(Image credit: Yacht Club Games)

Thumb Destroying Arcade Action

I miss playing 8-bit platformers, and Shovel Knight from 2014 was a great addition.  So, I was excited when its producer, Yacht Club Games, put out a new 90s throwback title. Cyber Shadow is a single-player indie reminiscent of the original Ninja Gaiden in both gameplay and story. The entire game oozes that classic NES feel on PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. The Load Screen reviews this challenging platformer that is worth a playthrough despite some clunky Metroidvania aspects and difficulty.

The faithful adaption of the retro style throughout all its aspects is one of the best parts of this game. The story presentation follows that classic style of mixing 8-bit cutscenes with written dialogue. It follows a ninja named Shadow who was the last of his clan that was decimated by the twisted experiments of Dr. Progen. After succumbing to a large blast, the cybernetic ninja is found partially recovered in a restoration chamber by L-Gion. The robotic companion leads them through the remains of Mekacity to stop the cybernetically mutated doctor and the synthetic army under his control. As the ninja slices through each level, he can reclaim the spirits of his fallen clan that give the cyborg ninja incredible powers such as wall-slide and more.

(Image credit: Yacht Club Games)

Those spirits are the only upgrade system, so it does not complicate the fast-paced gameplay. The basic mechanics of attacking, jumping, and dashing were strong enough to beat the entire game. However, I felt that after each upgrade was given the action got amplified and required quickly integrating each new move for success. Every death was a brutal lesson each time because the checkpoints were often spread out, leading to the frustration of having to clear the same treacherous sections. Although the each respawn point can be used to fill the spirit meter and purchase special weapons that can help. I was expecting a modern playstyle that is less extreme despite the classic look, but this is not one of those titles at all.

There were some Metroidvania aspects within Cyber Shadow, mainly unlockable sections that entail the player has the right ability to open. However, most of the game was straightforward and had little backtracking even though it was presented early on. Heading back was not done through natural loops of overlapping levels, rather presented as an option from some checkpoints. While this mechanic is similar to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Cyber Shadow is linear in progression and involves using special warps or walking all the way back once Shadow has the ability needed to unlock the blocked area.

(Image credit: Yacht Club Games)

Artistic pixilation adds to that immersive 90s experience with full 8-bit hand-crafted sprites and animations that are unique yet feel familiar. Each boss and area had its own personality with subtle references to classic platformers including Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, and Castlevania. I even felt some Dark Souls aspects creeping out because of the brutal location of respawns and the unforgiving boss fights. The devastating abilities of the giant robot Combinatron and the serpentine Mekadragon’s death rolls caused me to dread each further boss. Most of those situations need small memorization of patterns and never letting up the attack, which follows suit of the game’s genre.

Cyber Shadow is a true 8-bit classic platformer. The music, the graphics, animations, and even the issues feel ripped out of the 90s without any of the lag. The intense ninja action can get overwhelming quickly, especially not having difficulty settings to scale the battle. However, this makes it a platformer that speed-runners will have a constant clash for the fastest time since even top runs have flaws. The current record is just under an hour according to speedrun.com. If you can survive the ruthless gameplay in Cyber Shadow, it has replayability that is worth the full cost of the title or download through the Xbox Game Pass. The Load Screen looks forward to what other 8-bit action that Yacht Club Games will publish in the future, we are hoping for a Shovel Knight sequel.

Cyber Shadow

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

• Developer: Mechanical Head Games

• Publisher: Yacht Club Games

• Release Date: Jan 26, 2021