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) 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. Despite its status as a sequel and the fact that it adapts the same portion of the story as the Hokuto no Ken 2 anime series, the game does not have numbered title, however the internal title of the game within its programming is HOKUTO NO KEN II.

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 wikipedia: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. The Start button is used to begin the game at the title, pause the game during the action screen, or display the status window during the map screen.

Action scene

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)

Map scene

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.

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.

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).

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 many of the bloody animations for the bosses were removed.

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 some of the bosses, 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

Continues

When you lose all of your energy, 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 to the one you were last were.

Game Genie Codes

Infinite Energy

ALKT-AA5C

Freeze Time

ATJT-AA9N

Invincibility

ALYT-AA48

ALKT-AA5C

Double Speed

939T-B98N

ALAA-AAAW

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