It's true that there's no shortage of retro-inspired, nostalgia-drenched Switch games to enjoy these days. It's something of a golden age for anyone who loves the pixel aesthetic, tight controls, incredible chiptunes and purity of classic NES games from the '80s and early-'90s. Now there's a new kid on the block, and despite the competition (and contrary to the stealthy nature of the Ninja), Cyber Shadow has stood out very prominently on our radar ever since it was announced back in March 2019.
Yacht Club Games is on publishing duties and lending its expertise (acquired from developing and launching the phenomenally successful Shovel Knight series) to developer Aarne Hunziker (AKA MekaSkull) of one-person studio Mechanical Head Games.
Hunziker has been working on Cyber Shadow for several years, and we recently spoke to him to find out a little more about the history and development of the game, and how Yacht Club has helped guide it to Switch...
Nintendo Life: First up, can you tell us a little about Mechanical Head and how you got started on the Cyber Shadow project?
Aarne Hunziker AKA MekaSkull: Little by little the project snuck up on me. First I sketched a picture just for fun, then later started a “training” project on the side, spending maybe an hour or two a week on it. One day, I noticed I was making the game full-time! Like a frog in boiling water who doesn’t jump out if the heat is applied slowly.
The game has been in development for quite a while – how long exactly? How has it changed and evolved in that time?
The first picture was drawn eight years ago but development started five years ago. Initially the game was supposed to be in 4:3 aspect ratio, very short, a few enemy types in each level. It was supposed to be a one-year project. The more I learned the more I wanted to accomplish, so the scope kept growing. Like a mad scientist I become addicted with my creations and the looming possibilities if I learned even more.
Cyber Shadow appears to channel games like Ninja Gaiden, Castlevania and Mega Man. What would you say is the biggest retro gaming influence on the project?
I was always fascinated with some NES games in how they could suggest detail with their limited palettes. Specifically, Shadow of the Ninja and Batman on the NES were huge inspirations. The way their art shows some aspects in the light and then fade into darkness felt so striking to me. As for gameplay, Mega Man accomplished so much with just jumping and shooting, so I wanted to do something similar with just jumping and slashing.
Outside the world of games, were there any other influences you had in mind throughout development?
The comics I read as a kid had similar restrictions as NES games. A limited pre-defined palette and majority of the art defined in black ink. Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles specifically had art that I keep going back to study even to this day. For anime influences there’s Detonator Orgun, Cyber City Oedo, Silent Mobius, Bubblegum Crisis, etc. The list goes on...
“Authentic 8-bit presentation” with “modern touches” sounds similar to the approach Yacht Club took with Shovel Knight. Can you tell us a little about that philosophy and how Cyber Shadow pushes the boundaries into ’8-bit+’?
Following the rules and restrictions of an 8-bit game is such fun that most art in the game is very much possible on a real system. Where rule bending does happen is the number of sprites on screen and the use of parallax scrolling that doesn’t rely on splits. The SFX are also all made in Famitracker.
Story seems to play an important part in the game. Was it challenging to present a cinematic narrative within the confines of the 8-bit style?
The story of the game is somewhat vast but only partially shared in the game itself. I felt it necessary to limit the story output to an amount that I could pull off with enough confidence. The retro-style helped me in this case as it doesn’t naturally demand a lot of story, yet it’s possible to get quite intricate with it if you want. I hope I get to expand on it with what I’ve learned so far.
This looks like a huge project for a one-person team! How did Yacht Club get involved, and how have they helped and contributed to Cyber Shadow?
Birds of a feather… Guess it was meant to be? Making a game is one thing but releasing is another. My initial plan was to have a very limited release but now with Yacht Club Games, it is on the Nintendo Switch. I couldn’t even dream about this when I started. On top of taking care of all the heavy lifting outside coding the game, I got lots of guidance on level design specifically and I did my best to live up to their high standards. The game is now far more polished than what I could’ve accomplished just by myself.
