SNK and Code Mystics have once again brought us a classic Neo Geo Pocket Color game with, The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny. A weapons-based fighting game, the game is an spinoff of the beloved series, The Last Blade, and was one of only three games in the series that were localized for the west. This is a game that perfectly shows how great the Neo Geo Pocket Color was for fighting games. The game falls in between SNK Gal Fighters, and Samurai Shodown! 2 as a portable fighter, and like those two uses a fighting system that centers around two modes: “speed” and “power,” with speed mode focused on chaining attacks, whereas power mode about doing as much extra damage as you can.
This game is extremely gorgeous, with some of the best pixel art visuals the system managed to put out, and the fighting is smooth for the most part, with the only flaw in movement being that the Switch cannot mimic the clicky joystick of the Neo geo Pocket Color perfectly. As with the other Neo Geo Pocket Color games for Switch, you can adjust the screen size and zoom in if you want the game to take up more of the screen and are not fond of the console in console view that is available by default. This allows you to enjoy the visuals to their finest, and appreciate how much work was put into the game.
The game starts off with nine fighters playable from the start, while you can also unlock seven additional hidden characters. The characters are unlocked by playing the game and earning points and buying scrolls through the game’s gallery mode. In the original release, players could trade scrolls with other players, but as with the port King of Fighters R-2, which originally had features that connected it to the Dreamcast, that feature is gone here. Each fighter has their own signature weapon, as with any weapons based fighter, and this means each fighter manages to have their own unique feel even for a handheld title. Learning the characters will take time, but it is very much worth doing, as you will find the character that best fits your play style. The game also has some unique minigames that manage to give players something different to break up the routine and provide something new. They fit well, and definitely give the game something unique to it.
Overall, this is a fantastic port of a great game, and any Neo Geo fan, fighting game fan, or video game fan in general should check it out. We highly recommend it.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
In addition, for access to an extensive variety of active retro gaming groups on Facebook, visit Retro Gamers Hub.