A New Shadowgate for 2014

[Nz17]

Who here remembers the classic Shadowgate adventure game for NES, Game Boy Color, Mac, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, Amiga, DOS, Windows, Mobile, Palm OS, and Pocket PC? I sure do, and the Wikipedia article I got that platform listing from does as well!

Shadowgate is easily one of my favorite NES games. You can imagine how thrilled I was to find out it is getting a... half-remake, half-sequel in the form of Shadowgate (2013) (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zojoi/shadowgate/). The game will follow the original story, but with remade graphics, a rearranged score recorded with real instruments and chanting, tweaked and new puzzles, and additional rooms.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/000/229/149/5569591fd8574762d60f8d19f38c1da1_large.png

All of the new backgrounds are "hand-drawn paintings." Granted, they are not drawn with actual paint but Photoshop; however as you can see from this time-lapsed video of the artist at work (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zojoi/shadowgate/posts/338440), they could have easily been made on a canvas with oils as the man is an artist first-class!

Shadowgate returns with fancy new digital effects overlaid on the backgrounds with an orchestral soundtrack for the requisite epic-ness and ambiance, but for all us old school gamers, both the original NES soundtrack and classic UI are available as well in the options menu.

Zojoi, the company behind the remake and helmed by the original creators, is seeking some Kickstarter funding to finish the game (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zojoi/shadowgate/). Right now the total sits at $77,739 out of its $120,000 goal. So if you want to see this thing reach fruition sooner rather than later, pitch your pennies in its direction. Either way, here's to more of the engrossing Shadowgate!

[skaar]

Moar crowdfunding.

[Trebuken]

Back in my C-64 days I longed for Shadowgate. My local game store had in for the Atari ST; the black and white graphics looked superb and high resolution next to the C-64 games. Wanted to buy an Atari ST but never managed to. Still looking, but they came and went so quickly.

Thanks for the heads up, and maybe a second chance at Shadowgate.

[Nz17]

It is here: the greatly -expanded- and -overhauled- Shadowgate has finally arrived! It turned out to have an August 21, 2014 release date after all, and thus has arrived for Macintosh and Windows. Expect versions for Android and iOS to follow soon, probably in the next two months.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDZm3iPZRRg

What's that you say? You are interested but you don't know if you are ready to buy? Well those generous folks over at Zojoi (which developed this new version of Shadowgate) licensed the original NES music from Kemco (that version's musics' rights' holder) and made it available within the game itself as an option in the configuration menu. That's not enough? Well Zojoi also added the original room transition effects from the NES release. That's still not enough for you? Well, post-release they are going to add a cool "retro graphics" mode to the game too! Of course the content which is already there with its incredible musical score and (digitally) hand-painted graphics is already excellent, but it is nice to have these NES configurations as extra options.

And even if you don't want to buy, how about these free MP3 downloads of the original NES soundtrack (http://www.zojoi.com/ring-tones/) which Zojoi has made available? No charge! Go on, give it a click!

For more information and to get your own copy of the game, please see:

The Official Shadowgate (2014) Web Site (http://www.zojoi.com/shadowgate/)
Humble Bundle's DRM-free version of the game ($15) (https://www.humblebundle.com/store/shadowgate_wayfarertier/oBWcwiu137thc), the +wallpapers & calendar bundle ($20) (https://www.humblebundle.com/store/shadowgate_adventurertier/WQqgfv73g12), and the +soundtrack & artbook bundle ($25) (https://www.humblebundle.com/store/shadowgate_herotier/Buw829HSbx)
Shadowgate on Steam (http://store.steampowered.com/app/294440/)
Original-releases-to-new-remake comparison trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDZm3iPZRRg)

Personally, I have been playing the beta version of Shadowgate and it is excellent. Prepare to thump your skull with your forefinger while you try to figure out some of these puzzling situations!

...It is a sad thing that your adventures have ended here. ;)

[otaku]

I can't wait to play this soon!

[Tanooki]

I can't find it on the android store, this coming later? I'm not going to pay $30 for a DRM-Steam version of the game on computer as the tablet would be more suited I think for this one anyway.

[megasdkirby]

If they can now redo Uninvited...!

[Nz17]

The Android & iOS versions will be released later, possibly by the end of the year. It's only $30 for the special edition, and the regular edition is $20, but for now both are discounted by 10% to celebrate the launch of the game. It is already available DRM-free with no need for a Steam account. Just get it from Humble Bundle, either here for the DRM-free regular edition (https://www.humblebundle.com/store/p/shadowgate_storefront) or here for the DRM-free special edition (https://www.humblebundle.com/store/p/shadowgate_se_storefront). The company is hoping to redo all of its classic adventure games and even make sequels where it can. Here's to the future!

[Tanooki]

THat's good to know android and steam free. I had no idea the Humble Bundle version lacked that. If there's one thing I have to complain about with that group/site is they used to say if a game in a bundle was or wasn't bound to steam either straight up or in the sub-page set up to show system requirements.

