Shadowgate 64

by Nintendo

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000JLPC
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,293 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

GameSpot Review

For fans of the original Shadowgate, Shadowgate 64 will be a fun-filled trip down memory lane for awhile, but once the excitement of recapturing past glory wears off, the game becomes a bit boring by today's standards. Those of you who aren't familiar with the original NES game and aren't fans of puzzle-driven RPG games might just want to skip this one. The game is played from a first-person perspective, putting you in the shoes of a halfling by the name of Del who is mistakenly thrown into the dungeon of Castle Shadowgate. While you're waiting for your punishment, you find an escape route - this is where your journey begins and the story unfolds.

The gameplay is extremely simple and straightforward: All you really do is guide Del through the vast castle collecting just about anything that you can get your hands on. Each and every item you come into contact with has a place or purpose, although more often than not those places or purposes are a little strange. Each item and area you enter come with a little description that gives you more insight than you might get at first glance. In addition, you come across lots and lots of books that explain various things about the world you're in - some books are practical and to the point, offering valuable instructions, while others are more elusive in the clues they give.

Visually, the game is well below the average of anything we've seen on the N64 in quite a while. The game has the flat, grainy, washed-out look of a first-generation title. Aside from a few characters that you encounter, the game is literally devoid of any animation at all. In some of the areas it is hard to tell that objects you should be interacting with are even there. Most of the objects you pick up look fairly representative of what they are supposed to be, although there are a few instances where you're not quite sure what it is until the written description pops up on the screen.

From an audio standpoint, Shadowgate 64 isn't anything all that great. The music, while fitting, changes when you go from areas like the sewers to the library, and even then it sounds pretty much the same. The sound effects of different objects like the clanging of a pipe against a wall or the turn of one of the pages in a book sound rather authentic and breathe add a bit of life into the otherwise uneventful game.

In the end, Shadowgate 64 is a very slow-paced game that has a lot of nostalgic value for fans of the original game, but it soon becomes increasingly frustrating and uninteresting. I personally enjoyed the game for the first few hours, but once I started coming across puzzles that were similar to ones I had already done, the game began to get stale. The lack of any prolonged contact with other characters in the game and the repetitive musical score doesn't only make the game feel boring but lonely as well. I would have to say that only hard-core RPG fans who have lots of patience should spend the time playing Shadowgate 64. --Ryan Mac Donald
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Manufacturer Description

Ages have past since the vile Warlock Lord was banished to another dimension by the brave Lord Jair. The famous deed is now only spoken of as legend and myth. However, recent incidents have transpired in an attempt to resurrect the Ultimate Evil One. Caught up in a chain of events beyond his understanding or control, the Halfling Del must explore the ruins of the dilapidated Castle Shadowgate in order to unravel the mysteries set before him, and thwart the dark plans now in motion.

Based on the award-winning masterpiece, Shadowgate 64: Trials of the Four Towers is the first Fantasy Adventure Nintendo 64 game with a 3D first person viewpoint.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun game, September 1, 2002

By 

G. McNutt "fantasy book addict" (WA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadowgate 64 (Video Game)

I enjoyed this game where I was a character locked in a dungeon, had to find my way out and then around castle Shadowgate to finally meet up with the main bad guy. This is not a slash around killing game, it is a puzzle and thinking game. You walk around picking up things, talking to people, doing things a certain way to see what happens. You can get killed in this game, so be sure to save often, your last save point is where you will start again if you are killed. You need a memory card to save with this game! I did get stuck in the game several times, at least 3 times and had to write to Nintendo to find out how to proceed! But with their help I made it to the very end. This game is appropriate for children that can read, as you must read to play the game, and there is no goulish violence.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Its a challenge to your common sense!, November 16, 1999

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Shadowgate 64 (Video Game)

the game is very challenging there is no one on one combat per say but you must use your thought process & common sense. In this game what you see is what you get! You must use all you find to help you escape the tattered dungeon in which you lay!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great puzzle!, June 6, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Shadowgate 64 (Video Game)

As a female gamer, I get sick of the combat games. I liked the fact that this game, for a change, had no combat. It's one big puzzle where you pick up everything you can along the way and then figure out where to use your items. It's VERY challenging. My sister and I got stuck once in a while because there was an item we missed, but you can go back through the towers you have unlocked to get anything you overlooked. My brother quickly got frustrated and quit, but my sister and I stayed up all night and finished the game. I loved it and hope they make more like it! If you're looking for combat, you won't like it. But if you like puzzles, this game is one big puzzle filled with smaller ones! Finally, a game that is all about using your brain and all your creativity to solve it!