The Shadow (video game)#Development

File:SNES The Shadow.png

The gameplay is similar to other Beat 'em up games such as Final Fight or Double Dragon, where the player controls The Shadow through several levels (including streets, museums, carnivals and laboratories) fighting against various enemies, like hoodlums, Mongol Warriors, scientists, security guards and sailors.{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/games-world-05#page/n83/mode/2up|title=Games Watch: SNES - The Shadow|magazine=Games World|issue=5|publisher=Paragon Publishing|date=November 1994|pages=84–85}} The player has two bars; one is the life bar and the other is a bar which allows the player to perform special moves (invisibility, a lunging dash and a dome force field that knocks down everyone who is caught in its radius). The regular beat 'em up levels also include a section for gunplay, where the player is able to shoot enemies. It also contains a driving stage where The Shadow battles the Mongols on motorbikes (Maritech Labs).

The game roughly follows the plot of the movie, where The Shadow fights crime in New York city, until he is confronted by the evil mastermind Shiwan Khan. Khan intends to use an atomic bomb to blow up the city, culminating in a showdown at the hidden Hotel Monolith.

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The Shadow was developed by British studio Ocean Software, which was famous for acquiring licenses for games based on major motion pictures during this period. Ocean's vice president of development, Gary Bracey, considered The Shadow as the next big movie license after the company's Batman. Though not particularly impressed with the script for The Shadow, Bracey was able to meet with the film's director Russell Mulcahy and star Alec Baldwin while optioning the game tie-in.{{cite book | author1=Wilkins, Chris | author2=Kean, Roger M. | date=December 1, 2013 | title=The History of Ocean | url=https://archive.org/details/The_History_of_Ocean_Software_Retro_Fusion_Books/page/n60/mode/1up | page=59 | publisher=Fusion Retro Books |

isbn=978-0-99-313151-6}}{{cite magazine | author=Retro Gamer staff | date=September 2009 |

title=In the chair with... Gary Bracey | url=https://archive.org/details/retro-gamer-raspberry-pi-buenos-aires/Retro%20Gamer%20068/page/84/mode/1up | magazine=Retro Gamer | publisher=Imagine Publishing | issn=1742-3155 | issue=68 | page=84}} Production on the game was led by Brian Flanagan, who described it as a "messy project".{{cite book | author1=Wilkins, Chris | author2=Kean, Roger M. | date=December 1, 2013 | title=The History of Ocean | url=https://archive.org/details/The_History_of_Ocean_Software_Retro_Fusion_Books/page/n184/mode/1up | page=183 | publisher=Fusion Retro Books |

isbn=978-0-99-313151-6}} Flanagan was its designer and lead artist, having created its sprites and a large portion of its backgrounds.{{cite magazine | author=Crookes, David | date=April 2006 |

title=Developer Lookback: Life on the Ocean Waves | url=https://archive.org/details/retro-gamer-raspberry-pi-buenos-aires/Retro%20Gamer%20023/page/38/mode/1up | magazine=Retro Gamer | publisher=Imagine Publishing | issn=1742-3155 | issue=23 | page=38}} Versions were developed for the SNES and Sega Genesis.{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/ocean-power-02#page/n5/mode/1up|title=News: Shadow Play|magazine=Ocean Power|issue=2|publisher=Bastion Publishing|date=Spring 1994|page=6}}{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AGamePlayers_US_0710.pdf&page=12|title=News: Timeline - November -- The Shadow (Ocean - SG, SNES)|magazine=Game Players|issue=64|publisher=Signal Research|date=October 1994|page=10}}{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3ACVG_UK_156.pdf&page=27|title=I'll Be There, Around Every Corner In Every Room As Inevitable As Your Guilty Conscience - The Shadow|magazine=Computer and Video Games|issue=156|publisher=Future Publishing|date=November 1994|page=27}}{{cite magazine|author=Brømba|url=https://archive.org/stream/TopSecret34#page/n56/mode/1up|title=Konsolowy Świat - Wieści ze świata grania|magazine=Top Secret|issue=34|publisher=Bajtek Publishing House|date=January 1995|page=57|lang=pl}} The SNES version was completed and review copies were even sent to gaming magazines prior to its scheduled release. However, it was ultimately cancelled due to the film's low box-office gross.

