Shadowgate 64

Overall: B
Violence: B-
Sexual Content: A-
Language: A
Drugs/Alcohol: B

Platform reviewed: Nintendo 64
Publisher: Kemco
ESRB rating: E

Some time ago, a friend invited me over to see his latest technological acquisition--a Radio Shack TRS-80 Model IV. Computers were foreign to me at that point in my life, but familiarity came as a result of being introduced to a text-based fantasy game called Zork. Since there was nothing on the screen but text, I spent many hours typing cryptic commands and drawing maps; relying solely on my imagination to develop some sort of idea of where I was, where I'd been, and what my options were. I was fascinated...

Shadowgate 64 belongs to the class of videogames called role-play. Throughout this game, you assume the identity of Del Cottonwood from a first-person perspective. Del is a halfling (which apparently means half-human/half-elf), and the sole survivor of a caravan raid. But instead of receiving counseling and assistance, he is forced to take up residence in the dungeon of the castle Shadowgate. A guard informs Del his next meal will likely be his last, so it doesn't take long for his halfling brain to understand his only option is to make like a tree and... leaf.

Escaping from his cell by way of a sewer lid conveniently located in the floor, Del soon finds himself in the watery bowels of the dingy old castle. Thus the halfling embarks on an enterprise that quickly becomes more than just a flight for personal freedom... Apparently Del is the only one capable of preventing a magician named Belzar from releasing his master, the evil Warlock Lord, from the spell that currently binds his power.

Making the most of your... er... his investigative skills, Del pieces together important information revealed by villagers and Shadowgate residents. And since one never knows what might come in handy at a later time, he picks up many items along the way including books, maps, keys, tools, flutes, elixirs, and rings. Before long, Del is talking to the dead, searching for treasures, evading enemies, and doing everything in his power to stay alive (save your game progress often).

While some other role-play games delve into "the dark side" a little too deeply for the comfort of many parents, this is not the case with Shadowgate 64. Mysticism and magic are certainly an aspect of this game, but they are handled on a cursory level; therefore players are not required to become immersed in order to meet with success. Parents should also be aware that death (infrequent and normally the result of a miscue) is handled in a non-graphic manner, but circumstances surrounding them--along with the appearance of a few skeletons, a graveyard, and coffins--may frighten younger players.

Shadowgate 64 forces its players to rely on strategy, problem solving, and memorization skills, offering a viable alternative to the shooting games that have become so prevalent in today's videogame market. And unlike my earlier experience with Zork... this one has pictures.

Jim Fleming

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