<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
is	O
an	O
adventure	O
video	O
game	O
designed	O
by	O
Jordan	O
Mechner	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Broderbund	O
in	O
1997	O
for	O
PC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Sony	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
port	O
was	O
in	O
development	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
cancelled	O
before	O
it	O
was	O
finished	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
later	O
reacquired	O
by	O
Mechner	O
,	O
who	O
worked	O
with	O
DotEmu	O
to	O
make	O
portable	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
,	O
and	O
later	O
released	O
a	O
remade	O
version	O
for	O
Steam	B-Application
,	O
entitled	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
–	O
Gold	O
Edition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
story	O
features	O
around	O
thirty	O
characters	O
,	O
each	O
of	O
whom	O
has	O
their	O
own	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
and	O
individual	O
agendas	O
–	O
they	O
therefore	O
conduct	O
actions	O
that	O
allow	O
them	O
to	O
complete	O
their	O
own	O
personal	O
goals	O
,	O
only	O
changing	O
their	O
plans	O
due	O
to	O
player	O
intervention	O
-	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
using	O
a	O
non-linear	O
approach	O
of	O
story-telling	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
actions	O
or	O
in-actions	O
,	O
affect	O
how	O
the	O
story	O
plays	O
out	O
;	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
many	O
events	O
led	O
to	O
its	O
script	O
being	O
around	O
800	O
pages	O
long	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
thirty	O
of	O
these	O
are	O
game	B-Application
overs	I-Application
,	O
involving	O
the	O
main	O
character	O
being	O
killed	O
or	O
arrested	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mechner	O
founded	O
Smoking	B-Application
Car	I-Application
Productions	I-Application
to	O
create	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mechner	O
derived	O
inspiration	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
from	O
Myst	B-Application
and	O
Infocom	O
's	O
Deadline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
saw	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
as	O
an	O
opportunity	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
game	O
with	O
a	O
complexity	O
of	O
story	O
and	O
depth	O
of	O
characters	O
comparable	O
to	O
that	O
seen	O
in	O
a	O
film	O
,	O
something	O
he	O
felt	O
he	O
could	O
not	O
accomplish	O
with	O
his	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
due	O
to	O
hardware	O
limitations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
illustrating	O
a	O
game	O
of	O
this	O
magnitude	O
by	O
hand	O
would	O
likely	O
take	O
an	O
exorbitant	O
amount	O
of	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
look	O
was	O
achieved	O
by	O
using	O
rotoscoping	O
,	O
a	O
process	O
that	O
Mechner	O
had	O
used	O
in	O
Prince	B-Application
of	I-Application
Persia	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
1997	O
,	O
after	O
five	O
years	O
of	O
development	O
,	O
at	O
a	O
final	O
cost	O
of	O
US$5	O
–	O
6million	O
,	O
on	O
a	O
multi-platform	O
3-CD	O
set	O
that	O
covered	O
Windows	B-Application
,	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
,	O
and	O
MS-DOS	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
received	O
highly	O
positive	O
reviews	O
both	O
in	O
print	O
and	O
online	O
,	O
but	O
only	O
remained	O
in	O
stores	O
for	O
a	O
few	O
months	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Softbank	O
pulled	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
market	O
,	O
dissolved	O
its	O
subsidiary	O
GameBank	O
,	O
and	O
cancelled	O
several	O
dozen	O
titles	O
in	O
development	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
nearly	O
finished	O
PlayStation	B-Device
port	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
final	O
blow	O
,	O
Broderbund	O
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
The	O
Learning	O
Company	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
not	O
interested	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
a	O
year	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
was	O
out	O
of	O
print	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Withal	O
,	O
Mechner	O
's	O
company	O
Smoking	B-Application
Car	I-Application
Productions	I-Application
quietly	O
folded	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Running	O
thirty-nine	O
minutes	O
,	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
was	O
published	O
by	O
Intrada	O
Records	O
in	O
2000	O
,	O
but	O
is	O
no	O
longer	O
in	O
print	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
May	O
2011	O
,	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
is	O
included	O
as	O
a	O
digital	O
release	O
given	O
away	O
free	O
with	O
the	O
DotEmu	O
and	O
GOG.com	O
versions	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2008	O
,	O
producer	O
Mark	O
Netter	O
declared	O
that	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
was	O
"	O
a	O
total	O
commercial	O
failure.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
SoftBank	O
soon	O
exited	O
the	O
game	O
industry	O
and	O
closed	O
GAMEBANK	O
,	O
which	O
resulted	O
in	O
the	O
cancellation	O
of	O
a	O
"	O
nearly	O
finished	O
PlayStation	B-Device
port	O
of	O
Express	O
"	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
programmer	O
Mark	O
Moran	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
achieved	O
sales	O
of	O
100,000	O
units	O
by	O
2000	O
,	O
and	O
failed	O
to	O
break	O
even	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Netter	O
noted	O
that	O
,	O
given	O
its	O
$	O
5-million-dollar	O
budget	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
"	O
would	O
have	O
had	O
to	O
be	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
top-selling	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
"	O
to	O
recoup	O
its	O
development	O
costs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
soon	O
went	O
out	O
of	O
print	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
problems	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Chris	O
