Last Bronx
Encyclopedia
is a 3D
fighting game
developed by Sega-AM3 on the Sega Model 2 mainboard. This is one of the first motion captured 3D weapon fighting games released in Japanese game centers in 1996, the other was Soul Edge
. Home versions, shortened to Last Bronx, were produced for contemporary Sega game console and Windows systems. In Japan
, the 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 Tokyo Bangaichi on PlayStation 2
as a tenth anniversary celebration.
Tokyo
, where crime and gang warfare is rampant. The game has the following main characters:
or remaining health at the end of the 30-second time limit. The stages are set in real Tokyo city closed areas without any ring outs. However, fighters can jump on the barriers (and eventually make a disqualifying ring out backflip from there).
Sega AM3 used the "PKG" 3-button system introduced by the AM2 in Virtua Fighter - "P" stands for "Punch" (or weapon), "K" for "Kick" and "G" for "Guard". The player uses the arcade joystick to move the character. Certain joystick and button combinations result in special attacks and combination attacks. The "G" button is used to block the opponent's attacks and to perform a feint
attack called "Attack Cancel".Strong attacks, throlls and rolling moves can be performed using different button combinations. Taunts can also be used - Last Bronx is part of the rare games in which the CPU uses this feature against the player or even another CPU controlled character.
The basic change was in the character Yoko - she lost her protagonist status since the final fight with her elder brother Red Eye was no longer the game's climax. The new plot was re-imagined as a complex network revolving around the Soul Crew duel of Yusaku versus Joe, around which all primary and secondary characters are linked to, for individual reasons. As a result there was no more fixed fighting order with Red Eye as the last boss to beat, but instead the mode features a random route with Red Eye as a Sub Boss and a final match specific to each character.
Each final match was introduced by a real time cutscene with the two opponents, which differed from the Arcade Mode's unique dialogue between Yoko and Red Eye, Yoko being the only character directly connected to the game's bad guy. The Arcade Mode's "Extra Stage", which was only available when beating Red Eye without using a continue did not exist in the story mode. In this bonus stage, the ultimate opponent was a Dural-like metallic mute version of the player's own character (in reference to Virtua Fighter 3
). Depending on the version, this extra character was either a solid gray color or reflective. In the console versions, Red Eye was now playable with his own story mode ending movie to unlock.
Winning the story mode's final stage unlocked a different ending anime sequence for each character and each video became available for future viewing in the "Movie" mode. Prolific Japanese studio Telecom Animation Film (テレコム•アニメーション•フィルム) produced all ten videos, including the opening music sequence.
was removed in overseas editions. Only the 2006 PlayStation 2 Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol.24 version use the original Last Bronx: Tokyo Bangaichi title name and logo.
The arcade version was developed in Japan by the AM3 team that had developed Virtual On
. Tokyo Bangaichi was running on the same mainboard that Tecmo's Dead Or Alive
and Sega's own AM2's Virtua Fighter 2
and Fighting Vipers
. While the original port of the game was graphically inferior to its arcade counterpart, the port featured new game modes and options, remixed music and exclusive video sequences.
Tokyo Bangaichi was already a hit and popular franchise in Japan before the home version's release, with even a movie (Toei Video
) dedicated to it, with its own OST
CD. As a result, Last Bronx was launched in summer 1997 with a blockbuster campaign. The SegaSaturn game box contained exclusive extras such a "Special Disc" featuring two training modes, a vocal characters profile and even an "Interactive Tutorial Mode" with extensive vocals. This bonus disc was never released overseas. This package also included a 56-page illustrated color booklet, a dual-side collector poster featuring character art and a gameplay command list and a set of stickers. The console conversion of Tokyo Bangaichi ran at 60 frames per second. This Sega Saturn version was supplemented by extra game modes such as Survival, Time Attack and Saturn Mode. Three Club Remixes by Yoshiaki Ouchi were taken from the movie's OST and added in the game as unlockable BGM
for the stages of Tommy, Lisa and Kurosawa.
