This week's game is Last Legion UX, the closest thing you'll get to Virtual On for the Nintendo 64. Its more prominent story and simpler controls make it more approachable and solo friendly if not as deep. Also, Bomberman's here!
I wouldn't say I'm particularly fond of any of the Nintendo 64 fighting games I've played (that includes the original Smash Bros), but Last Legion UX feels like a cut above the rest! Like I said above, this is effectively Virtual On, but a whole lot simpler and easier to approach. Part of that is because you don't have any twin stick controllers to worry about, but it's also because Last Legion UX isn't an arcade game and subsequently has its priorities elsewhere. Instead of forcing you to learn or die with high speed antics and static characters, this game slows things down a bit and encourages customization in some neat ways. Every bot has a fixed subweapon and super attack, but their primary weapon and shield can be swapped out, enabling you to mix and match movesets and playstyles. Long range sniping, rapid fire weapons, and melee-focused approaches are all viable options and the arenas do a great job of making each option feel powerful or trickier to use depending on the matchup. There's also a fun instant kill mechanic that lets you rip out your opponent's power source. How cool is that?
The story aims way higher than you'd expect from most games in the genre, telling an intriguing story about a time-hopping conflict between Legions that's tied to the foundation of the world's establishing lore in ways none of its actors realize. There's only one story to play through, but repeat runs gets you unlockable weapons, arenas, and characters, making this game rewarding to stick with. One of those characters is Bomberman piloting a mech, which is just great! I really appreciate how strong this game's presentation is overall; between the storytelling chops, the smooth and detailed visuals, the lack of dropped frames during combat, and the soundtrack courtesy of Panzer Dragoon veteran Yoshitaka Azuma, this feels polished enough to have been a marquee first party title!
It's hard to find games on the N64 that feel underrated due to its small library and large number of YouTubers stanning for it, but I'd say Last Legion is the rare exception that feels genuinely overlooked. It's a delightful piece of Hudson Soft (and Yuke's) history that takes an underutilized formula and puts a spin on it that's both worthwhile and distinct. Sure, you won't see the remaining Virtual On players flock to this one anytime soon, but I think there's potential to be had in exploring this game even further than I did. This might very well be the best fighting game on the system! Well, Rakuga Kids is pretty cool, too, so that's up for debate, but at the very least, Last Legion UX gets my vote!
