THE LAST BLADE
THE LAST BLADE
Game
Game2017
THE LAST BLADE 2
Developer SNK CORPORATION, Code Mystics
The Last Blade 2 is a 1998 fighting game developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms. It is the sequel to The Last Blade. It was ported to a series of home consoles. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
183 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Oct 25, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
92
LovedLoved
150 positive · 13 negative
95% range 87–95%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 150 | 13 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 9 | 0 | 11 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
166 of 181 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
92% recommend · 151 yes, 13 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 164 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (383 of 421 positive).
Players praise the Code Mystics port for its excellent performance and rollback netcode. [1][2][3] Many note the game's stunning pixel art and deep, footsie-based gameplay. [4][5][6] Some reviewers warn about the lack of online players and difficult AI. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [16]
!ALWAYS ONLINE DRM WARNING! This game will not load without an internet connection. If you launch the game without one, it gets stuck on "Loading your profile..." and never continues. There is no reason for this! Buyer beware!
- [1]
Runs great at a full 60 fps on modern hardware unlike Last Blade 1 port aswell as Garou. Thank god SNK used Code Mystics to develope this port. Online seems to work great if you can find a match.
- [4]
The Last Blade 2 is largely an improvement on an already fantastic predecessor. It retains the whole cast of the first game, minus one of the bosses, and adds in several very fun new fighters. The Power and Speed modes are made more distinct with Speed mode's new method of supers. The stages are even more striking than the first game, with a burning house being the biggest highlight. Even the emulation is better …
- [14]
Easy to play. With the rollback implemented, the netcode is extremely good. Too bad this game did not get noticed by many fighting gamer. Need more players.
- [6]
A forgotten jewel from late 90's fighting games, this is an spiritual sequel of Samurai Shodown, so it's not for everyone since this is a slown paced defensive game in which neutral game, footsies and pokes are the fundamentals you need to master. This is not like modern fighting games that rewards offensive and are about overwhelm your opponent, in Last Blade you quickly learn to be economic in you attack, since a …
Summarised from 34 of the 184 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked THE LAST BLADE 2 talk about great port with smooth 60fps and rollback netcode; those who didn't talk about low online player population. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
In Japan, Game Machine listed The Last Blade 2 as being the second most popular arcade game of December 1998. According to Famitsu, the Neo Geo CD version sold over 9,379 copies in its first week of release. 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."
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 183 · most liked firstRuns great at a full 60 fps on modern hardware unlike Last Blade 1 port aswell as Garou. Thank god SNK used Code Mystics to develope this port. Online seems to work great if you can find a match.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Last Blade 2 Neo Geo MVS, 1998 SNK Happy Fighting Game Friday. Possibly my favorite fighting game. Achieves an aesthetic cohesion like no other. Has a dedicated parry button, so you know it means business. #crt #retrogaming #fgc
positive · AI labelView post →- No dotemu (terrible) instead Code Mysti who do a terrific job - Lots of graphic options - Polished menu and side bars - Gallery unlocks and multiple online mods You done good SNK.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This classic finally got the Code Mystics treatment! https://twitter.com/krispykaiser/status/1253489135379025920 Just tested the online and it's buttery-smooth. :) In times where most people are staying indoors and there are no locals, good online is such an important thing to have for fighting games. Support SNK and Code Mystics for fixing these ports. If the demand is strong enough, games like the KOF UMs could be next.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is great. This port is great. The front page hasn't even shown this game since it was released so there's no players. It's a cheap port of a fantastic gem of a fighting game that's only real problem is it's lack of players online.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Last Blade 2 came to Dreamcast 24 years ago (8/7/01) Needing no introduction, TLB2 is one of SNK's finest games, and a seminal Fighting-Game, in general - featuring technical footsie-based gameplay, and 2 Grooves; the console port adds a 3rd Groove, plus an unlockable Hanafuda Card minigame!