My initial plan was to have a very limited release but now with Yacht Club Games, it is on the Nintendo Switch. I couldn’t even dream about this when I started.
Can you tell us a little about the music? How did composer Enrique Martin go about finding that authentic sound and keeping it fresh?
Enrique’s methods are shrouded in mystery but I’ve heard of some very cool gear he has stashed away. He’s a huge Ninja Gaiden fan and an avid retro game collector and years ago showed interest in making music for Cyber Shadow. His first test track really nailed the atmosphere and started to shape the game itself. Some levels inspired him to make music and some of his music inspired me to make new levels. The freshness aspect of it is keeping in mind how the retro age game music was not necessarily inspired by other game music, but by attempts to capture sounds from outside gaming with the tools they had available.
How was the experience of bringing the game to Switch? Will there be any differences with the Switch version?
From my side it was very easy thanks to the efforts of Yacht Club Games and MP2 games who just made it work. I can’t comprehend how it happened, must be dark magic. The Nintendo Switch version supports Shovel Knight series Amiibo. Each one can change Shadow’s color palette and summon a helper to hover around and offer their assistance. Also there’s a fairy big secret hidden somewhere...
Any plans for further content down the road?
It’s up to the players. If there’s demand, my body is ready.
Finally, how does it feel to be near the end of this long journey? Is there anything else you’d like to mention that we haven’t touched on?
The development has taken such a long time it became ingrained in my day-to-day. Now that it’s done I find myself feeling a bit empty, yet filled with passion to continue with all the new skills I’ve learned and new friends made along the way.
For speedrunning fans, the current fastest time the game has been completed is just a hair under two hours by the magnificent QA people of Indium Play. Under three hours is already a feat! Please enjoy the game and consider reaching out to friends who may feel isolated and lonely in these trying times.
Many thanks to Aarne — you can follow him on Twitter. Cyber Shadow launches on Switch on 26th January. Keep a close eye out for our review soon.
Comments 36
I saw someone elsewhere say that Ninja Gaiden on the NES has better looking cut scenes than this game. I'm thinking an eye check is in order, 'cause these images are sharp and stunning.
Look, there's no replacement for Ninja Gaiden 1-3 on the NES, and I adore those games, as is requirements for any Ninja. However, there's plenty of room for new ninja action, and this looks 100% legit. I'm glad covid didn't kill me before the 26th so I can enjoy this!
Wear your masks like good ninjas!
AND NINJA APPROVED
I'm so pumped for this. I've had this preloaded since it went live. Just a few more days now 😁
I also appreciate the mention to us speed-runners in there, can't wait to tear into this thing!
NINJA VERY MUCH APPROVES
3 hour speed run is impressive? This game is probably bigger then I first thought. Just finished Horace, can't wait to start this. Will be the first game I'm recording from start to finish.
Misleading headline. I thought it meant Yacht Club literally enabled the launch of the Switch console. Headline should say Switch Version.
@Lionyone In the red corner, we have ‘misleading headline’! And in the blue corner, we have the undefeated champion, ‘human error’!
Having watched very similar anime influences myself, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that they ALSO watched the "Anime Unleashed" scheduling block of TechTV before they were bought out by G4.
I don't know how I've missed this previously, but it's most definitely on my radar now...
@ThanosReXXX you missed this until now?!? I've been frothing at the mouth since its been announced lol
@NintendoByNature Yeah, like I said: I have literally NO idea.
@ThanosReXXX I believe you lol I was just shocked. It aught to be a good with with YCG helping out. Ill let you know how it is.
@BloodNinja Well said. I also have to speak about the Ninja Gaiden Trilogy on the NES. They are almost all the same game (the second one being the best version). They all almost have the same bosses. The third one has cool ideas but is pretty much the same template as the second and first combined. We can definitely have more Ninja games and not just rely on Ninja Gaiden. Ryu Hyabusha for Smash though.
