Posted on: March 15, 2022
Truehare
Verified ownerGames: 1100 Reviews: 4
A unique, goofy, noir gem from the NES
When you hear there's a superhero game on the NES, the last genre you imagine the game will be is point'n'click adventure... but here we are. Of course, Nightshade is not just a point'n'click; it's also a fighting game. Interested yet? Don't expect too much, it's a very basic fighting system, but it's challenging; enemies have different patterns that are easy to recognize but not so easy to counter. Boss fights are also interesting. When you're not fighting, you'll be struggling with the controls, at least for a while. They get tolerable after a while, but I knocked a star off this port for lack of mouse support, which would've improved the experience. Then, you'll discover a charming adventure hidden beneath them. The story is simple, but dialogues are delightfully cheesy, like the best Silver Age comics. Same goes for the wacky situations you'll find yourself in as you try to become popular enough to replace Metro City's fallen hero. Which brings me to one of my favorite systems of this game: throughout the map, you'll find people in need of help, and helping them will increase you popularity, which is necessary to get past some parts of the game. Better yet, all those parts are optional. Yes, this game has some nonlinearity to make it more interesting. You can go after the Staff of Ra, or you can leave it alone, which will make some fights harder. You can try to keep the four treasures safe or you can let Sutekh steal them, and the game will go on. Another fun system are the traps: whenever you get knocked out, you will not die immediately. Instead, in true superhero fashion, you'll be put into a deathtrap, which you'll then have to escape to keep playing. Eventually you'll find one you can't escape, and then it's game over. The game looks good, but the art style feels a little inconsistent. I love it, but YMMV. Same with the music. To sum it up: this game is not for everyone, but if anything I said sounds intriguing to you, buy it. You won't be sorry.
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