Cyber Shadow: Side Scrolling Masteripiece

    Smell that? That's the smell of a game with "cyber" in the title actually delivering on the gameplay it said it would. Stinks good doesn't it? You guys know I like to keep my finger on the pulse of Metroidvania games. This one snuck up on me and I’m pleased to shed a little more light on it. Cyber Shadow created by Yacht Club Games, the company that brought you those dope @$$ Shovel Knight Games. It’s a side scholar, it’s about a cyborg ninja awakening in a nuclear dystopian urban ruined wasteland called "Mekacity" somehwere in what I'm assuming is the late “20XXs”.(Idk what time it is, but back in the 90s all the heavy dystopian future stuff happened in 20XX) 

Aarne Hunziker is one of the head developers at Yacht Club Games and has led the endeavor of creating this game. He said he started off hacking Nintendo roms and making his own version of games he enjoyed playing. He’s a sucker for that modern twist on old school games and this game seems like a labor of love. Folks, the best side scrollers have intuitive controls. I talked about this not too long ago on my post; “5 things to Love about Metroidvanias.” https://www.thenerdslist.com/2021/01/5-things-to-love-about-metroidvanias.html

Cyber Shadow takes place in the future and the controls are reminiscent of the original NES Ninja Gaiden series. However, players can traverse back and forth through the wasteland areas of the game not too unlike Metro-!… Y’all know exactly what it’s not too unlike! If the crisp 16 bit graphics don’t pull you in, the game’s attention to detail within the game’s controls will. It’s hard. You can die fast, even with a full health bar. But it’s FAIR. Cyber Shadow punishes the player for making mistakes. Like all MVs, you must pay attention to mechanics of how the game works. How fast you swing your sword or use an ability, how fast your enemies and boss characters attack you, and how well you time your jumps and dodges. The controls seem to do a good job of feeling like an extension of the player. No motion is too jerky and your cyborg ninja has more recovery animations than typically seen in a 16-32 bit game. The Shovel Knight team knows how to make these pixels sparkle and shine. 

For all the reasons mentioned, Cyber Shadow looks so right to me, y'all know my nostalgiaddiction is hard to deal with. It hits all the right buttons as far as it’s approachability, the game is very pick up and play. It still does a lot to challenge players who are veterans to the genre. I’m going to post a couple of vids this Friday for anybody interested in watching me break through this game. And I’ll be ending Castlevania Symphony of the Night soon as well. Check out my stream page on YouTube MrMistahKing712 to check me out. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or here to see when I’ll be streaming. When I'm done with it, I'll be writing my first official review so stay tuned! Y’all excited for Cyber Shadow like me? Are you a fan of Yacht Club Games? Let me know here and as always, thanks for stopping by the Nerd’s List.