Excellent old-school ninja action with enough modern niceties.
When making a retro-inspired action platformer, it’s very easy to lose the thread of what makes those old games memorable. The best course of action is to try to make a game that feels like a memory of an old game and not just the old game. This is something that Yacht Club Games absolutely nailed with their debut Shovel Knight. That game succeeded largely because it felt like vintage NES-era classics, but was thoroughly modern overall. That’s why my hopes were high for Cyber Shadow, a game developed by Mechanical Head Studios that Yacht Club took under their wing in 2019. Whereas Shovel Knight was clawing at the memories of the likes of Mega Man and Zelda II, Cyber Shadow seems more interested with Shadow of the Ninja or that awesome NES Batman game. While it doesn’t ascend to the highs of Shovel Knight, Cyber Shadow is a well-paced, challenging platformer that manages to not lose the thread of what makes those ol
Indie gaming has become so deliciously varied that last year we began a livestream show specifically dedicated to them here at Shacknews. 2021 is no exception. There are treasure troves of indie titles already set for this year and we can’t wait to see what surprises come our way out of the indie gaming scene. Looking to fill your own wishlist? Check out Shacknews’ 25 most anticipated indie games of 2021!
Just in case you’re curious, we have another Most Anticipated Games list we specifically kept separate from the indie gems. Be sure to check that one out too!
Windjammers 2
Windjammers is so very ridiculous in its premise and it always has been, but Dotemu is cranking it to 11 with this one in every way. The colors are splendid, the action is hot and fast, and the wind is indeed jamming as every tease has brought us closer to the disc throwing vs battle we crave.
Fall Guys Is Not Coming to Game Pass, but These Games Are
Devolver Digital Shuts Down Hope for Fall Guys on Game Pass
Earlier this morning, the official Xbox Game Pass Instagram account confirmed that Fall Guys would be making its way to Game Pass in a reply from a fan asking for the game. Well, turns out that wasn’t true as both the Devolver Digital and Fall Guys accounts have confirmed.
Tom Warren, the Senior Editor at the Verge tweeted the news about the game coming to Xbox’s subscription service with a screenshot of the Instagram interaction. Devolver Digital replied to his tweet, simply stating that it was incorrect. When Warren asked for clarification, Devolver noted that the game will not be coming to Game Pass in any capacity as of now.
Cyber Shadow was originally teased at PAX East 2019 and now has an officially secured a release date set for the end of this month. In a press release from developer Inti Creates, the studio announced that it would be teaming with Yacht Club Games as well as Mechanical Head Studios to bring the 8-bit ninja throwback to the Nintendo Switch.
Cyber Shadow will be officially releasing digitally on the Nintendo Switch eShop on January 26th, 2021, for $19.99. With a PS4 and PS5 release to come along shortly after.
The 2D action side-scroller will have players assuming the role of Shadow as he slashes and dashes his way through hordes of synthetic artificial lifeforms, while on a quest to figure out what left Mekacity in ruins. With some major retro vibes that also bring to mind classics like
Three Single Player Games to Watch Out for in January 2021
Welcome to 2021. We made it through 2020, an uncommonly good year for games (especially single player games), if not for anything else. As generally terrible as the world can be, however, this new year bodes even better for fans of video games.
For 2021, solo players can expect big returning franchises like with the odd and scary
Resident Evil Village or the gorgeous and deadly
Horizon Forbidden West. There are also huge tentpole exclusives, from PlayStation’s
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, to Xbox’s
Halo Infinite, to Nintendo’s
Breath of the Wild sequel.