Part 1: Looking Back at Creating the Last Ninja Series - Origins and Inspiration
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- Опубликовано: 14 ноя 2024
- Here's a quick look back at the iconic Last Ninja game for C64. The Kickstarter can be accessed from the following link: www.kickstarte...
Shout out to the late, great Ben Daglish who composed the iconic music. The man was a sid chip genius.
+1
Eagerly waiting for Part 2 of the series and there is no doubt Ben Daglish deserved a unique accolade for his LN1 soundtrack.
After 35 years I still get earworm of "Wilderness" and "Palace Gardens" playing in my head ! :)
Cloned it with AI to use ony channel. Thanks
SYSTEM 3 HAS A RUclips CHANNEL?!? I ONLY FIND OUT ABOUT THIS NOW?!!
I still play these games with an emulator. To be honest even back in '87 the gameplay could be a tad frustrating (jumping over those stones in the river.. nightmares), but the graphics and especially the music was so, so mindblowing. It's still baffling how this could be achieved with 64kb to work with.
The music will stay popular decades after almost noone can remember the game... ^_^
I've already met 2 people in the last decade who had no idea the music came from a game, but loved the music, had it on their playlists.
@@DIREWOLFx75 The music is timeless while I can understand that younger people who didn't grow up with these games, don't have interest in playing them or can understand how revolutionary the graphics were at that time.
Dude, I just commented on that! Rock-jumping sucked!
This game for me is what made C64 so brilliant and still looks impressive.
Great video. I really want a Last Ninja 4 too. But i want it on the C64.
how did you make last ninja nintentdo port?
I am interested to know.
Music of this game is mind blowing even today
my childhood right here thankyou system 3
Documentario incredibile! John Twiddy (alla programmazione) e Mark Cale (game-design) avete realizzato un gioco che non aveva quasi nulla a che vedere con i suoi contemporanei nel 1987.
Last Ninja presenta una grafica sofisticata, che adotta il difficile sistema di visualizzazione isometrica come segno distintivo, nonchè un'incredibile definizione di particolari sullo schermo, che per l'epoca era davvero notevole.
Questo espediente inoltre creava l'attesa e la voglia di scoprire cosa celava la schermata successiva, donando al giocatore un "sense of wonder" perfettamente funzionale alla struttura narrativa. La costruzione della struttura grafica della schermata, pixel dopo pixel, fa da collante tra il passaggio di un quadro all'altro, costituendo un ulteriore segno distintivo del gioco (utilizzato anche nei capitoli successivi e in Tusker, sempre pubblicato da System 3). The Last Ninja è una sorpresa incredibile per il giocatore del 1987: grafica a standard altissimi, giocabilità elevata, una grande longevità, coadiuvata da una giusta calibrazione della difficoltà.
Ma c'è una fiche IMMORTALE che rende The Last Ninja leggenda: il soundtrack. Indimenticabile colonna sonora dell'avventura di Armakuni, è l'opera magna del compianto Ben Daglish: una serie di tracce di circa due minuti e mezzo l'una, una più articolata ed avvincente dell'altra, dotate di ritmo, melodie evocative e ritornelli indimenticabili. Daglish all'epoca non ancora maggiorenne crea qualcosa di incredibile, con certe escursioni ritmiche come il tema del secondo livello, così ricco e stratificato da strabiliare: si stenta a credere che quella melodia, che con un crescendo di basi e strumenti diversi giunge clamorosamente al climax dall'iniziale e quieto motivo, venga da un semplice SID. La colonna sonora dell'ultimo Ninja entra in pieno diritto nella storia, marchiando a fuoco le sue note nella memoria di ogni giocatore appassionato di C64.
wow, you are right... the music and the gameplay is unforgettable... and how i wish it will come a Last Ninja 4...
for me, i dont need a Graficstyle like from other actually pc games, i really wish a "simple" isometric style in 16 colors... even if its for Pc or another console
@@SonganDrakensang A Last Ninja 4 would be fantastic... yes it doesn't matter where, but that it respects the "philosophy" and its predecessors, although.. for C64 and Amiga it would have a "special" flavour. Sorry for my english ;-)
July 1987, bought my copy in Munich. Completed it at the beginning of August 87, what an incredible experience. Superb release, thanks Mark and all these unique artists.
