Jab’s Builds! (Lawnmower Man! Samus Aran! Metroids!)

[Jabroniville]

GENBU NO OKINA
First Appearance: The Last Blade (1997)
Game Appearances: The Last Blade 1-2
Home Country: Japan
Weapon: Fishing Rod
Role: Wise Old Man, The Sensei
PL 8 (162)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 13 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 11 (+13)
Expertise (Magic) 9 (+12)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+8)
Insight 6 (+10)
Perception 6 (+10)
Persuasion 4 (+8)
Ranged Combat (Magic) 6 (+12)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack (Ice Reflector), Equipment 1 (Fisherman's Pole), Improved Critical (Pacifist Pounce), Improved Critical (Turtle Thrust), Improved Critical (Turtle Tremor), Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 2

Last Blade Fighting Style: Accurate Attack (Speed Mode), All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort (Super Move), Fast Grab (Grab), Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack (Power Mode), Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Last Blade Fighter" Features 1: Adds Weapon Damage to Special Moves [1]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Turtles -2) [1]
"Pacifist Pounce- Variable Teleport Set-Ups" Enhanced Advantages: Benefits (Uses Fighting Skill Instead of Deception to Bluff) [1]

"Special Moves"
"Pacifist Pounce" Teleport 4 (Feats: Change Direction) (9) -- [15]

• AE: "Turtle Thrust" Blast 4 (Flaws: Source- Basket) (Reduced Defenses -2, Diminished Range -1) (1)
• AE: "Turtle Thrust- Healing" Healing 8 (Flaws: Source- Basket, Side-Effect- Opponent is Healed if They Touch It) (Reduced Defenses -2) (1)
• AE: "Turtle Tremor- Spinning Attack" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 3) (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Affliction 3 (Toughness; Dazed & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Source- Basket) (3)
• AE: "Tortoise Tromp- Spinning Leap" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
• AE: "Pacifist Pounce Attacks" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit If Successfully Bluffed Last Turn) (Inaccurate -1) (2)
• AE: "Fisherman's Feint- Turtle Toss" Blast 2 (Flaws: Source- Turtle) (Diminished Range -1) Linked to Affliction 4 (Toughness; Dazed & Hindered/Stunned & Prone) (Feats: Extra Knockback) (Extras: Ranged, Extra Condition) (Flaws: Source- Basket, Limited Degree, Distracting) (Diminished Range -1) (4)

Equipment:
"Fisherman's Pole" Strength-Damage +1 (Reach) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Fisherman's Pole +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Tortoise Tromp +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Pacifist Pounce +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Turtle Thrust +12 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Fisherman's Feint +12 (+2 Ranged Damage & +4 Ranged Affliction, DC 17 & 14)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Saving the World)- As a Guardian of Hell's Gate, Okina's mission is to ensure that his beloved world is save from demons.
Power Loss (Fighting Style)- These fighters must pick a style and stick with it for the duration of the fight- either Accurate Attack (Speed Mode) or Power Attack (Power Mode). They may not alternate without suffering heavy drawbacks to accuracy and defense as they shift forms.
Weakness (Predictability)- These fighters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to their Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 82 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 8 + 13 / Powers: 18 / Defenses: 14 (162)

-Aaaaaaaaaaaand of course there's a Tiny Old Man design. Though at least Okina seems more mystical and strange than the Crotchety Old Perverts you usually get- he's this shrunken, bearded dwarf of a man who rides around on a turtle, summons them for magical effects, and taught young Kaede when he sought a new teacher. He is also one of the Four Guardians of Hell's Gate, realizing that the portal must be re-sealed. He eagerly awaits Kaede's future as a Guardian, and was apparently trained by Genbu- a massive Dragon Turtle who is summoned by his Super Move!

