This is an amazing game. Recently bought a Swedish pen n paper roleplay called Dark Castle which has huuuuuge vibes of Shadowgate and one can even tell by reading the lore through that they wanted to create something that could pair into the world in which Shadowgate is played out sort of. Anyway, I looooove this game. ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
This was so nostalgic. I got this game as a gift from the local Nintendo magazine back in the day (late 80s or early 90s), but I was too small to understand its mechanics English not being my first language and never got far in the game. I'm almost in my 50s now and it was so great to see so many familiar rooms as well as the ones I never got to explore.
This is one of my favourite video games of all time. It has the most incredible music and atmosphere. The constant pressure of keeping the torches lit was an archaic version of survival horror and it worked so well.
When DS2 came out, I instantly loved it (and I was temporarily struggling with DS1 and needed a break). But the endless torch-lighting is a great addition to a game where paranoia about your inevitable death is palpable.
ICOM Simulations was later acquired by Viacom (now Paramount Global) and renamed to Viacom New Media, then Rabid Entertainment, then Infinite Ventures.
I've got a "it's a sad thing your adventures have ended here" throw pillow (complete with the NES version screenshot) on my couch. Zojoi (the company that developed the iCom games) sells them on their RedBubble store. Totally random but I love it.
In Japan, the release order for Kemco's MacVenture conversions were "Deja Vu", "Shadowgate", and "Uninvited". In the US, the conversions for "Shadowgate", "Deja Vu", and "Uninvited" were released in that order.
The stairway behind the landslide leads to an unfinished room. The programmers were running short on memory space and made a permanent lock. The only thing in there is a blank screen and a bottle of wine that tastes really good according to the Mac version. The NES version still has yet to be cracked.
Oh my!!!!!!! Ive had this game in the back of my mind for decades, wondering, "what the heck was that one game that was kind of first person in a dungeon kind of??" Never thinking id see it again, this is it!!!!!!!! Thank you for this 😊
Sequel, Beyond Shadowgate comes at the end of September 2024. It is done in the same Nes style and with 8 bit music and is said to be at least 5 times larger.
The music really helps sell the nes ports for me. On a side note, the nes ports are all easier than their pc counterparts. Deja Vu and Univited in particular, remove the timer that kills you after a certain amount of turns. You can still get their respective deaths, but they are obtained differently. In Deja Vu, you get the vegetable death upon going in certain rooms. In Uninvited, you get the possessed death after picking up the ruby and walking around a bit.
The limited item space is rough, too. The versions I played on Steam require you to actually drag items into the inventory box and each item takes up space
OMG! I finally found it! Thank you Ranker and thank you, YOU, for helping me confirm THIS was the game my best friend had and never let me play. 😆 you wouldn’t believe the searches I’ve done to try to figure out the names of some of my fave old games, especially this one. Before I decided to look at all 700+ games ranked I searched “nes games with lots of reading.” 🤣😂
My mom got me this game in the 90s i was so upset i didnt know what it was or how to play but im glad she did lol the music alone stuck all these years started playing lastnight and realised what a gem i had thanks mom 😂
Funnily, the Japanese versions of MacVenture games weren't received too well, due to translations issues... but it is what it is; as for the West, I guess those are some of the few NES adventure games, so they're quite nostalgic. Have you played any of the spiritual successors, like Infested or Spectacle? I believe they're remaking the first one these days; they're available for free in the depths of the internet. I believe there was also some kinda Lovecraftian Steam game inspired by them, but I forgot the name of it...
@@NintendoComplete Yup, I believe it's because they changed the narration to 1st person. It would be sillier in English too for sure that way! As for those 2 games I mentioned - they're by GrahfMetal; they're very, very similar to MacVenture games, but with different themes.
16:18 Not only it has EPOR(rope spelled backwards), but a nice little tune that reminds us all of George Wood giving his reviews on some of the upcoming titles and consoles during the Clinton years. And the flute plays a tune only Ace Harding would know. Now if only there was a creature holding a key that would barter for it by being given a cookie and doing an amusing dance. That would make this EPOR Cinematic Universe complete.
Classiiic. This game scared the shit out of me as a kid. Still does a bit actually lol.. Playing in the dark by yourself it's super immersive, especially for an NES game. Happy Halloween.
I think Uninvited had the better scares, but also the most hilariously stupid deaths. "Oh no, Knife 1 cut you! You're bleeding badly!" *DA NA NANANA NANA NANA!*
This is the game, the scariest game ever created. This game sends chills down my spine. Something about this game, its like a fun nightmare I will never forget.
