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One thing is for sure. The Nintendo 64 just sent it's kiddy image out to buy some Pokemon cards and promptly packed up and moved itself into adult land. Young children should not have access to this game. And not only because it uses adult language; Shadow Man is ultra-mega creepy and will undoubtedly have a few impressionable youngsters taking a renewed interest in their night lights. Avoid the nightmares now. This game shouldn't be played by children. This is by far the freakiest game ever released on N64. It makes the upcoming Resident Evil 2 look like a Scooby Doo re-run. Of course you know your children best. If you are looking for unwanted bedmates for awhile, let them play this game and prepare to shove over in the middle of the night. You have now been warned.
I admire and like this game. I think the world of Nintendo for letting this game on their system. It's about time Nintendo catered to the adults out there who are tiring of the sugary sweet world in which the Nintendo 64 tries to exist in 99% of the time. Shadow Man will disturb you on many levels, and entertain you on just as many. On the surface, Shadow Man is a 3D action/platform game much like Tomb Raider. At it's heart, it is a terrifying romp into the world of Deadside where the souls of the damned are threatened to be used for the inevitable Apocalypse. You as Shadow Man/Mike LeRoi must traverse the netherworld and the real world and put a stop to Legion and the 5 serial killers who are hatching this bizarre plot to destroy mankind. Sounds a lot like Yoshi's Story, doesn't it? Add in the fact that Mike has to become ahem, "romantically involved" with Nettie the voodoo priestess to keep her youthful appearance, and you'll know you have just crossed some invisible line.
Shadow Man has a lot in common with Soul Reaver on the PlayStation. Both deal with bizarre occult settings and the afterlife. Both involve collecting souls... Coincidence or calculated piracy of a great idea? I'd go with synchronicity; the simultaneous happening of two related events with neither having prior knowledge of the other. Sort of like when my band The Cops tried to release our album Synchronicity in 1983. Oh was our lead singer and bass player, Stung, ever pissed when they told us some other band had just beaten us to releasing an album of that name. However I don't imagine Eidos or Acclaim are too worried. Both games are great and deserve high praise. Of course, Shadow Man will be released on PlayStation soon, but no such luck of having Raziel the Soul Reaver, joining Mario and the happy gang anytime soon.
Shadow Man uses the 4 Meg Expansion Pak and the game is sweeter than formaldehyde with it. You might as well buy the Expansion Pak now; Donkey Kong 64 can't be played without it and you know you'll all be buying that one. The graphics are dark and detailed with tricks such as dynamic lighting of your gun illuminating passage ways when in the dark. This game is moody and atmospheric. Let's put it this way: If you are depressed, this game isn't going to cheer you up. Images of lost, tortured souls writhing in pain as they moan and twitch will stay with you long after the game is over.
The voice acting is the best I've ever heard in an N64 game. It's done extremely well and there is a ton of it too. Jaunty, the snake with a skull for a head is my personal favorite. He adds a nice element of comic relief to an otherwise dreary outing. I highly recommend taking a few shots at him. His thick Irish accent and smart ass remarks will have you anxiously awaiting your next meeting.
The gameplay consists of running, jumping, shooting and pulling yourself up or along edges. While Mike is in Liveside he can shoot his handgun and various other earthly weapons like the shotgun, MP-909 submachine gun and the 0.9-SMG. While in Deadside his handgun becomes the ShadowGun, which fires wraiths that will "tear the souls from their bodies." If Shadow Man increases his Shadow Power by collecting the Dark Souls, not only will he increase the power of the ShadowGun, but he will also be able to open up the Coffin Gates that guard the entrance to other areas in Deadside. As you progress in the game, you will come across various Voodoo weapons that are much more powerful than the ShadowGun, and can only be used in Deadside. They are so powerful that when used upon an enemy, they will totally disintegrate him and not leave behind that precious life-force which you use to fill up your health meter. Once inside the Asylum, you'll find even more weapons and items and these can be used by either Shadow Man or Mike.
Complaint Dept. Thankfully there isn't much to report. The only frustrating aspect to the game may be it's non-linear approach. A good rule of thumb is moving from Deadside to Liveside or vice versa when you become stuck for awhile. That may open up some options not previously available. Other than that, I can't even complain about the camera because I found it to be quite good.
It would be impossible to touch on all of the wonderful things in this game without writing a 5000 word review. Trust me when I say that if you are mature enough to handle this game then by all means you should own it. It's a kick just to be able to play such a dark disturbing game on the N64, which could be a sign that the big N is growing up. It may be too little to late now, but Nintendo's next machine code-named Dolphin, should definitely start catering to the adults right off the bat. But if sales of Shadow Man aren't good, you know what that's going to tell them, right? Make more sugary sweet games like Kirby and Yoshi. That thought is way more frightening than anything you'll find in Shadow Man. So buy it and change the future!
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