last blade for dc

hi everybody, question, i was playing last blade 2 mvs at a nathans on long island about two weeks ago and i really did enjoy the game..so when it gam,e at for dc i ordered it and got it early this week...my question is dc version is poor quality then the mvs? Im not sure if i remember things right but the mvs characters seemed bigger and not as pixie.....If anybody has the home version and had a chance to play the dc please post...i liked it at the acrade but for dc it seems pretty crappy...same with my kof98 dream match for dc...compared to the neo version the dc versiopn characters are small and just seems slower then the neo geo home aes........Please post your thoughts!

I noticed the same thing with KOF 98. I think it is just a bad job of porting the titles. You would think the DC version of a Neo-Geo game should be pretty much perfect.

You would think.. but the Neo Geo has a ton of memory and was made for 2D graphic power... where as the Dreamcast has a 3D chip set. Yes, the Dreamcast can do 2D games like Street Fighter 3, but when it comes to the insane amount of animation and graphic detail that goes into the Neo Games, usually the home systems can not compete. I believe the DC has 1 MEG of real ram, correct me if I am wrong please... the Neo has like 48MEG... thats why you will never see a perfect port.... Any other thoughts?

-Nick

Well... I think the Dreamcast has 16 megs of RAM built-in to the system. The Dreamcast can port 2D fighters perfectly, the 3D chip set doesn't cripple the DC's ability to produce 2D graphics at all. In fact the 3D chip set allows the DC to make parallax scrolling and backgrounds better looking and more fluid. I don't know why SNK titles port over so badly to the DC, but its definitely not the DC's fault.

[This message has been edited by Omega-NEO (edited December 30, 2000).]

I've never played MVS version so I can't tell the difference. I got my DC LB 2 last week and I was very disappointed. Control is not that good. I don't know what I'm doing to play that stupid game (can't compare to KOF or SS series). I don't like SNK games on DC but KOF 99 E is an exception. I'll keep LB 2 because it might be the last SNK game on DC. It's a souvenir.

While I'm not that good at Last Blade 2 myself, I found that it was much more playable after giving it some time. You can't really play it like KOF or Samurai Shodown and expect to win.

LB2 is a very deep game control-wise. It has a steeper learning curve than other fighters. *Roughly,* if you like KOF style more, play in Speed mode, and if you prefer SS, go with Power mode. But since the game really does have its own unique style, you just have to adjust to it.

I'm basing this from the MVS version though, and don't know how the DC version plays.

Well I did pick up LB2 for the DC and I'll have to disagree with some of the posts here, it is an EXCELLENT title. In fact, I have LB2 for the Neo cart system, and I did a DIRECT A/B comparison of the two. Even though my Neo is modded for s-video, the DC version was brighter and sharper than the Neo version, and just plain LOOKED BETTER. Also, the characters are the SAME SIZE, I compared that too so there is no "shrinkage" going on there.

As for pixellation, this game already runs in a very LOW resolution, I think it is 320 x 200 or something like that. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, IT'S GOING TO LOOKED PIXELLATED!!! (Even more so if your DC is using s-video connection). So what, its not a new GGX type game running at 640 x 480, it still has 100 times more personality and style than GGX (which I also have and don't like as much). Animation is great, music is a little tinny but then so is the Neo cart version. The art gallery feature is very nice too.

As for control, if you don't have a good Neo arcade stick then forget playing this game. I just picked up the Innovation Arcade Stick recently (now reduced to 39.99 at EB, go GET ONE NOW!!!), and LB2 plays GREAT with this stick. My only criticism is that you can't have a 4-button in a row layout on the DC version, like the Neo version is. At least not with the Innovation stick, I don't know about other ones . . .

As for total RAM in the DC, nruva the DC doesn't have 1MB RAM. Here's the total RAM in the DC:

16MB Main System RAM
8MB Video RAM (Power VR 2nd generation graphics chip)
2MB Sound RAM

Total RAM is 26MB, more than enough to do justice to ANY 2D fighter/shooter/platform game.

Whoever is disappointed with LB2 just either doesn't have the right controller, or is noticing the pixellation more due to the DCs sharper picture (especially if you're using s-video for DC into your TV). The game is GOING to be pixelly, no way around that. But overall, I'd have to say that this is an excellent port, one of the best to DC for SNK titles so far, and ANY fighting fan (and especially Neo fighting fan) should have it in their collection!

A couple comments here.