A classic adventure game. When I was little, my dad had some of these in their original black-and-white forms on his old Macintosh computer. One of them was _Transylvania,_ and their monochrome graphics are weirdly nostalgic to me now. I'm sure they got much more exposure through the NES.
6:07, you can blow that landslide up using specific bottle and sling however the difficult part is making sure the curser is pin point accurate to where it should be to trigger the explosion, nothing to exiting behind it, just a word.
I had this game as a kid, it was gifted by a cousin. I really hated it, especially considering how archaic it was. As a kid, the furthest i got (after much trial and tribulation) was to the area where you’re supposed to drop the “cold” orb i into the lake to freeze it. You can only go so far and explore so much , that point is where you can progress further into the game.
Embarrassingly enough, I had to get my parents permission to call Nintendo power @3.99 a minute to explain how to get into the castle. Got the hang soon after, and loved the trilogy of these nes classics.
I'm a little disappointed you didnt try all sorts of bad stuff on the chain woman, I'll leave it at that so you don't get demonetized. In Dejavu if you hit the woman in the trunk the answer is hilarious.
I finally can move beyond the first level…im a dumbass. Never tried to open the skull on the entry door to get the key. All these years I never saw past the first room…..😢
I love how nonsensical some of the deaths in the Macventure series games are. Especially since sometimes, something as simple as a small mistake can cost your life. “You have picked up the *Apple Juice,* you proceed to consume the *Apple Juice..*” “Uhh.. turns out *Apple Juice* was actually just bottled Acid.” “Welp, guess that means your journey is over now.”
This game was way too goddamn hard. I never beat it but sat with my buddy while they did back in the day. Lots of sunkist, marlboro lights, and some schwag bud. We were 14 lol.
Yup, it actually started as a PC game before releasing on the NES. Which is why it has that late 80s - early 90s style point and click DOS gameplay. There was actually two other games besides just this one, Shadowgate, and Deja Vu. Which had basically the exact same gameplay. So the games combined are called the “Macventure series”.
A Good Classic game i've seen in Nintendo Power. Like the Immortal, It can go many ways being a Hero Preventing yourself from Death traps. Poor Werewolf girl. Could've been a great ally yet was a master of Deception and couldn't speak your Language... So the Full moon and non speaking where the only giveaways.
FYI: all the items he picked up but didn't use, like the skull, broom, and horseshoe, are answers to the sphinx's randomly chosen riddles. I think the most unfair puzzle is the one with the three levers. There are six states of all the levers, but if the sequence matters, there must be at least 27 ways to reach them. Plus I would never have guessed the sequence mattered to begin with.
I'd like these text based games more if there were some mini games to perform like in "Defender of the Crown". Fights or discrete puzzles like in Myst. If it had a hint button I'd be spamming that bad boy.
I don't know what happened or where my f*cking comment but I hate myself. The key behind the skull you open??? I tried to hit, look. Nothing. No use something was behind it. I even thought my game was bad or glitches. Well here I am already looking for what to do because I could not figure out what to do like on the castlevania games and the uninvited. Or last boss Joker. Ugh.... Lol
Loved this game as a kid. Beat it. It was so hard. You had to be pretty clever. No internet. Once you catch on the game rolls. Sacrificed a lot of sleep on school nights. Just a little farther
"You finally set your hair on fire. The rest of your body soon follows!!" Man I love this game's sense of humor!
Thanks for showing the different deaths at the end of the play through!
This is an amazing game.
Recently bought a Swedish pen n paper roleplay called Dark Castle which has huuuuuge vibes of Shadowgate and one can even tell by reading the lore through that they wanted to create something that could pair into the world in which Shadowgate is played out sort of.
Anyway, I looooove this game. ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
"YOU ARE BRAVE, WARRIOR, BUT STUPID!!!..." 😂 (this make me laugh 😂)
"No pain, no nothing. You were slimed!!"
There were so many ways you could kill yourself.......
This was so nostalgic. I got this game as a gift from the local Nintendo magazine back in the day (late 80s or early 90s), but I was too small to understand its mechanics English not being my first language and never got far in the game. I'm almost in my 50s now and it was so great to see so many familiar rooms as well as the ones I never got to explore.
This is one of my favourite video games of all time. It has the most incredible music and atmosphere. The constant pressure of keeping the torches lit was an archaic version of survival horror and it worked so well.
When DS2 came out, I instantly loved it (and I was temporarily struggling with DS1 and needed a break). But the endless torch-lighting is a great addition to a game where paranoia about your inevitable death is palpable.
