WTF Is The Last Blade?

We all know the classics like King of Fighters, Samsho, Fatal Fury, etc. But there's heaps of relatively unexplored SNK games out there, and in this video I continue my foray into them with a look at one of the original SNK's swan song franchises, The Last Blade.
SOURCES:
Hibiki CVS2 - TheInnocentSinful
Hibiki Samsho - Chaos Productions Inc
Last Blade neo geo pocket - Old Gamer - Jogatina Clássica
NGBC - Mai Shiranui
ULTIMATE PLAYER TAS
#thelastblade #thelastblade2 #snk

[@BridgetGX]

SNK really went dumb hard in the 90s. Last Blade 2 was WAY ahead of its time, there will never be another game like it, and more people should really check it out.

[@rodpalmer5275]

Sold

[@safruddinaly5822]

It's just not that popular in japan, same with when here in USA when game dev make game they will see local market first. I agree with you but the truth also can't be ignored. I hope they will make last blade 3

[@Vice81]

SNK's 2001 bankruptcy was a worse moment in gaming then SEGA exiting the hardware biz. Right up there with Atari all but exiting gaming.

[@BridgetGX]

@@Vice81 facts, they really went hard and developed some of the most iconic experiences to define my childhood and beyond

[@tamareikjackson4960]

100PERCENT Agree

[@redchariot4006]

I hope this series return in the future, I always loved the cast of the Last Blade. Even if is a reboot. Rock Howard with a sword(Kaede) and Akari were my favorites

[@Ticketman99]

Rock Howard is naturally blonde. He doesn't Super Saiyan(B+C+D when meter is full. Only in The Last Blade 1 because both brunette and blonde Kaede are separate playable characters in 2)to being blonde😂😂😂😂

[@dukethegrammer]

Regardless of how little content this series has received I'm so happy people still find time to talk about it now and then. If anything, the fact that people still find value in a game like this makes me content. There's something about the melancholic story, believable scenery, and inspired art direction that makes me wonder if we'll ever run into a game, or even an experience like this ever again. Masterful video as usual Mister Sex.

[@Eliburgo]

The Best 2D Fighter SNK ever made specifically Last Blade 2

[@ObsessiveBadguy]

The Last Blade 2 will forever be among my favorite fighting games from an overall design and raw emotional presentation standpoint, every match complimented by its melancholic soundtrack or its quiet yet somehow intense use of ambient sound in the background makes it feel like a tragic yet necessary duel to the death, like some sort of climax to a long narrative epic where two enter but only one leaves. Despite not having very many matches under my belt (due to not having anyone take much of an interest in the title with me) im always down for some Last Blade 2 action and its sad this series is as fleeting as it was

[@makytondr8607]

I recommend learning about the period the game is set in because you’ve perfectly described the atmosphere.

[@OmegaAmen]

I think The Last Blade series will always have staying power in the history of SNK titles is that it portrays a time period in Japan so exquisitely with the right nostalgic melancholy tone, and a tremendous amount of sincerity in every aspect of its design. It felt almost serene to me at certain points when I was looking at the stage intro animation sequence between fights in arcade mode. You just didn't expect this atmosphere and respectful tone from a fighting game. In fact, I can't think of any Japanese video game in general that treated this time period with such sincerity and respect. I think most of the original team members of The Last Blade left SNK a long time ago. So that makes a modern reboot very unlikely for now. But if SNK did, if they hit that presentation and tone, I think it would bring a much welcomed counter balance to the atmosphere/aesthetics of current fighting game franchises in the market.

[@orlanzo2621]

Classic series man, I’d kill for a Last Blade 3. I’ve always liked SamSho a little more, but I love the aesthetic and atmosphere the Last Blade games have and the animations are top notch, up there with Garou. I played my copy of Last Blade 2 on the Dreamcast to death.