neutral · AI labelView post →I cant speak for the game itself yet, but I am happy to report that this is a good port. DotEmu is nowhere to be seen on this port.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →No soccer player playable character.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →!ALWAYS ONLINE DRM WARNING! This game will not load without an internet connection. If you launch the game without one, it gets stuck on "Loading your profile..." and never continues. There is no reason for this! Buyer beware!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hopefully we get THE LAST LAST LAST BLADE sooner or later because the edge of this weapon is too finely honed to leave in its scabbard for too long.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Today marks 25 years of an underrated (and gorgeously animated) fighting game classic as SNK's The Last Blade 2 debuted on the NEO GEO on November 25, 1998
neutral · AI labelView post →Code Mystics rollback update for KOF98UM and KOF02UM next, please.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game. If you're checking the store page out, you probably already know that. But Code Mystics can't port controls properly. Another dumb FG where menu buttons are bound to in-game normals (i.e. Weak Slash is always the "accept" button, regardless of Weak Slash's binding). There are some nice features, including a Gallery. Thumbs down just for the bad control customization. This game came out in 2017. We have the technology. Port properly, please.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →More scanlines from this game 🌕🍁 The Last Blade 2 SNK - 1998 Sony BVM A20 CRT 🟥🟩🟦
neutral · AI labelView post →The Last Blade 2 is largely an improvement on an already fantastic predecessor. It retains the whole cast of the first game, minus one of the bosses, and adds in several very fun new fighters. The Power and Speed modes are made more distinct with Speed mode's new method of supers. The stages are even more striking than the first game, with a burning house being the biggest highlight. Even the emulation is better than the current Steam port of the first game. This is well worth your time if you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The time has come. This game is officially updated with rollback netcode.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i played this game when it was an arcade game and boy did i hate fighting kouryu i highly recommend this due to the fact it is litterally a perfect port of the actual game it even has online multiplayer to i recommend this classic to anyone that loves sword fighting games hell i gotta warn ya though the game can get pretty freaking nuts (iam looking at you kouryu with you and ya dang specials...then again he is a boss with SNK boss syndrome...) only problem with this game is the lack of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm still amazed by each animation after all those years. There's Seurat's Pointillism, and then there's SNK's Pixel Art.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well worth your ten dollars, full stop. If you're a fighting game enthusiast, don't blink. If you're a fan of the setting, don't blink twice. While I might not have a lot of time in the Steam version, I have been playing this game with people for a very long time - probably so far back as when I messed with it in MAME almost 20 years ago, back when that was basically the only way to look into it for myself. This was later compounded by the advent of Fightcade, an online emulation portal of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Needing no introduction, The Last Blade 2 is one of SNK's finest games, and a seminal Fighting-Game, in general - featuring technical footsie-based gameplay, and 2 Grooves; the console port adds a 3rd Groove, plus an unlockable Hanafuda Card minigame, which reflects the games Bakumatsu setting!
neutral · AI labelView post →Up the street from my house growing up there was a 4-slot NEO GEO cab. Spent all my quarters playing Super Sidekicks, The Last Blade 2, Samurai Showdown II, & Metal Slug. @3mill.bsky.social helped me customize a broken one when he was younger. Emulation frontend = attractmode.org #neogeo #retrogames
positive · AI labelView post →Random Game Saturday! This is the Special Edition of the Dreamcast port of The Last Blade 2 - it's a Japanese copy, which features a hidden Hanafuda mingiame, featuring unique art of the game's roster, depicted as traditional Japanese woodblock paintings!
neutral · AI labelView post →Easy to play. With the rollback implemented, the netcode is extremely good. Too bad this game did not get noticed by many fighting gamer. Need more players.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hibiki is in it and that alone makes it a great game Happy Birthday Hibiki (30th of march 2026)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros: - Very good rollback netcode. - Smooth animation. Cons: - No replay save. - No spectator mode. - Bare bones practice mode. Can't even let CPU takes control. - Some stages can cause FPS drop and we can't choose stage.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent port of one of SNK's best fighters. It appears SNK finally got the message after several terrible ports by dotemu and decided to entrust Code Mystics with this port. You can expect the same quality port we got with KOF 2002 UM. No input delay, frame skips, audio synch issues, etc. Also played a few matches online and experienced a lag free performance with a friend living in the same state. Highly recommended! Here's to more SNK ports by Code Mystics.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝔹𝕝𝕒𝕕𝕖 𝟚 𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕟 𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕫𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝟚𝔻 𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕖𝕠 𝔾𝕖𝕠 𝕖𝕣𝕒! Well, I just think the first one was better because of the Original Kaede... (that guy was OP as heck), but still, The Last Blade 2 is also a great fighting game in its own right. The plot continues, as the rich guy now wants to contain the demon, not allow it refuge in the world... But then, Koryu rises to take the power of the seven orbs... Or something like that! I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Anyone who wants to fight in Last Blade 2, write to me in person, I will be happy to fight with you.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a review from a new player and fan of this title. I'm not going to tell you what everyone already has: this game is great. Combat, characters, mechanics, this game is just really good. Now I'll give you a warning, one I wish I would have had earlier. This game's story mode (arcade) is the hardest game I've ever played in my life. Of the 4 hours of play time at the time of this review, 2.5 of it was beating a single run of arcade. By the 3rd or 4th stage this game puts the clown shoes…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SNK classic. Good game. Amazing pixelart. Great music. Good port. 60fps. Lots of options. Now GGPO included. Another wind blows through a heated age... this story, has not yet ended.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A forgotten jewel from late 90's fighting games, this is an spiritual sequel of Samurai Shodown, so it's not for everyone since this is a slown paced defensive game in which neutral game, footsies and pokes are the fundamentals you need to master. This is not like modern fighting games that rewards offensive and are about overwhelm your opponent, in Last Blade you quickly learn to be economic in you attack, since a whiffed slash may cost you a hurful punish from your rival. I must say the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has few interesting mechanics, but if you are planning to play single then I will not recommend it to you. I’ve played as Kaede character on THE FIRST DIFFICULTY LEVEL and it gave me hard times, though I’m experienced player and I’ve tried to use all available arsenal of mechanics and super moves. AI cheats. It has phenomenal reaction speed. It always knows when your repel window ends to strike in exact that moment. Input registration – bad. If you miss a millisecond combo or super…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →yup this is a video game this right here so much this
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the greatest fighting games ever made.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Same port on GoG now, but DRM free. Just saying.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →76. The Last Blade 2 Currently my favorite SNK fighting game, this one did extremely well with my friend group, second only to 3rd Strike! Stunningly gorgeous and mechanically deep, yet also easy to grasp even if you're new. The high damage, parry option, and large hitboxes make every match tense!
