Difference between revisions of "Shadow of the Beast"
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==Gameplay== | ==Gameplay== | ||
− | + | The player controls the Beast Messenger. Born a human child and kidnapped at a young age by mages who serve the Beast Lord, the Beast Messenger was transformed into a monster and had all his memories wiped to enter a lifetime of servitude. However, suddenly, all his memories return to him, and he now seeks revenge and escape. | |
− | {{A}} and {{C}} jump. {{B}} punches. {{B}} in midair kicks. The | + | {{A}} and {{C}} jump. {{B}} punches. {{B}} in midair kicks. The player has 12 hit points. Losing all of them (gradually or through instant kill attacks/traps) restarts the game as there are no lives. A bazooka-like weapon can be found later on. A short flying section also exists. ThehHit detection is very strict; often, the player will run into situations were damage is basically unavoidable, or it's more convenient to take a hit on purpose and use the resulting invincibility to avoid further damage by running away. |
− | |||
− | The game was a baby step into the realm of non-linear game design, as stages can be at least partially explored and re-explored without having all key items. A fixed set of objectives needs to be performed to play the full however. | + | The game was a baby step into the realm of non-linear game design, as stages can be at least partially explored and re-explored without having all key items. A fixed set of objectives needs to be performed to play the game in full, however. |
− | After collecting the bazooka, the | + | After collecting the bazooka, the game's graphics can glitch when dying or after leaving the castle. (TODO: Confirm this also happens in the Japanese version) <!--should move this bit to a bug page--> |
==Versions== | ==Versions== | ||
− | The Amiga version was considered impressive for | + | The Amiga version was considered impressive for its time with atmospheric soundtrack and graphics, which had multiple scrolling planes, color usage and diverse graphics, however the [[Sega Mega Drive]] was scaled back, with some enemies missing or their positions being altered. |
− | The Mega Drive game was not optimised for North American NTSC-U machines, and | + | The Mega Drive game was not optimised for North American NTSC-U machines, and thus runs too fast. This was corrected in the Japanese release, which also makes adjustments to the graphics, adds a proper ending sequence and includes a much-needed additional healing item in a later stage. The changes were reportedly made at the request of Japanese publisher [[Victor Musical Industries]]. |
− | Master | + | The Master System version is even more scaled back from the Mega Drive port. Most of the interior background art is removed and replaced with simplified dark or blue backgrounds. It has no cutscenes like the ones seen in 16-bit ports and instead they are replaced with black and white text. |
− | + | The developers of the Master System version somehow felt the need to introduce an inventory system to the game. In every other version, power-ups and other items are instantly used while in the Master System port, they are added to an inventory, which is accessible by pressing the {{2}} button. While this can be considered a benefical update, as it allows players to stock up and use items later, the inventory can only carry 7 items at a time, and the game gives no indication about the item in the player's possession; not even the manual explains what these items do and the only way to find out their effects is to use them, which may result in players wasting a precious quest item and potentially render the game unwinnable (used quest items do not return). In the original game, all common and important items are used immidiately after picking up. Using {{2}} as an inventory screen also forces players to press {{Up}} on the D-Pad to jump, which is not the best button configuration for a side-scrolling platforming game. Why the developers decided to make this change is unknown. | |
− | Master System version | + | The Master System version also announces a boss every time one appears, making this the only port of the game in which names of the bosses can be seen in-game. |
===Localised names=== | ===Localised names=== |
Revision as of 19:42, 25 February 2022
Shadow of the Beast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Publisher: Electronic Arts (US/EU) Victor Musical Industries (JP) TecMagik | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer: Reflections Interactive, Psygnosis WJS Design TecMagik | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Original system(s): Amiga | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer(s) of original games: Reflections Interactive | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sound driver: Sound Images v1.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genre: Action[1], Arcade[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of players: 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.
Shadow of the Beast, called Shadow of the Beast: Mashou no Okite (シャドー・オブ・ザ・ビースト 魔性の掟) in Japan, is an action game developed by Reflections Interactive for the Commodore Amiga and published by Psygnosis. It was brought to a variety of systems including the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Master System in 1991 and 1992 respectively. It was followed by Shadow of the Beast II and the Amiga-exclusive Shadow of the Beast III.
