Every Death you take: Shadowgate | NES Works 160

This is one of those games that the box art represents perfectly. It's not that it literally depicts what the game looks like (though living gargoyles are one of the MANY ways you can die here) but rather that it captures the general spirit of the software. A graphical adventure, Shadowgate began life as a Macintosh game, and Kemco rebuilt it for NES in a way designed to appeal to the console's fans. The box art gives you a gargoyle (bursting from the scenery at a dynamic angle) with a Gothic title logo (presented in on-trend neon green). The game gives you an adventure that involves plenty of annoying adventure game conventions like pixel-hunting and untelegraphed game overs, but it does it in a fun, lively way with charismatic writing, low-friction penalties for failure, vibrant visuals, and great music. Shadowgate is not especially well-loved among adventure game experts, but this specific port arriving at this particular time cemented its status as an NES classic and did a better job of any American console release before in turning kids on to the adventure genre. Please support this documentation project through Patreon (www.patreon.com/gamespite) or by picking up some of the related books (www.limitedrungames.com/collections/books). AND you can preorder Metroidvania: The First Decade from a fine book chain or comic shop, such as B&N (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-history-of-metroidvania-jeremy-parish/1148489848?ean=9781506754543). Thanks!