Retro(game)spective - Last Fight

Every day Ben “Ben Pack” Pack or one of his brave compatriots will play a retro game, and break it down for you. That’s right, every day. To complain about us eventually missing a day or suggest your own, go ahead and comment below the article, or email us at retrogamefunclub@gmail.com.

2/11/2011

The Game: Last Battle

Release Year: 1989

Skewes: Genesis, Amiga, Commodore 64, Virtual Console

It would probably be smarter to kick the dude instead of his weapon. Just sayin'.

So what’s it like: Ok. I'm going to pull back the curtain here. How I decide my games are pretty much random, I pick a game that looks like it's either going to be terrible or awesome, then I start to play it. Then either one of three things happen: it's awesome, it's a shitty platformer or it's a shitty side-scrolling beat-em-up. Last Battle isn't awesome or a platformer.

Oh, thank god they are getting the story out of the way so I can punch dudes.

Last Battle (no, not The Last Battle) is a video game tie in to the popular manga and anime series “Fist of the North Star,” but in 1989 nobody in America knew what that was so all mentions of it in the game were removed and the character's name was changed. It's a side-scrolling beat-em-up where you punch and kick your way to saving a princess, or something. The more enemies you defeat the more powerful you get. There is an overworld map with lots of different routes, and you can go any direction on it so you could theoretically beat every level. There are two types of levels: kill a bunch of dudes and talk with someone at the end in broken English, and fight a tougher dude one-on-one in an arena-like setting.

OGRE NO WANT FIGHT. OGRE JUST WANT TO BE FRIEND.

This game was actually pretty alright. I had motivation to keep playing after the first level. That was, until, I got about five levels in and died. You have one life. One chance, and if you lose it it's game over. What's even worse, is your health persists from level to level. You get a small boost of life at the end of each level, but you are basically screwed if you mess up on one level. I couldn't get past the first world, even with tool assistance.

What did I just say, woman?!

Should you go back: Maybe. The game seems like something some people might enjoy. If you like really punishing old-school games, you might like it. If you're normal, you wont.

Should this game be remade: No. I've said it before and I'll say it again, we don't need any more side-scrolling beat-em-ups.