-Okina is a "Zoner"- someone who specializes in keeping enemies at a distance, so he can work his magic with some space. Though his powers are a bit esoteric, relying on turtles in his basket sometimes. One of them is extremely unique- it tosses out a Softshell Turtle that can heal him, but if the OPPONENT touches it, THEY are the one who is healed! It also has randomized effects, such as a flashing, faster turtle, or a blue one that transforms into the form of Genbu and does more damage. His "Pacifist Pounce" allows him to reappear on the other side of the screen either high or low, making it difficult to see where he's coming from. He has a "Fisherman's Feint" where he tosses a turtle on his fishing line- it's unblockable and knocks the foe back, but has a "significant lag if whiffed", meaning it's Distracting.

[Jabroniville]

MINAKATA MORIYA
First Appearance: The Last Blade (1997)
Game Appearances: The Last Blade 1-2, Neo*Geo Battle Coliseum
Home Country: Japan
Weapon: Katana
Role: Lone Wolf, Stoic One
PL 9 (130)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 10 (+12)
Close Combat (Sword) 1 (+13)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+7)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+7)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Equipment 1 (Katana), Improved Critical (Life & Death Moonlight Flash), Improved Critical (Glancing Blade Haze) 2, Improved Critical (Glancing Blade New Moon), Improved Initiative, Startle

Last Blade Fighting Style: Accurate Attack (Speed Mode), All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort (Super Move), Fast Grab (Grab), Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack (Power Mode), Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Last Blade Fighter" Features 1: Adds Weapon Damage to Special Moves [1]
"Glancing Blade Haze- Variable Move Set-Ups" Enhanced Advantages: Benefits (Uses Fighting Skill Instead of Deception to Bluff) [1]
"Extending Sword Energy" Reach 2 (Flaws: Source- Katana) [1]

"Special Moves"
"Life & Death Moonlight Flash- Sword Flurry" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 5) (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Affliction 5 (Toughness; Dazed & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Source- Blade) (5) -- [8]

• AE: "Glancing Blade New Moon- Hanging Moon in the Air" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit Jumping Opponents) (Inaccurate -1) (2)
• AE: "Glancing Blade Haze Strikes" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit if Successfully Feinted Foe) (Inaccurate -1) (2)
• AE: "Sash Blade Moonwalk" Teleport 2 (Feats: Change Direction) (5)

Equipment:
"Katana" Strength-Damage +3 (Improved Critical) (4)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Katana +13 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Special Moves +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Life & Death Moonlight Flash +11 (+5 Damage & Affliction, DC 20 & 15)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Revenge, Getting Stronger)- Moriya wished to kill his adoptive father's killer, but failed. He now trains to become stronger, like a good Shonen Hero.
Relationship (Yuki & Kaede- Adoptive Siblings)- Moriya was once close to them, but is now an outsider.
Power Loss (Fighting Style)- These fighters must pick a style and stick with it for the duration of the fight- either Accurate Attack (Speed Mode) or Power Attack (Power Mode). They may not alternate without suffering heavy drawbacks to accuracy and defense as they shift forms.
Weakness (Predictability)- These fighters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to their Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 7 + 12 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 16 (130)

-Moriya is yet another "Samurai" design in The Last Blade series, and is all-important to the plot, as he was adopted by the legendary teacher alongside Kaede & Yuki. He was seen as the best of the three students, which made him more cold and aloof, much to their master's chagrin. It was he who was seen above the dying body of their master, and he's been chased by his adoptive siblings ever since, as Kaede jumped to conclusions and Moriya never said anything to his defense. Seeking to clear his name, he instead hunted the real killer, Shinnosuke Kagami. However, Moriya's quest is in vain- Kaede discovers and defeats the villain first. Shamed by his failure and inexperience, Moriya secludes himself in the wilderness to train. In the sequel, he returns to Hell's Gate, eager to protect his siblings by fighting it alone. He is based off of Kagehisa Anotsu from the Blade of the Immortal manga, whatever that is. His red hair is a tribute to Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin (that, at least, I know).

-His attacks have great visuals, though- his blade leaves flashes of light behind it, so he can create these epic, gigantic moon shapes (he has a lot of Moon imagery in his overall character) with his distinctive circular slashes. He can also fire out diagonal ones with great distances as well.

