The Last Blade isn't the most well-known of SNK's roster of fighting games. The company's acclaimed franchises across arcades and the Neo Geo home systems include such genre staples as Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting, but the unique setting and weapon-based combat of The Last Blade gained itself a following. Now, one of its rarer games is available once more: The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny, finding itself a new home on Nintendo Switch.
Initially released for the Neo Geo Pocket Color in 2000, The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny was a combination of the first two The Last Blade games, with an unlock system based around earning points to steadily gain access to content. It suffered the fate of being a game released on a handheld that never quite found a home, and as such it had been forgotten by many - though a new lease on life proves that may have been an unfair fate for a surprisingly solid game.
The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny showcases the qualities that fans of the Neo Geo Pocket Color have long debated. In comparison to other handhelds at the time (the Game Boy Advance was still a year away from release when The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny came out) the Neo Geo Pocket Color gained a reputation for free flowing gameplay. Its mini joystick d-pad, which was ahead of its time on a handheld device, made it perfect for fighting games, and the ease of control and pulling off special moves in the port is testament to the qualities of the original platform.
Because of this, The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny remains an example of exactly why SNK has earned its reputation with fighting games. Compared to contemporaries on other handheld devices at the time, such as the stilted and unreliable controls of Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter ports on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny is vastly superior. It's not perfect - it is, after all, a handheld fighting game from two decades ago - but its fluidity against peers from the era is impressive.
Based on the context of its release, The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny is also visually well designed. The title has clear and fluid animations, while its characters are also surprisingly expressive. The game is framed around a fake Neo Geo Pocket Color as well, a customizable banner much like those seen on the Super Game Boy for the SNES.
It helps that The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny has a fun cast. There's a strong array of vibrant personalities, ranging from the stoic through to the comedic, a framework that many a fighting game has used over the years. There's something quite magical about beating the game playing as old guru Okina by throwing a turtle at the head of an opponent as they come in for a powerful diving attack.
In spite of these positives, it's unlikely that The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny will appeal outside of hardcore SNK fans. The points-earning system adds replayability, but other than that it's hard to get around the fact that this is a handheld fighting game from 2000. When compared to other games available, it's not as enjoyable to a fair weather player as something else that could be picked up, given the advancements in the genre without the limits that a handheld device comes with.
Nonetheless it's always good to see rare games such as The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny made available. This is particularly true given the more democratic manner of digital distribution at a modest price point, as those who want to pick up a legitimate copy of the game would need to be able to afford the exorbitant costs of a second hand copy of the cartridge. Hopefully, the game will be made available long term to allow intrigued players to pick it up.
As it is, The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny stands as a fun piece of fighting game history. This curio might not turn many heads outside of those already acquainted with the lesser-known parts of SNK's line-up, but the fact that it's available at all will be a relief to fans. It's certainly more refreshing to see a game like this get a second life than some other already-popular Switch ports.
The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny is out now for Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a Switch download code for the purposes of this review.
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