[@RetroMoments]

I play The Last Blade way more than Samurai Shodown on my AES. Thats already saying something. Great video, man! This game deserves its own video.

[@realamericannegro977]

It's saying alot cause Samurai Showdown on Neo Geo was fire no matter which entry

[@tamareikjackson4960]

I first played The Last Blade2 in 2002. I'm still playing the game in 2024. Have it for Sega Dreamcast,Ps2,and ps4. The Last Blade 1and 2 are both criminally underrated. Bad marketing by SNK is the reason why most fighting game players dont even know the series exists. I'll never stop playing this game. I am 41years old,married with 2kids and I still find time to play this game by myself cause no one is ever online,no one plays it. Long live Kojiroh.

[@Ucho469]

Washizuka player here... been playing it since I am 15 or 16... 36 now, some of the best games ever created, no doubt about it.

[@user-uh9dq2or1h]

guys , we can play online battle in fightcade. if you can make chinese account , there is many good last blade players in GOTVG (it's chinese platform)

[@csmemarketing]

One of my top 5 fighting games ever from the Arcade days. Restarted playing it on PS Vita, I was blown away by the port and the user interface. So smooth and beautiful.

[@sladejosephwilson2300]

You aren't wrong about the 2D sprites. They also age very well unlike most 3D model games. Also Neo Geo Battle Colisuem is very fun and you should try it out on the redream emulator.

[@TamirElias]

Great video, Akari is such an amazing character to experiment and goof around with, many times i was as confused as my opponent's on what's going on.

[@TMNTfever]

I love tranquil/ominous/quiet stages. Especially the ones in Tekken 4, CvS1 and 2, and the Last Blade series.

[@DirgeMacBee]

Webcomics are at their best when they utilize the vertical format and are engaging. There is a lot of lowhanging fruit there which it seems like this is one of. I'm a slightly aged comic lover but I've def found some good ones out there. Shotgun Boy/Sweet Home, HCLW, and Everything is Fine are some of my faves. Conversely I hate fighting games but god I love videos like these because the world of them is so interesting to me. And as Mr. Sex mentioned the visuals and artistry really just be hitting.

[@sladejosephwilson2300]

The last blade webtoon also had a physical release as a comic. Also thanks for the video man. Your videos are always worth waiting for.

[@yanholliday8876]

i think you got it right around the 6 minutes mark : i've always felt that last blade was to samsho what kof is to fatal fury (i'm talking gameplay, obviously, not story.) i can't always pinpoint "why" or "how", the combos are just the tip of the iceberg on that one, but that's just how it feels when i play it. i love yuki. she's low tier, she's slow, clumsy, her dragon sucks and her fireballs have 3 millions years of startup, but i love her. oh, and the ngpc game is a *masterpiece* in handheld fighting, it's full of stuff and secrets, has crazy replay value, minigames to unlock, and by progressing each character, you can *literally* transform the game from last blade 1 to last blade 2, with new moves and story bits. a masterpiece, i tell you.

[@matthewdavis6366]

me and my buddy get together and play this sometimes, thank you so much for covering this game sir

[@kogazor]

You get it. Thanks.

[@greensun1334]

As an old school gamer, I prefer those pixel artworks to the new, polygonal FTGs (of course). The gameplay of the older games is better as well imo, the majority of mechanics and ideas came from those games and just get re-used in the new titles - an original stays an original.

[@JagoShogun]

Hibiki was an old favorite of mine next to Minakata, man I miss this.

[@jaredllanos]

I would like to see a next video about "WTF is Samurai Shodown" or "WTF is Art of Fighting" It would be interesting to see.

[@voiceofreason2743]

When I discovered this game a cpl years ago I was blown away. Am still blown away and still play it

[@toryficarola]

Well played dude. Well played! I laughed out loud at your clever little surname for Last Blade 2 at 09:03 and instantly subscribed as soon as you snuck in a request afterwards. *claps*

[@Diorphe]

Great job as always bro.