I would be happy to assist with transferring data from John's 5.25" floppy disks to PC. I am based in the UK, a short trip from London. BTW, I am the author of "Integrator 2012" and "The Last Ninja Construction Kit", the PC applications that are shown at multiple points in the video. I am also the author of the "IECHost" device and software that I would be using for the transfer.
I was a bit confused by this in the video because they only show a Windows app for the integrator and yet I doubt they were using Windows for (C64/Amiga) games dev in 1987 when Windows was barely usable. I presume the integrator would've been a C64 app back then?
@@danboid Indeed: the original "Integrator" was a C64 application, possibly a compiled Forth one. Later versions would have been rewritten in assembly language by John. "Integrator 2012" is a GUI application for PC/Linux/macOS that I started to write in 2012. Most visuals I published during development, including RUclips tutorials, show the Windows XP version of it. Windows XP is from 2001.
I’d love to see this rewritten with an REU in mind, and add in all the graphics and animations you had to take out. I get a feeling it would be mind blowing 💯
Some of the best sid chip music in this
a milestone in gaming. We wil never forget how big Last Ninja was, and still is.
This is absolutely amazing! One of my favorite games on the Commodore 64. I remember the magical feeling of walking into the store back in 1987, buying the Last Ninja, bringing it home and being totally blown away. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. I still have both my original C64 and the Last Ninja cassettes.
its my same story... i bought the tape version in 1987.. and it was my first original game... It's an unforgettable time... how much I loved it when a new System 3 game was announced and I was so nervous until it was finally on sale. Now the same feeling is back with the Last Ninja Collection...
Did you get past the pixel-perfect jumps on the river rocks first time? How about the 50th? Eevil programmers! I admire what they did. I watched the background of the game development of this, and it was pretty awesome doing what they did back then with limited memory, but the gameplay was ass with a Quikshot. My 2 cents, or accounting for inflation? 2 cents ;)
@@jingo500 The jumps are fair. You only need to know, it gives three different jumps.
If you look up/right side, then:
1. Button + Up = long Jump
2. Button + Up/Right = short jump
3. Button + Right = side Jump...
:)
You know you're talking about muscle memory from over 30 years ago, dude? ;)_
@@jingo500 No. I could never get across that river. I was annoyed about that, but thankfully there was another way around (the swamp), so I could get around that. Unfortunately the second tape had a problem (even though it was brand new), so I could never finish the game.
I visited Budapest for the first time in April. A wonderful place, and the people are so nice. They are technically advanced for an eastern block country, and I find it fascinating. So thanks for telling more of this story on The Retro Hour! :)
Last Ninja 2 though... 👍
🎵 Matt Gray 🎶
Pleeeeeease say this guy is involved!
I adore and appreciate these behind the scenes stories of how video games were assembled back in the 80's and 90s whether they be arcade, computer or console because it shows you the drive, the passion and persistence it took to get things done. While I'm not a die hard fan of the series and only played the NES port I was always fascinated by the look and feel of the game so I hope this project is successful and I'll definitely consider picking up a copy of this collection for PC. It would be nice to have all the games in one spot along with more BTS documentation to sink my teeth into. 😇
The level of detail for the time was incredible - e.g. the Samurai guards with swords committing Hara Kiri if they didn't manage to catch up to the Ninja
I was always impressed with how quickly the screens were drawn in TLN. I had seen many games for the C64 that were drawn in realtime, such as "The Hobbit" and they were pretty slow. But of course the thing that still stands out in my mind with this whole series on the C64 is the incredible music. So, atmospheric and awesome.
Yes this is the game that needs a remake , true ground breaking game . C64
I really appreciate they gave the proper credit for the Hungarian team, for a lot of time, it was a unknown. Too bad, the Hungarian team could not finish the task. I suppose the original Forth background drawing routine kept but turned into assembly (as it was pretty slow) and the animation, actions and fight screen made in assembly with the new programmers.
