@@elio3281 There were certain movements on the joystick, as I can recall. One flick forward for short, and two for long jumps. On top of that, the flashing "Ninja magic" had a tight time limit, and without it, you could not pass the flames at the end of the level.
you're right. i could never get past the waterfall jump with the dragon in it, in the emperors garden. Nice to finally see how the game finished; if only 30yrs later.
Once you know all the solution of the hundred puzzles scattered around the game you can actually finish it in less time (even if 13 minutes can be a world record for this game!)... The real problem was how to figure out all the solutions back in those days! Some of them are soooo obscure! Of course this was part of the legend that made this game a true milestone! 💪❤️❤️❤️
Lol same. My copy would stop loading at a certain stage and I never got to finish the game. Loved it though and tried again again to play it but the cassette wouldn't load past that bit. Edit.. wait is that the end? As a kid I thought there was more lol.
30 years later and the music still sings in my ears like it was poetry in motion. Absolute masterpiece. Never finished it, only seen on YT the whole gameplay hahaha
I've actually met with Ben Daglish (the author of the music in Last Ninja 1) at BIT Live in Brighton and personally thanked him for the awesome music in Last Ninja 1, which inspired and touched me deeply yet in my teenage time. You should see that honest joy of appreciation on his face... Unforgetable moment. From one musician to another. Only musicians and true fans will understand. :)
I was JUST about to comment on how funky, jazzy and creative the music is in this game. I would leave it playing, and go mess with other toys...just to come back to it again (it was a hard game sometimes!). But I would use the music just like listening to a stereo. It hypnotized me and made me feel cool at the same time. For only a moment...
This game has always had a special place in my heart. Watching this and hearing the music brought back the wonder and the amazement I experienced playing this game as a kid. For it’s time it was cleverly designed and the music was awesome. Sekiro is my favorite modern game, and the two parallel each other in creativity in game design and great music.
I was just thinking the same. The synthesiser of the Commodore 64 was awesome. This music and reminds me of the music off I think it was commando. One of the Rambo bass games anyway.
The way this guy leaps across the roots in the swamp is outrageous. i wept tears of fury and anguish getting across that BASTARD. But the music always brought me back. That music.
😂😂😂 I thought the same thing and back then that frustration. Ive been watching a few of the C64 games and seen over 30 years later watching these and all the errors i was making and all that frustration. Lol
Absolutely true. Just jumping over the river took me 1 week of training at that time (1987). Considering that internet did not exist, only friends could help you with suggestions and hints. It was actually a team game!
The best thing about this game is the Music. What a catchy tune as it pushes the C64 to it's limits. One of the best game music tracks ever produced in my opinion.
I stopped by when I read Ben Daglish passed away. I vaguely remembered playing this on the C64 but after watching the video I'd forgotten what a great game this was and how the music especially was truly amazing. I need to see what other music from my childhood he was responsible for. Rest in peace sir.
Although I haven't played or seen it for decades, I still remember every single detail of this game! I know every screen frame by frame and I can tell easily where are all of those weapons and needful things are hidden. Last Ninja never gets old!
@@MegaasAlexandros The rose? ha, that’s easy - you will find it in level 3 (The Gardens), left side among the yellow flowers, but don’t you even dare to pick it up without the glove you will find in level 2 (The Wilderness)!!
@@LeanderNadeltanz bravo. That's one of the faults of this game. If you finish the stage without the rose you can't go back to collect it therefore you wont be able to finish the game and have to start over !!! They should have a message at the end of the stage telling you to go back and collect all the items.
@@MegaasAlexandros well, you kind of had that in some levels - whenever you went to meditate in front of the Buddha-statues, there was a hint what you should find next.
Old 80s best game in my opinion. Its not about pixels it´s about feeling. Music strikes your ears. Remember how I was sitting in my boyroom and totally forgot about time. This video does really awaken memories :)
It actually reminds me of early ‘88 during the whole Hogan Andre feud! In any event it was my favorite C64 game and somehow I was able to finish it.. And getting my ass kicked in Ninja Gaiden Sigma tonight made me think of it lol
There's a reason this game was such a landmark title - absolutely stunning visuals and music, really showed what the C64 could do when the right programmers were involved.
I never got past stage 5. Everything was so cryptic in this game. And those jumps, contrary to what it looks like in this video, were next to IMPOSSIBLE.
Man, I once feigned sickness from school to play this on the tiny black and white television I had in my room. My Dad caught me and took the television. 😂 Watching how easy he's ploughing through this makes me want to cry. This game was a nightmare to play, but I LOVED it!
Dyees I could wissle the whole soundtrack verbatim after 35+ years!! Insane how this sound is still there in my mind. What a masterpiece this game was!
There is something mysterious and oriental about this game that I haven't been able to find in the new gaming era with advanced graphics, internet etc. It is pure magic this game.
I thought the same. Always have. This game has been popping into my mind for the last 30 years and I never even got to play it. Just watching my older brother and his mate play it was a treat and magical experience for me as a 10 year old.
Of All the things I love about this series, it's the little touches like the guard who is so bummed you ran by him he kneels down and commits seppuku right then and there on the road ;-) So much thought went into these games!
