an adventure game.
Like other beat’em ups, you move to the right and punch or kick enemies. There will also be some projectiles you can dodge or hit. You can build up strength over time, which is a nice touch.
Where the game differs is in how you can choose where to go. There is a grid with different locations you can go to. Each chapter has a labyrinth level to explore. None of these ideas is executed well enough to make them fun.
Last Battle is similar to games like Legend of Kage and Rush’n Attack. Because it has larger sprites, there are fewer enemies on the screen. If you liked those games, then you’ll still be disappointed by how easy this game is.
There are a lot of missed opportunities with this game. I like some of the things this game does, but it simply isn’t fun. It plays like a version of Altered Beast, but falls short as an adaptation of Fist of the North Star.
Visuals
The game looks nice. Much like Altered Beast, the game has large sprites and short levels. There are a few longer stages, but most are very short. This makes sense when you realize this is more of an adventure game.
All of the blood and gore have been removed from the game. When I think of Fist of the North Star, I think about heads exploding. That is kind of in the game with the boss fights, but even that is dialed down. Now, the enemies comedically fly off the screen.
The only thing this game has going for it is the size and detail of the sprites. They look very good. The level design isn’t all that interesting. It tries something different with the labyrinth levels, but those are more annoying than fun.
Last Battle is a good looking game. The sprites and levels look better than in other games. This does show off what the Genesis can do, but it doesn’t do much else.
Reviews at the Time
Believe it or not, this game did get some positive reviews. They aren’t in English, so I can’t read them. Most of the reviews I can find didn’t like this game at all. I’ll be going over two this time.
Mega Tech absolutely hated this game. It received a 32/100. The reviewer gave it positive scores for graphics and sound. They criticized it for being too easy. This short review ends with this advice: “plug this into anything but your Sega.”
Sega Pro was a little more positive and gave the game a 69/100. The reviewer praised the graphics and sound. They didn’t like the gameplay and said that it was “shallow and repetitive.” This publication said that the gameplay spoiled a “potentially good game.”
When I looked through MobyGames, it seemed like the average was around a 5/10. There are a few outliers, like a perfect score and a 0/10. The reviews were never great, and it seemed like most publications had the game between a 4 and 6.10.
5.5/10. Much of this score has to do with it being a bad localization of Fist of the North Star. The horrible translations offer some comedic value, which definitely wasn’t the intended. Much of the dialogue isn’t even worth quoting.
Pros
- Good Graphics
- Decent Controls
Cons
- Short
- Sanitized of the source material
Conclusion
This is a forgettable adaptation of Fist of the North Star. I don’t think it is as good as the game on the NES. While it looks better than many games, the gameplay is boring.
I kept wishing I was playing something else when I went back to play this. Like many bad games, this one has some great ideas. It sadly doesn’t capitalize on any of them. The localization for the story and text is atrocious. They don’t advance the story, and they aren’t terrible enough to be memorable.
Every time I come back to this game, I want to enjoy it. Sadly, I never do. I really like Fist of the North Star, which made this game more disappointing. If the blood and gore had been kept in the game, it would’ve been better. The game wouldn’t have been good, but it would’ve been better.
If you liked this post, please check out my other posts on Sega games. Here are some examples: Alien Storm and Golden Axe.