Cyber Shadow Reviews
Just as Shovel Knight, the other game published by Yacht Club Games, Cyber Shadow is a true homage to classic NES games, in particular to the Ninja Gaiden trilogy. It has all the elements that we remember fondly from those years, such as a retro sound and looks, but it complements them with modern gameplay mechanics. If we take off some of its visual effects and its resolution, I do see myself playing it in a classic 8-bit console. You only need the directional pad and two buttons to play it.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Cyber Shadow brings the nostalgia in bunches.
If you consider yourself a fan of retro action platformers, you owe it to yourself to pick up Cyber Shadow whenever possible. It's clear in virtually every facet of Cyber Shadow's design that this project was a labour of love and that its designer is intimately familiar with what makes the stalwarts of this beloved genre so great. Well-built levels, authentic presentation, tight controls and a high difficulty all combine to make this a supreme and focused experience, and one that we can easily say is well worth your time. Mechanical Head Studios has set a high bar with its inaugural debut, and we can't wait to see more from this developer.
In the end, the positives are strong enough to make Cyber Shadow a fun adventure for indie platformers fans, NES Ninja Gaiden fans, or even gamers who just like tons of challenging boss fights.
Cyber Shadow‘s level design is so good that you’d be forgiven for thinking Yacht Club both developed and published the title. The game is superbly paced, ripe for multiple replays, and visually polished. It won’t win over those who don’t love retro action platformers, but even casual fans of the genre will love this one.
In sum, Cyber Shadow does a great job of doing what it set out to do. It’s a modern take on genre elders Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi, and it provides all the ninja lore, atmosphere, challenge, and aura that those games do. Furthermore, it gives players plenty of reason to keep playing thanks to evolving gameplay elements that keeps things fresh, interesting, and challenging. For anyone who enjoys the genre or ninja games in general, Cyber Shadow is a must-have.
Cyber Shadow is one of those rare retro-inspired titles that does not pale in comparison to its references or feel like a cheap knock off. Pretty much everything about Cyber Shadow is on point and executed flawlessly. From the visuals, to the sound, to the precise and responsive gameplay. The game gets the difficulty balance right the majority of the time. It’s tough enough to be challenging but rarely hard enough to be considered unfair. The addition of well-placed checkpoints and infinite lives definitely make the challenge more palatable than its ancestors. It is a really solid action platformer and a really good game that deserves some play.
While Cyber Shadow is fundamentally a solid game, it does go to show that some robot ninjas aren’t built as well as others.
Cyber Shadow is not only a great homage to times gone, but also a quite enjoyable game in itself. What lacks in originality it compensated by great controls and a spot-on level design.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Seamlessly blending the feeling of an NES platformer with a surprisingly engaging story helps Cyber Shadow cement its place as one of the best retro-inspired titles on the market. Cyber Shadow is the newest title developed by Mechanical Head Studios and published by Yacht Club Games.
Cyber Shadow by Mechanical Head Games is an 8-Bit masterpiece entangled in a beautiful, dystopian world of ninjas action and deadly automatons.
There's no better way to sum it up than just by getting straight to the point: Cyber Shadow is a fun action-platformer and one that expertly emulates the NES classic of yore.
A glorious love letter to retro ninja action, Cyber Shadow is a must for fans of high-speed fun and delicious 1990s cheesy camp.
Disregarding the retro appeal of the stylish aesthetics; Cyber Shadow is focused and carefully designed action that transcends the fact that it is a throw-back. A lot of flashy pixel art driven indie games rely on their style to carry their lack of substance. Cyber Shadow is an example of an excellent balance of everything.
For those who still keep to the old ways, though, this is the real deal. There are plenty of retro games, including some widely lauded ones, that I feel missed the mark with ill-considered gimmickry, boring level design, and smug pandering. Cyber Shadow’s not that. It’s not a winking nod or cynical nostalgia bait. It’s a worthy successor.
Cyber Shadow is not a perfect game; levels occasionally overstay their welcome and the visual variety between locales is quite limited. Still, the core gameplay and design are so polished that it's hard to put down. Nothing feels more satisfying than successfully comboing together Shadow's moves to narrowly survive a perilous set-piece. It learns the best lessons from its classic inspirations while still trying out new things, culminating in a smooth, difficult, and rewarding experience for fans of the genre.
Great blast from the 80s that needs a minor tweaking of its difficulty levels to avoid frustration.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
If you crave an old school action platformer, you definitely should try Cyber Shadow. This game is a nostalgic trip with great boss fights and amazing music.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Cyber Shadow is a challenging ninja game that features unlimited lives, tons of checkpoints and no game overs to deal with. Has a great 8-bit visual style and soundtrack that will please any retro game lover!