# 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 their 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 in strengths and weaknesses than before.

## Characters

Three new characters were introduced:
* Hibiki Takane (高嶺 響, Takane Hibiki) is the 17-year-old daughter of Genzō Takane (高嶺 源蔵, Takane Genzō), a renowned swordsmith known throughout Japan during the Bakumatsu era. He had retired to an isolated area in the countryside with his daughter but continued his work with various swordsmen around the country. One fateful day, Setsuna approaches Genzō and requests that he forge a new sword. Though the man radiated an aura of pure, unfathomable evil, the master swordsmith finds himself unable to refuse the request. He spends a time of almost 3 months forging this sword, which he dubs the “Yaso Magatsu Hi no Tachi” (八十枉津日太刀, “Blade of Eighty Days Harbored Unwillingly”), detailing the amount of time he invested in the weapon. The labor renders him ill, however, and he is soon permanently bedridden. He tells his daughter that the silver-haired man was the reason for his condition, and that she should pursue him and the sword that he had forged. With a concerned Hibiki by his side, he utters his last words: “The thing that I saw... that I felt, even you must understand.” Though she was confused by her father's cryptic request, Hibiki gathers her belongings and leaves in search of the silver-haired man. Several days later, a man named Hyo Amano stops by, hoping that Genzō would repair his weapon, the “Otokomae”, when he learns of the swordsmith's death, he sets out to find his daughter. Hibiki has 2 endings in the game; one of them involve her deciding to improve her swordsmanship which can be gained if the player defeats the opponents they face in Arcade mode with her super moves in every round.
* Setsuna (刹那) is a powerful spirit that was released after Kagami was defeated by Kaede. Finding a deceased baby on a field of battle, he possesses it. After maturing his human form into an adult, he walks the path of destruction, killing and filled with hate for the human race. He uses a black katana-like blade, which leaves a trail of dark energy in its wake. He is directly responsible for the death of Hibiki's father, forcing him by sheer charisma to forge his sword and work on it to the utter limit.
* Kojiroh Sanada (真田 小次郎, Sanada Kojirō) was the captain of the fictional Shinsengumi Unit Zero, which investigated demonic forces in Japan, following the concept of Bushidō. After Kojiroh dies investigating “Hell’s Gate”, his sister Kaori disguises herself as him, using his identity in order to investigate the evils within, as well as to restore the faith in the Shinsengumi. She also travels to finish off the former Shinsengumi, Shikyoh. Washizuka is the only known person to know her true identity. Kaori shares similar moves with Washizuka, but does not perform them via the "charge" mechanism.

## Home versions

The Last Blade 2 was made available for various consoles, including SNK's own Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD. The Neo Geo CD version includes an extra quiz mode, voiced cutscenes, and a gallery section featuring art from both Last Blade titles. Most of these additional features were also included with the Dreamcast port titled The Last Blade 2: Heart of the Samurai, released in 2001. The Neo Geo CD and Dreamcast versions added an additional character named Musashi Akatsuki, the sub-boss from the first game.
The Last Blade 2 was subsequently bundled with the original Last Blade for a PlayStation 2 compilation released only in Japan; both games are arcade perfect emulations of the original games and do not contain additions from the other console versions. At PlayStation Experience 2015, SNK Playmore announced PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions of The Last Blade 2 developed by Code Mystics.

## Reception

Review scores :
| Publication | Score |
| AllGame | (NG) (DC) |
| Consoles + | (NG) 85% |
| Edge | (DC) 6/10 |
| GameSpot | (DC) 8.1/10 |
| IGN | (DC) 8.7/10 |
| Joypad | (NG) 7/10 |
| Next Generation | (DC) |
| Nintendo Life | (VC) (NS) |
| Video Games (DE) | (NG) 78% (DC) 80% |
| GameShark.com | (DC) 7/10 |
| Power Unlimited | (DC) 77/100 |
In Japan, Game Machine listed The Last Blade 2 on their December 15, 1998 issue as being the second most popular arcade game at the time. According to Famitsu, the Neo Geo CD sold over 9,379 copies in its first week on the market. Blake Fischer reviewed the Dreamcast version of the game for Next Generation, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "A unique 2D fighter for Dreamcast which is a welcome break from the plethora of Street Fighter variants we've seen in the States. Too bad you'll have to track down an import to play." In 2012, GamesRadar+ included Last Blade 2 among the little-known classic fighting games that deserve HD remakes, calling it "one of the Neo Geo’s prettiest, deepest fighters."