First off, let it be known that I think Last Blade 2 is the finest 2d fighter ever released Plus its my favorite neo game. That said, I haven't played the DC version but I really have no interest in relearning subtle differences since I have the cart.

The difference between power and speed mode is really a character by character thing. Its not a "general" decision based on the style of play you prefer. I find that characters are clearly more effective one mode or another.

Also, the neo has next to NO ram... the neo CD does, (i cant remember how much) but the reason the cart system is able to utilize such large sprites is because they are streamed instantly off the cartridge and do not need to be stored in memory.

I may have different opinion from chimpmeister. I try my best but I can not put myself into LB 2. Maybe it's a descent game or it has deep game control-wise. I can't enjoy the same feeling as Street Fighter, KOF, SS, Tekken, or Soul Calibur.
I try Level 1 and computer kicks my ass really bad like I'm a 2 years old baby. Special moves are awesome but that's about it.
I've played lots and lots fighting games and this is the only one disappointed me. I keep it because I think it's the last SNK game on DC (maybe).
Just my opinion...don't kill me if you are the LB fan.

I have LB2 for DC, and I have to admit that I'm having a hard time figuring out whether or not I like it. I agree with you who mentioned it that it is a very difficult game with a steep learning curve. There's a lot of technique to it. It takes time to appreciate. I get my ass kicked everytime on about the 3rd fight or so.. It's not like SS, KoF, or capcom games.

If you play it in S-video, yes, it does look pixelated. I played it on my friend's 32" on S-video, and when we adjusted the contrast and brightness a little, it looked fine.

Give it time and you'll get to appreciate it.

You would think the DC version of a Neo-Geo game should be pretty much perfect.

Click to expand...

The only ones at fault there are members of SNK's programming team, since they never seem to be able to program well for any other system, hence all those subpar ports. If it's at all good, just be happy with it.

I own Last Blade 2 on all the Neo Geo formats, and I just picked up the DC version last week. I'm playing it with the ASCII pad and really enjoying it. Personally, I think it's a great port. I agree that any pixellation is from the low resolution, the same as the Neo versions.

My $0.02

Originally posted by Geddon_jt:
A couple comments here.

First off, let it be known that I think Last Blade 2 is the finest 2d fighter ever released

Plus its my favorite neo game. That said, I haven't played the DC version but I really have no interest in relearning subtle differences since I have the cart.

The difference between power and speed mode is really a character by character thing. Its not a "general" decision based on the style of play you prefer. I find that characters are clearly more effective one mode or another.

Also, the neo has next to NO ram... the neo CD does, (i cant remember how much) but the reason the cart system is able to utilize such large sprites is because they are streamed instantly off the cartridge and do not need to be stored in memory.

Click to expand...

LB 2 is good, Really deep moves. But the best 2-D fighter IMO on the neo is Samurai 4.

For ALL systems it was a toss up of 2nd Impact/3rd strike and KOF 98'.

But now the crown goes to Guilty Gear X, Anyone who has played the game will tell you, It has the cleanest, Sharpest most detailed graphics of any 2-D fighter ever.
I wish capcom could have made the DC versions of MvC 2 and SNK vs Capcom look like this.

GG X's music is also perfect for a fighting game, It's all rock, No smooth jazz stuff like there was in MvC 2, lol.

There is also mad crazy combos in GGX without the cheeziness of MvC 2, And without the absurd 8 story high jumps.

I think I like last blade 2 so much because I like samurai shodown so much.
I think LB 2 has a better combo system and stuff, But the Samurai characters are so much more likeable IMO and have more style.

Samurai 5 should be a blast if it ever happens (2-D asura please...)



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http://prizmdash.cjb.net

i've got my last blade since a week.and
i think the fighting engine is one of the
best i've ever seen.the fact that they
mixed the neo cd voice over with the
animations from the home version are a plus
too.yes its true,the computer ai is
pretty good,and i've had a hard time
beating the computer on level 4
stage 4 it took about 8 hours till
i figured out how to beat his ass up,
but i did it!!
BTW if you guys think that the dc
versions of several snk games are bad,
take a look at the psx versions of
samurai spirits or kof...

I find it stupid that they try to remake the game... They are just afraid of hackers taking emaulation codes out of the game, the logical thing to do would be to build a software emulation of the MVS hardware, load it to ram, and then run the rom images, intelegently disquised to that the end gamer would not know thats what they did. Some early ports were like this, from other arcades/systems...