The Last Blade
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The Last Blade
''The Last Blade'' is a fighting game developed and released by SNK for the Neo Geo (console), Neo Geo system in 1997. It was also ported to several home systems. A sequel, ''The Last Blade 2'', was released in 1998. The game takes place during the late Tokugawa shogunate, Bakumatsu era in Japan, and incorporates various elements of Japanese mythology (with a heavy emphasis on the symbology of the Four Symbols (Chinese constellation), Four Symbols). As such, the background music generally incorporates synthesized instruments simulating a sound appropriate to the 19th century setting, in a classical music, Western classical, pseudo-Romantic music, Romantic style (unusual for a fighting game). Gameplay The ''Last Blade'' series is seen as a spiritual successor to SNK's popular ''Samurai Shodown'' series, due to it being a similar 2D weapons-based fighting game. It also took over several elements from cancelled Technōs Japan, Technōs/Face's ''Dragon's Heaven'' (which tentatively ...
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The Last Blade 2
''The Last Blade 2'' is a video game developed and released by SNK in 1998. Like its predecessor, ''The Last Blade'', it is a weapons-based versus fighting game originally released to arcades via the Neo Geo MVS arcade system, although it has since been released for various other platforms. Gameplay Gameplay elements remain the same as its predecessor with some minor adjustments. An "EX" mode was added to play, which is a combination of "Speed" and "Power". The mood is grimmer than its predecessor through the introduction to the game. The characters are colored slightly darker, and the game's cut-scenes are made longer to emphasize the importance of the plot. Characters are no longer equal, hosting greater differences of strengths and weaknesses than before. Plot The game is set one year after the events of the first game. Long before humanity existed, death was an unknown, equally distant concept. When death first came to the world, the "Messenger from Afar" was born. With ...
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Shinkiro
, best known under the pen name of , is a Japanese illustrator and conceptual artist who used to work for SNK Playmore, SNK and is currently employed by Capcom. Prior to joining Capcom, Shinkiro was employed by SNK, where he provided the character designs and cover illustrations for many of their Neo Geo (console), Neo-Geo games, including such series as ''Fatal Fury (series), Fatal Fury'', ''Metal Slug'', ''The King of Fighters'', and ''Samurai Shodown'', as well as for the crossover series ''SNK vs Capcom'' on which he collaborated with Capcom's Kinu Nishimura. During the 1990s, he has been the most recognizable and famous of their artists. After that, he worked as a free illustrator and a cartoonist. At Capcom since 2000, Shinkiro has done several cover artworks and character designs for many of their games, including ''Bionic Commando Rearmed'', ''Dino Stalker'', ''Dead Rising'', ''Capcom Fighting Jam'', ''Resident Evil: Dead Aim'', ''Tatsunoko vs. Capcom'', ''Marvel vs. Capco ...
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PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 30 November 2000. It is the successor to the original PlayStation (console), PlayStation, as well as the second installment in the PlayStation brand of consoles. As a sixth generation of video game consoles, sixth-generation console, it competed with Nintendo's GameCube, and Microsoft's Xbox (console), Xbox. It is the List of best-selling game consoles, best-selling video game console of all time, having sold over 155 million units worldwide. Announced in 1999, Sony began developing the console after the immense success of its predecessor. The PS2 offered Backward compatibility, backward-compatibility for its predecessor's DualShock#DualShock, DualShock controller, as well as its games. The PlayStation 2 received widespread critical accla ...
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Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
, abbreviated ''NGBC'' or ''NBC'', is a 2-on-2 tag team fighting game designed for the Atomiswave arcade board developed and released by SNK in 2005. The game features characters from several SNK and ADK titles. Subsequently, a PlayStation 2 version of the game was released in Japan, North America, and Europe. The Xbox Live Arcade version was released worldwide on June 9, 2010. In 2020, a homebrew conversion was released for the Dreamcast. Gameplay The game system of the arcade NGBC, as previously mentioned, is a 2-on-2 tag battle, regardless of how many players are playing. While the two-player game system is similar to most tag-team systems of other games, the single player system is unusual. The game's single play is more like a survival battle, where the player must beat enemy after enemy as long as possible. However, the game gives the player 300 seconds, and when time-out occurs, instead of win or lose, the player will face the boss (depending on how well they perform). Onl ...
