Difference between revisions of "Shadowgate"

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[[Image:Shadowgate - NES - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|North American NES box art.]]
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{{Video Game
 +
| Title            = Shadowgate
 +
| Image           = Shadowgate - MAC - USA.jpg
 +
| ImageDescription = Macintosh Classic - USA - 1st edition.
 +
| Developer        = {{VideoGameDeveloper|ICOM Simulations}}
 +
| Publisher        = {{VideoGamePublisher|ICOM Simulations}}
 +
| PublishedYear    = 1987
 +
| PublishedMonth  = 07
 +
| PublishedDay    = 30
 +
| Platforms        = {{Platform|Amiga}}, {{Platform|Apple IIgs}}, {{Platform|Atari ST}}, {{Platform|DOS}}, {{Platform|Game Boy Color}}, {{Platform|Macintosh Classic}}, {{Platform|NES}}, {{Platform|Palm OS}}, {{Platform|Windows 3}}, {{Platform|Windows Mobile}}
 +
| Genres          = {{VideoGameGenre|Adventure video game|Adventure}}, {{VideoGameGenre|Graphic adventure|Graphic adventure}}, {{VideoGameGenre|Passive puzzle video game|Passive puzzle}}, {{VideoGameGenre|Puzzle video game|Puzzle}},
 +
| Themes          = {{MediaTheme|Adventure}}, {{MediaTheme|Fantasy}}
 +
| Series          = ''[[MacVenture (universe)|MacVenture]]'', ''[[Shadowgate (universe)|Shadowgate]]''
 +
| Distributions    = {{VideoGameDistribution|Commercial}}
 +
}}
  
'''''Shadowgate''''' is a [[graphical adventure game‏‎|graphical adventure]] [[puzzle video game]] created by [[ICOM Simulations]] and first released on [[Macintosh Classic|Macintosh]] on 1987-07-30, and then ported to a bunch of different platforms including the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] by [[Kemco]] on 1989-03-31. This was the third game in the [[MacVenture (universe)|''MacVenture'' series]], and the third to use the [[MacVenture (video game engine)|''MacVenture'' engine]].
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'''''Shadowgate''''' is a [[graphic adventure]] [[puzzle video game]] created by [[ICOM Simulations]] and first released on [[Macintosh Classic|Macintosh]] on 1987-07-30, and then ported to a bunch of different platforms including the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] by [[Kemco]] on 1989-03-31. This was the third game in the [[MacVenture (universe)|''MacVenture'' series]], the third to use the [[MacVenture (video game engine)|''MacVenture'' engine]], and the first game in the [[Shadowgate (universe)|''Shadowgate'' series]]. The game was also ported to several mobile platforms under the title ''Shadowgate Classic''.
 +
 
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In the game's story, you play a courageous knight who has been sent to the ancient keep of Shadowgate in order to find the Staff of Ages and stop the evil Warlock Lord from summoning the Behemoth to conquer the world. The castle is filled with deadly monsters, traps, and puzzles so you must rely on your brains as well as your might.
  
 
==Personal==
 
==Personal==
 +
{{VideoGameStatus
 +
| Own      = Yes. US NES cartridge with plastic protector case.
 +
| CantOwn  =
 +
| Won      = Yes. NES port.
 +
| CantWin  =
 +
| Finished = Late 1990s.
 +
}}
 +
 
When my step-brothers came from out of state to visit, my step-father gave them preferential treatment. I was rare that we would be allowed to rent NES games at the video rental store, but when they were visiting, we were allowed. However, since my brother and step-brothers were older, they always got to make the decisions about which games we would rent. I complained about this, and my step brother assured me that the next time we came, he would let me rent a game that he thought I would really like, ''Shadowgate''. I had already seen the box art, and, as a fan of swords & sorcery games, was pretty sure that I would indeed like the game, so I relented. Of course, the next time we went to rent a game, I picked out ''Shadowgate'', but the special discount that we got last time allowing us to rent two games was no longer valid, and my step-father didn't want to pay the full-price fee of a second game, so I again wasn't able to rent it. Years later, when I was working at Kroger, they were phasing out their video and game rentals, and I bought it along with ''[[Uninvited]]'' and ''[[Déjà Vu: A Nightmare Comes True!!|Déjà Vu]]''. After all those years, the game didn't let me down, and I eventually beat it without hints. However, a couple of the puzzles left me scratching my head for hours.
 
