is a horizontally

scrolling shooter Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs) are a subgenre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of character m ...

SNK is a Japanese video gaming and interactive entertainment company. It was founded in 1978 as by Eikichi Kawasaki and began by developing arcade games. SNK is known for its Neo Geo arcade system on which the company established many franchises ...

released as an

arcade video game An arcade video game is an arcade game that takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. All arcade video games are coin-oper ...

in 1992. It was also released for the

Neo-Geo The , stylized as NEO•GEO, is a video game platform released in 1990 by Japanese game company SNK Corporation. It was initially released in two ROM cartridge-based formats: an arcade system board (Multi Video System; MVS) and a home video game ...

and

Neo Geo CD The is a home video game console produced by SNK Corporation, released on September 9, 1994. The system is the same platform as the cartridge-based Neo Geo released four years earlier, but converted to the cheaper CD media format which reta ...

systems, ''

SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 ''SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1'' is a video game compilation created and published by SNK which includes sixteen Neo Geo (console), Neo Geo games. The compilation was released on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and the Wii. In Australia, it ...

'' for the

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...

, and

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...

, as well as '' ACA Neo-Geo'' for the

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...

and

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...

Gameplay

The object of the game is to fight through five stages (twice) and destroy the end stage bosses by aiming for their weak points. The player controls a cyber jet and (once procured) an indestructible robot drone which acts both as a shield against small projectiles (similar to the Dino 246 drone in '' Pulstar'' and '' Blazing Star'') and an additional weapon with multi-directional fire and concussion launch capabilities. The robot drone can be toggled to a stoptrack position or to rotate around the cyber jet. The cyber jet can be upgraded with three levels of three types of firepower and faster jet speed by collecting the corresponding power-ups.

Plot

Many years in the future, mankind has developed the technology for space colonization, but a mysterious computer virus infects the primary computer running man's first space station, causing it not only to affect its automated defenses, but to convince other humans to side with it. The computer attacks Earth so often that Earth's only hope is put into advanced spaceships wielding great firepower.

Development

''Last Resort'' was developed by former

Irem is a Japanese video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher and manufacturer of pachinkos. The company has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The full name of the company that uses the brand is Irem Software Enginee ...

staff members.

Reception

''Last Resort'' garnered positive reception from seven reviewers of ''

Gamest was a Japanese video game magazine that specialized in covering arcade games. ''Gamest'' originated from the bi-monthly fanzine ''VG2 Newsletter'' from the early 1980s. Following the bankruptcy of publisher Shinseisha, many editors would move to A ...

'' during its 1992 AOU Show appearance. In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed the game on their May 15, 1992 issue as being the thirteenth most popular arcade software at the time. ''RePlay'' also reported the game to be the sixteenth most-popular arcade game at the time. The title received generally positive reception from critics since its release in arcades and other platforms, with some comparing it with ''R-Type''. Other reviewers also drew visual comparison with the 1988 film '' Akira''. ''Consoles Plus''s Marc Menier and Douglas of ''Consoles Plus'' praised the visual presentation, sound design, playability and longevity, regarding it as a referencial shoot 'em up for Neo Geo. ''

Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (''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 fou ...

''s four reviewers panned the Neo Geo AES version, commenting that it has impressive graphics and sounds, but crippling slowdown and extremely short length, problems they found especially unforgivable given the console's powerful hardware and the cartridge's high price. ''

Hobby Consolas ''HobbyConsolas'' is a Spanish video game magazine founded in 1991 by Hobby Press and published by Axel Springer SE Axel Springer SE () is a European multinational corporation, multinational mass media, mass and online media company, based in ...

'' Marcos García highly commended the graphics, music and two-player mode, but criticized the lack of an additional stage and occasional slowdown during gameplay. ''Joypad''s Jean-François Morisse and ''

Joystick A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Also known as the control column, it is the principal control devic ...

''s Jean-Marc Demoly gave positive remarks to the graphics, sprite animations, sound and controls. ''Player One''s Cyril Drevet stated that the power-up system was a mixture of ''R-Type'' and ''

Forgotten Worlds , originally titled , is a 1988 side-scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Capcom for arcades. It is notable for being the first title released by Capcom for their CP System arcade game hardware. Plot Set in the 29th century, ...

'' and criticized the occurrence of slowdown during gameplay, comparing it with those of popular shoot 'em ups on the

Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Europe and Oceania a ...

, but nevertheless praised the visuals, sound, difficulty and longevity. ''Consolemania'' Davide Corrado commended the graphics, sound and playability, but criticized its high difficulty level. ''Power Play''s Martin Gaksch regarded it as the best classic-style shooter since ''R-Type'' and its

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

for arcades and consoles, praising the title's ingenuity, audiovisual presentation, and action. '' Ultimate Future Games'' reviewed the Neo Geo CD version and praised the graphically detailed sprites and stages, opera-style rave soundtrack, sound effects and action, but criticized its short length. ''

VideoGames & Computer Entertainment ''VideoGames & Computer Entertainment'' (abbreviated as ''VG&CE'') was an American magazine dedicated to covering video games on computers, Video game console, home consoles and Arcade game, arcades. It was published by Larry Flynt Publication ...

''s

Andy Eddy Andy Eddy is an American video game journalism, video game journalist and critic. He resides in Redwood City, California. Biography Eddy was the executive editor (and de facto editor-in-chief) of ''VideoGames & Computer Entertainment'' in the la ...

criticized the occurrence of slowdown and flickering, short length and difficulty. ''

Nintendo Life Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...

''s Damien McFerran compared its dark atmosphere with both ''R-Type'' and ''

Armed Police Unit Gallop ''Cosmic Cop'' is a Shoot 'em up#Scrolling shooters, side-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game produced by Irem in 1991. It is part of the popular ''R-Type'' video game series. Story Taking place concurrently with ''R-Type Delta'', ''Cosmic Cop'' s ...

'', praising its soundtrack and challenge, regarding it as one of the best shooters on Neo Geo, but criticized the two-player mode for being broken and other aspects. In 2014, ''

HobbyConsolas ''HobbyConsolas'' is a Spanish video game magazine founded in 1991 by Hobby Press and published by Axel Springer SE. The first issue appeared in October 1991. The monthly magazine offers information about games for all consoles, and since 2012 ha ...

'' identified it as one of the twenty best games for the Neo Geo CD. Likewise, ''Time Extension'' also listed it as one of the best games for the Neo Geo.

Notes

References

External links

''Last Resort''
at

GameFAQs GameFAQs is a video gaming website that hosts guides and other resources, as well as an active Internet forum, message board forum. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff Veasey and has been owned by Fandom (website), Fandom, Inc. since October ...

''Last Resort''
at

Giant Bomb ''Giant Bomb'' is an American video game website and wiki that includes personality-driven gaming videos, commentary, news and reviews, created by former ''GameSpot'' editors Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis. The website was voted by ''Time (maga ...

''Last Resort''
at

Killer List of Videogames Museum of the Game, which includes the Killer List of Videogames (KLOV), is a website featuring an online encyclopedia devoted to cataloging arcade games past and present. It is the video game department of the International Arcade Museum, and h ...

''Last Resort''
at

MobyGames MobyGames is a commercial website that catalogs information on video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controlle ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Resort 1992 video games ACA Neo Geo games Arcade video games Cooperative video games D4 Enterprise games Horizontally scrolling shooters Neo Geo games Neo Geo CD games Nintendo Switch games PlayStation Network games PlayStation 4 games SNK games SNK Playmore games Video games set in the future Virtual Console games Xbox One games Science fiction video games Video games developed in Japan Hamster Corporation games Multiplayer and single-player video games