-Moriya has a set-up move where he turns away, hand on the hilt of his sword- the button you press determines whether or not the attack comes high, low, or in the middle... or just cancels entirely- another classic "Feint/Fake-Out" move. There's also a sliding version and a teleporting-style version, but they'd all stat out pretty much the same. He also has a curious Anti-Air (leaving an image of the moon diagonally above him so a jumping enemy might crash into it) and a Multiattack that attacks high, low and medium as well. In gameplay, he's ideally used to punish the mistakes of opponents, with quick, unpredictable slashes throwing them off their gameplan.

[Grenzer]

The Last Blade is arguably SNK's most refined fighting game for the Neo-Geo system, only Garou: MOTW and The King of Fighters '98 stand at the same level. There was a lot of debate online about a decade ago if the sequel was superior to the original or a step back due to the gameplay changes. Regardless, both games would easily make my Top 10 list for best 2D fighters from the 1990's.

It also has a pretty nifty story by fighting game standards, but like most Japanese fighting games from that period very little was ever translated for Western audiences. I doubt it helped that Rurouni Kenshin had no official release in the USA until 2000, years after The Last Blade was brought over to American arcades and video game systems. Very few players at the time would have realized what this series was a tribute to. It has also been somewhat lost in the shuffle of time despite getting reissued in various SNK compilations.

Anyway, one aspect of these games that stuck out to me was just how distinct each character felt from one another in terms of their fighting styles. Even the Ryu/Ken duo of Kaede and Moriya have very few similarities in their attacks, and no one feels like a wasted slot. It would have been nice to see further entries in this series, but the design team at the time was very adamant about there being only two games and that the story was complete. Even after both games did very well in the Japanese market, the team wanted to move onto other projects. I doubt after more than two decades any sort of reboot would be able to successfully catch the feel of the old games, but Samurai Shodown 2019 did a very good of resurrecting that franchise so anything is possible.

[Jabroniville]

The Last Blade is arguably SNK's most refined fighting game for the Neo-Geo system, only Garou: MOTW and The King of Fighters '98 stand at the same level. There was a lot of debate online about a decade ago if the sequel was superior to the original or a step back due to the gameplay changes. Regardless, both games would easily make my Top 10 list for best 2D fighters from the 1990's.

Ooh- interesting! What makes it so "refined", in your opinion? Just a lack of garbage moves or weak characters? A system with no exploits or broken things?

It also has a pretty nifty story by fighting game standards, but like most Japanese fighting games from that period very little was ever translated for Western audiences. I doubt it helped that Rurouni Kenshin had no official release in the USA until 2000, years after The Last Blade was brought over to American arcades and video game systems. Very few players at the time would have realized what this series was a tribute to. It has also been somewhat lost in the shuffle of time despite getting reissued in various SNK compilations.

I read a few Kenshin comparisons, but didn't realize it was so direct (that show didn't have any magic stuff from what I saw, aside from wildly unrealistic fighting).

What WOULD be your Top Ten Fighting Games of the 1990s, then? I'd be curious to know your criteria as well. Anyone else can chime in with theirs, as well!

[Jabroniville]

NAOE SHIGEN
First Appearance: The Last Blade (1997)
Game Appearances: The Last Blade 1-2
Home Country: Japan
Weapon: Giant Metal Arms
Role: The Big Guy
PL 8 (127)
STRENGTH 7 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+6)
Athletics 1 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+5)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Perception 5 (+7)
Persuasion 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Morning Star Squall), Improved Critical (White Tiger Talon), Improved Critical (Diamond Smasher), Improved Critical (Kingfisher Crunch), Improved Grab

Last Blade Fighting Style: Accurate Attack (Speed Mode), All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort (Super Move), Fast Grab (Grab), Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack (Power Mode), Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Special Moves"
"Diamond Smasher- Repeated Smash" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 7) (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Affliction 7 (Toughness; Dazed & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition) (Feats: +1 to Hit Opponents Who Parried Last Turn) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (12) -- [14]

• AE: "Kingfisher Crunch" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit if Opponent Parried Last Turn) (Inaccurate -1) (2)
• AE: "White Tiger Talon" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)