Last Bronx includes advertising for real life brands such as Shott, Suzuki
, Toyo Tires
, AM Records, Java Tea, Axia, Wild Blue Yokohama (theme park) and JAL
. Most of these advertising bills were removed or exchanged with Sega or Saturn logos, sometimes replaced by "Now Printing" bills, in the oversea releases. An "AAA Act Against AIDS" bill, which is a Japanese nonprofit annual event concert, was introduced in the subway stage of the 1998 Windows version.
After the worldwide release of Last Bronx, Sega PC
started a port of the Sega Saturn version for Windows 95/98. This 1998 home version was basically the same as its predecessor but graphically closer to the arcade original with a superior character models and much more detailed fighting environments. The game also ran at a faster frame with the new "Auto Control" option. The "Saturn Mode" was renamed "PC Mode" and there were removed modes such as the CPU versus CPU non-playable "Watch Mode". A new "Replay" feature was introduced and brand extra modes were added including "Team Battle" and "Network Battle", both playable in single, 2-player or 10-player LAN
/Internet
. Screen resolutions and graphic detail options were also available.
Ten years after the original release, Sega emulated the original Tokyo Bangaichi on the PlayStation 2. This version is a straight emulation of the arcade original, with none of the special modes added to the ports. The four game modes are "Arcade Mode", "VS Mode", "Survival Mode" and "Time Attack Mode". The "Replay Mode" which was introduced in the Windows version is still available and was improved as it now gives the player the ability to save into the memory card their own "Replays" in order to watch them later. In this upgraded mode, the user can now zoom in/out and freely select the camera angle or even rotate over 360° around the moving characters. This version also featured the Sega Ages 2500 usual "Archives" mode with some game art.
The game is fully compatible with the "SegaSaturn Control Pad/Virtua Stick for PlayStation 2" which were specially released on the Japanese market to fit the Sega Ages vintage line. Just like its predecessors, this new version doesn't support the vibration function. However, it does feature extensive display options - including frame rate adjustment and letterbox mode. Also for the very first time, the user can adjust the volume for both BGM, sound effects and voices, which includes the ability to play without music. The Saturn version's extra BGMs are not available as the 2006 edition is a straight-to-arcade port. However, a cheat code can be used to switch between the "Last Bronx 1996" and "Last Bronx 2006". The first one uses the original title screen, game graphics and secret tip messages (how to unlock the Survival Mode, etc.), it even disables the latter's basic features including game modes selection, options and the "Pause" function. The player can virtually insert coins -to add credits- by holding "START" and pressing "SELECT" while playing. To quit this Arcade-only mode, the user must run out of credits and wait for the title screen in order to do the switch trick.
Two campaign editions are released through the Sega Direct online shop, first one is a regular edition bundled with an exclusive "葱 Dumpsters" round badge. This kanji symbol, spelled negi, appears on Zaimoku's 2P suit and means "green onion", which is a Japanese food, while "Dumpsters" is the name of this character's gang. The second edition is named "DX Pack", for "Deluxe Pack", and features a "portable strap set" and a "postcard set". The first set is made of a black "Last Bronx" leather bracelet and nine metallic keyholders, shaped according to each crew's insignia, while the other set features eight color postcards, illustrated with the basic characters. Unlike its predecessors, this version will not be released overseas.
Computer
Console
series was launched in the Asuka Fantasy DX collection and Last Bronx was also novelized by Asuka Books.
Artbooks
Comics
In May 2005, the Chinese publisher Ching Win has licensed the Asuka Comics DX manga
which were created by the game director himself, for an official release in Taiwan
.
(illus:Saitou Remi/story:Akinobu Abe, Ching Win Publishing Group, licensed by Kadokawa, 345p.)