positive · AI labelView post →I finally got a fightstick and now I can finally stop going to the arcade for sets. Will gift to my friends once I get the funds
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cheap ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥ AI get Samurai Shodown 100x better.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a well-established and underrated classic that has received top notch emulation, and as of late, netcode. The game itself has a wide cast of very diverse characters, all of which have very well delivered hints towards rather deep character arcs. The art is all beautiful, and the music is very memorable. The actual in-game mechanics are also quite deep but very accessible, you could reasonably pick this game up in a dozen hours and be able to get some enjoyment out of any given player…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game, good port Serious question. Why the hell is Code Mystics not doing ALL of the ports to SNK games? Why are more people not hiring these people to do this sort of thing? I know this industry has some issues but come on.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Old but gold arcade game, its got pretty good controls and combos, depending on the game style you use combos are more important than single attacks, countering an enemy slash is the best way to open them to some punishment and each character has a very different fighting style. The specials are INSANE, they all look really good and the boss is a fair boss, where he still gets damaged the same as a normal character even if his attacks are pretty strong and with far range. Very recommended.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice port. Nice game. Nice art. Nice parry system. NOBODY PLAY THIS MASTERPIECE EDIT: The game has updated with GGPO (Rollback-Delay Hybrid) and the multiplayer run like a angel. Feels like offline with 150-200ms
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i know it'll never happen but if i wake up tomorrow and the select screen has musashi from the dreamcast version and a rebalanced kouryu i'll be the happiest thing alive
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The last Blade 2 is fighting game art
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This port bring back my childhood memories with my all brothers and my dad around arcade machines
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love the soundtrack of this game Please fix it so I can hear it in combat In story mode when I lose a match and use a continue the music won't start playing until I win and move to a next round I'm starting to get irritated and sad because I can only hear the SFX from the game but not the soundtrack
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've written my review before but after seven hours I can say that this has been one of my favorite past times to come back and play as different characters and see if i can hit the magical snk mark of glory on time attack. It's great. Other than that yes, slashing with Hibiki is one of my favorite past times, there are other characters besides here though.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thanks for putting in the good netcode, which made me buy it. I hope Code Mystics gets the chance to update KoF '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition and XIII.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →We only play rollback fighters in 2020! And this is one of the greatest games there is.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ANOTHER GREAT GAME GETS ROLL BACK LET'S GO BAYBEEEEE
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is another game SNK should bring back
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best fighting game i like of NEO GEO SNK studio back in the 90's -The game offers many different fighting abilities in most sorts of styles especially of the samurai from the early construction periods. -The game is very challenging and the exercises are not difficult after training and there are many nice combos and great finishes! -The plot of the game is not the most understandable. But satisfying accordingly. -In conclusion- -The Good! -the port for the PC is nice . -the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great fighting game to add to your collection. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →great 2D fighter , expect a few of these characters in Samurai Spirits dlc
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very fun focused fighting game. Plenty of difficulty modes and it was fun to learn each character while playing. Decent music and the stage interludes come dripping in style. Having a games character only available through menu information (Kouryu) is a bit fun as well. Ends up feeling less like a cheat or something and truly intended for the full experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I cannot save my progress, story mode or other. However, I love this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hostility is akin to love Thinking of your opponent’s actions to fight, Reading your opponent’s inner thoughts to fight, Planning attacks that will hit your opponent to fight, And then transmitting your thoughts with those attacks, The more you think of your own advantage, at the same time you think of your opponent, In the instant you mix with your opponent, a passionate feeling arises, and blood boils, Reality is hurt, and you wound your opponent, Hostility is akin to love.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you have local friends or family to verse, this game is perfect No people play it online unless you use discord or fightcade Easy combo system or pick 2nd style hard hitting, hard link system hits Great variation of character styles Beautiful art of characters
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An absolute hidden gem for the neogeo mvs, a fighting game based in the bakamatsu period of japan with a colorful cast and lots of different playstyles to suit. With it being a 4 button fighter it's easy for pad players to start and is complete with rollback netcode. Would highly recommend picking it up and joining the communities to get consistent games in easily one of the most overlooked fighters in history.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →good sprites good netcode, thanks code mystics
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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