Last Hope (video game)

This article is about the Neo Geo shooter. For the Xbox 360 RPG, see Star Ocean: The Last Hope.

Last Hope

Developer(s)	NG:DEV.TEAM
Publisher(s)	NG:DEV.TEAM (Neo Geo) RedSpotGames (DC)
Distributor(s)	RedSpotGames (Dreamcast)
Designer(s)	Timm Hellwig René Hellwig
Composer(s)	Rafael Dyll
Platform(s)	Neo Geo Neo Geo CD Dreamcast
Release date(s)	Neo Geo July 10, 2006 Pink Bullets Neo-Geo February 21, 2011 Dreamcast January 31, 2007 Pink Bullets Dreamcast September 4, 2009 Neo-Geo CD November 19, 2007
Genre(s)	Shoot 'em up
Mode(s)	Single player

Last Hope is a single-player side-scrolling shoot 'em up video game for the Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD, and Dreamcast systems. It was developed by German indie developer NG:DEV.TEAM in 2006.^[1] While the Neo Geo version was self-published, the Dreamcast version was released by redspotgames in January 2007, as an unlicensed title.^[2] In 2009 The Dreamcast version received a reprint in the form of a director's cut called Last Hope Pink Bullets. This edition features improved on screen visibility in comparison to its 1st print due to pink bullets etc. That and various other features make the game easier to allow a more accessible gameplay experience with emphasis on scoring.^[3]

Story

An evil empire from another galaxy is heading towards Earth. Barely 24 hours beforehand, they had penetrated the last line of defense in Earth's galaxy, the Arsion Laser Belt. Millions of innocent people perished in outer space colonies. 70% of earth's fleet was destroyed during first contact. Intelligence reports six days until their arrival. Conventional weapons cannot stop them. The last hope is in your hands: The Z-42 Warpstar. Warp into their territories and destroy their leader before they reach Earth.^[4]

Features

Free 360° rotary protection unit for shooting and dodging enemy fire
Six stages with checkpoints
Four difficulty levels
Hand-drawn backgrounds
Fully animated CGI enemies
Both CD versions feature a high quality CD Digital Audio soundtrack
Region-free
Constant 60 frame/s with up to 4 parallax layers
Lighting and transparency FX
Smooth plasma FX
Dreamcast version is a pixel-perfect port, with 240p scanlines in progressive mode
Dreamcast VGA, NTSC and PAL systems on 60 Hz are supported

Pink Bullets Revisions

Instant respawn
Permanent rotary protection unit
Higher ship speed from beginning
Reduced difficulty
Changes in background and bullet colors for higher visibility

Release

NG:Dev.Team Logo

July 10, 2006 NGDT Produced 60 Units of the game for NeoGeo and sold it directly via their website.^[5] January 30, 2007 RedSpotGames published 2500 Units of the game (500 copies were reserved for sale with the limited edition) ^[6] May 3, 2007 The limited edition of Last Hope was released with 500 Vinyl Style Compact discs containing the soundtrack.^[7] November 19, 2007 NGDT Produced 500 units for NeoGeoCD ^[8] September 4, 2009 NGDT Produced 1000 Units of Last Hope Pink Bullets which were distributed Internationally by RedSpotGames.^[9]^[10]

As a response to criticism regarding the game's difficulty, the developer released an updated version titled Last Hope: Pink Bullets for the Dreamcast on September 19, 2009. This edition features improved on screen visibility in comparison to its 1st print due to pink bullets etc. That and various other features make the game easier to allow a more accessible gameplay experience with emphasis on scoring.^[11]

Pricing

Only 60 copies of the Neo Geo AES version were produced, making this is an extremely rare and collectible title. Since that, and the high cost of producing the cartridges, the game was sold for €550 (around $730). It was only available from the developers.

In contrast, the Dreamcast version sells for $40, and the "Limited Edition" with bundled soundtrack CD was sold for $80. Van Basilco and Play-Asia were the only online stores approved to sell Last Hope for the Dreamcast. The Limited Edition was limited to only 500 units and is already a highly sought after item. It sold out 5 days after the release day and currently prices up to $259.

Currently Last Hope Pink Bullets is retailing for $25 via NGDev Direct^[12]

Reception

Comparisons were drawn to "old school" shooters like R-Type and Gradius, but especially of Pulstar, with its "tactical" gameplay and pre-rendered backgrounds and sprites.

The game has been criticized^[13] for featuring very hard to distinguish enemy-bullets which are almost the same color as explosions/debris.

Some reviewers have commended Last Hope as technically impressive for Neo Geo standards, while others focus criticism on gameplay issues.^[14]^[15]^[16]

The NeoGeo CD version of this game features higher visibility due to pink colored bullets, which are better to distinguish between explosions/debris. In response to the criticism Last Hope Pink Bullets was released in 2009 for Dreamcast. The ratings range from 54% (MAN!AC, Germany) to 80% (GamesTM, UK) or second best score "good" (PC Action, Germany)

References

External links

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