Novels
Strategy guides
, Sega used to offer Tokyo Bangaichi related prizes to pachinko
gamers and local arcade contest winners. Various goodies such as plush toys and female fighters dedicated super deformed plastic key holders were produced in Japan by the time of the game's arcade release. An all-character plush toy Christmas special edition was even created in December 1996. When the Sega Saturn was released the following year, the famous model kit maker Hogaraka bought the license to sale official Last Bronx dolls of Lisa, Nagi and Yoko.
V-cinema
Game OST
Radio drama
Pony Canyon
published a four episodes Radio drama
audio CD
series.
V-cinema OST
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
developed by Sega-AM3 on the Sega Model 2 mainboard. This is one of the first motion captured 3D weapon fighting games released in Japanese game centers in 1996, the other was Soul Edge
Soul Edge
is a 3D arcade fighting game developed by Project Soul and published by Namco. It is the first installment in the Soul series of fighting games...
. Home versions, shortened to Last Bronx, were produced for contemporary Sega game console and Windows systems. In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the Last Bronx was novelized and serialized into comics and radio drama. A VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
video documenting the motion capture process used for the game and introducing the characters was released in 1996. A year later, Takashi Shimizu
Takashi Shimizu
Takashi Shimizu is a Japanese film director, best known for the Ju-on series of horror films.-Filmography:...
directed the live-action movie (V-Cinema
V-Cinema
Japanese is the direct-to-video industry that appeared in Japan in the 1980s. The term is a trademark of Toei Company but is widely used in the West to describe any Japanese direct-to-video release. In Japan the term used is...
). On June 29, 2006, Sega released Tokyo Bangaichi on PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
as a tenth anniversary celebration.
Plot
Last Bronx is set in an alternate version of post-Japanese bubbleJapanese asset price bubble
The was an economic bubble in Japan from 1986 to 1991, in which real estate and stock prices were greatly inflated. The bubble's collapse lasted for more than a decade with stock prices initially bottoming in 2003, although they would descend even further amidst the global crisis in 2008. The...
Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, where crime and gang warfare is rampant. The game has the following main characters:
- Yusaku Kudo (工藤 優作) is the 19-year-old boss of street-gang (or "crew", as they are referred to in Last Bronx) "Neo-Soul" from Haneda airport. Yusaku is 171 cm tall and weighs 66 kg. His preferred weapon is a metal sansetsukon; his in-game alternate weapon was a ShinkansenShinkansenThe , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
scale model.
- Joe Inagaki (稲垣 丈) is the 23-year-old boss of the "Shinjuku Mad" (新宿マド) gang from Shinjuku. His preferred weapons are metal nunchakuNunchakuis a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
; his in-game alternate weapons are cornMaizeMaize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
ears. Joe is 179 cm tall and weighs 76 kg.
- Saburo Zaimoku (財目三郎) is the 26-year-old boss of the "Katsushika Dumpsters" (葛飾ダンプスターズ) gang from Katsushika. He is 183 cm tall and weighs 102 kg. Zaimoku's preferred weapon is the hammerHammerA hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...
; his in-game alternate weapon is a frozen tunaTunaTuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
.
- Toru Kurosawa (黒澤 透) is the 25-year-old boss of the "Roppongi Hard Core Boys" (六本木野獣会) gang from RoppongiRoppongiis a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike...
. He is 177.5 cm tall and weighs 71 kg. Kurosawa's preferred weapon is the bokutoBokkenA bokken , "wood", and ken, "sword") , is a Japanese wooden sword used for training. It is usually the size and shape of a katana, but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the wakizashi and tantō...
(a wooden sword); his in-game alternate weapon is a folding fanFan (implement)A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Any broad, flat surface waved back-and-forth will create a small airflow and therefore can be considered a rudimentary fan...
.
