Last Resort (video game)

Last updated
Last Resort
Last Resort arcade flyer.jpg
Developer(s) SNK
Publisher(s) SNK
Producer(s) Yasumi Tozono
Designer(s) Eri Koujitani
Hajime Itō
Khozoh Nagashima
Programmer(s) Takefumi Yamamoto
Composer(s) Toshio Shimizu
Yasuo Yamate
Platform(s) Arcade, Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD
Release
1992
  • Arcade
    • WW: 23 March 1992
    Neo Geo AES
    • JP: 24 April 1992
    • NA: 24 April 1992
    • EU: 24 April 1992
    Neo Geo CD
    • JP: 9 September 1994
    • NA: October 1996
Genre(s) Scrolling shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, co-op
Arcade system Neo Geo MVS

Last Resort [lower-alpha 1] is a horizontally scrolling shooter by SNK released as an arcade video game in 1992. It was also released for the Neo-Geo and Neo Geo CD systems, [1] [2] SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii, as well as ACA Neo-Geo for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Contents

Gameplay

Brucken, the first boss NEOGEO Last Resort.png
Brucken, the first boss

The object of the game is to fight through five stages (twice) and destroy the end stage bosses by aiming for their weak points. The player controls a cyber jet and (once procured) an indestructible robot drone which acts both as a shield against small projectiles (similar to the Dino 246 drone in Pulstar and Blazing Star ) and an additional weapon with multi-directional fire and concussion launch capabilities. The robot drone can be toggled to a stoptrack position or to rotate around the cyber jet. The cyber jet can be upgraded with three levels of three types of firepower and faster jet speed by collecting the corresponding power-ups.

Plot

Many years in the future, mankind has developed the technology for space colonization. However, a mysterious computer virus infects the primary computer running man's first space station, causing it not only to affect its automated defenses, but to convince other humans to side with it. The computer attacks Earth so often that Earth's only hope is put into advanced spaceships wielding great firepower.

Development

Last Resort was developed by former Irem staff members. [3]

Reception

Last Resort garnered positive reception from seven reviewers of Gamest during its 1992 AOU Show appearance. [13] In Japan, Game Machine listed the game on their May 15, 1992 issue as being the thirteenth most popular arcade software at the time. [17] RePlay also reported the game to be the sixteenth most-popular arcade game at the time. [18] The title received generally positive reception from critics since its release in arcades and other platforms, [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] with some comparing it with R-Type. [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] Other reviewers also drew visual comparison with the 1988 film Akira . [8] [9] [11]

Consoles Plus's Marc Menier and Douglas of Consoles Plus praised the visual presentation, sound design, playability and longevity, regarding it as a referencial shoot 'em up for Neo Geo. [5] Electronic Gaming Monthly 's four reviewers panned the Neo Geo AES version, commenting that it has impressive graphics and sounds, but crippling slowdown and extremely short length, problems they found especially unforgivable given the console's powerful hardware and the cartridge's high price. [6] Hobby Consolas ' Marcos García highly commended the graphics, music and two-player mode, but criticized the lack of an additional stage and occasional slowdown during gameplay. [7] Joypad's Jean-François Morisse and Joystick 's Jean-Marc Demoly gave positive remarks to the graphics, sprite animations, sound and controls. [8] [9]

Player One's Cyril Drevet stated that the power-up system was a mixture of R-Type and Forgotten Worlds and criticized the occurrence of slowdown during gameplay, comparing it with those of popular shoot 'em ups on the Super NES. However, Drevet nevertheless praised the visuals, sound, difficulty and longevity. [11] Consolemania' Davide Corrado commended the graphics, sound and playability, but criticized its high difficulty level. [12] Power Play's Martin Gaksch regarded it as the best classic-style shooter since R-Type and its sequel for arcades and consoles, praising the title's ingenuity, audiovisual presentation, and action. [14]

