February 1, 2021 - 9:56pm EST
When Yacht Club Games released Shovel Knight back in 2014, it took the gaming world by storm with its addictive gameplay, impressive pixel art style and simple but engaging story. Yacht Club Games had made a name for themselves, and fans of the developer were keen to see what they d conjure up next. While they haven t released a new title yet, they have since published Cyber Shadow, an incredibly stylish 8-bit action platforming adventure that looks and feels reminiscent of their work. Cyber Shadow doesn t just do an admirable job with its look, but also its soundtrack, gameplay, and fair but fun difficulty. What perhaps is most impressive, is the fact that the game was developed by a single person, Aarne Hunziker of Mechanical Head Studios. Cyber Shadow is a great first step for the indie dev, with the game feeling like a welcome amalgamation of NES classics Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man.
Cyber Shadow Is Another Fantastic Homage To Classic NES Games
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Screenshot: Mechanical Head Studios
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What 2D side-scroller
Cyber Shadow is missing in personality it makes up for with amazing visuals and action sequences that challenge your timing and reflexes without ever feeling tedious or cheap. I’ve been loving my time with its pastiche of classic NES games, even if, so far, its story hasn’t measured up to everything else it excels at.
âCyber Shadowâ review: classic 8-bit ninja action platforming for the hardcore
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Yacht Club Gamesâ follow-up to Shovel Knight is a lean, mean action platformer that puts your ninja reflexes to the test
Even as weâve entered a new generation of console hardware, the 8-bit aesthetics of yesteryear continue to remain in vogue. Largely, we have 2014âs
Shovel Knight to thank for that, a crowdfunded indie platformer that managed to combine all the best bits of NES-era platformers, resulting in something that felt fresh and unique.
Itâs also been something of a cash cow for developer Yacht Club Games, who followed it up with a number of expansions while its eponymous knight crossed over into every other indie game. In danger of getting stale then, theyâve wisely embarked on publishing to give other 8-bit-inspired developers their chance to shine.
Since its inception, Yacht Club Games has been recognized for its old-school gaming aesthetic. That s why the team got into publishing, helping developer Mechanical Head Studios release Cyber Shadow. If the Shovel Knight series is akin to NES classics like Mega Man, Cyber Shadow feels much closer to the 8-bit Ninja Gaiden series. And more than Shovel Knight, it harkens back to the old days, warts and all.
Emerging from the shadows
Cyber Shadow tells the story of a dystopic future, where the title character Shadow wakes up in the middle of Mekacity. What was once a bustling metropolis now lies in ruins and is up in flames. That s mainly due to the machinations of Dr. Progen, a brilliant scientist who has gone mad. The key to defeating Dr. Progen lies in finding Shadow s master, but her whereabouts are unknown and a chunk of game is dedicated to finding where she ended up.