- Nagi Hojo aka The Raving Lesbian (豊饒 梛) is the 23-year-old boss of the "Dogma" (怒愚魔) gang from the Rainbow BridgeRainbow BridgeRainbow Bridge may refer to:Bridges :* Rainbow Bridge National Monument, a natural rock formation located in Utah, USA* Rainbow Bridge , in Kansas* Rainbow Bridge , on the United States – Canada border...
area of Tokyo, as well as a feministFeminismFeminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
. She is 167.5 cm tall and weighs 52 kg. Her measurements are 90-60-90. Nagi's preferred weapon is the saiSai (weapon)The sai is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon. The basic form of the weapon is that of a pointed, dagger-shaped metal truncheon, with two curved prongs called yoku projecting from the handle...
; her in-game alternate weapon is a spoonSpoonA spoon is a utensil consisting of a small shallow bowl, oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery , especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for serving. Spoons are also used in food preparation to measure, mix, stir and toss ingredients...
and forkForkAs a piece of cutlery or kitchenware, a fork is a tool consisting of a handle with several narrow tines on one end. The fork, as an eating utensil, has been a feature primarily of the West, whereas in East Asia chopsticks have been more prevalent...
.
- Yoko Kono (港野 洋子) is the 20-year-old boss of the "G-Troops" gang from the Tokyo subwayTokyo SubwayThe is an integral part of the world's most extensive rapid transit system in a single metropolitan area, Greater Tokyo. While the subway system itself is largely within the city center, the lines extend far out via extensive through services onto suburban railway lines.- Networks :As of June...
s. She is 163.5 cm tall and weighs 49 kg. Yoko's preferred weapon is a wooden tonfaTonfaThe tonfa , also known as tong fa or tuifa, is an Okinawan weapon. It is a stick with a handle, and is about 15-20 inches long. It was traditionally made from red oak and wielded in pairs...
; her in-game alternate weapons are umbrellaUmbrellaAn umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
s.
- Ken Kono (港野 拳) was the co-founder and former boss of the "G-Troop" gang. After refusing the Redrum challenge, Redrum badly injured him in a fire, and his anger made him mad and evil. Eventually, he was turned into Red Eye (レッドアイ) and himself became an agent for the mysterious Redrum ("Murder" backward) organization. In Yoko's ending, he is beaten by his sister Yoko at the tournament's final in the subway. Ken apologizes and tells his sister the truth, and then dies in her arms. Red Eye's preferred weapon is a metal tonfa; his in-game alternate weapons are chopsticksChopsticksChopsticks are small, often tapered, sticks used in pairs of equal length as the traditional eating utensils of China and its diaspora, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Northern provinces of Laos, Thailand and Burma. Generally believed to have originated in ancient China, they can also be found in some...
and broiled sauriesSaurySauries are fish of the family Scomberesocidae. There are two genera, each containing two species. The name Scomberesocidae is derived from the Greek, skombros = tuna/mackerel, and esox = nursery of salmon....
.
- Hiroshi "Tommy" Tomiie (富家 大) is the 18-year-old boss of the "Helter Skelter" gang from ShibuyaShibuya, Tokyois one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
. He is 165.5 cm tall and weighs 54 kg. Tommy's preferred weapon is the BōBo-People:*Bo , name origin, plus people with the name*Bo , name origin, plus people with the surname**Bo , Chinese family names*Bo people , extinct minority population in Southern China famous for hanging coffins...
(a long pole); his in-game alternate weapon is a deck brush. Tommy's stage, "Cross Street", features a SonicSonic the Hedgehog (character), trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
mascot which is Sega Shibuya Game Center's logo.
- Lisa Kusanami (草波 リサ) is the 17-year-old leader of the "Orchids" music-band (and gang) from the moonlight garden in Takeshiba Passenger Ship Terminal. The youngest playable character, she is 159 cm tall and weighs 45 kg. Her measurements are 83-58-85. Lisa's preferred weapon is a double metal stick (aka "Double-sticks"); her in-game alternate weapon is a ladle and spatulaSpatulaThe term spatula is used to refer to various small implements with a broad, flat, flexible blade used to mix, spread and lift materials including foods, drugs, plaster and paints...
.