Anyhow it is a great (legendary?) game, though I prefer LN2, as it does not require that pixel precise jumps.
Beautiful. Love these games 🥰❤️🙏
Absolutely love the Last Ninja series of games! So very many fond memories of playing and beating each of them. Some of the best music, and the games felt light years ahead of most other games of the time. I still play, and listen to the music in these games - frequently!
This is fascinating. Thank you for sharing. From its code to visuals and music this whole game is a piece of art.
This is really interesting. Loved these games I hope these interviews & perhaps a gallery of the art work & graphics are included in some form on the collection.
I played this in the 80's. Pixel-perfect jumps with a QuickShot joystick, or even a Commodore one, were rare. Memories.
Ah yes the Quickshot joystick. Had one of those and also a beige/brown Arcade joystick. Great times. Great game.
@@marcelengels1079 bad times. good games. crap inputs Quickshots had, soldered pads that would constantly break, and the eighties weren't really known for repairs, more 'replace' mentality.
This is great. I wish you'd do a whole documentary on System 3's entire history of all the games. Myth was one of the most important games to me back in the C64 days, would love to hear more about that. But I understand the Last Ninja Collection is the focus now. Important and wonderful history.
I had Last Ninja 2 on the BBC Micro. I loved it, I used to bring the floppy into school, the girl in my class I had a massive crush on used to like to play it. She called it “Ninja Style”!
Last Ninja 1,2,3 are some of my most fav games. Wish we could get a new version some day…
Amazing even without sound fx; great music, artistic backgrounds and immersive environments
Great to see you both alive and looking well if a little greyer lol. Best wishes with the collection. SN.
These were my favourite games on the C64, bar none. I still play them to this day!
I would recommend speaking to David Murray, a.k.a The 8-Bit Guy - he fixes and works with a LOT of Commodore hardware and software!
no need to cross the ocean for that, in fact c64 has a more active community in Europe than in the USA.
I had to back this as soon as I saw it appear. Went all out which I rarely do. Played this and International Karate so much on my C128 and some IK+ on my mate's brother's A500 so it was a no-brainer. Fascinating story about the Integrator. Can't wait for the release!
Great video that deserves more exposure. Hopefully the algorithm will give it a boost at some point. Last Ninja came pretty much at the beginning peak of the C64 era in terms of sheer technical achievement and what the machine was capable of, as well as being a great game of course. It was the era when getting the latest issue of Zzap!64 was like opening Aladdin's Cave. There were just these amazing titles , I always think of games by Thalamus, Cyberdine and of course your company, which looked SO good - Armalyte, Delta, Hawkeye, and then of course the LN series. SUCH good times, there's nothing to compare it to these days sadly.
iconic music ❤
13:54 having a sprite between a foreground and background... amazing!
Wow, its a great Interview. Thank you to both of you...
And its nice to see John Twiddy and Mark...
Can't remember which Last Ninja it was, but I had a Commodore version that came with a ninja mask and a rubber throwing star. Was awesome.
i have the C64-Version, a "limited edition" with a Ninja Mask :)
@@SonganDrakensang Think mine must have been the C64 version. My memory is shot nowadays. I wrote commodore cos couldn't remember if it was C64 or Amiga, lol.
@@wiseguy100 but it was "Last Ninja 2"... :)
I always loved how the ninja walked around in broad daylight - stealth be damned! Such great games, though. I used to load Last Ninja 3 just for that intro music. Incredible! System 3 was hands down my fave C64 developer/publisher. Thanks for bringing this back Mark and co!
This was the "reality" of 80s ninja fiction. The only surprise to seeing a ninja would be "Oh, you're a ninja? Cool!" or "Oh, damn! Another ninja I have to fight."
This is what growing up in the 80s made us think was normal. :D
@@donkfail1 Haha yup and all practicing swinging swords round and round 'ninja style'. LOL.
