However, unlike Shovel Knight which used it’s NES inspiration as a foundation to build something truly inspired, Cyber Shadow doesn’t quite hit the same mark-pulling more of what made those aforementioned games frustratingly difficult. Much like Shovel Knight Cyber Shadow blends the gameplay sensibilities from several of the NES-era games that inspired Shovel Knight-it’s a little Ninja Gaiden mixed with Castlevania, with a sprinkle of Mega Man. However, it is worth noting that Yacht Club only published the game while Mechanical Head Studios developed, and it’s easy to see why Yacht Club put their money behind this. Here was a fast-paced, old-school Ninja game with the legendary creators of Shovel Knight’s name behind it? I was sold. When I saw the first announcement trailer for Cyber Shadow back in March of 2019, I was pumped. However, the newest entry into the Ninja pantheon Cyber Shadow has me at a bit of a crossroads while it’s a fundamentally solid game, the more I played it, the more frustrating it became. Thankfully, the Indie scene has been keeping the ancient art of Ninjistu fun and interesting for years with noteworthy games like Mark of the Ninja, Aragami, The Messenger, and GhostRunner to name a few. As I thought about the many Ninja games that I have played over the past few years, I noticed that the “AAA” industry has all but abandoned the coolest stealth assassins to ever grace this planet- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice being the last noteworthy entry. Luckily for me-as is the case with most Ninja related games-I have yet to find a bad one. The Load Screen looks forward to what other 8-bit action that Yacht Club Games will publish in the future, we are hoping for a Shovel Knight sequel.As CGM’s resident Ninja, I pride myself in having a highly refined palette for Ninja related games. If you can survive the ruthless gameplay in Cyber Shadow, it has replayability that is worth the full cost of the title or download through the Xbox Game Pass. The current record is just under an hour according to. However, this makes it a platformer that speed-runners will have a constant clash for the fastest time since even top runs have flaws. The intense ninja action can get overwhelming quickly, especially not having difficulty settings to scale the battle. The music, the graphics, animations, and even the issues feel ripped out of the 90s without any of the lag. Most of those situations need small memorization of patterns and never letting up the attack, which follows suit of the game’s genre.Ĭyber Shadow is a true 8-bit classic platformer. The devastating abilities of the giant robot Combinatron and the serpentine Mekadragon’s death rolls caused me to dread each further boss. I even felt some Dark Souls aspects creeping out because of the brutal location of respawns and the unforgiving boss fights. Each boss and area had its own personality with subtle references to classic platformers including Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, and Castlevania. As the ninja slices through each level, he can reclaim the spirits of his fallen clan that give the cyborg ninja incredible powers such as wall-slide and more.Īrtistic pixilation adds to that immersive 90s experience with full 8-bit hand-crafted sprites and animations that are unique yet feel familiar. The robotic companion leads them through the remains of Mekacity to stop the cybernetically mutated doctor and the synthetic army under his control. After succumbing to a large blast, the cybernetic ninja is found partially recovered in a restoration chamber by L-Gion. It follows a ninja named Shadow who was the last of his clan that was decimated by the twisted experiments of Dr. The story presentation follows that classic style of mixing 8-bit cutscenes with written dialogue. The faithful adaption of the retro style throughout all its aspects is one of the best parts of this game. The Load Screen reviews this challenging platformer that is worth a playthrough despite some clunky Metroidvania aspects and difficulty. The entire game oozes that classic NES feel on PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. Cyber Shadow is a single-player indie reminiscent of the original Ninja Gaiden in both gameplay and story. So, I was excited when its producer, Yacht Club Games, put out a new 90s throwback title. I miss playing 8-bit platformers, and Shovel Knight from 2014 was a great addition. (Image credit: Yacht Club Games) Thumb Destroying Arcade Action
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