Contents
Gameplay
The player controls the Beast Messenger. Born a human child and kidnapped at a young age by mages who serve the Beast Lord, the Beast Messenger was transformed into a monster and had all his memories wiped to enter a lifetime of servitude. However, suddenly, all his memories return to him, and he now seeks revenge and escape.
and jump. punches. in midair kicks. The player has 12 hit points. Losing all of them (gradually or through instant kill attacks/traps) restarts the game as there are no lives. A bazooka-like weapon can be found later on. A short flying section also exists. ThehHit detection is very strict; often, the player will run into situations were damage is basically unavoidable, or it's more convenient to take a hit on purpose and use the resulting invincibility to avoid further damage by running away.
The game was a baby step into the realm of non-linear game design, as stages can be at least partially explored and re-explored without having all key items. A fixed set of objectives needs to be performed to play the game in full, however.
After collecting the bazooka, the game's graphics can glitch when dying or after leaving the castle. (TODO: Confirm this also happens in the Japanese version)
Versions
The Amiga version was considered impressive for its time with atmospheric soundtrack and graphics, which had multiple scrolling planes, color usage and diverse graphics, however the Sega Mega Drive was scaled back, with some enemies missing or their positions being altered.
The Mega Drive game was not optimised for North American NTSC-U machines, and thus runs too fast. This was corrected in the Japanese release, which also makes adjustments to the graphics, adds a proper ending sequence and includes a much-needed additional healing item in a later stage. The changes were reportedly made at the request of Japanese publisher Victor Musical Industries.
The Master System version is even more scaled back from the Mega Drive port. Most of the interior background art is removed and replaced with simplified dark or blue backgrounds. It has no cutscenes like the ones seen in 16-bit ports and instead they are replaced with black and white text.
The developers of the Master System version somehow felt the need to introduce an inventory system to the game. In every other version, power-ups and other items are instantly used while in the Master System port, they are added to an inventory, which is accessible by pressing the button. While this can be considered a benefical update, as it allows players to stock up and use items later, the inventory can only carry 7 items at a time, and the game gives no indication about the item in the player's possession; not even the manual explains what these items do and the only way to find out their effects is to use them, which may result in players wasting a precious quest item and potentially render the game unwinnable (used quest items do not return). In the original game, all common and important items are used immidiately after picking up. Using as an inventory screen also forces players to press on the D-Pad to jump, which is not the best button configuration for a side-scrolling platforming game. Why the developers decided to make this change is unknown.
The Master System version also announces a boss every time one appears, making this the only port of the game in which names of the bosses can be seen in-game.
Localised names
Language | Localised Name | English Translation |
---|---|---|
English | Shadow of the Beast | Shadow of the Beast |
English (US) | Shadow of the Beast | Shadow of the Beast |
Japanese | シャドー・オブ・ザ・ビースト 魔性の掟 | Shadow of the Beast: Mashou no Okite |
Magazine articles
- Main article: Shadow of the Beast/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
- Main article: Shadow of the Beast/Promotional material.
Artwork
Physical scans
Mega Drive version
Sega Retro Average | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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66 | |
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Based on 40 reviews |
Master System version
Sega Retro Average | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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84 | |
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Based on 25 reviews |
Technical information
ROM dump status
System | Hash | Size | Build Date | Source | Comments | |||||||||
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? |
|
256kB | Cartridge (EU) |
References
NEC Retro has more information related to Shadow of the Beast
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software_l.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-07-02 23:21)
- ↑ File:SotB SMS EU Box.jpg
- ↑ ', "" (; ), page 10
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 ', "" (; ), page 9
- ↑ ', "" (; ), page 54
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 ', "" (; ), page 11
- ↑ ', "" (; ), page 33
- ↑ ', "" (; ), page 100
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 203
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 128
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 37
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 50
- ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 133
- ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 250
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 87
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 52
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 33
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 34
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 138
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 23
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 85
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 40
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 92
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 182
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 94
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 83
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 21
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 93
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 42
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 50
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 31
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 204
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 122
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 140
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 41
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 62
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 87
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 167
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 32
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 71
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 67
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 89
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 30
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 46
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 154
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 54
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 30
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 114
- ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 144
- ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 100
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 154
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 24
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 21
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 104
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 148
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 73
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 70
- ↑ 59.0 59.1 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 74
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 136
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 93
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 95
- ↑ 63.0 63.1 Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 48
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 28
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 72
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 20
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 39
Shadow of the Beast | |
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Main page | Comparisons | Maps | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Video coverage | Reception | Promotional material | Region coding | Technical information | Bootlegs
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