"Friggin' HUGE" Reach 1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Special Moves +7 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Diamond Smasher +9 (+7 Damage & Affliction, DC 22 & 17)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +5 (+6 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (Kotetsu- Foster Daughter)- Shigen is ashamed over having abandoned Kotetsu in the past.
Power Loss (Fighting Style)- These fighters must pick a style and stick with it for the duration of the fight- either Accurate Attack (Speed Mode) or Power Attack (Power Mode). They may not alternate without suffering heavy drawbacks to accuracy and defense as they shift forms.
Weakness (Predictability)- These fighters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to their Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 5 + 12 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 14 (127)

-Shigen is... a fairly bizarre design, but one that was very common in the late '90s and beyond as far as Fighting Games went- guys who weren't just huge, but preposterously top-heavy and inhuman. Guilty Gear and others would trot out at least one guy like this, with hulking shoulders, long apelike arms, and a comparatively tiny lower body. Street Fighter would even play with it by redesigning the giant monster Abigail. It's... not a look that's aged well. It looks too much like 1990s comics with the Liefeldian physique and macho power fantasy body types, and most of these dudes lacked the style or coolness of the other characters. Shigen has long, muscular arms, but a fairly tiny waist and short legs, losing the "Samurai" style of the game entirely.

-Shigen was a good friend of Shinnosuke Kagami's, and was sealed in stone by him for being a threat to his plan to open the Hell's Gate- Shigen was one of the four guardians, as the "White Tiger". Awakening, Shigen is thirsty for revenge, but by The Last Blade 2, he is a guilt-ridden father- he was driven mad with vengeance ages ago, abandoning his foster daughter in the process, but returned to her when the Hell's Gate receded. He wants to spend as much time with her as possible, but when the Gate opens once more, he finds he must go off to stop it. Unbeknownst to him, his daughter has followed him.

-Most of Shigen's moves consist of lashing out with his extremely-long arms, covering a great amount of distance. He's slower than the other characters, but tougher and harder-hitting, and can't be disarmed like the others can. As one of the Four Symbols of Chinese Mythology, he has "claws" with blunt fingers- Byakko's claws manifest themselves somewhat invisibly. He also holds control over earth and metal.

[drkrash]

OK. I'm going to do three Top 5s of the 90's, rather than one Top 10.

Top 5 Fighting Games I played most often in the 90s
5. Tekken 3
4. Street Fighter 2
3. Fatal Fury series
2.KOF Orochi Saga series (95-97)
1. Street Fighter Alpha series

Top 5 Fighting Games by quality from the 90s
5. Virtua Fighter 3
4. Tekken 3
3. Guilty Gear
2. Garou: Mark of the Wolves
1. SF III Third Strike

Top 5 Fighting Games that fired my imagination in the 90s
5. Tekken 3
4. Ehrgeiz
3. Guilty Gear
2.Groove on Fight
1. KOF 96

[Jabroniville]

SHINNOSUKE KAGAMI
First Appearance: The Last Blade (1997)
Game Appearances: The Last Blade 1-2, Neo*Geo Battle Coliseum
Home Country: Japan
Weapon: Katana
Role: Final Boss, Evil Demon Worshipper
PL 9 (124)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 10 (+13)
Expertise (Demon & Monster Lore) 10 (+12)
Insight 3 (+7)
Intimidation 6 (+10)
Perception 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Equipment 1 (Katana), Improved Critical (Swallow Wings of Flight) 2, Improved Critical (Blazing Bawler) 2, Improved Critical (Sparrow of the Red Lotus Thrust) 2, Improved Initiative, Startle

Last Blade Fighting Style: Accurate Attack (Speed Mode), All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort (Super Move), Fast Grab (Grab), Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack (Power Mode), Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Last Blade Fighter" Features 1: Adds Weapon Damage to Special Moves [1]

"Special Moves"
"Swallow Wings of Flight- Fire Blast" Blast 5 (Feats: Accurate 3) (Reduced Defenses -2, Diminished Range -1) (8) -- [10]

• AE: "Blazing Bawler- Grab & Stab" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit if Opponent Parried Last Turn) (Inaccurate -1) (2)
• AE: "Sparrow of the Red Lotus Thrust- Flying Fire Attack" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)

