Shadowgate Classic

.: By: Mike :: Device used: iPAQ H3650 :: July 20, 2000 :: Buy this game :.

Shadowgate Classic is, at the time of writing, in an enviable position. It is one of very few adventure games to be available to those with Windows CE devices, and just about the only one for those with a Pocket PC. Reviewed here is the Pocket PC version of the game, although a version for older CE devices is still on sale. Unfortunately - and, in my opinion, this is a mistake - there is no demo currently available; all that's on offer is a small selection of screenshots.

A first-person perspective RPG (Role-Playing Game), Shadowgate Classic is derived from a NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) original; apparently, it was one of the first ever RPG's to be released for the NES. How close the Pocket PC version is to the NES original, however, I couldn't say, never having played the latter.

One of the most striking features of the game is that it is played in landscape, rather than portrait, mode - that is to say, you have to turn your device on its side. This is no great problem and allows for a far better use of the screen than could have been accomplished with the default viewing orientation; in fact, it makes you wish that other software developers would utilise it. The only slight downside is that the menu (the menu window for saving, loading and quitting - not the in-game options) doesn't make the switch to landscape mode, but this is no great annoyance.

The Shadowgate Classic interface, however, is far from classic. In fact, it's downright flawed. One of the first things I noticed was how tricky it can be to actually select items. The main problem is with small items such as the very first key which you have to collect - it can take quite a few attempts and no small amount of patience. Selecting smaller items which are in front of larger items (for example, I accidentally placed a small key in front of a door one time - big mistake!) can also be a frustrating experience, or if you have a less than immaculately-organised inventory.

The windowing system used in the game is also highly annoying. The inventory window, which sits in the bottom-left hand corner of the screen by default, is a fixed size and can often obscure something vital. The fixed size means that as soon as the inventory starts filling up, you need to use scrollbars to browse the contents and the fact that it's a little on the small side means that once you start picking up a lot of items, things get very messy very fast; not ideal if you need to select an item (e.g. a torch) quickly. Fortunately, it's easy to get rid of - simply click the "Main" or the "Inventory" button and it will disappear - click the same button again, and it will re-appear. Nevertheless, the process is a fiddly one and something that I felt detracted from the enjoyment of the game.

In the bottom right-hand corner of the screen is an "Exits" window which, as its name suggests, helpfully shows all the exits to the area in which you are currently in. Even more helpfully, you can simply tap the exit you wish to use although, once again, the small size of the exit "icons" mean that this can be quite a tricky task.

Other than these idiosyncrasies, the interface is relatively simple to follow. All the basic commands that you might expect to find in a regular RPG are there, such as "Look", "Use" and "Open", and their method of use is very straightforward. A nice touch is the use of the "double-tap" which performs the default action associated with the relevant item, meaning that you don't have to go via the buttons every time.

Presentation-wise, Shadowgate Classic is very good. Although the in-game graphics (see the screenshots on the right-hand side) arguably aren't quite up to the quality of titles from the likes of Jimmy Software and ZIO Interactive, it should be remembered that Shadowgate Classic has a far wider range of graphics to display. There is even the occasional smattering of animation, as well the odd sound effect.

All this is reflected in the storage space taken - the program weighs in at around 3.3 MB, a hefty figure in the Pocket PC world, meaning that an MP3 or two might well have to be sacrificed! (Although this is just speculation on my part, it seemed to me when comparing screenshots on my desktop PC with actual in-game shots on my iPAQ that the graphics used in the game were actually better than the iPAQ's 12-bit display was capable of showing. This made me wonder just how much storage space could have been saved had the graphics quality been reduced accordingly). Saved games, of which there didn't appear to be a limit, take up around 10 Kb each.

When it comes to gameplay, Shadowgate Classic also has its downsides. For a start, you have to remember to keep relighting torches before your current one dies (whereupon it becomes useless). While this does add a touch of action to the game, I found it to be more of an annoyance after a while than a way of making the game more exciting. It's all too easy to meet with death, as well - even the act of picking up an item, for example, can be fatal on occasions, which seemed a little harsh to me! To successfully complete the game, you will need become very closely acquainted with the save command!

The game is linear in its structure, meaning that any replay value will be limited. Nevertheless, there is plenty of it - enough to keep even a hardened RPG expert for quite some time. What's more, if you come up against a puzzle that you just can't solve, there's an excellent hints & tips section (and plenty more good stuff besides) available if you sign up to the members' section at the Shadowgate site.

Despite all the negative points I've made about the game, I found myself really liking Shadowgate Classic. For all its annoyances, it has a unique charm and style that kept me coming back for more. It's not a game for those who want instant gratification - you have to get to grips with the interface and become used to the way the puzzles and traps work. Once you get into the game, however, Shadowgate Classic quickly becomes addictive - you find yourself wanting to know just what might lie behind that locked door, what possible use that magic rope could have, what exactly the riddle on that scroll might mean.

While its flaws prevent it from being a truly great game, for long-term entertainment value, I found Shadowgate Classic to be simply excellent. It's far more substantial than the vast majority of Windows CE and Pocket PC titles and, as such, ultimately far more fulfilling.

.: Game category: Adventure & RPG Games :: Reviews Index :: Buy this game :.