The Last Blade ~Beyond the Destiny~ review by Hellspawn

After a long time of hesitating and thinking about getting another NGPC fighter, I finally decided to give this game a chance, and, man I didn't regret it. But before I start praising this release I'm gonna judge every little fragment of the game by itself...

Note: This is a review of the English version.

Presentation: A-
The box-art is quite appealing and the manual is packed with artwork as well as detailed descriptions of the characters. It's a huge step forward from games like KOF: R-1 and is on a par with MotM, my all time favorite fighting game. The boxdesign seems a little rushed since there are spelling mistakes such as "Beyond The Distiny", but this is what we came to expect from a company like SNK, right? Let's move on to the actual game...

Graphics: B+
The graphics are a mixed bag. The backgrounds are beautifully drawn and even have some animation. The actual characters, however, lack color and appeal. There's a bit too much red and blue going on. But as usual the animation makes up for that. All the characters move very smoothly and effects like fire and lightning look really cool, probably because the chracters are so monotonous. The artwork you can unlock is beautifully drawn and richly colored. But that's once again just what we came to expect from SNK. The graphics are very nice for a handheld game and the animated backgrounds look really cool.

Gameplay: A+
This is were the game excels. Never before have I played a game with more variety in moves and handling of the different characters. All of them play totally different and have their own unique way of playing. No matter how hard I try I can't even find a favorite character like "the Firefist" team in MotM. Setsuna is powerful and looks really cool while Lee is fast and annoying and Kaede has some nice swordplay going on. You will keep playing this game because you want to find the character that suits your way of playing the best. Let me tell you, it's a long way and even after days of excessive playing I still find new things and moves I've never used before. Plus, you can choose from two (or three if you will) different modes of playing, speed and power. The two modes are significantly different from each other. Speed lets you do wild combos and makes your character faster but weaker, while power allows you to unleash unblockable attacks and makes your moves more powerful. But that's not the end... In this game there are hidden mini games that are quite fun and allow you to collect even more points to unlock scrolls that include character artwork and background information as well as abilities that will come in handy in battles. Don't forget to keep playing to unlock all the secret things and hidden characters (six or seven, if you want to count Akari's second "form") as well as the mini games. Plus, every character has two endings and the game itself has two storylines. As soon as you beat the game with a character and buy his/her ending scroll you can go back and play through the second storyline. The two modes really differ from one another and it's a nice touch to actually have two games in one. This game has so much to offer and will keep you playing till the next MotM...

Sound: B+
The sound FX is the usual sword clashing and hit sounds. The music is well composed and some of the tunes stick in your head which is quite odd for beeps and buzzes of handhelds. The quiet music really suits the athmosphere of the game and captures the spirituality of this game perfectly.

Overall: A
This game is a must have for all fighting fans out there. I was very pleased with SS!2... Last Blade is superior in my opinion. The scroll feature will keep you coming back for more and the characterdesign is top notch. I totally love this game and Ibet that all of you will agree with me once you get your hands on this baby. One more thing. I actually find the scroll-unlock sytem way better than the Olympic system in MotM. You usually beat the game once and you're able to unlock at least one scroll while in MotM you keep playing for days and all you get is one stupid desperation move. All I can say is: Go out and buy this game now before you get sucked into Hell's Gate...