Overall 8 Graphics 7 Sound 7 Addictive 9 Story 10 Depth 10 Difficulty 10
8.1
A zany yet incredible blend of point-and-click adventure and street-fighter-2 style combat bsnowotter
Nightshade is a point-and-click adventure in the style of the King's Quest series. Every moment of the game is infused with humor. But when the stuff hits the fan, Nightshade relies on his kung-fu skills in brief combat encounters which add to the superhero experience. On an interesting side-note, this game was made by Ultra games, those people who brought us the first Ninja Turtles NES game. People who enjoyed the unique adventuring elements of that title will love what they have done here. Overall, the uniqueness and zany fun of this totally original title makes it worth a look.
The story is quite detailed, and I don't want to spoil it for you, but Metro City needs help, an evil Egyptian villain aided by 4 distinct and zany crime-lords threaten Metro City. Its resident superhero has been kidnapped and its up to Nightshade to pick up the slack, but since no one has heard of this superhero he will need to build his reputation by performing heroic deeds and taking down crime-lords before the people of the town take him seriously.
The graphics may not be too impressive at first glance, but in the final analysis they do both convey the dark and gritty Gotham-City-like vibe that Metro City was going for, and also every scene is detailed enough to facilitate fun and effective point and click adventuring (it's hard to enjoy examining and interacting with your environment if you cannot see details in your environment properly). The sound fits the game nicely, accentuating your accomplishments, adding tension to the action and adding atmosphere to contextualize your exploration and puzzle solving. I am also pleased to report that the point-and-click adventuring aspect of the game is not breezed over or added as an afterthought; it is, as it should be, the central focus of Nightshade's adventure, requiring Nightshade to constantly be solving puzzles and sorting through his large inventory, not to mention constantly hearing from the game's consistently sarcastic and crazy narrator.
Which brings me to the game's interface--while the NES controller is not the ideal way to experience a point and click adventure, I am pleased that they made the interface as effective as possible without watering it down. One button is the shortcut for "examine", another for "operate" (the two most useful commands) while the select button gives you access to all other actions you would hope to do including genre regulars such as use item or talk, but also some originals such as "fight" or "jump." Except during a fight, jumping is purely a tactical decision, not a jump puzzle requiring platforming skills, the game will jump for you automatically.
Overall, anyone who has ever felt like playing a point-and-click adventure should check out Nightshade for curiosity's sake alone. Those with enough patience, intellect and, when necessary, quick fists to explore Metro City and take down crime-lords will be rewarded with a deep, immersive and hilarious experience.
Graphics 7 Sound 7 Addictive 9 Story 10 Depth 10 Difficulty 10
Review Rating: 4.5/5
Submitted: 12-28-11
Updated: 12-28-11
Review Replies: 4
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