The Last Blade

The Last Blade, known as Romance of the Bakumatsu: Swordsman of the Moonlight ((幕末浪漫 月華の剣士, Bakumatsu Rōman: Gekka no Kenshi) in Japan, is the first entry to The Last Blade series. It was first released in arcades in December 5, 1997. Both games were released for a PS2 compilation on January 12, 2006.

Overview
The setting is set in 1863 during the Bakumatsu, the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate where a clash of ideologies were fighting to decide Japan's new society. All of the characters wield different types of weapons in combat. The button layout is weakest attack (A), stronger attack (B), kick (C), and deflect (D). Using the D button, players can interrupt otherwise damaging attacks by stunning their opponents, leaving them open for an attack.

Gameplay consist of two modes: “Speed” mode and “Power” mode; Speed mode allows players to chain several normal attacks into a special or desperation/super move, as well as execute a "Speed Combo". Power mode on the other hand, grants the player increased damage potential exponentially and giving access to "Super Desperation Moves" which inflict an exorbitant amount of damage (the recommendations to performing them however, requires the player's life bar to flash and have a full power bar). Power mode also allows the player to perform Super Cancels; canceling a special move into a desperation/super move (but not a desperation move, with the sole exception of Awakened Kaede in the first game). Players can test which mode is best for them, increasing replay value for characters as well as the longevity of the game.

It earned positive praise from both fans and critics alike. The game featured backgrounds with detailed real-time effects, character animations that were smooth and some of the best seen on the Neo Geo, and a colorful character rooster that was relatively balanced with no character noticeably overpowering another. The only flaws mentioned Christopher Nutt from Gamespot wrote, "All in all, this is a great game; if you enjoy a solid two-dimensional fighter, and you understand the nuances of the genre, you will really enjoy it."

Like most home ports to SNK games, the PS2 port to this title also has an exclusive animated intro.

Playable Characters

 * Kaede
 * Moriya Minakata
 * Yuki
 * Keiichiro Washizuka
 * Shikyoh
 * Lee Rekka
 * Zantetsu
 * Akari Ichijou
 * Juzoh Kanzaki
 * Okina no Genbu
 * Shigen Naoe
 * Hyo Amano

Playstation Exclusive Characters

 * Kojiroh Sanada
 * "Akari" Ichijou
 * Teku no Shigen

Bosses

 * Musashi Akatsuki
 * Shinnosuke Kagami
 * Awakened Kagami