Random Game O' the Day: Shadowgate

[digitalpress]

I really miss these "point and click" adventures, and Shadowgate was one of the best.

What's your opinion of this game? How about the style of play in general? Have you played the NES version and the newer incarnations of the game? What other point-and-click games do you find comparable to Shadowgate? Any memorable moments in the game for you? Of course. Write your own mini-review here.

DP Guide sez:

Shadowgate (Nintendo NES, by Seika) $3/R2
Based on the popular computer adventure game. A Swedish version (apparently very poorly) translated by Bergsala AB, Nintendo's Scandinavian distributor, exists in Europe. Features battery back-up. Released 12/89. PERIODICALS: Received Honorable Mention for "Best Adventure Game of 1989" by Video Games & Computer Entertainment Magazine. c1989 Icom Simulations. #NES-3S-USA.

[Tempest]

Fun game, and one of my favorites as a kid. It took me a bit to figure the game out (I believe I had trouble with getting the sphere out of the chamber thing), but after a week or two I beat it. The problem is that once you beat it you basically know the solution for life.

My only real complaint with the game were the torches. They were pointless! There were more than enough in the game to keep you alive, but you had to constantly make sure that they weren't going out. On the plus side the music that played when a torch was burning out was really cool.

Tempest

[Quintracker]

I've got many fond memories of renting Shadowgate as a kid (and some not so fond memories). Embarassing moment: the first time I rented the game I could not get past the first screen. I felt so jipped and didn't rent it again (I was a kid and this was my first point click adventure so cut me some slack :P ). Luckily I ended up getting the game shortly thereafter and figured out how to finally get in the door lol.

I did end up mailing out the form from the instruction manual and getting the hint book. Still have it actually. It's great to read through and relive the memories of all the great puzzles that were in it.

[Atar1G1rl]

An absolutely wonderful game! My buddy Chris loaned it to me my freshman year in high school and I never gave it back (although still managed to lose it over time, hence the re-gifting of it this past Christmas for Secret Santa- thanks again autobotracing!)

I can't think of anything that I didn't like about the game. The music is great and the puzzles were fun. Some more challenging than others. But I always seemed to get myself stuck on things that should have been very obvious solutions to the problems. The answers were usually right in front of me, er my character. :)

As Tempest said, once you figured out the game, then you pretty much knew it. Fortunately, I didn't remember the solution so had fun re-solving it this year, although the answers came a lot quicker this time around and I still wish the game had been longer. I also wish more in that series had come out for regular NES at the time. I haven't tried the N64 Trial of the Four Towers yet. I'm planning on getting it, but so far reviews I've read have been mixed. Haven't seen the Pocket PC version yet nor Game Boy Color.

Would certainly suggest it to anyone who has not played it yet. :P

[geelw]

DEFINITELY grab the N64 update. it's a thinking person's adventure game. lots of folks who disliked it couldn't deal with the fact that there's no actual combat in the game, and the pace is a bit slow~ but for the most part the game has a logical sense of puzzle placement and deadly traps here and there...

i've never seen or played beyond shadowgate (turbo duo)- and it's always a bit expensive when i do manage to locate one, but one day i'll get one (grrr)..

as for the NES game, it's just great in that "smack yourself in the forehead once you figure it out" way. too bad that the genre has all but died out on consoles- we've missed plenty of GREAT PC games over the last couple of years...

[BenT]

Shadowgate was one of those anomalies of my early gaming days... a unique game in that it was the only example of its genre I'd ever own. Loved it, though. It was due in large part to the excellent and atmospheric music. It's really, really memorable. The funny thing is, many of the tracks loop in less than 30 seconds, which speaks highly for the quality of their melodies, I guess.

Shadowgate 64 is a cure for insomnia.

[Tetsu]

I played it and got stuck midway through, ditto for all the other Kemco-Seika games (Uninvited, Deja Vu). Pretty fun, and the sarcastic sense of humor of the text was hilarious. Ex:

Use:Torch:Self


"Congratulations! You now have third-degree burns on your hands!"

[tynstar]

I remember playing this game as a kid. At the time it was one of the hardest games I had played. Still a fun game thou. I liked it enough that when I started collectiong games it was one of the first ones I picked up for the NES. I might play it tonight see if it is still hard.

