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The Shadow (video game)

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The Shadow
Preliminary North American SNES cover art
Developer(s)Ocean Software
Publisher(s)Ocean Software
Designer(s)Brian Flanagan
Ivan Davies
Programmer(s)Robbie Tinman
Artist(s)Mark Povey
Martin McDonald
Matthew Wood
Composer(s)Jonathan Dunn
SeriesThe Shadow
Platform(s)Atari Jaguar CD
Sega Genesis
SNES
ReleaseUnreleased
Genre(s)Beat 'em up
Mode(s)Single-player

The Shadow is a video game based on the 1994 Universal film of the same name.[1][2][3][4] It was planned for release in 1994 on the Super NES, alongside other systems, but was canceled.

Gameplay

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The Shadow battles various enemies in the game.

The gameplay is similar to other Beat 'em up games such as Final Fight or Double Dragon, where the player controls The Shadow through several levels (including streets, museums, carnivals and laboratories) fighting against various enemies, like hoodlums, Mongol Warriors, scientists, security guards and sailors.[5] The player has two bars; one is the life bar and the other is a bar which allows the player to perform special moves (invisibility, a lunging dash and a dome force field that knocks down everyone who is caught in its radius). The regular beat 'em up levels also include a section for gunplay, where the player is able to shoot enemies. It also contains a driving stage where The Shadow battles the Mongols on motorbikes (Maritech Labs).

Plot

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The game roughly follows the plot of the movie, where The Shadow fights crime in New York city, until he is confronted by the evil mastermind Shiwan Khan. Khan intends to use an atomic bomb to blow up the city, culminating in a showdown at the hidden Hotel Monolith.

Development

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The Shadow was developed by British studio Ocean Software, which was famous for acquiring licenses for games based on major motion pictures during this period. Ocean's vice president of development, Gary Bracey, considered The Shadow as the next big movie license after the company's Batman. Though not particularly impressed with the script for The Shadow, Bracey was able to meet with the film's director Russell Mulcahy and star Alec Baldwin while optioning the game tie-in.[6][7] Production on the game was led by Brian Flanagan, who described it as a "messy project".[8] Flanagan was its designer and lead artist, having created its sprites and a large portion of its backgrounds.[9] Versions were developed for the SNES and Sega Genesis.[10][11][12][13] The SNES version was completed and review copies were even sent to gaming magazines prior to its scheduled release. However, it was ultimately cancelled due to the film's low box-office gross.[8][9]

A version of the game was also being developed and planned to be published by Ocean Software for the Atari Jaguar CD as one of the first games announced for the then-upcoming add-on. However, development for the port was scrapped in favor of creating a conversion of Lobo, an unreleased fighting game based on the DC Comics character of the same name that was also in development by Ocean.[14][15][16][17][18]

Reception

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Next Generation reviewed the SNES version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "The Shadow boils down to a 'take-it-or-leave-it' no-brainer of a title".[24]

References

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  1. ^ "Short ProShots - Super NES - The Shadow (Ocean)". GamePro. No. 61. IDG. August 1994. p. 149. Archived from the original on 2019-01-05. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  2. ^ "Games News: Future Screens - The Shadow (Ocean)". Games World. No. 2. Paragon Publishing. August 1994. p. 40.
  3. ^ "Fact-Files - Super NES - The Shadow". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 65. Sendai Publishing. December 1994. pp. 282–285. Archived from the original on 2019-01-05. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  4. ^ "Pak Watch: Super NES - The Shadow (Ocean)". Nintendo Power. No. 67. Nintendo of America. December 1994. p. 111.
  5. ^ "Games Watch: SNES - The Shadow". Games World. No. 5. Paragon Publishing. November 1994. pp. 84–85.
  6. ^ Wilkins, Chris; Kean, Roger M. (December 1, 2013). The History of Ocean. Fusion Retro Books. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-99-313151-6.
  7. ^ Retro Gamer staff (September 2009). "In the chair with... Gary Bracey". Retro Gamer. No. 68. Imagine Publishing. p. 84. ISSN 1742-3155.
  8. ^ a b Wilkins, Chris; Kean, Roger M. (December 1, 2013). The History of Ocean. Fusion Retro Books. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-99-313151-6.
  9. ^ a b Crookes, David (April 2006). "Developer Lookback: Life on the Ocean Waves". Retro Gamer. No. 23. Imagine Publishing. p. 38. ISSN 1742-3155.
  10. ^ "News: Shadow Play". Ocean Power. No. 2. Bastion Publishing. Spring 1994. p. 6.
  11. ^ "News: Timeline - November -- The Shadow (Ocean - SG, SNES)". Game Players. No. 64. Signal Research. October 1994. p. 10.
  12. ^ "I'll Be There, Around Every Corner In Every Room As Inevitable As Your Guilty Conscience - The Shadow". Computer and Video Games. No. 156. Future Publishing. November 1994. p. 27.
  13. ^ Brømba (January 1995). "Konsolowy Świat - Wieści ze świata grania". Top Secret (in Polish). No. 34. Bajtek Publishing House. p. 57.
  14. ^ Ripper, The (April 1994). "Europa!". GameFan. Vol. 2, no. 5. DieHard Gamers Club. p. 136. Archived from the original on 2019-01-05. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  15. ^ Ripper, The (May 1994). "Europa!". GameFan. Vol. 2, no. 6. DieHard Gamers Club. pp. 132–134. Archived from the original on 2019-01-04. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  16. ^ "The Game Fan 32Bit System Shoot Out - Who Will Lead Us Into The Next Generation?". GameFan. Vol. 2, no. 7. DieHard Gamers Club. June 1994. pp. 146–147. Archived from the original on 2019-01-13. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  17. ^ "Warpzone - Jaguar - Angekündigte Jaguar-Spiele". Video Games (in German). No. 32. Future-Verlag. July 1994. p. 32. Archived from the original on 2018-08-04. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  18. ^ "Jaguar Games and Accessories: New Jaguar Titles! — Many Others Are Coming soon!". Toad Computers Product Catalog. Toad Computers. 1994. p. 5.
  19. ^ Semrad, Ed; Carpenter, Danyon; Manuel, Al; Williams, Ken; Weigand, Mike (January 1995). "Review Crew - Major Mike's Game Roundup - The Shadow - Ocean / Super NES". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 66. Sendai Publishing. p. 40.
  20. ^ Salmon, Mike (March 1995). "SNES - Review - The Shadow". Game Players. No. 69. Signal Research. p. 68.
  21. ^ Bacon (January 1995). "ProReview: Super NES - The Shadow". GamePro. No. 66. IDG. p. 80.
  22. ^ "Lo Más Nuevo - Nintendo Super Nintendo: The Shadow – La Sombra vuelve a la acción". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 38. Hobby Press. November 1994. p. 152.
  23. ^ "...Y además: The Shadow - Una buena adaptación (Super Nintendo)". Micromanía (in Spanish). Vol. 2, no. 78. HobbyPress. November 1994. p. 31.
  24. ^ a b "Finals - SNES - The Shadow". Next Generation. No. 3. Imagine Media. March 1995. p. 103. Archived from the original on 2019-01-04. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  25. ^ "Now Playing - The Shadow -- Super NES". Nintendo Power. No. 72. Nintendo of America. May 1995. p. 106.
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