Ultimate Future Games reviewed the Neo Geo CD version and praised the graphically detailed sprites and stages, opera-style rave soundtrack, sound effects and action, but criticized its short length. [15] VideoGames & Computer Entertainment 's Andy Eddy criticized the occurrence of slowdown and flickering, short length and difficulty. [16] Nintendo Life 's Damien McFerran compared its dark atmosphere with both R-Type and Armed Police Unit Gallop , praising its soundtrack and challenge, regarding it as one of the best shooters on Neo Geo, but criticized the two-player mode for being broken and other aspects. [10] In 2014, HobbyConsolas identified it as one of the twenty best games for the Neo Geo CD. [29] Likewise, Time Extension also listed it as one of the best games for the Neo Geo. [30]

Notes

  1. Japanese: ラスト・リゾート, Hepburn: Rasuto Rizōto

Related Research Articles

<i>NAM-1975</i> 1990 video game

NAM-1975 is a war shooting gallery arcade video game developed and originally published by SNK on April 26, 1990. It was one of the launch titles for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and Neo Geo AES (home) platforms, in addition to being the only title in the system that does not feature the Neo Geo boot screen in its attract mode, as well as one of the pack-in games for the AES.

<i>Aero Fighters 2</i> 1994 video game

Aero Fighters 2 is a vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released in 1994 by Video System. It is developed by SNK and released in Japan, North America and Europe. It is the second part of the Aero Fighters series followed by the third part Aero Fighters 3 and a spin-off Aero Fighters Assault. It was initially released as a cabinet token base game.

<i>Alpha Mission II</i> 1991 video game

Alpha Mission II is a vertically scrolling full screen shoot 'em up released by SNK in 1991 for the Neo Geo arcade and home systems. It is the sequel to the 1985 arcade game Alpha Mission. It was later released for the Neo Geo CD in 1994 and for the PlayStation Portable in 2010.

<i>Magician Lord</i> 1990 video game

Magician Lord is a side-scrolling action-platform arcade video game developed by Alpha Denshi and originally published by SNK on April 26, 1990. It was one of the launch titles for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and Neo Geo AES (home) platforms, in addition of also being one of the pack-in games for the AES.

<i>Baseball Stars Professional</i> 1991 video game

Baseball Stars Professional is a baseball arcade video game developed and originally published by SNK on 26 April 1990. A follow-up to the original Baseball Stars on Nintendo Entertainment System, it was one of the launch titles for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and Neo Geo AES (home) platforms, in addition of also being one of the pack-in games for the AES, as well as the first baseball title released for the Neo Geo.

<i>Cyber-Lip</i> 1990 video game

Cyber-Lip is a run and gun video game released in arcades by SNK in 1990 for the Neo Geo MVS. It was released for the Neo Geo AES home console in 1991.

<i>Pulstar</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Pulstar is a horizontally scrolling shooter released for arcades by SNK in 1995. Players control a starship in its mission to eradicate the Solar System of a hostile race of aliens that threaten mankind. Its gameplay has been compared to the R-Type series for its similar premise and mechanics; players must complete each of the game's eight stages by destroying constantly-moving formations of enemies and avoiding their projectiles. There are power-ups that can be collected that provide additional abilities for the player. It runs on the Neo Geo MVS arcade system board.

<i>Mutation Nation</i> 1992 video game

Mutation Nation is a beat 'em up arcade video game that was developed and released by SNK for the Neo Geo in 1992.

<i>Burning Fight</i> 1991 video game

Burning Fight is a beat 'em up arcade game released by SNK in 1991 for the Neo Geo MVS system. Introduced to capture a share in the then-popular beat 'em ups market, it was meant to compete with Technōs' Double Dragon, the leader of the genre at the time. Three years after its release in the arcades and on the Neo Geo AES, it was released on Neo Geo CD as the only other home version.

<i>Blues Journey</i> 1990 video game

Blue's Journey is a side-scrolling platform game released by Alpha Denshi in 1990 on SNK's Neo Geo MVS arcade system and their AES home system. It was ported to the Neo Geo CD in 1994. It was rereleased on the Wii's Virtual Console in Europe on November 9, 2007, followed by North America on November 12, 2007.

<i>Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy</i> 1994 video game

Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy is a side scrolling arcade beat 'em up platform game developed by SNK for the Neo Geo in 1994. It was also released on the Neo Geo CD, and the Wii Virtual Console. The game has been re-released as part of SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1, on May 1, 2008, and in the ACA Neo Geo series on PlayStation 4 on January 10, 2018. Its development team consisted of former Irem staff members.

