DF Retro EX - Shadow Man Remastered on Consoles - Switch, Xbox, PlayStation Ports Tested!

[@recht_voor_zijn_raap5506]

Such a phenomal game. Played it back on my N64 and it still holds up to this day. ESPECIALLY the remastered version. Do NOT skip this!

[@chrisfarleyshrek4347]

Better remaster than Mario 3D All-Stars, Zelda Skyward Sword HD, GTA Trilogy DE, Sonic Adventure DX, 2 Battle, Colors Ultimate and Devil May Cry HD Collection . Those so-called remasters are either low-effort or unpolished to the brim. Why can't Nintendo, Sega, Rockstar and Capcom call Nightdive instead of having companies with terrible porting track records do it for them? Oh... that's right! They are cheapskates!

[@alexsilva28]

@@chrisfarleyshrek4347 Indeed. Very few studios put the same thought, time and effort to their remasters as Nightdive does

[@Raiders-wm5kb]

I purchased 2 on the PS2 very underrated game. I always wanted to play the first game I would remember seeing the Dreamcast case for shadow man 1 on shelves in stores as kid. Glad I waited now I get to experience the best version.

[@TheDude-ke9oh]

I know this phrase is often used but this is REALLY a underrated game. I think everyone who played this back in the days will tell you that it is one of the best games ever made. For me it is a masterpiece. And the main theme is easily in my top 5 themes of all time

[@outdoorsjoe]

Yes the music is so good!

[@cdgatto]

Played this so much as a kid. One of my N64 favourites.

[@ShionShinigami]

I loved what Acclaim did back in the day for the N64, unfortunately the typical Nintendo fans only played Mario, Zelda, Mario Kart, Smash and everything from Rare.

[@stan_austin]

This game is amazing!! I can genuinely say it’s given me more enjoyment than any AAA game I’ve played in the last few years. I had the DC version and loved it then as well.

[@Dukefazon]

I second that. The music, sound effects and simply the mood of places you visit is amazing.

[@embracerodusk2537]

I wish the Legacy Of Kain franchise would get a nice remaster.

[@DragAmiot]

Soul reaver 1 and 2 hell yes

[@AlphaladZXA]

I'd take that and unreal gold remastered

[@Mclearmountain]

I played Blood Omen 2 where Kain was the main character. Every time someone mentions Legacy Of Kain they mention Soul Reaver games, which I have never played. Where does Blood Omen 2 fit in?

[@embracerodusk2537]

@@Mclearmountain If I remember right, the story of BO2 was after the two Soul Reaver games. The first Blood Omen was an old school Link To The Past style game, great stuff but could really use a remaster that fixes the insane loading times. Then Soul Reaver was more of an Ocarina of Time inspired game & was also amazing stuff. The voice acting alone still holds up better than most new games.

[@damienscott6561]

Something is happening with the first game, Nightdive is probably involved somehow.

[@МухаммедАли-б7д]

How long have I been waiting to play this game on modern consoles! Played it 15 years ago on PlayStation One. To return to it after 15 years is an indescribable feeling! Especially in 4K/60! Thanks to Digital Foundry for a good review of this good old game. And enjoy the game to everyone who bought Shadow Man 😍👍 (Translator was used).

[@defiscanner1927]

watch the remake trailer it will blow your mind

[@TwoTailedCaperer]

NightDive did an amazing job remastering this game, never heard of it before but the work and dedication they put into it makes me want to buy it immediately. They were so sensible with maintaining the look and feel of the original, but adding modern touches like shadows and light effects that only add to the original style. I want them to work on a remaster of the first five Tomb Raider games, I feel like those games share certain elements with this one, and they could really do something incredible with those classics and help bring them into the modern era with grace.

[@TwoTailedCaperer]

@Drumslav Czechisenko lol OK. They created new HD textures that are incredibly faithful. They introduced cut voice dialogue that was recorded but never used in the original game. They recreated cut content on their own based on the scraps left from the original developers, including brand new levels, enemies and bosses. They treated this 23 year old forgotten game better than Bethesda, EA, Blizzard and Ubisoft have treated most of their major AAA properties in the last decade. If you think they are a shitty company that did a shitty job, I'd like to see you do better.