This games brings back memories that I didn't even know I had. As soon as I saw that screen shot I remembered my brothers mate playing it in my bedroom as he was stopping over and he brought his c64 with him. Brilliant
I recall the music been riveting and the graphics amazing. Had it in compilation with the other series of Last Ninja's. It was talked about a lot amongst my two school friends that also had C64's. Very unique game.
I remember when I used to play this game a lot. The only problem was that the game crashed at the point when your in the palace/castle and go to the red carpet so I never finished the game. Thanks for making this video and let me finally after 25 years see the ending.
Still remember the longevity of this game, there was no save state. You had to go thru all levels in one sitting despite murderous jumping puzzles. But the music kept me going.
"Longplay", more like incredibly masterly skilled "Shortplay". 13 Minutes. That ridicules my aspirations as a kid playing 2 hours on level1 before giving up haha. Great work!
Except for those gaps (and in the Palace Gardens, there are....gaps that make you think they're passable when they are not in at least one direction), it's very perfect, no potholes. Of course the absence of vehicles may have also contributed to this.
The first time I heard the Wastelands music in 1987 me and my friends, our jaws dropped. Awesome tune. Great game, too, back when games were bloody difficult!
One of the greatest video game experiences of my life. Me and my kid brother basking in the glow of a Commodore 1702 monitor at 2AM. That soundtrack is still incredible.
Still one of my favourite gameplays on this channel. 13 Minutes for "The Last Ninja" is just awesome. Even in my prime time at this game I´m not sure if I ever made it in less than 30 minutes. Great job!
@@rootykazooty351 well, the loading parts are all skipped. Even the disk version (sorry, you lose half of the tunes) required you to wait, I heard the cassette version was worse.
This might well be one of the greatest C64 games ever created. And to think, someone could make a representation of this in RPG Maker in about 10 hours. But that's now, this is then. I wish I had this among my pirated C64 disc mountain.
Once you know all the solution of the hundred puzzles scattered around the game you can actually finish it in less time (even if 13 minutes can be a world record for this game!)... The real problem was how to figure out all the solutions back in those days! Some of them are soooo obscure! Of course this was part of the legend that made this game a true milestone! 💪❤️❤️❤️
We didn't have the internet but we did have games magazines like Commodore User. Every now and then, they'd publish a walkthrough of a popular game complete with maps and instructions how to deal with certain guards and bosses.
@@bbenjoe I don't think so. Only some opponents did. Like my dad. He failed to stop me playing The Last Ninja, too. ;) No, just kidding. He did not even try. Idk why.
Amazing..I really missed out on not having a commodore 64..I had a spectrum..1987 I played this on my 48k and really enjoyed but this version with the music really captures the era of biscuits and tea,trading mags,swapping games and ofcourse in the arcade the scene was fantastic..double dragon came out the same year and was the first 2 player best em up I played..I should have had a commodore..great Machine..I stand at the precipice of technology..looking back with a tear in my eye.. dreaming of the my childhood innocence..the memories..suger coated in time..undisturbed .... 😭..
Holy crap - I played this for hours when I was a teenager. This brings back so many memories! Only 16 colors and no 3d engine... and they managed to create this. I have NO IDEA HOW. they pushed the machine to the absolute limits of what you could do with 64kb of memory. Also it only had three "voices" so basically you could only play three sounds at a time. Listen to the music... there are only ever three instruments playing at the same time but somehow by swapping, they would make it seem like a lot more music tracks were playing
The Master mind for the music was Ben Daglish. My favorite are The Wastelands and The Palace Gardens . Remember the man was only a kid, programming basic for fun. He was getting about 100 dollars paid for each music he wrote:D.
$100 back then wasn't much, it cost like £10 for the last Ninja on cassette £20 for the disk version. That's like 9 copies sold or less and that's Ben all paid for.
Wow, thank you so much for putting this up. My father bought the game for me when I was 14 or 15, and I played that thing forever. I remember it took me a heck of a lot longer than 13 minutes to get through. This really brings back some great memories of my father... thank you.
"I saw an image where a ninja fighter blended in with a dark background, and it was then that I recognised that the eyes surrounded by the black of the mask immediately conveys 'ninja' without any more information needed. I used a mirror to study my own eyes as a reference and utilised a small pipette to put water drops on my forehead to get the look of beads of sweat. In those early days of video games, I was using paints, inks and airbrushes to create artwork." -- Steinar Lund, artist [The Last Ninja - C64]
+Andy Atkins That was limited edition of The Last Ninja 2. I had them too :D ..I'm quite sad they're long lost in time. I have the box, disk and the city map, but no hood or shuriken anymore :(
When you listen to this through headphones and remember playing this at the time, still staggers me how some rated the speccie or amstrad ahead of the C64. It's like the ps5 v the ps2.
Such a good game and for the time-the graphics and music were pretty much top notch…spent so many hours playing this, Karateka. And airborne ranger! Great times!
I have to add that the person playing this is a friggin master-this game is Sao much harder than what this shows-the player makes it look so easy..I can assure u it is NoT easy!
This brings back good memories of my childhood. Playing this after dinner while my parents did the dishes. I miss my old childhood home and my late father.