<i>Ninja Combat</i> 1990 video game

Ninja Combat is a 1990 side-scrolling beat 'em up video game developed by Alpha Denshi and published by SNK. It was one of the launch titles for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and AES (home) systems.

<i>Ghost Pilots</i> 1991 video game

Ghost Pilots is a vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game released in 1991 by SNK. It has elements similar to Capcom's 194X series, but the player controls a seaplane.

<i>League Bowling</i> 1990 video game

League Bowling is an arcade game released in 1990 by SNK for the Neo Geo console and arcade systems. The players controls characters with red and blue hair and can select balls from 8 to 15 pounds. It is the only bowling game released on the Neo Geo.

<i>Top Players Golf</i> 1990 video game

Top Player's Golf is a golf arcade video game developed and originally published by SNK on May 23, 1990. It was one of the launch titles for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and Neo Geo AES (home) platforms in the United States, the second golf game created by SNK after 1988's Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf, as well as one of the two golf games released for the Neo Geo, with the other one being Nazca Corporation's 1996 Neo Turf Masters.

<i>Robo Army</i> 1991 video game

Robo Army is a beat 'em up video game developed and published by SNK that was released for Neo Geo arcades and home consoles in 1991 and the Neo Geo CD in 1995.

<i>Andro Dunos</i> 1992 video game

Andro Dunos is a scrolling shooter arcade video game developed by Visco Corporation and originally published by SNK on June 15, 1992. It is the first title to be created by Visco for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and Neo Geo AES (home) platforms. Andro Dunos, along with 1996's Breakers are the only two Visco developed games to be officially licensed for distribution on the Neo Geo AES platform. All other Visco games were only released on the Neo Geo MVS arcade platform.

<i>Football Frenzy</i> 1992 video game

Football Frenzy is an American football arcade video game developed and originally published by SNK on January 31, 1992. It was the second football game created by SNK after 1987's Touch Down Fever, as well as the only football game released for the Neo Geo platform.

<i>Super Sidekicks</i> (video game) 1992 video game

Super Sidekicks is a 1992 soccer arcade video game developed and published by SNK. It is the first installment in the eponymous series and the second soccer game released for Neo Geo MVS, succeeding Soccer Brawl (1991). Featuring an arcade-style approach to soccer compared to other games released at the time, the title allows players to choose any of the available game modes with AI-controlled opponents or other human players with the team of their choosing. Its gameplay uses a simplified two-button configuration.

<i>Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship</i> 1994 video game

Super Sidekicks 2: The World Championship is a 1994 soccer arcade video game developed and published by SNK. It is the second installment in the Super Sidekicks series and the third soccer game released for Neo Geo MVS, preceding the original Super Sidekicks (1992). Featuring an arcade-style approach to soccer as its predecessor, the game allows players to choose any of the available game modes with AI-controlled opponents or other human players with the team of their choosing. Its gameplay uses a simplified three-button configuration.

