Last Ninja 2

Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance
Commodore 64 cover art by Joe Roth
Developer(s)	System 3 Beam Software
Publisher(s)	Activision Ubi Soft (10 Megahits Vol. 3) Ocean Software (100% Dynamite) Jaleco
Producer(s)	Mark Cale Tim Best
Designer(s)	Mark Cale Tim Best Hugh Riley
Programmer(s)	John Twiddy
Artist(s)	Hugh Riley
Writer(s)	John Twiddy
Composer(s)	Matt Gray
Series	The Last Ninja
Platform(s)	Last Ninja 2: 1988: Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC 1989: Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, 1990: Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, NES (as The Last Ninja) 2008: Virtual Console Last Ninja Remix: 1990: Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC
Release date(s)	1988 1990 (Last Ninja Remix)
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single player

Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance is an action-adventure video game developed and published by System 3 for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC in 1988 as a sequel to the 1987 game The Last Ninja. The Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, 1990: Amiga, Atari ST, DOS and NES ports followed in 1989. The NES version of the game was named simply The Last Ninja. In 1990, the Last Ninja Remix edition of the game was re-released for 8-bit systems.

Gameplay

The player, controlling a ninja, must fight his way through various levels populated by opponents, collecting necessary items in the process. Each level depicts a different locale and is divided into several screens. The game is presented in an isometric view and the ninja can move in four different directions and jump.

Enemies, armed with fists and various ninja weapons, wander around the levels. The ninja must fight them either bare-handed or with the weaponry he finds along the way; in either case, he has a number of blows and attacks at his disposal, as well as the ability to block. There is a special weapon, shuriken, which are thrown in a straight line rather than used for melee combat; if they strike an enemy, they will instantly kill or at least severely damage them.

Various items scattered around the levels, such as keys, a rope and a map; collecting these items and using them in a proper place is necessary for completing the game. There are also hot-dogs that restore health when eaten.

Plot

The game continues from the aftermath of the events of The Last Ninja. With the Koga scrolls now in his possession, Armakuni has begun training a new order of shadow warriors. During a training session, he is mysteriously transported to 20th-century New York City. Torn from his own time, Armakuni must defeat the evil shogun Kunitoki once more.

Legacy

The Last Ninja Remix re-release version has an added short intro sequence, minor graphic changes and a remixed soundtrack. Limited edition of the game included a ninja mask and a plastic shuriken.^[1]

In 2015 the source code of the Konix version was discovered.^[2][3]

Reception

Last Ninja 2 was an enormous commercial success. According to System 3's Mark Cale, 5.5 million copies were sold for the Commodore 64 version alone; at that time, the user base of the C64 was estimated at 20 million, meaning that one in four C64 owners bought the game.^[4]

It was a runner up for Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards. In 2004, readers of Retro Gamer voted Last Ninja 2 as 68th top retro game.^[5]

8-bit versions
Platform	Magazine	Score	Accolade
Acorn Electron	Electron User	9/10	Golden Game[6]
Commodore 64/128	The Games Machine	93%	Top Score[7]
	Computer + Video Games	9/10	C+VG Hit![8]
	Commodore User	9/10	CU Super Star[9]
	IGN	7.5/10[10]
	ACE	747/1000[11]
ZX Spectrum	Sinclair User	92%[12]
	Your Sinclair	9/10[13]
	Crash	90%	Crash Smash[14]
	The Games Machine	89%	Top Score[7]
16-bit versions
Platform	Magazine	Score	Accolade
Amiga	The Games Machine	70%[15]
	Amiga Format	58%[16]
Atari ST	Computer + Video Games	77%[17]
	The Games Machine	70%[15]
DOS	Computer + Video Games	76%[17]
	The Games Machine	73%[18]

Sequel

References

1. "Archive - Magazine viewer". World of Spectrum. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
2. Last Ninja 2 Port Discovered For Unreleased Konix Multisystem Console on retrocollect.com (19 January 2015)
3. LAST NINJA 2 Konix Multisystem game and source found on konixmultisystem.co.uk (17th January, 2015)
4. Retro Gamer 18, page 57.
5. Retro Gamer 8, page 66.
6. Electron User 7.5 (Feb 1990)
7. The Games Machine 14 (Jan 1989)
8. Computer + Video Games 81 (Jul 1988)
9. Commodore User (Aug 1988)
10. The Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance Review - Commodore 64/128 Review at IGN
11. "Archive - Magazine viewer". World of Spectrum. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
12. "Archive - Magazine viewer". World of Spectrum. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
13. "Last Ninja II". Ysrnry.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
14. "Archive - Magazine viewer". World of Spectrum. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
15. The Games Machine 33 (Aug 1990)
16. Amiga Format 14 (Sep 1990)
17. Computer + Video Games 106 (Sep 1990)
18. The Games Machine 34 (Sep 1990)

External links

• Last Ninja 2 at MobyGames
• Last Ninja 2 at Lemon 64
• Images of Last Ninja 2 box and manual at C64Sets.com
• Last Ninja 2 at World of Spectrum
• Terry Greer (The game's artist) Last Ninja page