Hokuto no Ken (Mega Drive)

Hokuto no Ken - Shin Seikimatsu Kyūseishu Densetsu
Developer(s)	Sega
Publisher(s)	Sega
Platform(s)	Mega Drive, Wii
Release date(s)	July 1, 1989
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Side-Scrolling
Rating(s)	Virtual Console CERO: Ages 15 and over (C)
Media	4 Megabit
System requirements	Game controller
Input methods	1 player

Hokuto no Ken - Shin Seikimatsu Kyūseishu Densetsu ​ (北斗の拳 新世紀末救世主伝説), also known as HOKUTO NO KEN II within its ROM header, is a side-scrolling action game produced by Sega released for the Mega Drive on July 1, 1989. It is the second Hokuto no Ken video game released by Sega and serves as a sequel to their previous Hokuto no Ken video game released for the Mark III. The plot picks up where the previous game left off, after the death of Raoh, and adapts the Tentei and Shura no Kuni story arcs from the original manga.

Like its predecessor, the game was released overseas without the Hokuto no Ken license under the title of Last Battle during the same year as its Japanese release. This version of the game was also released for the Commodore 64 and Amiga by Elite Systems in Europe. The original Japanese version was re-released for the Wii Virtual Console on September 10, 2008.

Controls

This game is 1-player only and thus uses only the controller plugged to control port 1 on the game console.

Action scenes

Defeat enemies using your martial art skills.

• Directional button - Moves Kenshiro, push left or right to walk in either direction, down to crouch, or up to enter doors.
• A button - Punch
• B button - Kick
• C button - Jump
• B+C - Jump Kick (when powered-up)
• Start - Pause/Resume

Map screen

Decide your next destination after completing a stage.

• Directional button - Press left or right to decide Kenshiro's next destination.
• A, B, or C - Confirms destination.
• Start - Display Kenshiro's status.

How to play

Game structure

The game consists of four chapters, each containing around seven to ten areas. Each area consists of an Action Scene and after reaching the end of the area, the screen will change to the Map Scene, where the player can decide the next area.

Starting the game

After pressing Start at the title screen, the first chapter will begin. Kenshiro will start the game at the Western Area and the battle will begin from there. Defeat enemies and talk to allies until peace is restored.

Action scenes

Kenshiro's burning battles are shown. At the bottom of the screen, below the action, a heads-up display will shown with the following indicators:

• Life - A gauge which display Kenshiro's remaining vitality. As he takes damage from enemies, it will be reduces until it empties out completely, ending the game.
• Score - Self-explanatory. The more enemies Kenshiro defeats, the higher the number.
• Power - A gauge which displays Kenshiro's current strength level
• Time - Displays a time limit. When the timer reaches zero, Kenshiro's life will be drain until the player completes the area.

Power-up

• The player's Power gauge will gradually fill up with each adversary they defeat.
• When the Power gauge is filled up to a certain point, Kenshiro will rip out his shirt and his attack and defensive powers will increase.
• When the player completes their current Chapter, Kenshiro will return to his regular form and the player must fill the Power gauge again to return Kenshiro to his powered-up form.
• Kenshiro's attacks will change as well
  • Punch - Kenshiro will throw a series of rapid successive fists instead of a single punch.
  • Kick - Kenshiro will throw a flurries of kicks that's effective against swarms of enemies.
  • Jump Kick - Kenshiro will be able to perform a soaring kick in mid-air.
• The Power gauge is divided in four segments. When the gauge reaches a certain point, it will not be filled any further until the next chapter.

Mazes

Each chapter features one area where the player must enter a building and proceed through a maze.

• The player will not be able to enter a maze area if certain conditions have yet to be met. The conditions differ between each chapter.
• Likewise, if the player has already completed a maze area once, there won't be any need to repeat it afterward.
• Unlike the regular areas, there are no time limit in mazes.

Talk

In addition to fighting enemies, Kenshiro will also meet various allies throughout the course of his journey who will have a conversation with him. This includes former adversaries after defeating them.

• Depending on the context, Kenshiro's life gauge, as well as his defensive skills, will increase.
• Pay close attention to an ally's message, as they'll provide clues on where to go next.

Bosses

When Kenshiro reaches certain areas, he will confront an adversary stronger than the average enemy grunt. The heads-up display will change so that Kenshiro's life gauge is displayed on the bottom left and his adversary's on the bottom right.

• Certain boss battles will not occur until certain conditions are met. Conditions vary between stages.
• If the player does not defeat the boss, they won't be able to proceed to the next scene.

Map scenes

The map screen will be displayed when moving from one area to the next.

• Press the directional button to change the direction on Kenshiro's icon and select his destination.
• Press A, B, or C to confirm his destination.
• Press Start to display the Status Window.