[Bratwurst]

Used to love playing it and all the other Kemco-Seika games of that ilk when they were new. Can't stand them anymore because that cursor moves just too slow.

[kainemaxwell]

I loved Shadowgate back in the day! The first times I rented it I got halfway through, but always got stuck somewhere after the 2 bridges. Later I met someone at a summer camp and he gave me alot of hints andwhatnot to get to the end and beat it. Still one the first NES games I beat and still a fav.

Speaking of the other Kemco-Seika games, Deja-Vu I really enjoyed alot. The Uninvited I never played before for real except via emulators.

[CrazyImpmon]

I loved Shadowgate as well. At first I hated it because it was so slow and so hard. I must have spent 3 or 4 days before finding that hidden key to get past the first locked door. :embarrassed: But after I got used to the unusual point and click style, I quickly liked the game more. I do like good logic and puzzle game and Shadowgate's a tough one.

[rbudrick]

WTF?! :-)

I just won an auction for Shadowgate for the TG Duo TODAY!

So, funny coincidence.

Shadowgate is one of my favorite games of all time. One of my collecting goals over the last couple months has been to own every version of it. SO far I have the NES version, Mac, Atari ST, and Amiga. I will soon have the TGDuo one, and maybe someday I'll actually find the others, and maybe even the N64 version.

ANy Shadowgate fan worth his salt should visit this site:
http://www.planetnintendo.com/shadowgate/

So....does anyone have any further info on the unreleased Shadowgate games (NES part 2, N64 Rising, etc). Was there a CD-i Shadowgate, or am I losing it?

Other memories...I remember I beat Shadowgate in 10 day....got it for my 13th or 14th B-day and spent the last 2 or 3 days on the lats scene alone...I remember I called Nintendo 2 times to help me when I was stuck.

It is also one of the few games that I learned some of the tunes for on Guitar ( Fun Stuff!).

Of course, all Shadowgate players have played Deja Vu....I remember I beat this in one sitting with NO outside help. Took about 5 hours. I tried doing it again for the GBC, and it was a bitch! I thought, "Why the fuck was I smarter then?" Deja Vu II is soooo hard. Not too much is obvious in that game, I needed a guide for that one.

The Uninvited took about 2 days for me....I might have called Nintendo twice on that game too.

Now, many people don't know know it, but there is another game for the NES very much like Shadowgate/Uninvited/DejaVu, and if you like these games, you have to check it out (and you probably haven't)...don't laugh....I'm completley serious here.....Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom. This game is SO good, and one of my favorites. I beat it in one 15 hour sitting when I was 14...still holds the record for the longest I ever sat playing a game. When I beat it at 6am, I was WIPED. You HAVE TO play it! DOn't be duped by the title. Download it now!

Ahhh yes...many fond memories of Shadowgate....

-Rob

[kainemaxwell]

Anyone play Deja Vu 2 for the Game Boy Color though?

[WiseSalesman]

I loved shadowgate; used to rent it all the time when it was still cheap to do that around here. Never beat it though...I oughta look for a copy...maybe tonite, I'll pull out the old ROM and see how I do...

[Cmtz]

WTF I made a topic like this one a while back. Whats up with that.

[Alex Kidd]

I just won an auction for Shadowgate for the TG Duo TODAY!


hehe, I myslef just picked it up for the GameBoy second hand a few days ago myslef.

Good game, some puzzles are unecessarily hard due to getting that finger to point at the PRECISE pixel you want to click... and sometime you DO have to be pixel perfect.

Alex Kidd

[moycon]

Great game, One of the games I had to figure out without a guide. Even though there was no combat, There was a real sense of accomplishment when you got past a tough spot.

Who can forget that big ass fire breathing dragon!! Its been ages since Ive played that game. Gonna have to fire it up and give it a go, see if Tempest is right and I can breeze through it.

[RetroYoungen]

One of the few point-and-clicks that I thoroughly loved. It was such a great game, too bad a lot of the next generation of gamers will miss out on it. It scared the shit out of me the first time I saw that Grim Reaper show up ::shudders:: .