Not for me but very good for him. A developers dream came true.
Preordered it on PS5 👍
Kind of cool that they called out Shadow of the Ninja. I'd seen it on the NES app but have never really spent much time with it. I might have to now.
@anonymunchy You doing a let's play?
@MysteryCupofJoe He's not in Smash? That's surprising. (I don't play, so I wouldn't know!)
Agreed on Ninja Gaiden 2 being the best! I love the first one but something about the 3rd game made it hard to tell if you were taking damage. It also didn't really feel like it needed the ceiling hang mechanic, that messed me up more than helped me!
MIGHT NEED MORE NINJA TRAINING ACTUALLY
@Giygas_95 Just to give you a heads up about Shadow of the Ninja, it's a GREAT game, but INSANELY cheap. Only for true ninja lol
NINJA APPROVED
@Giygas_95
Not sure I'm doing commentary with it just yet, most likely just a simple game audio recording only. I'm working on setting up a streaming channel, but I won't be properly ready for at least a month.
@Giygas_95 It took a bit of time for me to get into Shadow of the Ninja, but I came to enjoy it a lot. It's tough, but not as tough as many games considered "8-bit hard" in my opinion. It's beatable for sure. I think it's fun and worth the time.
Would love to see an NL review so I can decide whether to pick this up (truth be told, it’s probably just a question of immediately versus down the road).
Game looks like it could be pretty dang awesome.
@Gavintendo well......you need something to play on that £500 bread bin
On the radar, looks great
Hoping for a physical
please 8bit heavens don't let this game be a disappointment!
I really wish someone somewhere could have reviewed this game by now, as there is a pre-order sale. Wish it was like "Hades", where they had a sale for a week or two after it was released. With all of those great reviews it was a no-brainer purchase.
@Giygas_95 "Kind of cool that they called out Shadow of the Ninja. I'd seen it on the NES app but have never really spent much time with it. I might have to now."
NintendoLife users currently rank "Shadow of the Ninja" 34th out of 56 NES games available on Nintendo Switch Online.
@ThanosReXXX Hey, Thanos has his eye on a LOT of stuff, it's okay if he misses a game release here and there.
NINJA APPROVED
The 26th can’t get here fast enough. Between this and Dead Cells DLC, my pixel cup runeth over!
@BloodNinja Haha, appreciated, mr. Ninja.
Looks cool, but I am waiting for a review to see how hard it is. I really hate Ninja Gaiden on the NES due to the horrible enemy placement and just stupid difficulty. I know some like that style, but not for me. Replaying Castlevania 3 this weekend reminded me of why I don't revisit many NES games. Crossing my fingers this is 8 bit style but more modern gameplay.
Ok sold just based on his anime choices alone. Buying. (I mean I had always planned on getting this but still instasale)
Sooo great!! I can't wait for tuesday. This will be a gem, for sure!
Yes, there are tons of retro-inspired games on Switch, but very few of them are A-level. I'm talking about Shovel Knight, Panzer Paladin, Oniken, Curse of the Moon 1 & 2, and a handful of others. Cyber Shadow is obviously cut from that sort of cloth. These games aren't just inspired by the classics, they take advantage of the advanced tech to surpass them. So Shovel Knight and Panzer Paladin are better than Duck Tales, Oniken is (much) better than Strider, and it certainly looks like CS is far better than Ninja Gaiden and Shadow of the Ninja, which seem to be its inspiration.
I can't wait to play CS. I already have it because I pre-ordered it, but the Switch won't let me play it until Tuesday!
This looks great, and I can’t wait to play it when the inevitable physical version comes out. I do wish we could move past the 8 bit aesthetic and onto more 16 bit inspired indie games though.
Oooo... this comes out tomorrow. Good. Good.
Love me some Ninja games! I've had a major crush on Ninja's since the Ninja boom of the 80's! TMNT, Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi etc!
https://youtu.be/OUWOMJE2nqM
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