Segas simple Beatem up belonged to the first generation of games for the Genesis/Mega Drive in 1989 and was particularly infamous for its hard difficulty level. In Japan Last Battle is known under the name of "Hokuto no ken" (eng.: "Fist of the North Star") which refers to the equally called manga series the game is based on. As well as the cinematic reference, the game was not quite thrifty regarding the red lifeblood. Personally inquired (at this point a kind regard to Mr. Döhla), SEGA confirmed that they were the opinion back then that the crude depiction of violence would not suit the taste of the Western audience. Hence, they reached out for the scissors. The censored version was sold in Europe as well as in the USA.