When my step-brothers came from out of state to visit, my step-father gave them preferential treatment. I was rare that we would be allowed to rent NES games at the video rental store, but when they were visiting, we were allowed. However, since my brother and step-brothers were older, they always got to make the decisions about which games we would rent. I complained about this, and my step brother assured me that the next time we came, he would let me rent a game that he thought I would really like, ''Shadowgate''. I had already seen the box art, and, as a fan of swords & sorcery games, was pretty sure that I would indeed like the game, so I relented. Of course, the next time we went to rent a game, I picked out ''Shadowgate'', but the special discount that we got last time allowing us to rent two games was no longer valid, and my step-father didn't want to pay the full-price fee of a second game, so I again wasn't able to rent it. Years later, when I was working at Kroger, they were phasing out their video and game rentals, and I bought it along with ''[[Uninvited]]'' and ''[[Déjà Vu: A Nightmare Comes True!!|Déjà Vu]]''. After all those years, the game didn't let me down, and I eventually beat it without hints. However, a couple of the puzzles left me scratching my head for hours.
 
==Status==
 
I own this game on the NES and have beaten it.
 
  
 
==Review==
 
==Review==
Line 32: Line 53:
  
 
===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
* There are a couple puzzles whose solutions don't make any sense at all and require you to try every item on every other item until it suddenly works. Other puzzles have solutions that only become apparent after you've been killed, which ruins the idea of a single-life run.
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* There are a couple puzzles whose solutions don't make any sense at all and require you to try every item on every other item until it suddenly works. For example, the puzzle with the unusual torch. Other puzzles have solutions that only become apparent after you've been killed, which ruins the idea of a single-life run.
  
 
==Media==
 
==Media==
 
===Box Art===
 
===Box Art===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Shadowgate - MAC - USA.jpg|Amiga, Apple IIgs, Atari ST, DOS, Macintosh Classic - USA. A strange looking monster on a wall. Nice lettering, but a bit too abstract in my opinion. Nice lettering though.
 +
Shadowgate - NES - USA.jpg|NES - USA. The gargoyle coming to life is beautiful. The castle clip art and backdrop is boring. The lettering is great.
 +
Shadowgate - NES - Logo.png|NES - USA - Logo.
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Shadowgate - NES - Japan.jpg|Famicom - Japan. A anime collage of some of the game's hazards. Not bad.
 +
Shadowgate - WIN3 - USA.jpg|Windows 3 - USA. Special art just for the later Windows 3 release. Decent, but the castle looks too sanitary.
 +
Shadowgate - GBC - USA.jpg|Game Boy Color - USA. The silhouette is nice, but the sword is boring. It uses the lettering from the Nintendo 64 release and a subtitle to let people know it's the original game, not a port.
 +
Shadowgate - GBC - Japan.jpg|Game Boy Color - Japan. Same art as the US release, just with a different subtitle.
 +
</gallery>
  
 
===Documentation===
 
===Documentation===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
Shadowgate - MAC - USA - Manual - Alt.pdf|Macintosh manual.
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Shadowgate - NES - USA - Manual.pdf|Manual - Famicom - Japan.
Shadowgate - NES - Manual.pdf|NES manual.
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Shadowgate - GBC - USA - Manual.pdf|Manual - Game Boy Color - USA.
Shadowgate - NES - Shadowgate Hint Book, The.pdf|Hint book.
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Shadowgate - MAC - USA - Manual - Alt.pdf|Manual - Macintosh - USA.
 +
Shadowgate - NES - Japan - Manual.pdf|Manual - NES - USA
 +
Shadowgate - NES - Shadowgate Hint Book, The.pdf|''The Shadowgate Hint Book''.
 
Worlds of Power - Before Shadowgate - Mass Market - USA - 1st Edition.jpg|''[[Before Shadowgate]]'', prequel.
 
Worlds of Power - Before Shadowgate - Mass Market - USA - 1st Edition.jpg|''[[Before Shadowgate]]'', prequel.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
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Shadowgate - NES - Map.png|Map.
 
Shadowgate - NES - Map.png|Map.
 
Shadowgate - NES - All Rooms.png|All rooms, plus animation.
 
Shadowgate - NES - All Rooms.png|All rooms, plus animation.
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</gallery>
 +
 +
===Screenshots===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Shadowgate - NES - Screenshot - Introduction.png|NES introduction.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
Line 57: Line 94:
  
 
===Videos===
 
===Videos===
{{#ev:youtube|U6GN5Tje2AE|256|inline|Longplay - Macintosh.|frame}}
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{{YouTube|xI2OfumCC98|Review - Hungry Goriya.}}
{{#ev:youtube|mrP90v5N5u4|256|inline|Longplay - NES.|frame}}
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{{YouTube|U6GN5Tje2AE|Longplay - Macintosh.}}
 +
{{YouTube|mrP90v5N5u4|Longplay - NES.}}
 +
 