[@jenscee7679]

I bought it for the PS5 on release and will again on Switch on Monday, just to support the remaster devs. One of the best games ever.

[@mandisc]

I had this on the N64 back in the day. I remember being blown away by the expansion pack increasing the resolution. Aside from that, this game was so hard and scared the bejesus out of me!

[@michubern1444]

i got duke nukem 3d when i was 9..good times lol

[@mandisc]

@@michubern1444 doesn't feel like that much time has passed. Thinking back to Shadow man, then how today I was playing Guardians of The Galaxy....

[@densakai]

Yeah I remember the expansion pack made the game ran like garbage. The fps was so low it gave me horrible nausea.

[@mandisc]

@@densakai omg that is true with pretty much all the games I used it for. Yet, I insisted on using it nonetheless because of the sharper image. Nowadays I struggle with 30fps hurting my eyes and always go for a performance mode if I can lol.

[@volpe_sol]

I played portions of the N64 version as a kid, but finally finished the entire game with the remaster recently. The atmosphere and world they created is absolutely amazing and memorable. It's been stuck in my head since i finished it, and can now easily say, it's part of my top 10 favorite games of all time :D

[@adamlee1014]

It’s been a Day 1 pick up for me. Loved both the 64 and Dreamcast versions.

[@torukmaktu9856]

Prefiero jugarla la versión de Nintendo 64

[@ricardoherrera64X]

@@torukmaktu9856 tengo las dos versiones y gráficamente la de Dreamcast se ve impresionante pero la de N64 me sorprende debido a la compresión del juego para entrar en un cartucho de 32 megas. De todas formas comprare esta nueva versión para poder terminar este juegazo de una vez por todas.

[@chrismorrison5301]

I like that they included the settings and I think more console games should, gives people more choice. Some people prefer to prioritize settings, others frame rate and some resolution. Having the choice is just nice.

[@krushingbro6620]

the original devs at acclaim poured so much love into the game that this remaster really shows it off and details that might have passed me by before now pop out its actually amazing to be able to pla ythis classic in this new engine it too kme a while to re-adjust to it as its been so long but its all coming back to me now i just got to the asylum and its sucking me back in just like it did back in '99. Nightdive have knocked it out the park with this remaster, i stand by that this game has an atmosphere like no other.

[@RandomJin_]

Thanks for covering this again. This game deserves all the spotlight it can get! Such a gem.

[@CorvetteJ]

I’m reliving my childhood memories and they added a lot of new stuff. It’s like I’m playing a new game I love what they did with asylum. I’ve been exploring a lot of new areas

[@kyleanderson263]

Shadowman is my second favourite 'Zelda' game of all time after Wind Waker, and both captivated and scared the crap out of me as a kid. Thank you Nightdive, I will be picking this up again on day 1. Also big thanks for the optimisation tips John!

[@Killertamagotchi]

As a gimmick for the switch version, it would be kind of cool if they added support for the NSO N64 controller for people who want to play it the way it was on the N64 back then😂

[@aleemabdul2232]

All we’d need then is to stop people scalping the controllers for £100

[@rantafor4377]

@@aleemabdul2232 PS5: "pfft, amateurs"

[@ModernVintageGamer]

we tried - no one on the team was able to get one

[@artoriasoftheabyss1575]

@@ModernVintageGamer Unfortunate. Also thank you for bringing this to the switch. It's one of the games I really wanted for it to comeback

[@fidus00]

@@ModernVintageGamer awesome your involved in all this releases, soul reaver next?

[@mrnelsonius5631]

That colored lighting in the engine is REALLY taking me back to the 90s. During the Quake 2 era that was the original overused effect and I still love it

[@fosko7494]

That’s one of the things I loved so much about the PS1 version of Doom. The colored lighting really added atmosphere to the PC original. Man I miss the 90s.

[@pferreira1983]

Klingon Honor Guard used it well.

