| Last Bronx | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Sega-AM3 |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Year released | 1996 |
| System(s) | Arcade, Sega Saturn, Windows |
| Series | Sega Ages |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
|---|---|
| Modes | Single player, Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) |    |
| Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 24: Last Bronx -Tokyo Bangaichi- | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | M2 |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Year released | 2006 |
| System(s) | PlayStation 2 |
Last Bronx (ラストブロンクス -東京番外地- Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi~?) is a 3D fighting game developed by Sega AM3 on the Sega Model 2 mainboard. This is one of the first motion captured weapon fighting game released in Japanese game centers in 1996, the other was Soul Edge.
Home versions of Last Bronx were produced for the contemporary Sega Saturn and Windows systems. In Japan, Last Bronx was novelized and serialized into comics and radio drama. A VHS video documenting the motion capture process used for the game and introducing the characters was released in 1996. A year later, Takashi Shimizu directed the live-action movie (V-Cinema). On June 29, 2006, Sega released Last Bronx on PlayStation 2 as a tenth anniversary celebration.
Home Versions[edit]
The Saturn version of Last Bronx was notable for keeping its 3D backgrounds unlike the Saturn ports of Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers which reduced its backgrounds to 2D.
The Saturn version adds extra features such as new game modes and animated cutscenes for the intro and character endings. The extra modes added (Aside from Arcade and VS) are Survival, Time Attack, Watch mode (for watching CPU characters fight each other), Movie mode and Saturn mode which serves as the game's story mode. In Saturn mode, the fight order changes depending on the character you choose.
Red Eye, the game's final boss, can be a sub-boss depending on the character you choose in Saturn mode and a real time cutscene for the final fight plays (Yoko's was the only one with a real time cutscene in the Arcade version against Red Eye.) Each run of Saturn mode ends with an animated cutscene which can be viewed again in Movie mode.
Arcade mode adds an 'Extra Stage' where ,after beating the mode without continues, the player fights a metallic mute version of themselves. Red Eye is also playable with his animated ending in the home versions.
An Interactive Tutorial 'Special Disc' was released for the Saturn version which has not been released overseas. It primarily serves to be a training mode for the game. It includes a voiced tutorial for specific characters cover the game's basics and specific combos. The voice clips change depending on the character you choose the tutorial for and the accompanying character. A Command List mode is also included to practice character specific techniques. There are also character introductions which are also voice, though the accompanying character selected is fixed.
The PC version is graphically on par with the Model 2 original with screen resolutions and graphic detail options available. Many modes from the Saturn port carry over to the PC version. Saturn Mode is now named PC mode. Watch Mode has been removed in favor of a new Replay Mode along with Team Battle mode and Network Battle. It keepings the command list training modes but not the voiced tutorials from the special disc.
The Playstation 2 version, as part of the Sega Ages collection, is a straight emulation of the arcade game with extra modes similar to the saturn port. No Watch mode, Saturn mode equivalent or Training mode were included. The replay mode could save replays in the PS2 memory card. You can also change camera angles in the mode as well.
A hidden bonus menu featuring exclusive options (that carry over to the rest of the game) is included in the PlayStation 2 version:
- Kaodeka Mode: The "Huge Face Mode" allows the use of characters with oversized head, which is typical of the SD anime/manga style.
- Bukideka Mode: The "Huge Weapon Mode" allows the use of oversized weapons for both characters. These cartoon style big arms don't affect the power of the fighters though.
- Invincible Mode: This mode disables damage for both characters allowing an unlimited health bar. As a consequence, the player cannot reach the second stage in the single player modes nor cheat in "Survival Mode". This feature is actually meant to be combined with the "Round Time" option set to "Infinity" to be used as a "Practice Mode".
- Tough Mode: This mode doubles the strength for both characters. When hit, a fighter will only lose the half of the damage compared to the default setting.
- Homerun Mode: When struck by an uppercut or a powerful attack, the fighters will float much higher in the sky. This mode's name is a reference to the baseball explicit term home run.
- Gourad Use: Turning on this mode will allow the user to unlock both "Metal" (3DCG model textured with Gouraud shaded reflection & light source effects) and "Gray" (the same light sourced, gray colored 3DCG model minus the reflection effect) versions for all playable characters. An unplayable "Metal" version was already available in the Arcade version, and was also selectable in the PC version through the "Character Model" option. Due to the amount of CPU resource required by the "Metal" effect's Gouraud shading real time operation, a low-detail stage, including simple light sources, was specially designed to host this character: the "Brilliant Room". On the Sega Saturn version, the "Metal" effect is untextured and gray instead. The latter was kept and made available for low-end computers in the following Windows edition. Since the PlayStation 2 hardware is superior to the Model 2, the "Metal" version is now available in all stages, for the two fighters and is even selectable in the character selection screen just like a regular, alternate, costume.
Story[edit]
In the early 90s where Japan's Bubble economy had crashed, an alternate timeline of events form a post-apocalypse giving birth to a new wave of youth gang activity and violence on the streets of Tokyo during the economic depression. During the First All Tokyo Street war rose a gang called Soul Crew uniting the youth to end the violence among each other. The leader of Soul Crew would later be murdered sparking the Second All Tokyo Street war.
The game features eight gang leaders to choose from. All donning various elements of Japanese street fashion from the time and each carrying their own unique weapon.