System 3 is also my absolute favourit and i bought all System 3 Games for the C64...
@@SonganDrakensang I wish I could say the same but I was a kid and I copied everything. We all did it here in NZ - it wasn't policed here like it was everywhere else. Sorry Mark! Haha.
those disks need to be preserved ASAP! preferably with a flux imager for extra redundancy.
I only played the games lightly (they were tough!) but still listen to the soundtracks. RIP Ben Daglish.
I loved this game greatly almost obsessed Good game great memory
Such a great game when it came out on the C64.
One of the best games, if not THE best game, on the Commodore 64.
I still play it regularly on VICE.
The music is also awesome.
@System 3: The link is not in the comments. Its not possible to publish other websitelinks.. but you can put it in the description under the Video :)
The world of The Last Ninja, brought to life
The Last Ninja is known for its unique blend of action, puzzles, and adventure gameplay in an isometric world. In a modern reinterpretation like Red Dead Redemption 2, you could expect a richly detailed and vibrant world with sprawling landscapes and atmospheric urban settings reflecting ancient feudal Japan. Picture yourself, as the ninja Armakuni, sneaking through dark bamboo forests, infiltrating ancient castles, and traveling along rivers full of mysterious dangers, all within a massive open-world environment.
Authentic ninja gameplay with modern depth
The original *Last Ninja* relied heavily on solving puzzles and defeating enemies using a combination of martial arts and traditional Japanese weapons like swords and nunchaku. In a modern reimagining, you could expect a deeper combat system, similar to the close-quarters combat of *Red Dead Redemption 2*, combined with stealth elements reminiscent of *Assassin’s Creed*. Every move you make as a ninja could be critical, whether it's silently eliminating enemies or strategically avoiding traps.
A story of honor, revenge, and mystery
Rather than focusing solely on action and puzzles, the story could take center stage. The world of samurai and ninjas is full of intrigue, honor, and bloody revenge. Imagine a narrative set in a politically divided world, where you not only battle enemies but also face moral dilemmas. Do you choose honor, or do you use the shadows to achieve your goals, even if it means betraying others?
The technology behind the transformation
With the power of modern consoles and PC hardware, a game like this could push the boundaries of what’s possible. Think of dynamic weather systems, day and night cycles that affect your stealth and combat abilities, and lifelike NPCs that react to your actions. Perhaps there could even be deep crafting mechanics, allowing you to create your own weapons and tools, such as smoke bombs or grappling hooks, to move swiftly across rooftops.
A tribute to the classic
While the game would get a modern twist, a tribute to the original Last Ninja wouldn’t be complete without some nostalgic nods. Hidden levels or Easter eggs could replicate the original C64 game, but with today’s advanced graphics and physics.
This idea would breathe new life into the classic C64 game, and combining the atmosphere and gameplay of *The Last Ninja* with the immersive world and open structure of *Red Dead Redemption 2* would undoubtedly deliver an epic experience!
Such an impressive game on c64! I played it a lot but never got far into the game.
it might be helpful to include the kickstarter link in the video description or at least in a pinned comment...
I really love this game Love from Mik Roy from Denmark ❤️
My best C64 game ever…obviously!
One of best game ever..
International Karate for the ST, I always call it the Melmac Edition. I mean, look at those noses and tell me the fighters don't look like Alf in an Elvis wig.
The Last Ninja had great graphics and music, but those river and swamp sections were brutal. Sure, once you knew the exact moves to make, you could literally do it with your eyes closed, but until you figured it out, you could quite easily lose all your lives there and have to start the game over from the beginning. I could never complete the game without giving myself unlimited lives with my Super Snapshot cartridge.
It's a shame that the Amiga version of Last Ninja 2 was so poor. I got it for Christmas one year and was greatly disappointed when I booted it up. It didn't look too bad, but it felt lousy to play.
*lol* Yeah those precision jump were not easy, especially as the isometric view made it extra difficult to aim.