Equipment:
"Katana" Strength-Damage +3 (Improved Critical) (4)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Katana +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Special Moves +10 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Swallow Wings of Flight +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Destruction)- In the first game, Kagami is the evil boss who seeks to destroy the world. Disgusted with human frailty and weakness, he wants to kill as many people as possible, and unleash hell on Earth.
Motivation (Atonement)- In the second game, Kagami is now resurrected to fulfill his original role as guardian of Hell's Gate, and seeks to prevent its misuse by others.
Power Loss (Fighting Style)- These fighters must pick a style and stick with it for the duration of the fight- either Accurate Attack (Speed Mode) or Power Attack (Power Mode). They may not alternate without suffering heavy drawbacks to accuracy and defense as they shift forms.
Weakness (Predictability)- These fighters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to their Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 76 / Skills: 40--20 / Advantages: 9 + 13 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 15 (144)

-Kagami was the Final Boss of The Last Blade- he killed the master of Kaede, Yuki & Moriya in the backstory, then led them all to Hell's Gate. He was one of the guardians of the Gate, but grew disgusted with how weak and inferior other people were to himself, and so decided to release the seal on the portal. He also goes on the horrific murdering spree that leads to Gaisei's death, and those of others. Ultimately, he was beaten by Kaede and tossed through the Gate, from whence he returns in the sequel. Now humbled and not a Boss, he becomes weaker in-game, and his mission now is actually ATONEMENT, as he's been resurrected to fulfill his original role as guardian of the Gate. He actually adopts Shigen's child when Shigen dies during the final sealing rites, and it appears Kagami has regained his faith in humanity.

-I like his design a bit, though- the big cloak gives him style the other characters lack, and gives off a sense of refinement, since it's obviously quite fancy. And his casual stance, actually holding the blade weakly downwards, shows you just how little he thinks of his opponent. But his face is rather plain and dreary- not quite as inventive as a lot of SNK Bosses.

-Kagami has a Shotoclone-esque style, but is meant to be used quickly, as he stabs and immediately combos to a circular-swinging uppercut. He also has a blast and quite a few diving moves, meaning he's highly mobile. He's overall a PL 9 owing to his previous role as a Final Boss in the first game.

[Grenzer]

Ooh- interesting! What makes it so "refined", in your opinion? Just a lack of garbage moves or weak characters? A system with no exploits or broken things?

I read a few Kenshin comparisons, but didn't realize it was so direct (that show didn't have any magic stuff from what I saw, aside from wildly unrealistic fighting).

What WOULD be your Top Ten Fighting Games of the 1990s, then? I'd be curious to know your criteria as well. Anyone else can chime in with theirs, as well!

It's refined in the sense that the game has a very smooth interface that makes it easy for a new player to get into. The Last Blade is a lot more friendly to newbs than Samurai Shodown or King of Fighters. I would never claim either entry is perfectly balanced, in fact the designers seemed to deliberately give some characters major flaws so that players looking for a new challenge could invest time in trying to become competent in using them. And being balanced is not really a sign of being refined in regard to fighting games: on a competitive level SFIII: Third Strike and Garou: MOTW are horribly unbalanced with certain characters being neigh unbeatable once mastered. What I can say is if you want a weapons-based fighter with all of the combat speed and grace of a more traditional hand-to-hand fighter, than The Last Blade is worth some playtime.

The Kenshin comparisons are a bit mixed: you are right that The Last Blade has a lot of magic and elements that were never in present in its inspiration. But the creation of this game was a direct response to Nobuhiro Watsuki's revelation in an interview that he gained a lot of his inspiration for Kenshin by playing Samurai Shodown I and II. Watsuki was greatly flattered when SNK released these games, and the circle would be completed years later when he helped design several new characters for Samurai Shodown V.