The Status Window will display the following. Life: Current vitality/Maximum vitality Power: Current power level/Maximum power level Defense: The percentage of the amount of damage Kenshiro can sustain.

Stages

Chapter 1 - Birth of a New Legend

1. Western Area
2. Wilderness
3. Bask's Area
4. Entrance to the Concentration Camp
5. Peaceful Village
6. Concentration Camp for Traitors
7. Southern Area
8. Geila's Area
9. Plains

Chapter 2 - Golden Assassin

1. First Gate
2. Second Gate
3. Third Gate
4. Peaceful Village
5. Fourth Gate
6. Central Imperial Capital
7. Coast

Chapter 3 - Hellish Asura

1. Pirate Ship 1
2. Pirate Ship 2
3. Land of Asura 1
4. Land of Asura 2
5. Plains
6. River Beach
7. Western Village
8. Desert
9. Han's Fortress

Chapter 4 - Destiny of a Rashō

1. Death Valley
2. Entrance to the Castle
3. Drill Camp
4. Kaioh's Fortress
5. Plains
6. Nagato's Village
7. Raseiden
8. Taiseiden
9. Northern Village
10. Grave

Characters

The Protagonist

• Kenshiro - The player character. A man who once stood up to Raoh, bringing back peace to the wilderness. He now returns from the wilderness to help the people, bringing with him a new legacy.

Allies

• Bat - A man who formed the Hokuto Army in order to oppose the Empire and save the people from its oppression, as well as to protect Lin.
• Lin - A woman who cherishes love and justice, she rebels against oppression alongside Bat under the banner of Hokuto.
• Ein - A bounty hunter who works for the sake of his beloved daughter. However, he becomes charmed by Kenshiro's fighting spirit.
• Mamiya - A woman who lives in the "Peaceful Village". She's taking of Asuka for Ein.
• Harn Bros. (Buzz and Gill) - Two ruffians held at the Concentration Camp for Traitors by the Empire.
• Asuka - Ein's beloved daughter.
• Lui - The Heavenly Empress and true ruler of the Empire. She is being held captive somewhere. She is also Lin's elder twin sister.
• Leia - A young woman from the Land of Asura who preaches about love in a country where people are taught to fight or die.
• Shachi - A man who became the Rakshasha in order change the land where his beloved Leia lives.

Enemy grunts

• Imperial Soldiers - The enemy grunts during the first two chapters. Types include knife throwers, spear wielders, axe wielders, and swordsmen. There are also motorcycle riders in Chapter 2.
• Pirates - Akashachi's crew of royal pirates. Includes knife wielders and spear-gun shooters. Unlike the other enemies, Kesnhiro knocks them offscreen instead of killing them.
• Eagles - Birds that fly out of the air to attack Kenshiro. 
• Shura - A generic Shura who loosely resembles the one attacked Kenshiro on Akashachi's ship. This enemy can teleport and attack with palmstrikes, a style not seen in the manga or anime.
• Sunagumo - Appears in the final two chapters. He fights like the Shura that killed Falco and swipes with a staff.
• Sha and Zhan - Appears in the final two chapters, these enemies throw their spinning blades.
• Xie - A crab man who attacks with blades hidden in his claws.
• Blon - Attack with kicks and a giant boomerang.
• Flamethrower Shura - Resembles one of the three flamethrower-wielding Shuras who attack Kenshiro on his way to Taiseiden.
• Kaioh Messatsu-Tai - Kaioh's centipede-like "annihilation division." They appear in stacks made out of three men who jump off to attack with armblades.

Bosses

• Bask - One of the "area rulers" appointed by the Empire. His special technique, called the "Mt. Hua Prison Clenching Claw", is very powerful.
• Geila - Another of the Empire's area rulers. He attacks with iron balls and a fog breath.
• Solia of the Purple Light - A servant of Falco who awaits for Kenshiro's arrival in order to stop him from entering the Imperial Capital. He is said to wield a fist that shines purple.
• Sheeno - The son of the Governor General Jakoh. He accepts the task of eliminating Kenshiro. He fights like Bask but instead of the "Mt. Hua Prison Clenching Claw", Javelins will fly from either side of the screen during the battle with Sheeno.
• Falco - A warrior who has mastered the art of Gento Kō Ken and now wields shining golden hands. Although sworn to protect the Empress, an evil conspirator is using him against his will.
• Akashachi - The captain of a pirate ship and Shachi's father.
• Alf of the Hourglass - One of the Asuras confronted by Kenshiro. He wields red mantle that allows him to create a mirage of himself when he blocks Kenshiro's attacks. His mirage will attack Kenshiro from behind, but it can be eliminated with one hit.
• Han - One of the Rashō and the third in command. All of the Rashō have mastered the art of Hokuto Ryū Ken
• Hyoh - The second of the three Rashō who rules the Land of Asura. Although he is Kenshiro's actual older brother, his memories were sealed by Kaioh.
• Kaioh - The Rashō who serves as the supremer ruler of the Land of Asura, as well as the greatest of the Hokuto Ryū Ken, an art of evil.