[Nz17]

I thought that you lot would enjoy these passages from the tomes within the library of castle Shadowgate. Can you name all four references?

Book #1
7588

Book #2
7589

Book #3
7590

Book #4
7591

[Tanooki]

I don't have a clue on the third, but the others oh yes. That fourth one is truly fantastic as is the first. It's nice seeing some historical plugs put into books in that game.

[Jorpho]

I am also stumped on the third. Could it be "Leave it to Beaver"?

[Nz17]

Yes, the library in Shadowgate can be quite the treat. In it are books referring to real-world novels, prose with excerpts from classical myths, tomes with obscured passages containing pop culture references, and even books with entries that build on in-game lore. As a matter of fact, if you like games which contain lots of scrolls, notes, journals, etc., that help build up the in-game background and story, Shadowgate (2014) is primed with that stuff... even things that make sly references to the original Shadowgate.

And now for the answers to the screenshot challenge:

Book #1
Dragon's Lair

Book #2
Professor Layton

Book #3
Fullmetal Alchemist

Book #4
Lupin III (Castle of Cagliostro)

[kainemaxwell]

That looks fantastic!

[Robocop2]

I'll definitely pick it up when it comes out for iOs. Wish they could do a 3ds version too....

[Nz17]

I believe that the developer, Zojoi, will be making the Shadowgate remake's port to Android and iOS with the intention of it being playable on tablets due to the large resolution of the artwork. Believe it or not, on desktop computers the game can run in up to "4K" resolution (meaning 4x higher resolution than 1080p). So for the sake of playability and not having to majorly rework the UI, the game might not be available for smartphones... or at least this year's smartphones. Perhaps it will run on phones released three years from now. ;)

By the way, Zojoi has already begun work on a remake of Beyond Shadowgate, the 1993 sequel to Shadowgate which you might remember from the TurboGrafx CD. Its due date is 2016, a mere two years from now.

[Kaine2071]

Sometimes I lie awake at night waitin' for the grim reaper come harvest my cyber-spirit, and it's all shadowy and dark in my lil' bedroom, that's when I dimly remember postin' in this here thread some fifty seven years ago.

All my friends done dead and gone and my robot love servant ground itself out of warranty, ain't nothin' to look forward to what with the blase ephemera of the ultra-internet which fails to resonate with a jaded senior citizen such as myself. That's why I reflect and look inward on the past, I mine my subsiding neural pathways one last time, for the lashes of happier times.

[Nz17]

7755 (http://store.steampowered.com/app/294440/)

This weekend only, Shadowgate (2014) is merely $7 (http://store.steampowered.com/app/294440/)! This includes the new UI update, the new Hallowe'en quest, the two new difficulty modes (casual and IRONMAN), and as an extra special treat, Apple ][gs and Mac 128K versions of Déjà Vu and Shadowgate! That's right, the awesome re-imagining of Shadowgate with all the improvements since launch, plus two Apple and two Mac classics. That's like five (two) games for the price of one!

The sale starts today in less than 30 minutes and will last for 2 days. If you haven't gotten the new Shadowgate yet, this is an excellent time to buy! After all, it would be a sad thing if your adventures ended here. ;-)

[wizardofwor1975]

Man, Shadowgate has sure come along way. Jeez, I remember playing it with my uncle on his Amiga back in the day.

[Tanooki]

Wow now that's impressive. I wasn't much for it despite all the work (sorry) at the usual price because I've played out the NES and GBC versions before but this is very tempting.

Now to figure out what that special edition is for $13 and change.


Wasn't this supposed to hit android/ios?

[Nophix]

Logged in to Steam today to buy it, since I"m down with an injury and finally have time. Bonus, it was on sale!!

So far, so awesome! Oh man, I love that game! I could just about run through the NES version with my eyes closed.

[Tanooki]

That's cool you got the time. Games like these, collectively all of them I hate and can't get anywhere in as they make no sense, but for some reason this one game I could deal with and finished it before long ago. I also liked the concept of Uninvited but that game just had me going in circles early on.

[Nz17]

Now to figure out what that special edition is for $13 and change.

According to GoG, the Special Edition includes 6 Shadowgate Classic Wallpapers + 8 Shadowgate Series Wallpapers + 8 Grim Reaper Series Wallpapers + Shadowgate Classic Hint Comic + Digital Map: The World of Shadowgate + 13 Original NES Ringtones + Epic Orchestral Soundtrack (MP3) + NES Metal Mix + Digital Book: The Art of Shadowgate + 2015 Shadowgate World Calendar.

If nothing else, I believe the Steam Special Edition includes at least the artbook and the soundtrack.


Wasn't this supposed to hit android/ios?

Yes, and it will. It is just that the developer, Zojoi, is small, so anything takes quite a while to accomplish.

[Tanooki]

Ahh good it wasn't canceled then. I'd rather have a game like that on my tablet or phone, be far more likely to finish it.