The Last Resort/Akira Connection...

This may be old news to everybody on the planet, but the first stage from SNK’s stylish (and frustratingly difficult) horizontal shooter Last Resort is a blatant and rather dead-on homage to the skyline of Neo-Tokyo (circa AD 2018) from Akira. My impressions of the first level (the distinctive red neon color scheme, swirling spotlights, the multi-plane building layout) was that it was “similar in style” to Otomo’s Neo-Tokyo. Imagine my surprise when the buildings dwindled into the distance and an unmistakable, ominous crater loomed oppressively in the dark shadows of the backdrop. I was sure of it, this was Neo-Tokyo. And then a crazy Terminator robot boss appeared from nowhere...



Well, anyway...

Perhaps this only has relevance to me, being the über-Akira freak that I am. I’m completely serious when I tell people its “Japan’s Post-Modern ‘Lord of the Rings’”. I think if people sat down and read the enormous, kaleidoscopic epic that the Akira manga is, they would have to agree (and probably appreciate the film more, to boot...).

Oh, as for Last Resort... sadly the brilliant level design begins and ends with the first stage. The remaining levels are an uninspired mishmash of post-apocalyptic, H.R. Giger inspired mecha trash that plagues 97% of horizontal shooters. Too bad...

Well, just thought everyone would like to know...

Not to rain on your parade or anything, but most cityscapes look the same at night. None of the buildings in LR look exactly like the ones in Akira, and of course it'll surprise no one to learn craters in shmups aren't exactly new.

Akira rocked, no question, but besides having a city at night with a crater there's no other connection that countless other games can't also claim.

There was a thread about this recentlyish, the connection is true.

Baseley09:
There was a thread about this recentlyish, the connection is true.

Click to expand...

yes, and they also talked about Eolith using Tetsuo's and Kanaeda's voice actor's for KoF 2k1 with the K9999 (Tetsuo homage, with real voice actor of the movie) and Kyo Kusanagi (voice actor of Kanaeda) I probably misspelled Kanaeda (Canada, Kaneda) and Last Resort also came up in that thread.

<small>[ August 25, 2003, 11:03 PM: Message edited by: the roker ]</small>

No, you fools! How can I crush dreams if you're backing him up?

Close, it's Kaneda 金田 which literally translates to 'Gold Field'. It's a pretty common Japanese last name.

Kula crushing the ZeroCannon in KOF2000 already was an homage of the Sol crisis in Akira.

K9999 is himself a total homage to Tetsuo. Design, voice, lines, moves. Almost everything.

In KOF2002, K9999 and CloneKyo (Kaneda's VoiceActor) also have a special intro with a famous quote from the Akira Movie.

KOF has always been full fo anime references. I once made quite a long post about it...

I wouldn't say the rest of the levels in Last Resort are GARBAGE, per se. I mean, the Akira homage CLEARLY runs through at least to the second stage, wherein the level looks exactly like the crushed and washed away city of Neo Tokyo, post Akira-Tetsuo-Universe-Creation.

I have to agree on the skyline part. They DO look identical.

<small>[ August 26, 2003, 12:07 AM: Message edited by: Below The Radar ]</small>