Nightshade (NES)
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| Nightshade | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Beam Software |
| Publisher(s) | Ultra Games |
| Platform(s) | NES |
| Release date | 1991 |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Nightshade is an action-adventure game game released in 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was developed by Beam Software and published by Ultra. The game was meant to be Part 1 in a series, but no sequels were ever made.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The game takes place in an urban city called Metro City. As the story unfolds, the city's local superhero named Vortex is outnumbered by gangs and killed. With the city's protector murdered, the crime grows rapidly. Soon enough the city's crimelords start fighting over control of the city, until a villain named Sutekh takes control, combining all the gangs into one.
With the city completely overrun by Sutekh and the other crimelords (Rat King, Goliath, Lord Muck, and the Ninja Mistress), it is soon devoured in crime. A vigilante named Mark Gray (alias, Nightshade) decides to step up and take the law into his own hands, vowing to rid Metro City of crime.
The game is actually somewhat light in tone, outside of the occasional violence. Nightshade himself is constantly being called "Lampshade" by everybody. The ending gives credit to people for the "bad jokes".
[edit] Gameplay
The game had a unique feature; along with the action sequences and point-and-click game elements, there was a "popularity meter" that would go up or down as Nightshade performed good deeds well or poorly. Higher popularity meant greater recognition by everyday denizens of Metro City and allowed Nightshade access to more areas. The game also included fighting segments, that required quick button responses.
Instead of a save feature or extra lives, the villain Sutekh would throw Nightshade into a deathtrap. The first four traps each had a solution and Nightshade would escape back onto the streets of Metro City (minus some Popularity Points). The final one does not, and the player would have to start over from the beginning of the game.