This is a game that everyone should play at least once. It's legendary along the same creators who made uninvited and Deja vu. I Love this game.
ICOM Simulations was later acquired by Viacom (now Paramount Global) and renamed to Viacom New Media, then Rabid Entertainment, then Infinite Ventures.
yes! I picked up Deja vu from the video rental store but never beat it.
This was one of those brutally punishing "You didn't pick up that one piece of shit in the corner 48 minute ago and now your fucked" games.
One of my favorite Nes games back in the day loved the soundtrack to this game 😀😀
I've got a "it's a sad thing your adventures have ended here" throw pillow (complete with the NES version screenshot) on my couch. Zojoi (the company that developed the iCom games) sells them on their RedBubble store. Totally random but I love it.
Hahaha that's awesome.
You got me right in the feels friend. Perfect game in the perfect night of the season. Happy Halloween @NintendoComplete
Thank you very much 😊 you too!
that music is sooo good, it has the perfect tone for an adventure!
My mother played this game at night when i was a 5year old kid trying to sleep... 30years later the songs in this game is still haunting :P
There's a reason why it's considered one of the best NES games of all time. What a great game this is NC. 8^)
It isn't considered one of the greatest NES games, ever.
In Japan, the release order for Kemco's MacVenture conversions were "Deja Vu", "Shadowgate", and "Uninvited". In the US, the conversions for "Shadowgate", "Deja Vu", and "Uninvited" were released in that order.
The stairway behind the landslide leads to an unfinished room. The programmers were running short on memory space and made a permanent lock. The only thing in there is a blank screen and a bottle of wine that tastes really good according to the Mac version. The NES version still has yet to be cracked.
All these years later, I still remember screens of this game. But only recently found out the title. This was a trip! 🤘
Oh my!!!!!!! Ive had this game in the back of my mind for decades, wondering, "what the heck was that one game that was kind of first person in a dungeon kind of??" Never thinking id see it again, this is it!!!!!!!! Thank you for this 😊
Always a great feeling to figure out that mystery:) congrats on solving yours!
I remember every screen of this game and the last time i played this was when i was like 6
Sequel, Beyond Shadowgate comes at the end of September 2024. It is done in the same Nes style and with 8 bit music and is said to be at least 5 times larger.
now that you've played it what do you think?
That intro music is classic!!! Brings back memories of when I was young and would rent these games on the weekends
Wow that was amazing to watch, what a game! And the ending was great :)
The sountrack brings everything back. Omg
The music really helps sell the nes ports for me.
On a side note, the nes ports are all easier than their pc counterparts. Deja Vu and Univited in particular, remove the timer that kills you after a certain amount of turns. You can still get their respective deaths, but they are obtained differently.
In Deja Vu, you get the vegetable death upon going in certain rooms. In Uninvited, you get the possessed death after picking up the ruby and walking around a bit.
Oh definitely. The music more than makes up for the less detailed graphics.
The limited item space is rough, too. The versions I played on Steam require you to actually drag items into the inventory box and each item takes up space
The "torch getting very low" music give me such anxiety!
Gets me pumped up
Warlock Lord: who is the asshole stealing all my torches?
😅
This is easily one of my favorite games period
OMG! I finally found it! Thank you Ranker and thank you, YOU, for helping me confirm THIS was the game my best friend had and never let me play. 😆 you wouldn’t believe the searches I’ve done to try to figure out the names of some of my fave old games, especially this one. Before I decided to look at all 700+ games ranked I searched “nes games with lots of reading.” 🤣😂
My mom got me this game in the 90s i was so upset i didnt know what it was or how to play but im glad she did lol the music alone stuck all these years started playing lastnight and realised what a gem i had thanks mom 😂
my favorite of the trilogy is deja vu
i do love a good pulp detective story
i do hope you post uninvited on halloween that would be so fitting
Actually a quadrology. There was supposed to be an NES port of "Lost in Las Vegas", but it was cancelled.
that did come out eventually with the gbc port of deja vu
@@krystalfan That's how I played it.
love how they just threw in the existence of a sea of blood like an afterthought
Funnily, the Japanese versions of MacVenture games weren't received too well, due to translations issues... but it is what it is; as for the West, I guess those are some of the few NES adventure games, so they're quite nostalgic. Have you played any of the spiritual successors, like Infested or Spectacle? I believe they're remaking the first one these days; they're available for free in the depths of the internet. I believe there was also some kinda Lovecraftian Steam game inspired by them, but I forgot the name of it...
