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Hour of Power: Shadowgate edition photo

Welcome to the first edition of Hour of Power! Once a week, you'll have the opportunity to jump inside the Dtoid time machine (which, coincidentally, looks like a giant robot head) and warp back to the yesteryear of gaming, courtesy of Nintendo Power.

This feature on Shadowgate knocked me directly back into 1990 before I could ever get to the time machine to set the date. This was one of the first games for the NES to use the PC adventure format. Since I was obsessed with computers and couldn't quite afford one at the ripe old age of 13, this game was the next best thing. It seems like this genre has kind of died at the hands of game evolution. Myst is probably it's spiritual successor, but lacks the campy fun element games like Shadowgate seemed to master. Of course, at the time I took the fight against the Warlock Lord quite seriously, but he seemed like the kind of guy that might eat my heart if I didn't.

Thanks to this nifty site, you can relive the adventure on your phone, Palm Pilot, or downloadable brain implant. Ok, I made the last one up. Ignore my shenanigans and tell me what point and click adventures made you a happy puppy back in the day.


LAUNCH GALLERY (5 IMAGES)
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16 comments | showing # 1 to 16

tazarthayoot's Avatar
tazarthayoot at 01/14/2007 12:26
Sam and Max and Full Throttle were it for me. They're really what introduced me to adventure gaming. I still go back to S&M from time to time just because it was never not funny.
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 01/14/2007 12:34
"From the world of PCs!"

What a novel idea!
Dan's Avatar
Dan at 01/14/2007 12:35
shadowgate was great. Deja Vu was another great game of the same style... also uninvited... I loved the nes adventure games!
Mabec's Avatar
Mabec at 01/14/2007 12:51
Loved Shadowgate. It even got translated into swedish, quite rare for nes games, but it happen back then. Maniac Mansion aswell.
Diamondblade's Avatar
Diamondblade at 01/14/2007 13:07
What an awesome game, I remember that one slave girl chick who I set free then turned into a lion and bit my balls off, WHAT A BITCH!
Cruds's Avatar
Cruds at 01/14/2007 13:42
Maniac Mansion, took me years before I finished that game. I turned out that even the characters you had to select in the beginning did matter. Actually I think that the amount of time I spend on that game and the frustration it gave me did ruin it for other point and click games. I don't believe I played an other one after Maniac Mansion.

Good news is, that the guy who did all those point and click games for Lucasart Games is looking at the ds for some new releases so maybe I get to try one in the near future.
tsunamikitsune's Avatar
tsunamikitsune at 01/14/2007 13:51
Shadowgate was probably my first adventure game. :D

Unfortunatly, even though I love those games, I haven't played many. I think the only game I've ever played that tops Shadowgate is Grim Fandango, but I guess that's not so much of a point and click game, huh?
fromagex's Avatar
fromagex at 01/14/2007 13:58
OMG!! i absolutely loved shadowgate and still play it occasionally. i am glad other people remember it
deanhatescoffee's Avatar
deanhatescoffee at 01/14/2007 14:01
I loved Shadowgate. I played it on the NES in our dark basement; let me tell ya, that was some nerve-racking shit. I definitely consider it a classic. I'd love to see it on Virtual Console.
subnet6's Avatar
subnet6 at 01/14/2007 14:37
I, too, loved shadowgate. I bought Deja Vu after but never got as into that game as I did shadowgate.

I read somewhere that they were originally on the old mac's and that they were ported to NES or something. Apparently there is some small retro scene involving these and a list of other of there brethren from that platform.

I would definitely pick this up on the VC. It would be fantastic if it supported the pointer function but I highly doubt it will since the other games are completely unchanged.
Milquetoast's Avatar
Milquetoast at 01/14/2007 15:08
I had this issue of Nintendo Power. Also, this game was fun, as was Deja Vu.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 01/14/2007 15:27
Shadowgate was good stuff. I never got around to finishing it either.
jamisu's Avatar
jamisu at 01/14/2007 15:31
This is one of my all-time faves. Another similar game worth mentioning is The Uninvited.
tsunamikitsune's Avatar
tsunamikitsune at 01/14/2007 15:35
Oh, wait! Does the Neverhood count as a point and click adventure? That would have to be my all-time favorite if it does.
djdavi's Avatar
djdavi at 01/14/2007 16:31
Wow, I remember this game from my good old days. Sitting back playing and watching my mom be kind of spooked out by the game.
broham's Avatar
broham at 01/14/2007 18:00
I loved those games. Go here and play them again http://www.virtualnes.com/

The one thing I hated with these games was the way they killed you sometimes. "You go to the bar, have a drink,....ooops, the bartender was a kgb agent and poisoned you. You're dead." WHAT? "You get in your car, open the glove compartment,...snakes jump out and bite you. You're dead."

I just loved when you died and had no fucking way in knowing the shit was going to happen before it did. Memories.
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