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Combo (video Games)
In video games, a combo (short for combination) is a set of actions performed in sequence, usually with strict timing limitations, that yield a significant benefit or advantage. The term originates from fighting games where it is based upon the concept of a striking combination. It has been since applied more generally to a wide variety of genres, such as puzzle games, shoot 'em ups, and sports games. Combos are commonly used as an essential gameplay element, but can also serve as a high score or attack power modifier, or simply as a way to exhibit a flamboyant playing style. In fighting games, combo specifically indicates a timed sequence of moves which produce a cohesive series of hits, each of which leaves the opponent unable or almost unable to block or otherwise avoid the following hits in the sequence. History John Szczepaniak of ''Hardcore Gaming 101'' considers Data East's DECO Cassette System arcade title ''Flash Boy'' (1981), a scrolling action game based on the manga ...
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Technōs Japan
was a Japanese video game Video game developer, developer, best known for the ''Double Dragon'' and ''Kunio-kun (series), Kunio-kun'' Media franchise, franchises (the latter including ''Renegade (video game), Renegade'', ''Super Dodge Ball'' and ''River City Ransom'') as well as ''Karate Champ'', ''The Combatribes'' and ''Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer''. As of June 2015, Arc System Works owns the intellectual properties of Technōs Japan. History Initially operating from a single-room apartment, Technōs was founded in 1981 by three staff members of Data East. Their first game was ''Minky Monkey'', released in 1982. A few months after their foundation, a lawsuit was brought up against the company by Data East under allegations that Technos had stolen data from Data East's arcade game ''Pro Tennis'' with the intent of producing and selling a bootleg of it. The two companies settled in August 1983 and Technos would go on to create two arcade games published by Data East, ''Tag Team ...
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Electronic Gaming Monthly
''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The magazine was founded in 1988 as U.S. National Video Game Team's ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' under Sendai Publications. In 1994, ''EGM'' spun off '' EGM²'', which focused on expanded cheats and tricks (i.e., with maps and guides). It eventually became ''Expert Gamer'' and finally the defunct ''GameNOW''. After 83 issues (up to June 1996), ''EGM'' switched publishers from Sendai Publishing to Ziff Davis. Until January 2009, ''EGM'' only covered gaming on console hardware and software. In 2002, the magazine's subscription increased by more than 25 percent. The magazine was discontinued by Ziff Davis in January 2009, following the sale of '' 1UP.com'' to UGO Networks. The magazine's February 2009 issue was already completed, but was not pu ...
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Samurai Shodown
''Samurai Shodown'', known in Japan as is a fighting game series by SNK. The series began in 1993 and is known for being one of the earliest in the genre with a primary focus on weapon-based combat. Plot The stories in the series take place in 18th-century Japan, during the Sakoku or seclusion period of Japan (the first four games run across 1788 and 1789) with great artistic license so that foreign-born characters (including some from places that did not exist as such in 1788) and fictional monsters can also be part of the story. The plot of each game is quite different, but they circle a central group of characters and a region in Japan. ''Samurai Shodown'' consequently portrays snippets of the Japanese culture and language internationally with little edits. For instance, unlike most fighting games made in Japan, the characters in the series (including the announcer) generally speak only in Japanese, with dialects ranging from archaic formalities and theatricalism to modern-d ...
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Romantic Music
Romantic music is a stylistic movement in Western Classical music associated with the period of the 19th century commonly referred to as the Romantic era (or Romantic period). It is closely related to the broader concept of Romanticism—the intellectual, artistic and literary movement that became prominent in Western culture from approximately 1798 until 1837. Romantic composers sought to create music that was individualistic, emotional, dramatic and often programmatic; reflecting broader trends within the movements of Romantic literature, poetry, art, and philosophy. Romantic music was often ostensibly inspired by (or else sought to evoke) non-musical stimuli, such as nature, literature, poetry, super-natural elements or the fine arts. It included features such as increased chromaticism and moved away from traditional forms. Background The Romantic movement was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in ...
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Classical Music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also applies to non-Western art music. Classical music is often characterized by formality and complexity in its musical form and harmonic organization, particularly with the use of polyphony. Since at least the ninth century it has been primarily a written tradition, spawning a sophisticated notational system, as well as accompanying literature in analytical, critical, historiographical, musicological and philosophical practices. A foundational component of Western Culture, classical music is frequently seen from the perspective of individual or groups of composers, whose compositions, personalities and beliefs have fundamentally shaped its history. Rooted in the patronage of churches and royal courts in Western Europe, surviving earl ...
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