[@OddballEddie]

Last Blade was fantastic, the regulars at the arcade went nuts playing it back in the day. Although I still found that Last Blade 2 was an ending to the series, like it was intended to be self contained like that. As for that throwaway comment on NGBC, well, there is the Xbox 360 digital re-release. Other than that PS2 emulation or the fan made Dreamscast port of the arcade edition. (which doesn't have the features of the official console ports), not the best options, but it's what we have until SNK decides to cater to the nostalgia of that period.

[@niwona_]

I LOVE Last Blade. TLB2 has one of the most iconic character select themes there is imo. I really love the ties to folklore and every stage feels like a Kurosawa storyboard. The characters are brimming with..character, and have iconic silhouettes and unique playstyles. Too bad the game is horribly balanced. The flow is real fun. What I would do for a revival!

[@ilypo]

I just found your channel and have been binge watching your shit, great videos brother

[@JayWolf1955]

My first experience with this series was seeing Akari in SNK vs Capcom for neo geo pocket, with her really interesting moves Then some time after trying the games, while I haven't gotten completely all in, I really love this series, and feel it's one of the easiest to pick up and play for me And an odd fact: I got a physical copy of that last blade web comic for 5 bucks at a five below Still so baffled to see something based on a pretty obscure game to most people, in a five below of all places

[@JohnSexDD]

I'm interested to see how the physical comic works considering the scroooolling webcomic format. Maybe I can still read it on the shitter yet! Also yeah I agree about it being really easy to pick up and play, I beat the game with several characters and figured out combos without even looking up movelists. I should've mentioned that.

[@pokej616]

Cracked tf up 2:13 in💀 so perfect haha

[@vonVile]

SNK needs to make a KOF-like sword fighter crossover game with Samurai Showdown, The Last Blade, Ninja Masters and Kabuki Klash. Yes, SNK doesn't own the last one, but they could buy it from Konami, who is never going to do anything with it. I'm sad I missed out on The Last Blade. I had a choice between buying it or MOTW for my DreamCast.

[@AbuGuroza]

i played LB & LB2 and not long after naruto airing funny enough i see moriya as sasuke, kaede equal to naruto, yuki seems like sakura but washizuka seems almost looks like saito hajime, for having same shinshengumi uniform and the onmyouji looks like misao makimachi and i really fall in love with hibiki back then also the OST, the fact this video being recommended after i played some of OSTs, yeah i loved that too

[@JAMPLEYDEV]

6:45 I would discribe it as going super saiyan, but that works too xd.

[@1MCElias]

Super.

[@kairumustdie]

The Adventures of Samurai Rock Howard, brought to you by the creator of IGN's Game of the Year 2010 (probably), Deadly Premonition

[@Shining4Dawn]

A few details you've skipped over in this video: 1. Musashi is never truly identified in the game, but his design and fighting style heavily imply that he's a revived Musashi Miyamoto (look the name up if you don't know who that is). 2. In LB2 - Kaede can transform back into his non-awakened form, which removes his lightning powers and reduces the damage he does per hit, but allows for much faster movement and attacks, which turns him into a combo beast and a glass cannon. 3. Kaede's transformation turns his hair blonde and you thought about Rock Howard but didn't think about Dragonball? 4. You didn't dive too deep into the mechanics of this game. Playing in Speed mode really does make you focus on combos buy allowing for normal cancels, which is a mechanic mostly seen in relatively niche fighting games at the time like Darkstalkers, the VS series, Guilty Gear and other anime style fighting games. On the other hand, Power mode focuses on powerful strikes and careful neutral play, similar to SamSho. Also, the game has a dedicated parry button, which gives you a free combo on a good read.

[@Goartnow98]

I remembered Musashi was a character that was exclusive for the Dreamcast for the second game, but you couldn't use him in arcade mode.