Overseas version

Last Battle, the overseas version of Hokuto no Ken for the Mega Drive, alters the names of all characters, martial arts, and locations due to the lack of the Hokuto no Ken license. For example, Kenshiro was renamed Aarzak (a name maybe inspired by the comic of Moebius). The three Rasho Kaioh, Hyoh and Han not only have their name changed respectively into Garokk, Gross and Gromm, but are also depicted as generals of Tae-Kung-Fu that do not accept the defeat of Falco and escape to Asura, renamed Land of the Unknown. Three years later the defeat of Falco they attack the capital city, kidnapping Alyssa (Rin) and bringing her to Asura.

Since there the history proceeds almost similarly to manga, with the exception that Aarzak faces Garokk only once, at the very end (though they first met into a brief sequence before in which Garokk explains he's invincible without Aarzak breaking the seal), and Rob (Shachi) is apparently not killed by Garokk.

All the blood and gore from the original game was also edited out in the overseas version. In Hokuto no Ken, any of the enemy grunts would have their heads explode, followed by their bodies in a bloody fashion as well as some boss characters having gorier deaths at the end of their battles.

Last Battle, however, edited down the gore so that the normal enemies would only fly off-screen when hit and the bloody animations for the bosses were subdued via changing the blood to colors green or yellow.

In contrast to Black Belt, the overseas version of the game's predecessor, very few alterations were made to the game's actual graphics in Last Battle, although all of the characters were recolored and the bosses with violent deaths, such as Bask and Geila, were given unnatural skin colors like green or purple.

Name changes

Hokuto no Ken	Last Battle
Hokuto Shin Ken	Jet-Kwon-Do
Gento Kō Ken	Tae-Kung-Fu
Kenshiro (ケンシロウ)	Aarzak
Lin (リン)	Alyssa
Bat (バット)	Max
Mamiya (マミヤ)	Luisa
Ein (アイン)	Gere
Asuka (アスカ)	Anne
Buzz and Gil Harn (ハーン兄弟)	Zee-Bee
Soria (ソリア)	Syd
Falco (ファルコ)	Duke
Lui (天帝ルイ)	Sophia
Akashachi (赤鯱)	Dare-Devil
Leia (レイア)	Cynara
Shachi (シャチ)	Rob
Han (ハン)	Gromm
Hyō (ヒョウ)	Gross
Kaioh (カイオウ)	Garokk

Character Changes

• Hulk(Bask): Has been given green skin and his blood is yellow. While unmentioned in the manual, the location he is fought is called "Hulk's arena."
• Butcher(Geira): Both his skin and blood are green. Like Bask he has no mention in the manual, but his boss arena is labeled "Butcher's area."
• Syd(Solia): Has blue hair and red clothing. Simply described as a servant of Duke(Falco).
• Sheeno: Now has red skin and green blood. His name or identity isn't mentioned in the manual or anywhere in the game.
• Duke(Falco): His hair is now white and his outfit is blue. Duke is described as the bodyguard of Sophia in the manual. Due to lost plot threads, Duke's switch to Aarzark's side is unexplained. In his appearance in the ultimate Land(Asura)Duke's sprite has both legs unlike Falco's sprite which was missing his leg and covered in blood.
• Grom(Hann): Has paler skin and green pants. Zee-bee(Hara brothers) are described as his siblings in the manual and he is said to be one of the most powerful men of the Empire who fled to the ultimate land(Shura).
• Alf: Has no mention in the manual. Alf is altered to have purple skin and blue blood likely to censor his violent death.
• Garokk(Kaioh) - His hair has changed from purple to brown. Garokk is described as the strongest and most evil member of the Empire who escaped and took over the ultimate land(Shura) following Duke's defeat.

Continues

When you lose all of your health, the game will take you back to the prologue screen. When that happens, wait until the word 新世紀末救世主伝説 appear (Legend of the Final Hero in the overseas version), then hold A+B+C and press Start. You will be able to restart at any chapter you've previously played.

Game Genie Codes

Infinite Energy

ALKT-AA5C

Freeze Time

ATJT-AA9N

Invincibility

ALYT-AA48

ALKT-AA5C

Double Speed

939T-B98N

ALAA-AAAW

More Power

GJXA-AAGN

Videos

• File:Mega Drive Longplay 192 Hokuto no Ken
• File:Mega Drive Longplay 276 Last Battle

External links

• Last Battle at GameFAQs
• Last Battle at MobyGames
• Shin Seikimatsu Kyūseishu Densetsu Hokuto no Ken at Sega's Virtual Console page (Japanese)
• Lemon 64