If the story beats of The Last Blade are different than Rurouni Kenshin, the same cannot be said of the aesthetics. You just have to look at the Japanese titles of both franchises to see that:

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story (Japanese: るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚-, Hepburn: Rurōni Kenshin -Meiji Kenkaku Roman Tan-)

Bakumatsu Romance: Moon Flower Swordsman (Japanese: 幕末浪漫: 月華の剣士, Hepburn: Bakumatsu Roman: Gekka no Kenshi)

Besides certain characters in The Last Blade being mashups of various characters from Kenshin, the music score for the games was clearly inspired by Noriyuki Asakura's OST from the TV anime: a very distinctive mix of 19th century European Classical music, Japanese folk tunes, and late 20th century jazz and pop music. SNK's sound team managed to create unique tracks that were not blatant ripoffs of Asakura's work, but there is no mistaking who it was borrowed from:

Famous Examples of Kenshin's BGM:

Kimi wa Dare o Mamotte Iru -Strings Version- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaAnLjb ... FE&index=1
Departure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUcZBcP8D0E
Kamiya Kaoru - Kaoru's Love Theme -Gut Guitar Version- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YIBBR6 ... E&index=10
The Last Wolf Suite ~Shishio Makoto's Groups Music~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-MY9rIltwU
Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu - Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1-t3mpcEN8


My personal favorite:
Unmee no Haguruma ~Kyoto e no PUROROOGU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFb_LgNbcww


Now some LB BGM for comparison:

Change https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLlWBun0_DE
Gate of the Four Gods Omen of Battle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssKz5DhzZuo
Way of the Blade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OHZoQfWm0Y
Evil Gods Gate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jnNrhPyI7g
Sword Saint https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkx4VBAeATw
Swordsmen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L52-mGz ... t&index=29
Descent Midpoint https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgop-yG ... t&index=11

It's nice to have an excuse to post these tracks, I always enjoyed them.

To wrap this up, a lot of the story themes in Kenshin are clearly present in The Last Blade: Regret for shedding blood in the name of higher ideals, the fear of not being able to protect those you care for, mentoring the next generation, repentance for the sins of yesterday, and the feeling that the era of great warriors is slipping away in the face of modernity. I'm not going to say The Last Blade (or even Rurouni Kenshin) is super deep or anything, but it touches upon some classic themes you might find in American Cowboy Westerns, which also happen to be set in the late 19th century. You certainly did not find many quality fighting games set during this era before or after its release.

[Davies]

... is this just artistic license or can the dude actually hover?

[Grenzer]

... is this just artistic license or can the dude actually hover?

He can, in his super-powered final form he takes after you knock him down the first time. He's the avatar of Suzaku (the Red Phoenix) and a lot of his attacks invoke the image of a bird of prey swooping down for the kill (especially his Super Move). It's also why he is able to summon magical fire.

The four guardians of Hell's Gate are supposed to be living incarnations of the Four Symbols from Classic Chinese mythology, and each of them have powers based around that motif. So, in order:

Kaede: Seiryu, the Blue Dragon. Dominion over Thunder, Lightning, and Wind. Kaede spends a lot of the first game scared of tapping into this power because he thinks Seiryu will swallow up his own personality. It's a super mode he can only turn on when his health is nearly gone in the final round. He eventually learns how to coexist with the spirit and by the time of the sequel can engage the power at will, which is why he engages it in the intro and never shuts it off. And Jab... Rock is based off of Kaede, not the other way around. The same character designer (Tonko) worked on LB and Garou: MOTW, and Rock's appearance was a tribute to her previous work. SNK even inserted a special win quote in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum poking fun of this since both characters are in that game.

Okina no Genbu: Okina is not a real name, but a title given to respected elders. We never learn his birth name. As the avatar of Genbu the Black Tortoise he has tremendous longevity, being over 130 years old at the start of the first game. He also has powers over the element of Water and all turtles and tortoises. Kaede affectionately calls him 'Gramps' and the two see each other as family due sharing the destiny of guarding Hell's Gate. He is also the one who convinced Kagami to regain his faith in humanity after the events of the first game.

Shingen Naoe: Avatar of Byakko, the White Tiger. Controls Earth and Metal by concentrating through his rosary. His link to the Tiger also allows him to slash his opponents with his fingers despite not having claws.