References

  1. "Oh! Neo Geo Vol. 5 - ラストリゾート". Beep! MegaDrive (in Japanese). No. 40. SoftBank Creative. January 1993. p. 142.
  2. "Neo•Geo CD: The Arcade In A Box - Last Resort". GamePro . No. Premiere Supplement. IDG. Spring 1996. p. 105. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  3. BackintoysTV (June 27, 2014). Metal Slug History PART 2 - Neo Geo - Retro Game Test - REVIEW fr vf. YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
  4. Knight, Kyle (1998). "Last Resort (Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System) - Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-15. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  5. 1 2 Menier, Marc; Douglas (June 1992). "Neo Geo Review - Last Resort". Consoles + (in French). No. 10. M.E.R.7. pp. 60–61.
  6. 1 2 Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Alessi, Martin; Williams, Ken (July 1992). "Review Crew - Neo Geo - Last Resort". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 36. Sendai Publishing. p. 24.
  7. 1 2 García, Marcos (October 1992). "Neo Geo - Maquina Total - Last Resort". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 13. Axel Springer SE. pp. 118–121.
  8. 1 2 3 Morisse, Jean-François; Demoly, Jean-Marc (June 1992). "Test - Neo Geo - Last Resort". Joypad (in French). No. 9. Yellow Media. pp. 64–65.
  9. 1 2 3 Demoly, Jean-Marc (June 1992). "Tests - Neo Geo - Last Resort". Joystick (in French). No. 28. Sipress. p. 123.
  10. 1 2 McFerran, Damien (June 22, 2017). "Last Resort Review (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)". Nintendo Life . Nlife Media. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  11. 1 2 3 Drevet, Cyril (June 1992). "Tests De Jeux - Neo Geo - Last Resort". Player One (in French). No. 21. Média Système Édition. pp. 86–87.
  12. 1 2 Corrado, Davide (September 1992). "Last Resort (Neo Geo)". Consolemania (in Italian). No. 11. Xenia Edizioni. p. 41.
  13. 1 2 Miyaura, Mitsuru; Maker T; Ishii, Zenji; Yamakawa, Yuri; Uemura, Sly; Endo, Charako; Momoro, Kurihara (May 1992). "'92 AOU ショー クロスレビュー: ラストリゾート (SNK)". Gamest (in Japanese). No. 71. Shinseisha. p. 22.
  14. 1 2 Gaksch, Martin (July 1992). "Videospiele / Tests - Last Resort". Power Play (in German). No. 52. Future Verlag. pp. 132–133.
  15. 1 2 "Last Resort (Neo Geo CD) - Bags of plasma death". Ultimate Future Games . No. 3. Future Publishing. February 1995. p. 92.
  16. 1 2 Eddy, Andy (July 1992). "Video-Game Reviews - Last Resort (SNK) For the Neo•Geo". VideoGames & Computer Entertainment . No. 42. Larry Flynt Publications. p. 110.
  17. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 426. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 May 1992. p. 29.
  18. "The Player's Choice - Top Games Now in Operation, Based on Earnings-Opinion Poll of Operators: Best Video Software". RePlay. Vol. 17, no. 9. RePlay Publishing, Inc. June 1992. p. 4.
  19. Noak, Philipp; Hellert, Stefan (August 1993). "Special - Neo Geo - Last Resort". Mega Fun (in German). No. 11. Computec. pp. 28–30. Archived from the original on 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  20. Y. Pout, Willy (July 1992). "Neo•Geo Preview: Last Resort". GamePro . No. 36. IDG. p. 78.
  21. Yanma; Itabashi (July 1992). "Super Soft 大特集 - 今、『NEO・GEO』がおもしろい!: ラスト・リゾート". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 121. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 206.
  22. "Reportaje - Clásicos en CD -- Titulos disponibles para el nuevo formato de SNK: Last Resort". Hobby Hi-Tech (in Spanish). No. 1. Axel Springer SE. March 1995. p. 28.
  23. "NF編集部にまる - ネオジオゲームㇱインレビュー: ラストリゾート". Neo Geo Freak (in Japanese). No. 25. Geibunsha. June 1997. pp. 124–128.
  24. F., Reinhard (January 1992). "SNK - Neo Geo - Last Resort". Megablast (in German). No. 1. Joker-Verlag. p. 60.
  25. "Preview - Neo Geo -- Last Resort". Computer and Video Games . No. 126. Future Publishing. May 1992. p. 90. Archived from the original on 2019-08-10. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  26. Knauf, Andreas (June 1992). "News - Neo Geo - Mutation Nation". Video Games (in German). No. 7. Future-Verlag. p. 16.
  27. Osange, Elliott (July 5, 2017). "ACA NEOGEO LAST RESORT Review". bonusstage.co.uk. Bonus Stage. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  28. Maciejewski, A.J. (August 12, 2019). "ACA NeoGeo Shoot 'em Ups - Last Resort Review". videochums.com. Video Chums. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  29. Alonso, Álvaro (February 19, 2014). "Reportaje: Los 20 mejores juegos de Neo Geo CD". HobbyConsolas (in Spanish). Axel Springer SE. Archived from the original on 2014-03-02. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  30. McFerran, Damien (January 4, 2023). "Best Neo Geo Games". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on 2023-01-04. Retrieved 2023-02-08.