Remo	O
of	O
Gamasutra	O
,	O
left	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
"	O
unable	O
to	O
reach	O
the	O
long	O
tail	O
sales	O
on	O
which	O
adventure	O
games	O
traditionally	O
had	O
thrived.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
's	O
Bruce	O
Geryk	O
argued	O
in	O
2000	O
that	O
the	O
failure	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
could	O
"	O
in	O
some	O
ways	O
be	O
considered	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
the	O
end	O
for	O
the	O
adventure	O
genre.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
received	O
highly	O
positive	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
concluded	O
that	O
"	O
Enjoyment	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
depends	O
mostly	O
on	O
one	O
's	O
appreciation	O
for	O
the	O
story	O
and	O
one	O
's	O
acceptance	O
of	O
the	O
standard	O
mechanics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
of	O
Macworld	O
named	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
the	O
best	O
role-playing	O
game	O
of	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Steven	O
Levy	O
and	O
Cameron	O
Crotty	O
of	O
the	O
magazine	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
What	O
makes	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
vividly	O
memorable	O
is	O
the	O
painstaking	O
detail	O
,	O
particularly	O
the	O
lush	O
score	O
and	O
the	O
faithfully	O
rendered	O
sounds	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
famous	O
train	O
ever	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
was	O
a	O
runner-up	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
,	O
CNET	O
Gamecenter	O
's	O
and	O
GameSpot	O
's	O
1997	O
"	O
Adventure	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
awards	O
,	O
which	O
went	O
variously	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
Monkey	I-Application
Island	I-Application
and	O
Dark	B-Application
Earth	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
of	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
called	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
"	O
the	O
year	O
's	O
best	O
mystery	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
stylish	O
and	O
intriguing	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
those	O
of	O
GameSpot	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
While	O
a	O
few	O
minor	O
gameplay	O
problems	O
held	O
it	O
back	O
from	O
the	O
top	O
spot	O
,	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
doubt	O
that	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
adventure	O
games	O
of	O
the	O
last	O
few	O
years.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Regardless	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
did	O
win	O
GameSpot	O
's	O
1997	O
"	O
Best	O
Story	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
also	O
the	O
runner-up	O
for	O
the	O
1997	O
"	O
Best	O
Ending	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
Fallout	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2000	O
,	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
named	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
one	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
10	O
Essential	O
Graphic	O
Adventures	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2011	O
,	O
Adventure	O
Gamers	O
named	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
the	O
seventh-best	O
adventure	O
game	O
ever	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2000	O
,	O
the	O
Fallout	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
series	I-Application
creator	O
and	O
game	O
publisher	O
Interplay	O
bought	O
the	O
lapsed	O
rights	O
and	O
began	O
quietly	O
selling	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
a	O
budget	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2006	O
,	O
the	O
American	O
subscription-based	O
game	O
service	O
GameTap	B-Operating_System
began	O
offering	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
its	O
network	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mechner	O
was	O
later	O
able	O
to	O
reacquire	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
worked	O
in	O
2012	O
with	O
DotEmu	O
to	O
release	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
ports	O
of	O
the	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
16	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
Mechner	O
announced	O
an	O
upcoming	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
devices	O
,	O
with	O
"	O
additional	O
enhancements	O
to	O
make	O
it	O
more	O
iOS-friendly.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
iOS	B-Application
version	O
(	O
iPad	O
,	O
iPhone	O
and	O
iPod	O
Touch	O
)	O
of	O
the	O
games	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
September	O
27	O
by	O
DotEmu.com	O
and	O
is	O
available	O
in	O
the	O
App	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
version	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
August	O
28	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
through	O
the	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
21	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
DotEmu	O
released	O
also	O
a	O
Gold	O
Edition	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
on	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
adds	O
improved	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
and	O
inventory	O
,	O
advanced	O
hint	O
system	O
,	O
achievements	O
,	O
and	O
cloud	O
save	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
macOS	B-Application
on	O
March	O
17	O
,	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Subsequently	O
,	O
several	O
other	O
websites	O
speculated	O
that	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
in	O
question	O
is	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Express	I-Application
,	O
considering	O
the	O
relative	O
dearth	O
of	O
games	O
set	O
in	O
1914	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
Jordan	O
Mechner	O
's	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
film	O
version	O
of	O
Prince	B-Application
of	I-Application
Persia	I-Application
:	O
The	O
Sands	O
of	O
Time	O
.	O
</s>
