SHADOW OF THE BEAST : MASHŌ NO OKITE
game Cover
game CDRom
シャドーオブザビースト 魔性の掟
©1992 Psygnosis Ltd.
©1992 Vixtor Musical Industries, Inc.
Release : 1992-03-27 (¥7200)
SuperCDRom² JCCD2008
Action/Platform

American Version
country
Released in America as
SHADOW OF THE BEAST
( TGXCD1018 )
Shadow of the Beast is a side scrolling action/adventure game developed by DMA Design and published by Victor Interactive Software. The hero rather normal life is turned upside-down when he finds himself turned into a monstrous beast. During a dark and stormy night, a mysterious horseman known as a beast-mage leaps out of the forest and curses the inhabitant of a modest cottage house. The owner suddenly wakes up and soon realizes his horrible fate - he is now an horrific looking beast and he embarks on a journey of personal and mad revenge, in a desperate attempt to regain his stolen human form. The consequence of his misadventure has one unexpected twist - he now has beast powers and can run farther, jump incredible highs and throw powerful punches and kicks with ease. There are also special attacks but they don't really follow any traditional formulas, instead they only exist in the sole purpose to defeat bosses and to allow the player to move forward in his quest. As a matter of fact, they hardly qualify as special attacks as they simply disappear after fulfilling their purpose. Players can progress through the game in any way they see fit, however they will need to solve puzzles and complete tasks in a specific order - Shadow of the Beast contains many dead ends and this is where the true challenge of the game really lies.
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Shadow of the beast This port of the game has some surprising differences from the original Amiga version. It is interesting to notice that this port was developed by DMA Design, the people behind Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto (Reflections created the original game). It features some enhancements not found in other versions, such as a (nearly) exclusive animated introduction sequence (also available, I believe, in the Japanese FM Towns version). The storyline was also slightly changed - the original game had the beast changed into a monster-looking creature during childhood, here the main character meets his fate as an adult (the text at the back of the case even describes the original story and not the one told during the game's introduction sequence). Controls in this version are also a little less rigid and the game is overall much easier. Finally, and not the least, the soundtrack was entirely rearranged by D.C. Productions Ltd.in beautiful CD-quality.

Shadow of the beast - Amiga Shadow of the Beast was first released in 1989 for the Commodore Amiga (picture on the left). The game was a major hit and was ported to many other systems such as the Commodore 64 (1990), Amstratd CPC (1990), Atari ST (1991), Sega Megadrive (1991), FM Towns (1991), Atari Lynx (1992), Sega Master System (1992) and PC Engine (1992). Two sequels follow - Shadow of the Beast II was released for the Amiga (1992), Sega megadrive (1992), FM Towns/Marty (1993), Atari ST (1994) and Sega CD (1994); whereas Shadow of the Beast III was exclusively released for the Amiga in 1992.

Teaser text from the American version:
Kidnapped as a child by the evil Beast-Mages, you have been transformed into a creature of fearsome power, agility and strength. In this guise you faithfully serve the Beast as its cohorts of many years as their warrior messenger. Until one day you discover an awful secret - the truth about you past... a truth that drives you wild with anger and sends you on a trail of bloody revenge against your master. Now the time has come to enter the shadow of the Beast! Your task is to fight your way through several different regions in order to reach the heart of the enemy's stronghold where you will face your ultimate adversary. Along the way you will encounter an awesome array of monsters and traps. Be ruthless, be quick... for only the strongest and toughest can hope to survive. Prepare to live by your wits, relying on split-second reactions and ingenuity. Combat the diabolical creatures. Dodge the deadly plantlife. Overcome the devious traps, find and use the long-lost artifacts. Feel the adrenalin pumping as the tension becomes almost unbearable... Prepare to enter the Shadow of the Beast!

Game Staff (Copied from the end credits) :

Credits

Produced by
Psygnosis
and
JVC

Written by
DMA Design

Based on an Original
Amiga Game by
Refletions

Director
Dave Jones

Project manager
Brian Watson

Programming by
Michael Dailly

Animation Player by
Russel Kay
and
Brian Watson

Production
Steve Hammond
John White
Martyn Chudley
Intro graphics by
Jeff Bramfitt
Mike Waterworth

End Sequence by
Jeff Bramfitt
Garvan Corbett

Animated Sequences
Jeff Bramfitt
Lee Carus
Nikki Westcott

Actors
Mike Waterworth
Garvan Corbett
Nikki Westcott
Lee Carus
Neil Thompson
Gary Burley
Dianne Walsh

Backgrounds
Mike Waterworth
Garvan Corbett
Lee Carus
Gary Burley

Miscellaneous Graphics
Steve Hammond
Mike Dailly
Music by
D.C. Productions Ltd.

Gofer
Jane Donald
Nick Burcombe

Play Testers
John White
Steven Reid
Dave Jones
Scott Traynor
Steve Hammond
Me
Tea Boy
Scott Johnston

Special Thanks to
Andrew White
Dave Halley
Garry Timmons
Jamie grant
Jill Jamieson
Mark ireland
Stacey Jamieson
The Fileserver
A Piece of Lime
Biscuit Muncher
Russel kay
Lemmings
I Hate
Dave Jones
He Never Gives
Me Credit
For Anything
I Do For Him

If At First You
Don't Succeed
Cheat

No Dragons Were
Harmed During
The Making
Of This
Game

A DMA Design
Production
MCMXCII


O
M
A
K
E

Documentation
Click on picture to enlarge

S
E
C
R
E
T
S
Shadow of the beast - cheat A special Debug Mode is available at the beginning of the game. At the title screen (picture on the right), press II, I, I and II. The amount of life energy should change to 99 and the main character should now be invincible.
You can also now press Select at anytime during the game to freely move the character around each area.

The game features a couple of horrid dead ends. Inside the large Tree, make sure you have collected the two keys before you leave. In the Castle, head left and collect the wrench. Then after that, make sure you pick up the gun before you reach the end of the level.

LK
rating
Add your Pov here !

P
O
V
s
Shadow of the Beast is a mixed bag. I've always been impressed by the excellent technical craftsmanship behind the game - a smooth and impressive parallax scrolling infused with a breathtaking color palette and baffling large enemies on screen. The soundtrack is also incredible and possibly the best incarnation of David Whittaker's work. The arranged tracks and enhanced CD quality here are far superior to earlier ports of the game. So what's wrong with Shadow of the Beast ? Actually, what bothers me is the ambiance of the game but I can't quite put my finger on it... nothing feels really connected, enemies appear without any context and their design is inconsistent (this was also the case with the original game). On another hand this port is the easiest to play, despite the really cheap and unfair deaths the game throws at you - forget a key or a wrench and the game is over ! (I remember the original Amiga version to be a lot more difficult and painful). All in all, fans of the original game will certainly dig this port whereas others (like me) may find it tricky to get into. One of the best port of Shadow of the Beast, no doubt about it, but still an average and undercooked experience in my opinion...




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