Surrendering to Cyber Shadow’s 8-bit cipher ninjutsu is absolutely inevitable. Especially in its final stages. Because there are a lot of ninja games that embrace the retro style, from The Messenger to Kunai or Moonrider , but the way in which the new Yacht Club Games catches you, game by game, makes it stand out from the rest and position itself to the height of the great classics of Tecmo, Konami, Capcom or Nintendo to which it pays tribute. Big words.
A very intense action experience, designed to constantly test our dexterity, our ability to adapt to each scenario and that, in the process, encourages our creativity to the controls based on phases, enemies and final bosses successfully assembled and captured. on screen with a pixelart that falls in love with the first game.
Dressing the whole with songs in the key of chiptune that you end up humming irretrievably. Even when you’re stuck in a tier and have lost count of how many times you start from the last save point. The soundtrack, courtesy of Enrique Martin and producer Jake Kaufman, is a joy even on those.
And for a sample -and as a preview- we invite you to see our gameplay in which we go through the first area of the game with a katana blow without improvements, new skills and with just a handful of power ups.
Achieving, in the process, a sensational ninja experience that ends up radiating more mastery than nostalgia . Which, on the other hand, doesn’t stop Aarne “MekaSkull” Hunziker from being exquisitely generous on the latter. Borrowing with much cheek and even more reverence the best of the maximum references of the platform action of the 8-bit Nintendo. Receiving the witness of those experiences based on lessons very well learned.
Now, best of all is the way in which Cyber Shadow constantly resists being the umpteenth NES-aesthetic substitute for the first Ninja Gaiden , The GG Shinob i, the original Metroid, Mega Man 3 or the sensational Blue. Shadow; although what he inherits from all of them -which is not little- is evident from his first bars.
To the joy and celebration of all those who leave our fingertips with the mythical cross of that legendary two-button pad.
Bursting in with force and consolidating, on its own merits, as one of the first surprises of 2021 . Proving that it is not necessary to use the next Unreal engine, follow the new playable trends or embrace Ray Tracing technology to achieve a great game.
Something that Cyber Shadow achieves with the little more than 300 megabytes that it will ask from your PC or console, its very attractive staging and great sensations of an instant classic that emanates from the first minute.
Shadow, the gifted student of the legendary Ryu Hayabusa
After a long rest, Sombra wakes up . Submerged in a strange liquid, the ninja rejoins, katana in hand, emerging from the tank that has kept him alive all this time. Being fully aware that his vital organs are not yet fully recovered. Or rather, his new body : the last thing Sombra’s eyes remember is how he ended up being scorched after a powerful explosion.
L-Gión, a little robotic assistant, has awakened the cybernetic ninja by accelerating his healing process. His master, his clan, and humanity itself are in danger, and only Sombra’s extraordinary abilities can prevent a greater evil: the complete destruction of civilization at the hands of Dr. Progen and his colossal army of synthetics.
Armed with a sharp sword and an indestructible will , Sombra sets out in search of the surviving members of his clan. He will have to remember his skills and his memory little by little, cutting his way through the dangerous Mekacity with slashes and explosions. Updating his repertoire of techniques through his new body and, in the process, discovering a plot that will shake everything he believes in.
Cyber Shadow is much more than a side scrolling action game: it is a classic ninja game. An exceptionally good one. And that implies that dexterity, discipline and reflexes are above all else. And, at the same time, a gift for all those who enjoyed sagas as diverse as Shadow Warrior (the title with which Ninja Gaiden arrived in Europe), Probotector (Contra) or the entrance on the scene of Samus Aran with Metroid. .
That said, Cyber Shadow is not the new Ninja Gaiden nor does he pretend to be . Its levels are a very careful amalgam of influences that go from the development of Batman that Sunsoft published on the NES to the combats with final bosses that tend ties to Mega Man or Street Fighter 2010 . Being, perhaps, its maximum references, at least in relation to the deployment of scenarios, the Blue Shadow and Natsume’s Shatterhand. Two sensational references, all is said.
In practice, we are facing a true gem that, despite its apparently modest sprites and pixelated settings, radiates a special pampering in each of its sections . Standing out, even above its presentation and its spectacular original soundtrack, an exquisitely challenging gameplay that, as in the Metroidvanias, expands and gains new nuances as we progress through the game.
In part, thanks to the unlockable skill system that not only opens up new mobility options, from double jumps to wall climbing to aerial mobility, but increasingly unfolds the possibilities of its rich mapping , the which we can cross very successfully from end to end and rediscover by cutting through the save points prior to each level.
Mind you, Sombra’s skill progression system goes hand in hand with Cyber Shadow’s increasingly demanding difficulty curve. Because although, unlike the references that Mechanical Head Studios has taken into account, we will have infinite lives, we will be required to master more and more the essentials, such as jumps or cuts, but our new skills will also be put to the test.
Forcing us to understand what happens on each screen, to study our next move in order to move forward, and to react and improvise to the unexpected.
Making each defeat a lesson learned and each advance a small great conquest. Not through trial and error , but through a very successful balance of discovery and challenge that allows us to experiment and compensate for each frustration with a huge sense of accomplishment in discovering how to move forward or the routine of a sub-boss or a boss of end of level.
Above all, when overcoming each great challenge we are rewarded with an improvement or new ability that not only increases the variety of the game that unfolds before us , but also gives new nuances to the levels we leave behind.
