Last Gladiators is a video pinball game by KAZe Co. Ltd., originally released for the Sega Saturn in 1995.
As with KAZe's earlier Super Pinball games, the tables are presented as pre-rendered playfields with superimposed graphics for the playfield targets and lights, with an impressively realistic physics engine at the core. The game itself consists of four original tables, all loosely tied with warrior themes:
- "Gladiators"
- "Knight of the Roses"
- "Dragon Showdown"
- "Warlock"
The gameplay is accompanied by an assortment of sound effects, voice clips, and over 80 music tracks, including original hard rock compositions by Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake.
A port of Last Gladiators was released for iOS devices in 2009; "Gladiators" is included in the price, while the remaining tables could be unlocked as in-game purchases.
Not to be confused with Gladiators, a similarly-named pinball table.
Last Gladiators demonstrates the following tropes:
- Autobots, Rock Out!: Invoked throughout the game with its numerous heavy metal soundtracks.
- Black Knight: This is the main opponent on the "Knight of the Roses" table.
- Classic Cheat Code/Secret Level: A secret "Victors" table is available via an Easter Egg code.
- The Day of Reckoning: "Warlock" is presented as a magical battle on Judgment Day.
- Dolled-Up Installment: "Gladiators" was rethemed and re-released as "Ultra Legend Pinball", an Ultraman Licensed Pinball Table. It is available on the Japanese iTunes Store.
- Fixed Camera
- Gladiator Games: The theme of "Gladiator", natch.
- Knight in Shining Armor: The player takes this role in "Knight of the Roses".
- Re-Cut: In 1997, KAZe released a "version 9.7" edition of Last Gladiators, with various tweaks for game balance and difficulty, as well as the ability to save multiple high scores per table.
- Samurai: The theme of "Dragon Showdown".
- Spelling Bonus: In addition to the table-specific Spelling Bonuses, there are "General Bonuses" shared between the tables for certain words, such as V-I-C-T-O-R and R-A-G-E.
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Spiritual Successor: To the Super Pinball series. - Wizard Mode: Each game features nine Rounds to be completed; performing all of them enables an Ultimate Round for that table.