I've read that it's a laughing stock in Japan because of how corny it sounds. I've not heard of either of those.
@@NintendoComplete Yup, I believe it's because they changed the narration to 1st person. It would be sillier in English too for sure that way! As for those 2 games I mentioned - they're by GrahfMetal; they're very, very similar to MacVenture games, but with different themes.
@@mariusamber3237 Oh, that sounds cool. I'll check them out, thanks.
The japanese Versions came uncensored Versions like Uninvited
16:18 GITCY theme lol
silicon graphics computers
The Poor Edging on Woody…
16:18
Not only it has EPOR(rope spelled backwards), but a nice little tune that reminds us all of George Wood giving his reviews on some of the upcoming titles and consoles during the Clinton years.
And the flute plays a tune only Ace Harding would know. Now if only there was a creature holding a key that would barter for it by being given a cookie and doing an amusing dance. That would make this EPOR Cinematic Universe complete.
My brother and I used to do speed runs of this game! So well put together.
Yes kids, we used to play games like this. I remember this game... this was hell of fun.
Best music on the console. Possibly the best music of any game ever made.
Best music ever made
No need to limit it to video games
@@Trephining It's actually the best anything ever made
Narrowly beating out sexual intercourse and sliced bread
Classiiic. This game scared the shit out of me as a kid. Still does a bit actually lol.. Playing in the dark by yourself it's super immersive, especially for an NES game. Happy Halloween.
I think Uninvited had the better scares, but also the most hilariously stupid deaths.
"Oh no, Knife 1 cut you! You're bleeding badly!"
*DA NA NANANA NANA NANA!*
@@Zaxares Lol, I can hear the music now.
@@egocide9034 It's such an unforgettable tune, isn't it? XD
It scared me too as a child the music alone as I’d watch my older brother play 😂
@@ZaxaresAs I read your message, the music instantly came back to me.
I love how this game can be beat in like 10 minutes.. I love it better that it's not, in this video 😎
The sense of humor and ways in which you could suicide in this game was amazing
You'd think Death would be pretty bored seeing you by the time you dove into the dry well head first.
Thanks for the video, and including the fun Game Over scenarios 💛
This one and Maniac Mansion are my two favs!
This is the game, the scariest game ever created. This game sends chills down my spine. Something about this game, its like a fun nightmare I will never forget.
Yes this is a good game!
I loved this game. I'll never forget all the times my dad chewed me out for calling Nintendo for hints and running up the phone bill.
I have this game but I can't finish it, it's too complicated. Well done, well done.
A point and click classic. The 2014 remake is legit too!
This game had a remake!? I thought it was only re-released on Game Boy Color.
@@Dorian_Scott and a sequel too
@@THEREALGAMEMASTER-gz5xg *THERE'S A SEQUEL, TOO!?* When did _that_ happen!?
Way back when actually. Shadowgate is technically a trilogy.
You've got this one, a TG16 sequel, and the N64 one.
Ah yeah, the remake was sweet!
16:18 gaming in the Clinton years.
First NES game I ever completed on the same day I first played it. Still love Shadowgate to this day!
Legend.
This game used to be so spooky when I was a kid. The throne room skeleton totally creeped me out.
One of my old favorites. Never beat it though. The bloopers at the end, that's all me.
A classic adventure game. When I was little, my dad had some of these in their original black-and-white forms on his old Macintosh computer. One of them was _Transylvania,_ and their monochrome graphics are weirdly nostalgic to me now. I'm sure they got much more exposure through the NES.
"Suicide won't help you in your quest!" Funny, I thought it would be very useful actually.
Hope to find a Beyond Shadowgate longplay at some point
1:06:57 How do you stab a HAMMER into your chest!?
With momentum and a lot of enthusiasm? 🤣
Handle first. Takes a few tries.
You don't, silly, you THRUST it. Thrust! Thrust! Thrust!
Ahh the youth of good story and gaming forever entwined
IDK how you do it NintendoComplete, but I'm glad you do.
6:07, you can blow that landslide up using specific bottle and sling however the difficult part is making sure the curser is pin point accurate to where it should be to trigger the explosion, nothing to exiting behind it, just a word.
One of the best game sound tracks/OST i think
Greatest music ever.
Omg I played uninvited and didn’t know about this one, thank you!
Wow. You are doing well.
Wasn't there was a banshee in one of the coffins in that hall?
Ahh I had this for gameboy! Loved it! Didn't get too far, sadly.
Never played this game but the music is really good
The most popular Macventure NES port, whilst simultaneously being the most hated in Japan.