Cyber Shadow: much more than pixelated katanas and impossible jumps
Cyber Shadow is a game that shamelessly drinks from the classic NES action games and takes note of the best of the platform that has been played on the legendary desktop. Honoring and, at the same time, extolling what makes them exquisitely timeless.
However, it is not a niche experience solely for the nostalgic: it also knows how to be a current game and, without sacrificing its level of challenge, it leaves its own mark on those who were not hardened in the 8-bit of Nintendo. Which is not small.
Although the new classic-style ninja games follow in the wake of a benchmark -which is very good- in Mechanical Head Studios they have integrated into their game key elements of different NES titles (including mechanics inherited from Capcom’s DuckTales or TMNT from Konami) and others inherited from much later systems.
Including, among others, a masterfully tuned save point system for both player profiles: those looking for a totally challenging experience and those who need to rest what happens between legs of the adventure relatively frequently.
In other words: when we lose a life, which is really frequent, we will return to a section that leaves us at the gates of the most delicate points . However, these are not frequent enough that we can afford to neglect our abilities.
To which we must add that we can improve the save points on the fly, unlocking improvements, restoring health and adding resources just by hovering over it. Something very helpful in the moments before a confrontation with a level boss.
Very special mention to Cyber Shadow’s Power Ups : taking Natsume’s Shatterhand as a reference, in addition to new attack and mobility abilities, Sombra can equip himself with new weapons that go from a barrier that we can launch across the screen, a sensational satellite that launches projectiles of three levels or an improved edge for our katana, among others.
Ways to implement our attack ability and promote our destructive creativity that is wonderfully suited to wall climbs, double jumps or the blocking system. Being a sensational way of inviting us to master this particular style of ninjutsu and, at the same time, giving us invaluable resources to be able to come out of one piece when facing the increasingly lethal enemies and bosses.
Because Cyber Shadow knows how to be demanding with the player and raises the difficulty curve without having to resort to confusion, deception or unfair situations. And while the behavior of the traps and many of the enemies, even those of lower level, will constantly keep us entertained, forcing us to constantly react to what happens on the screen.
Exposing ourselves to the fact that, upon receiving a simple impact, the classic recoil jump on the ground or in the air ends up costing us a life and forcing us to restart the section. But also encouraging us to continue playing based on superb gameplay, an extraordinary soundtrack and the constant doubt of knowing what is just a little bit further than where we arrived last time.
Chaining one game with the next until completing its ten chapters , obtaining all the hidden unlockables and, finally, facing an imposing final boss that will put the final piece to the plot puzzle that is presented to us in Cyber Shadow.
A litmus test and the opportunity to bring out everything learned and unlocked throughout the adventure. A last stretch at the height of the experience and the great classics that Mechanical Head Studios is inspired by.
Cyber Shadow is a blast. A must for everyone who has enjoyed the NES action games catalog and will meet the expectations of those who love the great little gems of the video game. In fact, that Yacht Club Games is in charge of publishing Mechanical Head Studios’ pixelated ninjutsu proposal makes a lot of sense: Sombra conveys classic action and platforming sensations at the level of the legendary Shovel Knight.
Its very successful gameplay, the design of its levels and its presentation are simply impeccable, and the way in which its progress system is displayed, very in tune with the metroidvanias, ends up rounding out a game that does not deserve to go unnoticed even among the indies , nor between the big launches of 2021.
A double merit that adds extra points if we consider that it has been developed by a single person: beyond the publication of Yacht Club Games, who also advised during the development, and the musical arrangements of the game, Cyber Shadow is the work of Aarne Hunziker.
A perfect game? The truth is that Shadow takes time to deploy his first great abilities relatively after Cyber Shadow raises the difficulty curve for the first time, being a filter that perhaps not everyone is willing to pass. However, once the game takes off, the possibilities of Hunziker’s cyber ninja and Enrique Martín’s songs will leave you hopelessly trapped.
In a matter of duration, once we have mastered all of Sombra’s abilities, it is possible to cross the Cyber Shadow map from end to end in two or three afternoons and without haste. Enjoying it knowing that there is a percentage complete meter at the start of the game that is set with all the intentionality in the world: there are secrets, tributes and nods to the classics distributed with enormous generosity throughout the game.
History has its clichés and tributes, yes. Which is not really bad. Above all, if it is seasoned with sensational pixelated animations that are very in line with the spirit and aesthetics of the game and that, of course, in their own way extend even more the legacy of the great ninja games of the 8-bit nintendera in current systems.
The best retro cut ninja game? Definitely, Cyber Shadow achieves something not so usual: to live up to the great classics in which it is inspired by adding new ingredients to its formula . And while time will measure its depth, what is undeniable is that it is one of the titles called to champion the always welcome new batch of pixelated ninjutsu in video games.
Cyber shadow
| Platforms | Xbox, PC (versions reviewed) PS4 and Nintendo Switch |
|---|---|
| Multiplayer | Not |
| Developer | Mechanical head studios |
| Company | Yacht Club Games |
| Launch | January 26, 2021 |
| Price | 19.99 euros |
The best
- A spectacular gameplay that improves game by game
- Its artistic and musical section is impeccable
- The definitive tribute to the classics of Ninjas
Worst
- In certain sections the difficulty shoots up