 +
==Play Online==
 +
{{PlayOnline|https://www.retrogames.cc/nes-games/shadowgate-japan.html|Famicom}}, {{PlayOnline|https://www.retrogames.cc/gameboycolor-games/shadowgate-return-japan.html|Game Boy Color (Japan)}}, {{PlayOnline|https://www.retrogames.cc/gameboycolor-games/shadowgate-classic-usa-europe-en-fr-de-es-sv-rev-a.html|Game Boy Color (USA)}}, {{PlayOnline|https://classicreload.com/shadowgate.html|MS-DOS}}, {{PlayOnline|https://www.retrogames.cc/nes-games/shadowgate-europe.html|NES (Europe)}}, {{PlayOnline|https://www.retrogames.cc/nes-games/shadowgate-france.html|NES (France)}}, {{PlayOnline|https://www.retrogames.cc/nes-games/shadowgate-germany.html|NES (Germany)}}, {{PlayOnline|https://www.retrogames.cc/nes-games/shadowgate-sweden.html|NES (Sweden)}}, {{PlayOnline|https://www.retrogames.cc/nes-games/shadowgate-usa.html|NES (USA)}}
 +
 
 +
==Representation==
 +
{{Representation
 +
| Media                      = Video games
 +
| StrongFemaleCharacterStatus = Fail
 +
| StrongFemaleCharacterNotes  = There are no strong women.
 +
| BechdelTestStatus          = Fail
 +
| BechdelTestNotes            = No women ever talk together.
 +
| StrongPOCCharacterStatus    = Fail
 +
| StrongPOCCharacterNotes    = Everyone appears to be white.
 +
| QueerCharacterStatus        = Fail
 +
| QueerCharacterNotes        = There are no queer characters.
 +
}}
  
 
==Titles==
 
==Titles==
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|-
 
|-
 
| English || Shadowgate || ||  
 
| English || Shadowgate || ||  
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|-
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| English (mobile) || Shadowgate Classic || ||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Japanese || シャドウゲイト || Shadogeito || Shadowgate
 
| Japanese || シャドウゲイト || Shadogeito || Shadowgate
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|-
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| Japanese (mobile) || シャドウゲイトリターン || Shadogeito Ritan || Shadowgate Returns
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
{{Link|MobyGames|http://www.mobygames.com/game/shadowgate}}
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{{Link|MobyGames|https://www.mobygames.com/game/1070/shadowgate}}
 
{{Link|Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowgate}}
 
{{Link|Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowgate}}
 
{{Link|GameFAQs|https://www.gamefaqs.com/nes/563455-shadowgate-1987}}
 
{{Link|GameFAQs|https://www.gamefaqs.com/nes/563455-shadowgate-1987}}
 
{{Link|VGMPF|http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Shadowgate_(NES)}}
 
{{Link|VGMPF|http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Shadowgate_(NES)}}
{{Link|NESHacker|http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Games/Hacking/Wiki/index.php/Shadowgate}}
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{{Link|ROMDetectives|2=http://www.romdetectives.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Shadowgate_(NES)}}
 
{{Link|TCRF|https://tcrf.net/Shadowgate_(NES)}}
 
{{Link|TCRF|https://tcrf.net/Shadowgate_(NES)}}
  
  
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 
[[Category: 1987 Video Games]]
 
 
[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Adventure, Strategy, Action]]
 
[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Adventure, Strategy, Action]]
[[Category: Video Game Genre - Puzzle]]
 
 
[[Category: Game Mechanic - Unwinnable State]]
 
[[Category: Game Mechanic - Unwinnable State]]
[[Category: Amiga Games]]
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[[Category: Trope - Damsel In Distress]]
[[Category: Apple IIgs Games]]
 
[[Category: Atari ST Games]]
 
[[Category: DOS Games]]
 
[[Category: Macintosh Classic Games]]
 
[[Category: NES Games]]
 
[[Category: Windows 3 Games]]
 
[[Category: Adventure]]
 
 
[[Category: Favorite Games]]
 
[[Category: Favorite Games]]
[[Category: Games I've Beaten]]
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[[Category: Media Theme - Fantasy]]
[[Category: Fantasy]]
 
 
[[Category: 2-bit Color Graphics]]
 
[[Category: 2-bit Color Graphics]]
[[Category: Video Games That Fail the Bechdel Test]]
 

Latest revision as of 16:01, 13 March 2024

Shadowgate

Shadowgate - MAC - USA.jpg

Macintosh Classic - USA - 1st edition.