[@SallyMangos]

Excited for Nightdives Exhumed remaster!

[@MikePitt84]

I absolutely love this game, was a favorite on N64, enough to buy the Dreamcast version as well. Now I'm playing it on a PS5 and so happy that someone cares about this gem enough to make this remaster

[@neilslorance6786]

Really looking forward to trying this. I played this back in the day as a kid and never completed it. But it left a mark and I always wanted to go back and finish it.

[@Spit1990]

Same

[@danielbarakat]

It was a great game all around. From what I remember, some stuff won’t age well like the level design. I had to buy the strategy guide just to know where to go next lol. I can imagine that’s why a lot of ppl didn’t finish it.

[@jonathanb1]

It left the main theme stuck in my head and some other music like the fire temple area. Also just the general atmosphere is unique which I haven't found in any other game.

[@almondmilkisgud7192]

I also never finished it as a kid and that’s kind of a good thing because right now the game feels new to me because of the levels I never encountered before

[@redneckedcrake7059]

Same thing, got stuck at some point as a kid. Finished it last year and enjoyed it. It's a very strange game with its own atmosphere. There was one part right at the end, where I simply gave up and looked up a hint, and it was a case of walking past an easily missed book in one of the boss levels.

[@Gohan1138]

on the n64 u can use the expansion pack with this game- it did look really good for the time and the performances hit wasnt as bad as some other game that had the option

[@densakai]

Are you crazy? The expansion pack made it run like 15-20fps that it was just unplayable. Not to mention giving you a very bad headache. It was such a bad game.

[@kickconnection83]

@@densakai pfft. 15 - 20fps Goldeneye - 4 player split screen. We made due and had the time of our lives.

[@Imgema]

I can also confirm the game runs pretty well with the expansion pack. Better compared to most other games that have the option. Thats how i played it and enjoyed it more than the low res option.

[@jamesgames4553]

@@densakai 15-20fps on a CRT looked fine, imo, you got used to it. Wouldn’t call it unplayable, but by today’s standards it’s certainly unacceptable. Luckily the modern port did not release in that state.

[@CyberneticHype]

Thanks Nightdive! Shoutout to MVG!

[@skellymanz5084]

Imagine if Night Dive added "John's Optimized Settings" as a preset option in the game 🤣

[@Estorium]

I would love them to patch this in. That would be hilarious. I am almost certain that they will watch this video.

[@AutomotiveCNC]

They will actually do it. :)

[@outdoorsjoe]

I saved my money up for this game when I was a kid and it ended up being on of my all-time favorite games. I'm really happy to see they did such a great job on this version and now more people will get to see what a great game it is.

[@TheGameLecturer]

I think SSAO here is a great add on because otherwise some of the corner just blend because of the complete lack of backed lights. SSAO helps us understanding what shape see. 3:39 this exemple is the best, on the right side it's hard to see that it's a corner.

[@Dinjoralo.]

It's good there, but it can vary for older games like this. I remember Turok 2, same studio and engine, having an SSAO option that was implemented *terribly*. Like, you could see the corners of the skybox in some areas.

[@219SilverChoc]

@@Dinjoralo. I remember that half res SSAO looked better than full res SSAO and SAO, also the light shafts effect destroys performance on lower end PCs despite it just being a screen space effect. At least they are options on all systems.

[@SmiggyG]

Shadow Man was one of my favorite Dreamcast games. Both this and LOK Soul Reaver were great dark atmospheric games. So glad there's a console remaster now.

[@Camdavis11]

Hopefully a Soul Reaver one comes some day too.

[@rekware9320]

Yep. ANYTHING Night Dive! Love everything they do!

[@chrisfarleyshrek4347]

See Nintendo, Sega, Nickelodeon, Rockstar and Capcom?! This is how you do games like Mario 64, Sunshine, Galaxy, Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, Sonic Colors, SpongeBob: BFBB, GTA III, GTA VC, GTA SA and Devil May Cry Trilogy justice! Update the frame rate, add more effects, add new textures, add cut content, take your time on the ports and don't rush the devs and all those other things Nightdive Studios has done!