Shinnosuke Kagami: As said above, he is Suzaku. He dresses like a Western gentleman despite being the most xenophobic of the Guardians (Is he being ironic?). You might also notice his katana has a handle like a Western European sabre. His personality was based off of Shinobu Sensui from Yuu Yuu Hakusho, who we discussed on this thread a few months ago.

[Jabroniville]

MUSASHI AKATSUKI (Musashi Miyamoto)
First Appearance: The Last Blade (1997)
Game Appearances: The Last Blade 1, The Last Blade 2 (Neo*Geo CD & Saturn only)
Home Country: Japan
Weapon: Katana & Wakizashi
Role: Sub-Boss, Resurrected Legend
PL 9 (133)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+11)
Athletics 10 (+13)
Deception 6 (+10)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 8 (+10)
Expertise (Soldier) 10 (+12)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Perception 5 (+9)
Persuasion 4 (+8)

Advantages:
Equipment 1 (Katana), Improved Critical (Power Geyser), Improved Critical (The Menacer), Improved Critical (Cross Stance), Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 7

Last Blade Fighting Style: Accurate Attack (Speed Mode), All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort (Super Move), Fast Grab (Grab), Improved Critical (Chosen Weapon), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack (Power Mode), Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Last Blade Fighter" Features 1: Adds Weapon Damage to Special Moves [1]

"Special Moves"
"The Menacer- Sliding Slashes" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 6) (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Affliction 6 (Toughness; Dazed & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Source- Sword) (6) -- [9]

• AE: "Power Geyser" Blast 5 (Flaws: Source- Sword) (Reduced Defenses -2, Diminished Range -1) (1)
• AE: "Cross Stance- X-Slash" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
• AE: "Lights Out Pillow Combo- Stab & Slam" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit if Opponent Parried Last Turn) (Inaccurate -1) (2)

Equipment:
"Katana & Wakizashi" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical, Split) (5)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Katana +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Special Moves +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
The Menacer +11 (+6 Damage & Affliction, DC 21 & 16)
Power Geyser +11 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Women, Sake & The Thrill of the Fight)
Power Loss (Damaged Sword)- Amano does not use his sword unsheathed, fearing it getting damaged further.
Power Loss (Fighting Style)- These fighters must pick a style and stick with it for the duration of the fight- either Accurate Attack (Speed Mode) or Power Attack (Power Mode). They may not alternate without suffering heavy drawbacks to accuracy and defense as they shift forms.
Weakness (Predictability)- These fighters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to their Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 12 + 12 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 13 (142)

-Atsuki ("Risen") Musashi is obviously based off of legendary Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, a famously-clever, devious samurai/ninja. He was the Sub-Boss of The Last Blade, but does not appear in the second, save for some of the home ports. Here, the actual person of myth was resurrected by Shinnosuke Kagami for the sake of curiosity- he wanted to see how someone from the "warring era" would do against today's swordfighters. His soul is bound to Hell's Gate, and so he must act as Kagami's bodyguard. When finally defeated, Musashi bids his opponent farewell and disappears in a beam of light. Overall, he looks okay, but a bit plain- he's just some muscular guy in samurai pants and a fluffy vest. Hardly Samurai Shodown-tier, shall we say. I can kinda see why he wasn't used in the arcade sequel- one of the other characters not to show up again.

-Musashi was apparently a very clever man- most tales tell not just of his battlefield prowess, but how sneaky and underhanded he was in battle. So I have Musashi some good mental abilities in addition to PL 8.5 fighting skills. He has pretty basic attacks- Grab, Multiattack, Slash & Blast, but at a higher tier than most characters in his game.

[Jabroniville]

He can, in his super-powered final form he takes after you knock him down the first time. He's the avatar of Suzaku (the Red Phoenix) and a lot of his attacks invoke the image of a bird of prey swooping down for the kill (especially his Super Move). It's also why he able to summon magical fire.

