5/5 ★ – RawMetal's review of Hagane: The Final Conflict.

System: Super Nintendo Started: August 5, 2017 Ended: August 6, 2017 Flashback Review You only live once, right? So, I did something crazy. After watching The Angry Video Game Nerd’s partner, Mike Matei, ranked Hagane: The Final Conflict as his #1 underrated Super Nintendo (SNES) game for his Obscure SNES Gems list, since Hagane is a rare gem, its price tag definitely cost an arm and a leg. Determined to own it, I saved for months and finally bought the most expensive game in my collection. When it arrived, I couldn’t wait to pop it into my SNES and played all night. After spending so much, why let it gather dust? Developed by Hudson Soft, Hagane: The Final Conflict is a 1994 action platformer infused with Japanese cyberpunk aesthetics. The game opens with a dramatic scene of Japan’s destruction... yet again, setting the stage for your role as Hagane, the last survivor of the Fuma Clan. Your mission is to hunt down the rival Koma Clan across dystopian cities, caves, flying fortresses, and temples, facing a unique boss at the end of each stage. As Hagane, a cybernetic ghost ninja, you can perform flips, dive kicks, and wall-climbing moves reminiscent of Samus from Metroid or Ryu from Ninja Gaiden. Mastering flips unlocks a devastating super move, and you can use tools like a hookshot and grenades and other item pick-ups which you will use a lot. The game’s style is a striking blend of cyberpunk and traditional Japanese that includes black magic, evoking the gritty vibe and mixture of both anime's, Cyber City Oedo 808 and Ninja Scroll. It feels like it could have been a 1990s anime OVA, and I’d have been all over it. The tone is dark, brutal, and immersive, with tight controls and fluid animations that make every move satisfying. Hagane: The Final Conflict is a tough game. Expect to die—a lot. Unless you’re a seasoned action-platformer player, you’ll spend hours in one Stage Chapter at times. The good news? Infinite continues to let you restart at the beginning of each stage. The bad news? There’s no save system, so you must beat it in one sitting. Thankfully, it’s relatively short, and with practice, I conquered the final boss just before dawn. The sense of triumph after such a grueling experience was unforgettable. The downside is the price. An authentic hard copy's cost is ridiculous, and it’s even more expensive now than when I bought it back then. Rumors once claimed it was a Blockbuster Video rental exclusive, driving up its rarity and value. However, sources like SNES Drunk debunk this, citing evidence of Hagane being sold in department stores, as shown in old catalogs. Of course, resellers may have inflated its value. The Japanese Famicom version is cheaper, and emulation is a more affordable option. Ultimately, Hagane: The Final Conflict is an underrated SNES game, perfect for fans of Ninja Gaiden, Strider, or Shinobi. Its steep difficulty and unique cyberpunk-ninja aesthetic make it unforgettable, but the price of a physical copy is tough to swallow and it's not worth it. Konami, which acquired Hudson Soft, could rerelease to make it more accessible and reduce the cost of original copies. If you love challenging action platformers, emulate it. For this ninja adventure is worth experiencing.