[@m1k3yb98]

Just bought this today. I had the Dreamcast version back in the day. I’m so happy to play it again. I was only thinking about this game the other day. I had no idea they were remastering it.

[@barryherbers6090]

Nightdive is amazing. Essential work

[@NoExplosionsMcgee]

Another excellent port by Nightdive! Hopefully Nightdive will remaster more old school games for consoles. I would love to see the console audience finally experience great games such as Thief 1&2, STALKER, MDK, and Deus Ex 1 in the future!

[@szeltovivarsydroxan9944]

100%ed the remaster last year. This is how every remaster should be done like. Loved the game since 1999.

[@churibman]

Just to let y'all know, The PC version was updated to Kex Engine 4 on Patch V1.4, released january 13th.

[@retrorich3679]

Playing this on series X Feels flawless literally the only complaint I can make is it hasn't got support for auto HDR

[@adriantrusca1245]

Literally. Like literally. Literally.

[@UPHENOS]

For the love of God, someone, please.. anyone, bring the Legacy of Kain series back to us!

[@sebastiann.8088]

They just did

[@zognarreg]

Loved playing through this back on the Dreamcast (RIP) and PC. So unique, and really felt good to make progress. And Shadow Man’s voice.... just awesome 😎

[@ShawnKTheKing]

This bring back memories of the PlayStation 1 days , man this is a classic 🔥

[@Sonicfalcon16]

Never played it. Ill give it a shot

[@samuelchurch5124]

Wasn't the PS1 version infamously bad?

[@ShawnKTheKing]

@@samuelchurch5124 not at all it was good for it’s time I own one for like 3 years was not disappointed

[@ShawnKTheKing]

@@AfterBurnerTeirusu Turok was a good port on PlayStation 4

[@JARRYDTHEPAIN]

@@samuelchurch5124 it was ok but the game was glitched you could not get the 120th govi it was not in the game. This ment you could not get the good ending. So it was bad from that stand point. Graphics wise it was typical playstation fare. Frame rate drops in larger more complex areas and when serveral enemies are on screen while using the shadow gun. The effects of the shadow gun slowed down the game at times as well. But it was playable.

[@kikayei]

I played this on the Sega Dreamcast. It was psychologically disturbing.

[@n64glennplant]

Naturally I’m here 😃

[@axeratedmofo]

This was one of the few games I had for my N64 back in the day. I remember getting it for Christmas the year it came out and having to play it on an old black and white TV as my bedroom TV had just broken and I wanted to play it however I could! Can't wait to pick it up on Switch tomorrow as it seems like the perfect handheld game to see me through the next few weeks, hopefully I can finally see it through to the end!

[@SugarJRay]

Didn't know there was much love out there for Shadowman, one of the only dark and eerie games on the n64 along with Nightmare Creatures

[@Krisstoff001]

oh boy finally, time to relive the adventure

[@lagaffe91]

Df retro is such a good emission ! Keep it up, you guys are awesome !

[@ScrapKing73]

The only missing piece of the puzzle in this review is what level of fidelity it display on Series S. I'm presuming 1080p@60, but there's an outside chance it's 1440p@60 or 1080p@120. If it's just a straight back-compat game, then it'll be running at the same maximums as the One S. However, if it's a back-compat+ title then it's possible they set it to a different maximum for Series S. The fact that the settings appear to be exactly the same between Pro/One X and PS5/Series X, that suggests it's a straight back-compat title on current-gen consoles without any enhancements. So at least on Series S you would likely be able to turn on every single enhancement option without any performance drops (unlike on One S).

[@waterheart95]

That would be nice, I surprised they didn't test out the series s. The series s is a big step up from the xbox one s, so everything would run extremely smooth.

[@fullauto86]

After decades of display options on console just being gamma, this stuff is so nice to see, i truly appreciate that attention to specifics.

[@rabidguineapig]

When I was playing the Pc version of this remaster I absolutely loved the new shadow mapping. I mean it only makes sense that SHADOW man would have SHADOWS in it. It just adds to the atmosphere. I'm glad to see that it would hardly affect the performance on the Switch version, I can do without motion blur and minimal AA. I actually like the way ambient occlusion looks on older low poly games but that's just me.

