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Description
While very young, Aarbron was kidnapped and enslaved by the Priests of the Beast Lord. He grew up on drugs made to destroy his own will and turn him into the Beast Messenger, a powerful creature serving Maletoth, The Beast Lord himself. He did his job, until one day he noticed a man about to be sacrificed in a ritual, his face triggering ancient memories. As the sacrificial knife descended into the man's body, Aarbron recognizes his father's face. As his father dies in the altar, memories of his childhood and tormented past at the hands of the Beast Lord emerged, and as feelings of hate over his captors took over him, he swore revenge and fled the temple, knowing the road to avenge his father and redemption would be hard.Shadow of the Beast is a side-scrolling platformer with a side-shooter elements (by the end). The player has to navigate through several areas filled with enemies and traps, collecting keys and activating triggers that open new areas or give Aarbron the means to overcome a sub-boss. The number of moves the player has at disposal is limited: duck, jump and only two attacks: punch and a flying kick. While most enemies die with just one hit, the player must time each attack accurately. However, there are also traps of objects that cannot be destroyed and these require the player to jump, duck or move according the sequence. The player has only one life with 12 hit points that can be replenished by collecting some objects hidden in the level (like an off-route location or a under a megalith), which also contributes to the difficulty level.
Screenshots
Promo Images
Alternate Titles
- "シャドー・オブ・ザ・ビースト 魔性の掟" -- Japanese spelling
- "SotB" -- Informal Name
- "Shadow of the Beast: Mashō no Okite" -- Japanese Mega Drive title
- "Beast" -- SMS/Genesis/Amstrad CPC/ZX Spectrum in-game title
Part of the Following Groups
User Reviews
An amazing demonstration of the Amiga's power. But as a game...? | Ludicrous Gibs! (40) | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
A truly unique showcasing of the Amiga computing prowess... | Paolo Cumin (14) | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Critic Reviews
Retrogaming.it | Mar 16, 2008 | 9 out of 10 | 90 |
ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) | Oct, 1989 | 885 out of 1000 | 88 |
Commodore User | Oct, 1989 | 84 out of 100 | 84 |
Zzap! | Dec, 1989 | 83 out of 100 | 83 |
Retro Archives | Apr 24, 2018 | 16 out of 20 | 80 |
Jeuxvideo.com | Feb 23, 2010 | 15 out of 20 | 75 |
Pixel-Heroes.de | Oct, 2003 | 7 out of 10 | 70 |
Australian Commodore and Amiga Review | Nov, 1989 | 7 out of 10 | 70 |
Power Play | Dec, 1989 | 59 out of 100 | 59 |
Amiga World | Feb, 1990 | Unscored | Unscored |
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Trivia
Cancelled SNES port
There was a SNES port of the Amiga version, Super Shadow of the Beast, developed by IGS, shown on the Summer CES 1992, but it never made it to the shelves. There is a ROM floating around the net, and according to some sources it's completely playable. The main differences seem to be in difficulty, level design, and graphics.Cheat code
The C64 version's cheat code is an anagram of the game's title, other than the number of spaces.Genesis port
Like with Gods, another well-known Amiga game, the Mega Drive/Genesis port had the difficulty level increased when the refresh rate was increased from 50 Hz to 60 Hz (to match the NTSC console) without changing how long each frame was displayed, making the game faster. However, as the PAL console runs slower, the speed matches the original Amiga version more closely.The Japanese Mega Drive version of Shadow of the Beast, while essentially based on the original Genesis port, has a number of differences. It was released by Victor Musical Industries, which had previously published the PC Engine version (developed by Psygnosis for VMI). As a result, Victor borrowed some elements from the PC Engine version (like the larger character and the more balanced gameplay) and transplanted them into the Mega Drive one. Some backgrounds (like the trees) were also retouched to lessen the tiling pattern look of the Genesis version. There is also a bit more blood in some places.
Manual
According to the Amiga game manual, it took:Fact Box -
- Total Size: 350 screens
- Total Memory Used: 3.5 megabytes
- Graphics Data: 2.2 megabytes
- Music and Sound Data: 850 kilobytes
- Music Sample Rate: 20 kilohertz
- Screen Update: 50 times a second
- Max. no. of Colours on Screen: 128
- No. of different monsters: 132
- Maximum Sprite Size: 220 by 150 pixels (over half the size of the screen)
- Levels of scrolling: 13 outside 2 large areas inside
- Project Duration: 9 months
SNES version
There are a number of differences in the SNES version:- Some blood effects were removed.
- Some enemies were completely removed or redrawn, e.g. the flying skulls.
- The graveyard level is now inside a castle and the cross-like power-up looks like a magnifying glass.
Soundtrack
In 1999 a soundtrack with various Amiga game composers under the name Immortal was released. Aside from various Amiga themes, it primarily holds the entire Shadow of the Beast game soundtrack.Shadow of the Beast tracks include:
- Intro
- Eerie Forest
- The Cavern
- Beast's Stronghold
- Underwater
- Game Over
Awards
Shadow of the Beast was named #76 overall among the “150 Best Games of All Time” by Computer Gaming World Magazine (15th Anniversary Issue--November 1996).- Computer Gaming World
- November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) - #76 in the “150 Best Games of All Time” list
- EMAP Golden Joystick Award 1990
- Winner Best 16-Bit Graphics.
- Power Play
- Issue 01/1990 - #3 Best Sound in 1989
- Issue 01/1990 - #2 Best Graphics in 1989
Related Web Sites
- Lynx Walkthrough (Solution for the Lynx version of Shadow of the Beast)
Mark Papadakis (36) added Shadow of the Beast (Amiga) on Oct 13, 2002
Credits (5 people)
Code by:
Cover Picture by:
This booklet conceived and produced by:
Martin Edmondson (Reflections), Paul Howarth (Reflections)
Design and Concept by:Martin Edmondson (Reflections), Paul Howarth (Reflections)
Music By:Cover Picture by:
This booklet conceived and produced by:
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