But fun thing with the LN2, which was the 1st one i played when my older brother got it on his C64, thanks to it including a time counter, we started competing on who could finish the entire game the fastest.
IIRC, the final, unbeatable record ended up being somewhere around 9 minutes by my brother, while i managed 20-30s higher as my best. I have it written down somewhere but many years since i looked.
Excellent docu episode! well done!
And for those interested in the Intergrator tool, it exists and I made this very useful Intergrator tutorial: ruclips.net/video/83XveM-NeDw/видео.html
I am a huge fan of Last Ninja and Commodore 64 Pixel Graphics and have been an active pixel artist for Megastyle as well as making box covers for new releases for C64!
System 3 are still pushing forwards which is another round of inspiration! Let's go part 2!!
Never got the second to work properly on the Amstrad, still a fan though. 😂
RIP Tim Best, Stan Schembri, Anthony Lees, and Ben Daglish, such a legacy. I only just found out about Stan's passing on the part 2 video.
If you still need help transfering the data from those original disks, let me know!
Thank you Micheal for the offer. John is away on holiday at the moment but will be back next week. We will reach out to you and others next week
One queston for the creators if they see my comment - I've always wondered who the dead guy dressed entirely in RED is in Level 1 ? The one who you "borrow" the Nunchuks from...
Fantastic video! Thank you
Fantastic! And happy to be a supporter of the Kickstarter too
I’ve got a fully functional 1541 if needed.
I'd totally get that, if it was not a kickstarter thing.
Plenty of retro-computing channels on RUclips. There's the 8-bit guy, there's Perifractic from Retro Recipes. I am sure there are people who can help you get the data off the disks. Would be great.
Still have my BBC B version of the Last Ninja. Peter Scott managed to put the game inside the 32K of the Beeb. Also loved the Archimedes version of the Last Ninja. Plenty speed and memory to pull everything off.
Awesome! Pledged!
I remember that a school mate of mine was boasting about the PC at home. One of the first to be honest. Only able to use it for very simple games and text. I showed him my Last Ninja games. He was actually jealous. I told him that the C64 could do more than he estimated.
And as "The Last Ninja 3" says "Real hatred is timeless".
I completed the second and third, but struggled at the first. Couldn't find the exit in the dungeon. People who made/played it will know. 😏
Very happy to have backed the Kickstarter campaign! 😎
Where is the campaign
Loved this game as a kid back in the late 1980's. Still have my C64 and 1541 drive - i believe they still work (they did when i last checked).. sadly I am on the other side of the planet so of no use to you
Absolute ripper of a game series from my childhood. Awesome docco 🌹🍎🥷
Very interesting! Would love to hear anything about the thinking around porting it to the Amstrad and Spectrum. Shame they didn't get the love the C64 original did !
Being a C64 kid at the time, I obviously had and enjoyed the Last Ninja games, but I was unaware that you used the C64 as your development system. Until now I'd thought you'd developed it on Amigas or Atari ST's.
I bought many retro computers just to play TLN on original hardware. C64, Spectrum, Amiga, AtariST.
The fact that the newer games of these classics were abandoned. And that it now needs a Kickstarter to been released on newer systems. And on the other hand, the AAA industry feeds us remakes from games that are just a few years old... Completely mad. Can someone tell those Corpo's that 10.000 fans paying 1 dollar, or one Whale paying 10.000 dollars are not the same. Sure the Numbers are the same. 10.000 dollars. But the Whale has most likely not many friends. Or is not proud about overpaying for something. On the other hand you have 10.000 players, who did pay 1 dollar. Are happy. Telling their friends how good a deal it is. Bringing more buyers, and all have enough money left to buy more games. I know, hard to understand those emotions from those human beings. Numbers are way easier.
Tell john that we need more pixel perfect jumping on rocks.
A great video. Thank you (plus 1st comment!!)
Please include Vendetta and Turbocharge as well
Patrick Stewart lent his face for the cover art lol
Make sure that whoever dumps the disks will clean the disks and the drive first.
