The overall narrative is better told than many of the retro stories back in the day. It tells a tragic tale of the comrades you have left behind and reminds you of the stakes that you are fighting for. The story is sparse and you are rewarded with more of Shadow’s backstory as you progress through the stages. It really brings you back to the old Famicom days where the game score really carried the heart of every game. The best part of the game is the midi 8-bit soundtrack. Also once you’ve defeated a boss and you died before a checkpoint, you don’t need to repeat the battle, which is quite convenient and respectful of your time. Hard to reach bonuses could be attained by using your overheard fire attack and switches could be triggered with a well placed shuriken throw.Īlso while there are strict checkpoints, by unlocking switches, you open the level up to areas you don’t have to redo. There are creative ways to use your skills to traverse certain heights, such as using the air attack to reach far platforms by hitting lanterns. If you thought you had the game figured out around the midpoint, it surprises you with temple challenges and other power-ups that push your character to the limit. Power-ups definitely strengthen your character as you gain more HP and SP as well as essence points (visually seen as coins) collected throughout the game could be used to purchase power ups in checkpoints. As you gain other attacks such as the shuriken throw and the blade extend, it adds to the fast-paced action. The moment you figure out certain puzzles or even techniques on how to traverse set areas, it becomes a breeze until your next challenge.Ĭontrols follow the classic NES-style two-button scheme with the attack button and the jump button being used extensively. Your permanent power-ups improves the character performance and quality of life as you progress. It becomes Metroidvania-esque as you progress, but still really plays like Megaman if we’re to get all layman’s terms about it. Bosses present a pattern for you to follow and if you play along, they are easily vanquished.Ĭyber Shadow initially presents itself as a challenge, especially for the earlier levels, but the overall learning curve of the game is quite fair. Sometimes the difficulty spikes really throw you in for a loop, but it motivates you to pick up back from where you last died. While it may seem jarring at first, throwing you into retro land and quickly turning your experience from an action platformer to a full-fledged bullet hell, it is not frustrating. The checkpoints are quite generous in the first few bits, but the training wheels are taken off almost immediately after the first mini-boss (Smasher) of the game. It is refreshing how it eases you into the game. In a way, Cyber Shadow‘s first level really plays out as a tutorial, but with you filling in the blanks whereas most contemporary games would take you by the hand and walk you through what you need to do. Guided by your droid sidekick, L-Gion, Shadow traverses through the ruins of humanity vanquishing evil cyborgs, rogue AI, and renegade cyber ninjas to bring balance back to the planet.
As one of my games to watch for January, it definitely lives up to what I’ve predicted the game to be.ĭespite its cheesy dialogue and really fire midi soundtrack, Cyber Shadow tells a story of an enhanced cyber ninja, Shadow, who died in a nuclear holocaust, brought back to life to aid their ninja clan one last time. Unlike games that I’ve played in the NES app for the Nintendo Switch, Cyber Shadow actually has been adjusted to our modern sensibilities. Yet, it actually feels more like a modern day game that has adapted to our contemporary play style. What year is it again? It’s 2021 and Cyber Shadow is definitely hearkening back to the Ninja Gaiden days of yore. Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC.
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