The four guardians of Hell's Gate are supposed to be living incarnations of the Four Symbols from Classic Chinese mythology, and each of them have powers based around that motif. So, in order:

Kaede: Seiryu, the Blue Dragon. Dominion over Thunder, Lightning, and Wind. Kaede spends a lot of the first game scared of tapping into this power because he thinks Seiryu will swallow up his own personality. It's a super mode he can only turn on when his health is nearly gone in the final round. He eventually learns how to coexist with the spirit and by the time of the sequel can engage the power at will, which is why he engages it in the intro and never shuts it off. And Jab... Rock is based off of Kaede, not the other way around. The same character designer (Tonko) worked on LB and Garou: MOTW, and Rock's appearance was a tribute to her previous work. SNK even inserted a special win quote in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum poking fun of this since both characters are in that game.

Okina no Genbu: Okina is not a real name, but a title given to respected elders. We never learn his birth name. As the avatar of Genbu the Black Tortoise he has tremendous longevity, being over 130 years old at the start of the first game. He also has powers over the element of Water and all turtles and tortoises. Kaede affectionately calls him 'Gramps' and the two see each other as family due sharing the destiny of guarding Hell's Gate. He is also the one who convinced Kagami to regain his faith in humanity after the events of the first game.

Shingen Naoe: Avatar of Byakko, the White Tiger. Controls Earth and Metal by concentrating through his rosary. His link to the Tiger also allows him to slash his opponents with his fingers despite not having claws.

Shinnosuke Kagami: As said above, he is Suzaku. He dresses like a Western gentleman despite being the most xenophobic of the Guardians (Is he being ironic?). You might also notice his katana has a handle like a Western European sabre. His personality was based off of Shinobu Sensui from Yuu Yuu Hakusho, who we discussed on this thread a few months ago.

Oh, neat- I didn't realize they were based off of specific things, much less of Chinese mythology. Thankfully, though I didn't know Kaede came first, I didn't directly call him a rip-off of Rock, so technically my "he looks like Rock Howard" comment is still correct, lol. I think I missed the Sensui link in the online bios.

[Grenzer]

Musashi (Akatsuki, just to correct the spelling) is a real beast Jab, a true SNK boss. I think you might have underrated him a bit, since to me he always seemed far harder to defeat than Kagami. This is a guy so strong that one of his finishing moves is to impale his opponent with both of his swords and attempt to tear him in half. In fact, if it is the final blow of the match it will do exactly that. Maybe the goriest move in the first game.

[Jabroniville]

Musashi (Akatsuki, just to correct the spelling) is a real beast Jab, a true SNK boss. I think you might have underrated him a bit, since to me he always seemed far harder to defeat than Kagami. This is a guy so strong that one of his finishing moves is to impale his opponent with both of his swords and attempt to tear him in half. In fact, if it is the final blow of the match it will do exactly that. Maybe the goriest move in the first game.

That's possible, but I generally operate under a rule that "the more games you appear in = higher PL", and the dude didn't show up for the sequel, so I kinda went with the baseline PL 9. I mean, Kaede defeated him canonically, right?

[Grenzer]

Musashi (Akatsuki, just to correct the spelling) is a real beast Jab, a true SNK boss. I think you might have underrated him a bit, since to me he always seemed far harder to defeat than Kagami. This is a guy so strong that one of his finishing moves is to impale his opponent with both of his swords and attempt to tear him in half. In fact, if it is the final blow of the match it will do exactly that. Maybe the goriest move in the first game.

That's possible, but I generally operate under a rule that "the more games you appear in = higher PL", and the dude didn't show up for the sequel, so I kinda went with the baseline PL 9. I mean, Kaede defeated him canonically, right?

I had to look this up by going to the Japanese sources. As far as I can tell, it was never canonically stated who defeated Musashi. His own ending shows he overpowers Kagami to seal the Hell Gate and his body disintegrated without its power to sustain his form. For all I know, all of the major heroes ganged up on him to take him down and then Kaede went on to confront Kagami. What it does say, is that deep down he resents being controlled and longs to meet someone strong enough to kill him again. That explains why he screams in pain in his win pose; it causes him agony to know he is still a pawn of Kagami's evil plans.

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9A%81 ... 6%E8%94%B5