A version of the game was also being developed and planned to be published by Ocean Software for the Atari Jaguar CD as one of the first games announced for the then-upcoming add-on. However, development for the port was scrapped in favor of creating a conversion of Lobo, an unreleased fighting game based on the DC Comics character of the same name that was also in development by Ocean.{{cite magazine|last=Ripper|first=The|url=https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_2_Issue_05#page/n135/mode/1up|title=Europa!|magazine=GameFan|volume=2|issue=5|publisher=DieHard Gamers Club|date=April 1994|page=136|access-date=2020-01-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105155347/https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_2_Issue_05#page/n135/mode/1up|archive-date=2019-01-05|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=Ripper|first=The|url=https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_2_Issue_06#page/n131/mode/1up|title=Europa!|magazine=GameFan|volume=2|issue=6|publisher=DieHard Gamers Club|date=May 1994|pages=132–134|access-date=2020-01-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104232704/https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_2_Issue_06#page/n131/mode/1up|archive-date=2019-01-04|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_2_Issue_07#page/n146/mode/1up|title=The Game Fan 32Bit System Shoot Out - Who Will Lead Us Into The Next Generation?|magazine=GameFan|volume=2|issue=7|publisher=DieHard Gamers Club|date=June 1994|pages=146–147|access-date=2020-01-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113200614/https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_2_Issue_07#page/n146/mode/1up|archive-date=2019-01-13|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AVideoGames_DE_1994-07.pdf&page=32|title=Warpzone - Jaguar - Angekündigte Jaguar-Spiele|magazine=Video Games|issue=32|publisher=Future-Verlag|date=July 1994|page=32|lang=de|access-date=2019-01-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804201143/https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AVideoGames_DE_1994-07.pdf&page=32|archive-date=2018-08-04|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/ToadComputersCatalog1994/page/n6/mode/1up|title=Jaguar Games and Accessories: New Jaguar Titles! — Many Others Are Coming soon!|magazine=Toad Computers Product Catalog|publisher=Toad Computers|date=1994|page=5}}

{{Video game reviews

|EGM = (SNES) 26 / 50{{cite magazine|last1=Semrad|first1=Ed |last2=Carpenter|first2=Danyon|last3=Manuel|first3=Al|last4=Williams|first4=Ken|last5=Weigand|first5=Mike|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AEGM_US_066.pdf&page=40|title=Review Crew - Major Mike's Game Roundup - The Shadow - Ocean / Super NES|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=66|publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=January 1995|page=40}}

|GP = (SNES) 62%{{cite magazine|last=Salmon|first=Mike|title=SNES - Review - The Shadow|magazine=Game Players|issue=69|publisher=Signal Research|date=March 1995|page=68}}

|GamePro = (SNES) 14 / 20{{cite magazine|author=Bacon|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AGamePro_US_066.pdf&page=90|title=ProReview: Super NES - The Shadow|magazine=GamePro|issue=66|publisher=IDG|date=January 1995|page=80}}

|HC = (SNES) 67 / 100{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/hobby-consolas-ganadores-concurso-mangas-videojuegos/Hobby%20Consolas%20038/page/n151/mode/1up|title=Lo Más Nuevo - Nintendo Super Nintendo: The Shadow – La Sombra vuelve a la acción|magazine=Hobby Consolas|issue=38|publisher=Hobby Press|date=November 1994|page=152|lang=es}}

|MIC = (SNES) 80%{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/micromania-segunda-epoca-78#page/n30/mode/1up|title=...Y además: The Shadow - Una buena adaptación (Super Nintendo)|magazine=Micromanía|volume=2|issue=78|publisher=HobbyPress|date=November 1994|page=31|lang=es}}

|NGen = (SNES) {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/NEXT_Generation_03#page/n106/mode/1up|title=Finals - SNES - The Shadow|magazine=Next Generation|issue=3|publisher=Imagine Media|date=March 1995|page=103|access-date=2020-01-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104235916/https://archive.org/stream/NEXT_Generation_03#page/n106/mode/1up|archive-date=2019-01-04|url-status=live}}

|NP = (SNES) 12.6 / 20{{cite magazine|title=Now Playing - The Shadow -- Super NES|magazine=Nintendo Power|issue=72|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=May 1995|page=106}}

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Next Generation reviewed the SNES version of the game, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "The Shadow boils down to a 'take-it-or-leave-it' no-brainer of a title".

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{{reflist|30em}}

• [https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/snes/917309-the-shadow The Shadow] at GameFAQs
• [https://www.giantbomb.com/the-shadow/3030-50844/ The Shadow] at Giant Bomb

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Category:1994 video games

Category:Beat 'em ups

Category:Cancelled Atari Jaguar games

Category:Cancelled Sega Genesis games

Category:Cancelled Super Nintendo Entertainment System games

Category:Ocean Software games

Category:The Shadow

Category:Single-player video games

Category:Superhero video games

Category:Video games based on films

Category:Video games set in New York City

Category:Video games set in the 1930s