[@waititstuesdaygod]

In love with this games style even now it looks impressive

[@Schraiber]

Was hoping you'd do this one! Looking forward to picking this up now that it's on console. I had it on Dreamcast back in the day but I was just legit too dumb to play the game. Hoping that 20 years later I'm finally smart enough to actually get past the beginning

[@UberNoodle]

If Nightdive finally releases Forsaken Remastered on Switch, I will be very happy, you might say I would give them much critical ... Acclaim. (Edit: still there would be more for Nightdive to do, such as Extreme G 1 and 2!)

[@NothingHereForYou]

NightDive is like the Criterion Collection of video games

[@zanychelly]

I just got it on the PSN. Really nice to be able to replay it.

[@alanlindsay8310]

Had this on the Dreamcast and remember it running and looking nice on my VGA adaptor that allowed you to hook up the console to a really good CRT monitor.

[@jcdenton616]

This is such a fantastic channel. Great work, everyone at DF!

[@mikewade777]

Sweet one of my favourite games on the M64.. definitely will get this for the Xbox One X

[@TheGamingHarbinger]

Shadow Man was so impressive back then! The graphics, the unsettling story, music, and it being a mature game on a Nintendo console had me hyped!

[@ak2112]

Have been waiting for the Switch version for a long time. Very eager to get it.

[@floatinggoose9197]

Such an underrated title

[@iPlaySEGA]

Loved the SEGA Dreamcast game! It was AWESOME!

[@blvckshinobi3864]

Man that song in the intro brought back so many memories 😌

[@AFourEyedGeek]

13/01/2022 - Patch 1.4 released, Shadow Man Remastered updated to Kex 4.0. Happened just after you guys filmed this.

[@borgs101]

Back in the day on N64 I never quite finished this game .. couldn't find enough Dark souls to progress! Perhaps this my chance for redemption!

[@timmy3822]

I remember this being a much loved game back in the N64 days. I was too young for it but it’s cool to see a remaster. I might pick this up on Switch and give it a go :).

[@akalyx]

love me some nightdive studios

[@GameplayandTalk]

Thanks for the reminder. I need to finally play through this game.

[@Cautious_Gamer]

Good video. Should've used the Dreamcast version in the comparison as well. It looks great!

[@johneverimanne3986]

It's good to know that I'm not the only one who remembers this "awesome game." And it looks like I'm gonna be buying it for a third time (I got it when it came out on N64 and and eventually got the Dreamcast port- which was a better version, aside of the load times that I had to get used to). If your someone who liked the somewhat recent, Doom 64 port. Then you will also love this. It's a creepy adventure game with 3rd person shooter mechanics. And puzzle solving and an interesting story. Absolutely loved it! It's one of those games that makes me sad that "Acclaim Studios" went under. Sorry for the length!!!

[@transtechgirl8786]

Watching this really took me back, I miss the aesthetic of games like this. Might just have to pick this up on Series X.

[@liquidrufus]

For we are many

[@chromosome24]

That thumbnail triggered many dormant memories from my childhood.

[@michiganjack1337]

Wow that’s great. Shadow Man has always been one of my favorite obscure games. Now all I ask is for Nightmare Creatures to come back.

[@eugenedalinger9585]

Amazing job from NightDive. I would kill for their remaster of Legacy of Kain series. I dropped the dream for proper sequel years ago, but maybe atleast a proper remaster can be wished into existence.

[@KISSFan1977]

Loved and still own this for my Sega Dreamcast! Tempted to get this for my XSX.

[@shobitts1127]

I love when the switch gets a spotlight on these matters

[@themechanic6117]

I remember playing this game as a kid. I never got anywhere in the game because every time I tried it it scared the hell out of me 🤣

[@damienkrawczuk1435]

Got it for my PS4 last week and getting it for my switch next week, man this game brings back memories, I heard Alan wake remastered is coming to switch if that's true, would love your run down on that, but yeah shadow man is awesome, thanks for your run down on this game, I'll be using those John settings, that sounds good, cheers again until the next vid 👍

[@ShionShinigami]

Nightdive is the new Bluepoint - and the old Bluepoint isn't even gone!!! 😁

[@szpynda]

The Best Voodoo Game 4ever.