Gameplay
Each match is a best out of two rounds fight with victory by Knock OutKnockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
or remaining health at the end of the 30-second time limit. The stages are set in real Tokyo city closed areas without any ring outs. However, fighters can jump on the barriers (and eventually make a disqualifying ring out backflip from there).
Sega AM3 used the "PKG" 3-button system introduced by the AM2 in Virtua Fighter - "P" stands for "Punch" (or weapon), "K" for "Kick" and "G" for "Guard". The player uses the arcade joystick to move the character. Certain joystick and button combinations result in special attacks and combination attacks. The "G" button is used to block the opponent's attacks and to perform a feint
Feint
Feint is a French term that entered English from the discipline of fencing. Feints are maneuvers designed to distract or mislead, done by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or even none, will...
attack called "Attack Cancel".Strong attacks, throlls and rolling moves can be performed using different button combinations. Taunts can also be used - Last Bronx is part of the rare games in which the CPU uses this feature against the player or even another CPU controlled character.
Saturn/PC Mode
When the home version of Last Bronx was released in 1997, the original arcade game was available in "Arcade Mode" but Sega also added a new story mode named "Saturn Mode" (later known as "PC Mode"). There were several differences between Arcade Mode and this new mode.The basic change was in the character Yoko - she lost her protagonist status since the final fight with her elder brother Red Eye was no longer the game's climax. The new plot was re-imagined as a complex network revolving around the Soul Crew duel of Yusaku versus Joe, around which all primary and secondary characters are linked to, for individual reasons. As a result there was no more fixed fighting order with Red Eye as the last boss to beat, but instead the mode features a random route with Red Eye as a Sub Boss and a final match specific to each character.
Each final match was introduced by a real time cutscene with the two opponents, which differed from the Arcade Mode's unique dialogue between Yoko and Red Eye, Yoko being the only character directly connected to the game's bad guy. The Arcade Mode's "Extra Stage", which was only available when beating Red Eye without using a continue did not exist in the story mode. In this bonus stage, the ultimate opponent was a Dural-like metallic mute version of the player's own character (in reference to Virtua Fighter 3
Virtua Fighter 3
is the third game in the Virtua Fighter series. Two new Japanese characters were added to the roster of fighters: Aoi Umenokoji, a beautiful Japanese woman and a childhood friend of Akira Yuki who used a nimble form of Aiki-jujutsu as her fighting style of choice, and Taka-Arashi, a Sumo wrestler...
). Depending on the version, this extra character was either a solid gray color or reflective. In the console versions, Red Eye was now playable with his own story mode ending movie to unlock.
Winning the story mode's final stage unlocked a different ending anime sequence for each character and each video became available for future viewing in the "Movie" mode. Prolific Japanese studio Telecom Animation Film (テレコム•アニメーション•フィルム) produced all ten videos, including the opening music sequence.
PlayStation 2 extra settings
A hidden bonus menu featuring exclusive options 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 styleSuper deformedSuper deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...
. - 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 lost 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 runHome runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
. - Gourad Use: Turning on this mode will allow the user to unlock both "Metal" (3DCG model textured with Gouraud shadedGouraud shadingGouraud shading, named after Henri Gouraud, is an interpolation method used in computer graphics to produce continuous shading of surfaces represented by polygon meshes...
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". As the SegaSaturn hardware wasn't able to handle Gouraud shading on this game, the developers removed the metallic effect and left an untextured, gray, character 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.
Releases
Last Bronx was first planned to be released in the first week of August 1997, but it was actually first sold in Japan on July 25, 1997. The Tokyo Bangaichi tagline was removed from the original logo in the 1996 American arcade release. The same year, Sega Europe kept the short Last Bronx name for its own cabinet. The home versions released the following years were also named Last Bronx, but the logo's blood squirtBlood squirt
Blood squirt is the effect when an artery, a blood vessel in the human body , is cut...
was removed in overseas editions. Only the 2006 PlayStation 2 Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol.24 version use the original Last Bronx: Tokyo Bangaichi title name and logo.