Developer ICOM Simulations
Publisher ICOM Simulations
Published 1987-07-30
Platforms Amiga, Apple IIgs, Atari ST, DOS, Game Boy Color, Macintosh Classic, NES, Palm OS, Windows 3, Windows Mobile
Genres Adventure, Graphic adventure, Passive puzzle, Puzzle,
Themes Adventure, Fantasy
Series MacVenture, Shadowgate
Distribution Commercial

Shadowgate is a graphic adventure puzzle video game created by ICOM Simulations and first released on Macintosh on 1987-07-30, and then ported to a bunch of different platforms including the NES by Kemco on 1989-03-31. This was the third game in the MacVenture series, the third to use the MacVenture engine, and the first game in the Shadowgate series. The game was also ported to several mobile platforms under the title Shadowgate Classic.

In the game's story, you play a courageous knight who has been sent to the ancient keep of Shadowgate in order to find the Staff of Ages and stop the evil Warlock Lord from summoning the Behemoth to conquer the world. The castle is filled with deadly monsters, traps, and puzzles so you must rely on your brains as well as your might.

Personal

Own?Yes. US NES cartridge with plastic protector case.
Won?Yes. NES port.
FinishedLate 1990s.

When my step-brothers came from out of state to visit, my step-father gave them preferential treatment. I was rare that we would be allowed to rent NES games at the video rental store, but when they were visiting, we were allowed. However, since my brother and step-brothers were older, they always got to make the decisions about which games we would rent. I complained about this, and my step brother assured me that the next time we came, he would let me rent a game that he thought I would really like, Shadowgate. I had already seen the box art, and, as a fan of swords & sorcery games, was pretty sure that I would indeed like the game, so I relented. Of course, the next time we went to rent a game, I picked out Shadowgate, but the special discount that we got last time allowing us to rent two games was no longer valid, and my step-father didn't want to pay the full-price fee of a second game, so I again wasn't able to rent it. Years later, when I was working at Kroger, they were phasing out their video and game rentals, and I bought it along with Uninvited and Déjà Vu. After all those years, the game didn't let me down, and I eventually beat it without hints. However, a couple of the puzzles left me scratching my head for hours.

Review

Video Game Review Icon - Enjoyment.png Video Game Review Icon - Control.png Video Game Review Icon - Appearance.png Video Game Review Icon - Sound.png Video Game Review Icon - Replayability.png
5 6 6 7 3

Best Version: NES

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • The game has great artwork and the NES port has wonderful music composed by Hiroyuki Masuno.
  • The interface is nicely intuitive.
  • The script is well-written, and a lot of the scenes are pretty scary.
  • The sphinx is a nice addition and adds more depth and make use of the otherwise useless items.
  • The magic spells are a nice addition.
  • Several ports lets you print a certificate upon completing the game.

Bad

  • Death is far too common. Thankfully, the game is pretty forgiving with the reloading.
  • There are a lot of useless items that clutter up the inventory, which adds a little complexity to the puzzle solving, but is really annoying.
  • The spells are usually only used in a single place in the game, making them kind of arbitrary.
  • I don't like the unnecessary timer added by the torches. It requires you to have to reset the game until you get good enough to progress further.
  • There is a mild amount out-of-place elements which hurts the Medieval fantasy feel. For example, "death to the Philistines," doesn't fit in this fictional game world.
  • In the original game and some of ports, the spells can only be cast a single time. So, if you miscast the spell, you put the game in an unwinnable state. This was a horrible idea!
  • Due to the style of the game, there is very little replay value.

Ugly

  • There are a couple puzzles whose solutions don't make any sense at all and require you to try every item on every other item until it suddenly works. For example, the puzzle with the unusual torch. Other puzzles have solutions that only become apparent after you've been killed, which ruins the idea of a single-life run.

Media

Box Art

Documentation

Maps

Screenshots

Fan Art

Videos

Review - Hungry Goriya.
Longplay - Macintosh.
Longplay - NES.

Play Online

Famicom, Game Boy Color (Japan), Game Boy Color (USA), MS-DOS, NES (Europe), NES (France), NES (Germany), NES (Sweden), NES (USA)

Representation

Strong female character?FailThere are no strong women.
Bechdel test?FailNo women ever talk together.
Strong person of color character?FailEveryone appears to be white.
Queer character?FailThere are no queer characters.

Titles

Language Native Transliteration Translation
English Shadowgate
English (mobile) Shadowgate Classic
Japanese シャドウゲイト Shadogeito Shadowgate
Japanese (mobile) シャドウゲイトリターン Shadogeito Ritan Shadowgate Returns

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-GameFAQs.png  Link-VGMPF.png  Link-ROMDetectives.png  Link-TCRF.png