[@n8doggy733]

you guys sold me on ShadowMan Remastered. no way i would have gotten it without this vid

[@jasonshort4402]

I;m so glad you have done this. I love this game!

[@cristianspiridon]

This game deserves a remake!!!

[@victfv]

Never heard of this game before, but I'm glad they added dynamic shadows to a game called Shadow Man. Also, the game kind of looks like Severance: Blade of Darkness.

[@charoleawood]

It's important to note that Shadow Man focuses entirely on ranged combat

[@LOW-KEY78]

Damn I might have to check this game out Thanks DF

[@racefaceec90]

have never played this game so am very much looking forward to getting it for my switch come midnight.

[@jaynelson1762]

This is easily my most anticipated game of the year. Picked up an Oled just for this, going to phone in sick on Monday, turn on Jon’s settings and embrace the horrors of deadside. So excited!

[@LucasOliveira-ln6xm]

Great Video! Great Game! One of the best games ever made for me

[@James-gj8rn]

i litteraly just watched your video on Shadow Man Remastered PC and now the console video comes out :)

[@wh5027]

I remember games like this, Rayman 2, and Soul Reaver showed just how much better the Dreamcast versions were than N64 and PS1. Dreamcast was an amazing system.

[@Mixing_It_Up]

One of my favorite games from N64 era. Thanks for the video guys. I actually had no idea it was being remade, and yeah even though we get better performance on PC and other consoles, doesn’t this game just kinda beg to be on the Switch? Lol that’s where I’m putting it.

[@Hitmanblood]

I wish all console games would have graphic settings like pc does. It is awesome when the user can decide to hit performance If they want

[@Bl4ckH4nd]

I wish more console games would have actual settings, choose between 4k and 1440p and have other settings to play around. Would be great to tailor a game to which settings you prefer to be higher or lower.

[@SpartanX360]

Love this game on my Sega Dreamcast still playing it, now playing on one X

[@jimphilidor9031]

I need to get this ASAP.. I never finished the originial but it has definitely stuck on my mind.

[@191desperado]

9:50 John has joined the optimized settings gang 😂

[@JeffSoulliere]

oh man I can't wait to use John's Optimized Settings

[@Bajso84]

This game is incredible. Starts out as an interesting voodoo themed action game, but it turns into a fever dream metroidvania while the rabbit hole just goes deeper and deeper into madness. Beatifully creative & imaginative designs, and good use of lighting and color. What a great remaster, with a lot of added settings and tweaks. A game to be savored 😙👌🏻 My only complaints would be the broken depth of field setting, and the game often crashing on Switch when waking the system after a period of standby. Minor things.

[@DAM1EN666-0]

Holy shit!! This sure brings me back!

[@geminijinxies7258]

This is my favorite game from 1999. Never managed to finish it though.

[@charoleawood]

Now is the perfect time to revisit it. Use some guides. The game can be completed in less than twenty hours.

[@victorsb1979]

Day 1 for Nintendo switch

[@HiCZoK]

I love me a good motion blur. Makes the game look so smooth

[@rebornkusabi7264]

Playing it right now (I was curious what the game ran like on non-PS5 systems, I know it's 'just' a PS4 game) and this game has basically become my example, along with Bluepoint's Demon's Souls remaster, of how a remaster should be. The fact that there are $60-$70 remasters with a 1/5th of this games effort sold at full price, when this is $20, is absolutely insane to me. It's like- I get this is an over 20 year old game, but when remasters come out for games 15 years older and perform significantly worse, it's just insulting. And it's not even just that this game is modernized- it actually has content added into, actual effort was made. Oh well- I guess it's what I get for liking older games. I'll certainly take a Shadow Man Remaster over any modern game any day of the week.

[@Simte]

The intro is superb.