The arcade version was developed in Japan by the AM3 team that had developed Virtual On
Virtual On
is a series of video games created by Sega AM-3 . The original series was first published for arcades in February 1995. The game features fast, action-oriented gameplay requiring quick reflexes...
. Tokyo Bangaichi was running on the same mainboard that Tecmo's Dead Or Alive
Dead or Alive (arcade game)
Dead or Alive is a fighting game and the first entry in the long-running Dead or Alive series. It was released in 1996 in arcades, followed by home ports for Sega Saturn in 1997 and Sony PlayStation in 1998 .-Gameplay:Dead or Alive was unique in its debut that featured fairly different choices in...
and Sega's own AM2's Virtua Fighter 2
Virtua Fighter 2
is a fighting game developed by Sega. It is the sequel to Virtua Fighter and the second game in the Virtua Fighter series. It was created by the Sega's Yu Suzuki-headed AM2 and was released in the arcade in 1994. It was subsequently ported to the Sega Saturn in 1995 and Microsoft Windows in 1997...
and Fighting Vipers
Fighting Vipers
Fighting Vipers is a 3D fighting game developed by Sega AM2.The game was first released in the arcade in 1995 using the Sega Model 2 hardware and ported the same year to the Sega Saturn with significantly reduced graphics.-Gameplay:...
. While the original port of the game was graphically inferior to its arcade counterpart, the port featured new game modes and options, remixed music and exclusive video sequences.
Tokyo Bangaichi was already a hit and popular franchise in Japan before the home version's release, with even a movie (Toei Video
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
) dedicated to it, with its own OST
OST
- Music :* Original Soundtrack, the soundtrack of a movie, TV series, or video game.* Open Source Track, a licensing and distribution model for music initiative* The alias of electronic musician Chris Douglas- Science and technology :...
CD. As a result, Last Bronx was launched in summer 1997 with a blockbuster campaign. The SegaSaturn game box contained exclusive extras such a "Special Disc" featuring two training modes, a vocal characters profile and even an "Interactive Tutorial Mode" with extensive vocals. This bonus disc was never released overseas. This package also included a 56-page illustrated color booklet, a dual-side collector poster featuring character art and a gameplay command list and a set of stickers. The console conversion of Tokyo Bangaichi ran at 60 frames per second. This Sega Saturn version was supplemented by extra game modes such as Survival, Time Attack and Saturn Mode. Three Club Remixes by Yoshiaki Ouchi were taken from the movie's OST and added in the game as unlockable BGM
BGM
BGM can mean:*Greater Binghamton Airport serving Binghamton, New York *Background music*an abbreviation for the former Bell Globemedia, now Bell Media*BGM , Japanese band YMO's album*Bonnier Gazell Music...
for the stages of Tommy, Lisa and Kurosawa.
Last Bronx includes advertising for real life brands such as Shott, Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
, Toyo Tires
Toyo Tire & Rubber Company
is a tire company based in Japan.-History:The company started in 1945. In 1966, the company expanded to the United States as Toyo Tire Corporation...
, AM Records, Java Tea, Axia, Wild Blue Yokohama (theme park) and JAL
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
. Most of these advertising bills were removed or exchanged with Sega or Saturn logos, sometimes replaced by "Now Printing" bills, in the oversea releases. An "AAA Act Against AIDS" bill, which is a Japanese nonprofit annual event concert, was introduced in the subway stage of the 1998 Windows version.
After the worldwide release of Last Bronx, Sega PC
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
started a port of the Sega Saturn version for Windows 95/98. This 1998 home version was basically the same as its predecessor but graphically closer to the arcade original with a superior character models and much more detailed fighting environments. The game also ran at a faster frame with the new "Auto Control" option. The "Saturn Mode" was renamed "PC Mode" and there were removed modes such as the CPU versus CPU non-playable "Watch Mode". A new "Replay" feature was introduced and brand extra modes were added including "Team Battle" and "Network Battle", both playable in single, 2-player or 10-player LAN
Län
Län and lääni refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010....
/Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Screen resolutions and graphic detail options were also available.
Ten years after the original release, Sega emulated the original Tokyo Bangaichi on the PlayStation 2. This version is a straight emulation of the arcade original, with none of the special modes added to the ports. The four game modes are "Arcade Mode", "VS Mode", "Survival Mode" and "Time Attack Mode". The "Replay Mode" which was introduced in the Windows version is still available and was improved as it now gives the player the ability to save into the memory card their own "Replays" in order to watch them later. In this upgraded mode, the user can now zoom in/out and freely select the camera angle or even rotate over 360° around the moving characters. This version also featured the Sega Ages 2500 usual "Archives" mode with some game art.
The game is fully compatible with the "SegaSaturn Control Pad/Virtua Stick for PlayStation 2" which were specially released on the Japanese market to fit the Sega Ages vintage line. Just like its predecessors, this new version doesn't support the vibration function. However, it does feature extensive display options - including frame rate adjustment and letterbox mode. Also for the very first time, the user can adjust the volume for both BGM, sound effects and voices, which includes the ability to play without music. The Saturn version's extra BGMs are not available as the 2006 edition is a straight-to-arcade port. However, a cheat code can be used to switch between the "Last Bronx 1996" and "Last Bronx 2006". The first one uses the original title screen, game graphics and secret tip messages (how to unlock the Survival Mode, etc.), it even disables the latter's basic features including game modes selection, options and the "Pause" function. The player can virtually insert coins -to add credits- by holding "START" and pressing "SELECT" while playing. To quit this Arcade-only mode, the user must run out of credits and wait for the title screen in order to do the switch trick.
Two campaign editions are released through the Sega Direct online shop, first one is a regular edition bundled with an exclusive "葱 Dumpsters" round badge. This kanji symbol, spelled negi, appears on Zaimoku's 2P suit and means "green onion", which is a Japanese food, while "Dumpsters" is the name of this character's gang. The second edition is named "DX Pack", for "Deluxe Pack", and features a "portable strap set" and a "postcard set". The first set is made of a black "Last Bronx" leather bracelet and nine metallic keyholders, shaped according to each crew's insignia, while the other set features eight color postcards, illustrated with the basic characters. Unlike its predecessors, this version will not be released overseas.
List of releases
Arcade- 1996.XX: Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi~ (Sega Model 2 ROM)
- 1996.XX: Last Bronx (Sega Model 2 ROM)
- 1996.XX: Last Bronx (Sega Model 2 ROM)
Computer
- 1998.02: Last Bronx (Windows 95/98Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
CD-ROM) - 1998.XX: Last Bronx (Windows 95/98Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
CD-ROM) - 1998.XX: Last Bronx (Windows 95/98Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
CD-ROM)
Console
- 1997.07: Last Bronx (Sega Saturn x2 CD-ROM)
- 1997.XX: Last Bronx (Sega Saturn x1 CD-ROM)
- 1997.07: Last Bronx (Sega Saturn x1 CD-ROM)
- 2006.06: Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol.24 Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi~ (PlayStation 2 CD-ROM)
Books
A mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series was launched in the Asuka Fantasy DX collection and Last Bronx was also novelized by Asuka Books.
Artbooks
- 1997.04: Last Bronx Official Art Works (SoftBank Creative, SoftBank Books, 111p.)
Comics
In May 2005, the Chinese publisher Ching Win has licensed the Asuka Comics DX manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
which were created by the game director himself, for an official release in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
- 1997.09: Last Bronx 4Koma Gag Battle Hinotama Game Comic Series (Shounen On Comics, Koubunsha, 132p.)
- 1997.10: Last Bronx Comic Anthology (G-Collection, Broccoli, Movic, 165p.)