I had this game as a kid, it was gifted by a cousin.
I really hated it, especially considering how archaic it was.
As a kid, the furthest i got (after much trial and tribulation) was to the area where you’re supposed to drop the “cold” orb i into the lake to freeze it.
You can only go so far and explore so much , that point is where you can progress further into the game.
lol i just got jumpscared in that coffin part
What if you try to attack the sphynx, does that kill you?
Embarrassingly enough, I had to get my parents permission to call Nintendo power @3.99 a minute to explain how to get into the castle. Got the hang soon after, and loved the trilogy of these nes classics.
Awesome!
I'm a little disappointed you didnt try all sorts of bad stuff on the chain woman, I'll leave it at that so you don't get demonetized. In Dejavu if you hit the woman in the trunk the answer is hilarious.
I finally can move beyond the first level…im a dumbass. Never tried to open the skull on the entry door to get the key. All these years I never saw past the first room…..😢
What you expected hasn't happened.
I love how nonsensical some of the deaths in the Macventure series games are. Especially since sometimes, something as simple as a small mistake can cost your life.
“You have picked up the *Apple Juice,* you proceed to consume the *Apple Juice..*”
“Uhh.. turns out *Apple Juice* was actually just bottled Acid.”
“Welp, guess that means your journey is over now.”
gaming in the clinton years indeed
This game is 89. Clinton was 3 years later.
17:00 compels me to get even the most basic video game facts wrong.
Man, who wrote this banger of a soundtrack?!😎
Visual novels aren’t the same. This is more like those adventure books!
This game was way too goddamn hard. I never beat it but sat with my buddy while they did back in the day. Lots of sunkist, marlboro lights, and some schwag bud. We were 14 lol.
I compares this game to Knightmare UK Game Show
Jeez, these adventure protags must know how to pack into their non-existent pockets.
Because I started with a NES i never knew how clunky the interface is.
A mouse is a MUCH better tool for these games.
Was this game on PC back then?
Yup, it actually started as a PC game before releasing on the NES. Which is why it has that late 80s - early 90s style point and click DOS gameplay. There was actually two other games besides just this one, Shadowgate, and Deja Vu. Which had basically the exact same gameplay. So the games combined are called the “Macventure series”.
(I meant Uninvited, not Shadowgate, which is literally what the video is about. My mistake.)
A Good Classic game i've seen in Nintendo Power. Like the Immortal, It can go many ways being a Hero Preventing yourself from Death traps.
Poor Werewolf girl. Could've been a great ally yet was a master of Deception and couldn't speak your Language... So the Full moon and non speaking where the only giveaways.
For an Nes game the graphics are impressive for a console with very limited memory capacity!
Óia só man, que loucura
George woods
Yep. The Gaming in the Clinton Years intro (which Retsupre made fun of, with their random Clinton imitation).
16:18 it’s Gaming in the Clinton Years! What wud George Wood say if he played this?
FYI: all the items he picked up but didn't use, like the skull, broom, and horseshoe, are answers to the sphinx's randomly chosen riddles.
I think the most unfair puzzle is the one with the three levers. There are six states of all the levers, but if the sequence matters, there must be at least 27 ways to reach them. Plus I would never have guessed the sequence mattered to begin with.
The lever combination is written down inside the sphinx room.
I'd like these text based games more if there were some mini games to perform like in "Defender of the Crown". Fights or discrete puzzles like in Myst. If it had a hint button I'd be spamming that bad boy.
I hate reading but this looks good. Diablo vibes
Great soundtrack
MYST for beginners :P
I don't think me and my brother made it past the coffin room.
This game made me the pyro that I am today jk
okay the big ass 💀 on the thumbnail is pretty impressive for an nes game
hahahah
The hammer 🔨 should have been funny to use on yourself.. like.. Bonk.. ouch!
I don't know what happened or where my f*cking comment but I hate myself. The key behind the skull you open??? I tried to hit, look. Nothing. No use something was behind it. I even thought my game was bad or glitches.
Well here I am already looking for what to do because I could not figure out what to do like on the castlevania games and the uninvited.
Or last boss Joker. Ugh....
Lol
29:11
This guy tried to make a video with every message possible
Get ye flask.
EPOR EPOR EPOR
Cheater
I was more of an "uninvited" Fan, but this game always brings me joy 🥸🤙
Loved this game as a kid. Beat it. It was so hard. You had to be pretty clever. No internet. Once you catch on the game rolls. Sacrificed a lot of sleep on school nights. Just a little farther