I would put a link to the kick starter campaign in the description. Or pin a comment
I'm still bitter about all that hype around the remake of the LN trilogy back in 2007. Retro Gamer magazine had screen shots of the games and it was due to be released on the PSP (one of the reasons I ran out to buy one, even though I was broke). It turned out to be complete vapourware and nothing was said. Some years later, System 3 put out a post on Facebook about remakes, not once, but twice and again, nothing happened. System 3 kind of ruined any credibility they had at that point with the LN community. Might has well come out and honest about it rather than fool people around.
LN1 took 3D gaming to the next level, with graphics drawn almost like a water colour painting appearing on the screen. It made almost every other C64 game look and sound inferior.
Not sure I ever got past level 4?
I remember the combat animations being absolutely dreadful and there was no 3D consistency when jumping over the rivers. It was a frustrating mess.
Daft question, all you creators out there, surely making a commodore 64 game is much easier now, Could we perhaps have a NEW last ninja in the old commodore 64 style, but maybe a little more relevant to today, the first thing i did in mine craft years ago, was make a last ninja level, from memory, included was the jumping puzzles, a sword in a stone :) i even tried to make a last ninja DOOM level with the DOOM WAD editor back in the day, im 41 years old, and my childhood memories are last ninja, me running around with a sword stuffed down my jumper being the Last ninja :) i think a last ninja 6 would be incredible. Simply " The Last Ninja - Returns". cmon system 3 :)
system 3 was great at age of c63! ln3 was last great game that they have make!
Putty Squad was released on Amiga in 2013, but only 100 copies were made, because Amiga was not commercially viable computer.
thank for video
I don't know why, but I could never get into the third one :) Also, where is the link?
@@SelfIndulgentGamer 3 had amazing production values but gameplay was simply worse than 1 and 2. The Bushido system was a pain, puzzles were simply way too hard, that space level felt so out of place.. it just missed the magic feeling of 1 and 2. Which is a shame because the graphics and music were chefs kiss.
use google for "kickstarter last ninja collection",
Link to the campaign? Not seeing it in the description or in a pinned comment.
RUclips is not publishing other website links... :(
but you can google for "Last Ninja Collection and you will find it in first place! :)
Why is crossing the river so hard?
Practically Impossible to play, the only good ones were the ones that weren't isometric, didn't know ik,ik+ and bangkok nights were in the same family, First Samurai think was made by some people from there too?
First Samurai is from "The Vivid Image Development" (VID), also the great Game "Hammerfist" and "Time Machine" (for the C64).
Which ones weren't isometric?
Where is the Kickstarter link? 🤔
try to google for "Last Ninja Collection" and you find the link.. :)
Perhaps better not to say anything about the Amstrad port.
Cant you guys just buy a new 1541 and do it?
No kickstarter link? Put it in the description please
use google for "kickstarter last ninja collection", you can find it
It's actually pronounced minjo
And they never wore masks
(Just kidding!!)
I like the Last Ninja and played it as a child. However the new collection seems very expensive. Plus I play on Xbox most and that doesn't get a physical version...
Amazing graphics but ffs the controls were something else !!!!!
how i wish it gives a Last Ninja 4... i get crazy!
yes but on c64
@@Evilnishi Yes on C64 would be best. Since all the Ninja titles were always not half as good on the more powerful platforms :)
Remember when people made the effort and took risks to create and publish stuff? The prices. OMFG this is pretty lame - even though these are some of my favorite games of that era. Repackaging them with useless tat, selling them for outrageous prices and even wanting people to pay in advance. I guess the gullible customers are to blame - why not take the easy money if you can?
Already time for the money grab for this decade? I don't see much value in distributing emulation of the old versions instead of actual remakes; my 1988 datasette is still working
@System 3:
Sometimes its not possible to post a text. RUclips will delete it or maybe it is a bug!
It gives a chance for a official "Whatsapp"-Group or something else for all of us? Thank you so much!
It would be also great for future projects...
Pure 6502 8bit orgasm
THANKS A LOT FOR THIS INSIDE VIEW VIDEO ! ! ! ♥🥷