- 1998.05: Last Bronx #1 (illus:Saitou Remi/story:Akinobu Abe, Asuka Comics DX, Kadokawa, 176p.)
- 1998.08: Last Bronx #2 (illus:Saitou Remi/story:Akinobu Abe, Asuka Comics DX, Kadokawa, 169p.)
- 199X.XX: Last Bronx Complete Edition Set (illus:Saitou Remi/story:Akinobu Abe, Shonen Comic, Kadokawa, 345p.)
- 2005.05: Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi~ Martial Arts Tournament Arena Complete Edition
(illus:Saitou Remi/story:Akinobu Abe, Ching Win Publishing Group, licensed by Kadokawa, 345p.)
Novels
- 1997.07: Last Bronx (Asuka Books)
Strategy guides
- 1996.08: Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi~ Official Command Book (Aspect, Ascii 62p.)
- 1996.10: Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi~ Official Guide Book (Aspect, Ascii, 269p.)
- 1996.11: Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi~ Arcade Game Hisshou Special (Keibunsha)
- 1997.09: Last Bronx Complete File For Expert (Mainichi Communications, 125p.)
- 1997.09: Last Bronx Official Guide (Soft Bank Creative, 175p.)
- 1997.09: Last Bronx V-Jump Books Game Series (Shueisha, 130p.)
Toys
In the brand's game centersArcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
, Sega used to offer Tokyo Bangaichi related prizes to pachinko
Pachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
gamers and local arcade contest winners. Various goodies such as plush toys and female fighters dedicated super deformed plastic key holders were produced in Japan by the time of the game's arcade release. An all-character plush toy Christmas special edition was even created in December 1996. When the Sega Saturn was released the following year, the famous model kit maker Hogaraka bought the license to sale official Last Bronx dolls of Lisa, Nagi and Yoko.
Film
Documentary- 1996.08: Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi~ Compilation (VHS, Columbia Music Entertainment, 45mn, COVC-4728)
V-cinema
- 1996.10: Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi~ (VHS, General Entertainment)
- 1997.06: Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi~ (VHS, director:Kazuya Shimizu/music:Yoshiaki Ouchi, Toei Video, 90mn, VRZF-00368)
Audio
The Saturn exclusive opening anime's theme song Jaggy Love, performed by the R&B trio D'Secrets (Kaori, Mayumi & Rie) was released as a single, with Kaze No Street as the B-side.Game OST
- 1997.06: Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi~ Sound Battle (Tokoyuki Kawamura, Fast Smile Entertainment, 49mn, FSCA-10008)
- 1997.08: Jaggy Love [MAXI-CD] (D'Secrets, lyrics:Minoru Ohta/music:Woora, Inoks Record, Pony Canyon, PCDA-95016)
Radio drama
Pony Canyon
Pony Canyon
is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966 , which publishes music, DVD and VHS videos, movies and video games. It is a subsidiary of Japanese Media Group, Fujisankei Communications Group.-History:...
published a four episodes Radio drama
Radio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
audio CD
Red Book (audio CD standard)
Red Book is the standard for audio CDs . It is named after one of the Rainbow Books, a series of books that contain the technical specifications for all CD and CD-ROM formats.The first edition of the Red Book was released in 1980 by Philips and Sony; it was adopted by the Digital Audio Disc...
series.
- 1997.09: Last Bronx Radio Drama Vol.1 (Inoks Record, Pony Canyon, PCCG-95002)
- 1997.10: Last Bronx Radio Drama Vol.2 (Inoks Record, Pony Canyon, PCCG-95003)
- 1997.11: Last Bronx Radio Drama Vol.3 (Inoks Record, Pony Canyon, PCCG-95004)
- 1997.12: Last Bronx Radio Drama Vol.4 (Inoks Record, Pony Canyon, PCCG-95005)
V-cinema OST
- 1997.06: Last Bronx ~Soundtrack VS Club Remix~ (Yoshiaki Ouchi, Inoks Record, Pony Canyon, PCCG-95001)