Gaming Target - Game Boy: Shadowgate Classic

Written by Steve Graff on June 22, 2000

Review: The game that combines reading and clicking...sounds like..f-u-n

As you may know, Shadowgate first appeared on console back in the NES days. The original Shadowgate re-released on GBC at about the same time that Shadowgate64 came out on N64. It gave new gamers a chance to find out the back-story to SG64. More importantly, Shadowgate Classic, gave us another chance to play it one more time, and maybe this time, we would be good enough gamers to beat it.

The visuals really impressed me. This was the first time I had played a GBC game that actually worked with all of GBC's color potential. It was very clear, and the colors stayed true to the original NES version. All I can say is that it may not be as much colorful detailing as other games, but it looks just like the original, and that's fine with me.

The controls are simple, especially for this type of game. All you do is point and click. This is probably why it worked so well in the first place for computer. You move around the cursor with the D-Pad, and choose with the buttons. Simple, and good. Uhh, there isn't much to talk about here, so I'll sing a song for you. ***Rooound and round goes the little blue top. Turning and turning with never a stop. Dapples with white, dapples with brown, the little blue top, keeps turning around.*** What a lovely song. I learned that one in 3rd grade.

The presented audio is well done. Sounds good as the original. The music is chilling if you really get into the game. It also sometimes hints you towards things, like urgency. For instance, if you're about to run out of torches, ( if your torches go out, you die) then the music changes drastically from before. All of the songs even keep a little medieval theme. As for sound effects, well there really are none. But if they were there, I'm sure they'd sound lovely.

Was I satisfied? Yes, I definitely was. Maybe some newcomers won't like the game, but if you've ever enjoyed the NES version, and want to see it again. Then check this out.

Sadly, I wouldn't replay Shadowgate Classic. Once you defeat the warlock lord, there really isn't any more need to play again, even as much as I liked it. Once it's over, then you might just want to leave it alone. Don't try to cheat and get walkthroughs, cause with this kind of game, ou'll lose all of the experience.