[@MexicanGokuCreepypasta]

I found that Last Blade comic at five below a few months or a year ago btw

[@panicmovie3796]

Kof with swords

[@jessemedina5436]

Hibiki is literally one of my favorite fighting game characters period…I just love how she San innocent girl but also is a savage at the same time

[@julberndt]

nice vid

[@LawandOrder-fi5xk]

Last Blade should have been a sequel to Samurai Showdown since it takes place later in history.

[@breakfast5152]

your 2010s ogura art style is getting better and better

[@JohnSexDD]

Thanks man, always trying to improve!

[@elvikingotrh831]

Samurai shodown vs last blade

[@realamericannegro977]

If we get a new entry I want it 2D

[@realamericannegro977]

You can put these graphics up against the best looking Capcom Cps2 and Cps3 games and it can hold its own and even look better to many

[@pwnersmanual]

My all time favorite fighting game is a very close call between Last Blade 2 and Garou

[@hanzhovaj4129]

In terms of 2D sprites, I'd say The Last Blade series is as good as Street Fighter 3 and Martial Masters. Also the presentation of The Last Blade and soundtrack trumps the Samurai Showdown series.

[@bobbyserrano3872]

Kojiroh is their last names their first names are Kohari and Sanada

[@taylorbee4010]

Kaede aka Ky

[@mainscape6619]

They should make last blade into something like sekiro. That would be awesome.

[@pablocasas5906]

Well, people at SNK had recently commented that they'd like to expand their game development outside fighting games (and run-and-gun, in the case of Metal Slug), and mentioned that a hypothetical new Art of Fighting could be a game more similar to SEGA's Yakuza. I can imagine a new The Last Blade game as an action adventure title. Though at SNK, they said that a reboot would be more appropriate. I think TLB would work as an anime, similar to Rurouni Kenshin

[@realamericannegro977]

Last Blade is better than Samurai Showdown

[@tedjomuljono3052]

Its odd for Hyo to get his sword fixed at a blacksmith, considering he's using a wooden one

[@kiranv2085]

Actually, no, The wooden form is a sheath or something. He does have a proper sword that he only uses for 1 or 2 attacks

[@gonzalogca4907]

4:14 I literally said that 60 seconds into the video 😅

[@bonesauce3308]

9:55 Why does kouryu look like a megaman x boss?

[@JohnSexDD]

he does actually lol

[@bonesauce3308]

The sex has replied! Rejoice

[@taylorbee4010]

2d soul calibur

[@JEANS__]

orgy heh. so how’s the music? maybe i missed it tho

[@JohnSexDD]

Music is fantastic even if the soundtracks are small. Should've put more emphasis on that

[@realamericannegro977]

The graphics look so good it makes me wonder why they stopped using sprites. These sprites arent as hard to make as the ones in kof13

[@pablocasas5906]

Making sprites in high definition is more time consuming and expensive than what it used to be back in the 90s, not to mention that there aren't many artists left that can make high-quality spritework. An option for an hypothetical new Last Blade would be making the game using cel-shaded graphics, kinda of like Guilty Gear: Strive, but I think the art direction and character animation in the Last Blade would be difficult to replicate with modern graphics/engines

[@itachiuchiha3154]

Better than street fighter

[@rezwankhan4954]

There is an ex mode

[@D3Vlicious]

Wish you covered the jank in 2 though with all the funny looking and easy infinites.

[@jpsarri]

One of the greatest fighting games in history. WTF are you?

[@JohnSexDD]

One of the greatest youtube channels in history

[@jpsarri]

@@JohnSexDD only in your dreams.

[@eyalrephaeli6833]

If SNK brings back The Last Blade, it should be as a Survival Horror Hack n Slash game.

[@andhikasyaifudin4378]

Kaede = Sasuke Moriya = Hitachi 😂

[@jessemedina5436]

Imagine your just your normal self chilling out and then suddenly you turn into rock Howard😂😂😂😂😂.. hilarious