Shadowgate & The Immortal - NES Games That Want You Dead | hungrygoriya

[@EnjoySackLunch]

My brain still plays the dying torch theme in my head anytime I enter any social engagement.

[@hungrygoriya]

I should just put that song on my phone and play it every time I arrive to work.

[@dorpth]

It's shocking if you ever try any non-NES version of Shadowgate, how much lamer it seems, and you realize just how much the music added.

[@MogofWar]

​@dorpth I was today years old when I found out the other ports of Shadowgate didn't have soundtracks... suddenly my desire to play them has evaporated.

[@bort_hill]

​@@hungrygoriyause it as your waking alarm for work days

[@AllTerrainNewfieJRY]

The Uninvited, Shadow Gate, Deja Vu, they all want to show you the game over screen I think lol.

[@Chris_Zojoi]

Hey! I’m on the team developing the official sequel to the NES Shadowgate coming to PC. Thanks for covering the original! I’ve been a fan of your videos for years. If you want to try the new game there’s a free demo online. The full version will include Deja Vu and Uninvited chapters. Thanks again for making great content and featuring our series!

[@hungrygoriya]

Amazing to hear from you! When I was playing Shadowgate back in March or April of this year, people in my stream chat were absolutely hyped up for the Kickstarter campaign. I'm so happy to see that the project was more than fully funded, and if you've scrolled through the comments here, lots of people are hyped for that experience! I'll definitely check out the demo sometime and see what the new game's all about.

[@jdarokhajiit9153]

Tell me you are a sadist without saying you are a sadist lol

[@King_Thulsa_Doom]

I salute you, bold wanderer... There remains a special place in my heart for the Murderous Labyrinth that is Shadowgate.

[@beyonderbill3409]

Tell me its gonna be on PS5!!!!

[@Steelflight773]

I had no idea about the sequel. I just added it to my wishlist on Steam. I look forward to it! This is also the first I have seen of this channel. Great content! Just subbed.

[@TellYouHwaet]

This is good timing. I had to explain to my girlfriend this weekend how Shadowgate (and Adventure of Link's) game over screens gave me nightmares as a kid and she'd never seen either.

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh nice! Glad to help your cause. The Adventure of Link's is pretty intimidating too.

[@aedwardsss]

This game gave me the creeps, it had some really cool moments, but the Zelda games just made sure that I would hear that incessant beeping in my dreams

[@vintagegamer695]

I was scared Of Zelda 2's game over screen until I was 14, but only at night. And when I used to use a nightlight, the shadows cast by the bunk bed kinda resembled Ganon's silhouette. When I showed that Game Over screen to my nieces when they were little, they thought it was funny.

[@23Scadu]

Shadowgate is one of my favorites, partly because it was the first of very, very few NES games to receive a Swedish translation. Playing a game in my own language, especially one with such gruesome death scenes, was an unforgettable experience for me as a child.

[@hungrygoriya]

Amazing that it was available to you in Swedish! I imagine that must've been a rarity back then. I hope the translation was good, but at the very least, it made a long-lasting impression on you with all the deaths!

[@hnorrstrom]

The translation had some flaws though. "GÄ" and "SLÄ" were the main ones instead of Gå and slå, go or hit or whatever they might be in english. There were also some puzzles that became really weird because of the translation.. And we all remember "Crest" translated to Krön, which is a crest of a hill not an emblem. As kids we thought that was the real name in Swedish.😂 Luckily some older guys in school made a huge guide to the game that we were allowed to photocopy. Good old 90's memories. The game was really cool though and the music is still great. 😊 21:12

[@danielpe3746]

Nice, this was the first thing I thought of when I saw this video. I also like how the comment will make no sense to non-Swedish speakers. Gå and slå probably sounds like the language of Mordor to most. 😂

[@rsreston]

Besides the fact you explore hidden retro gems, it amazes me how you tell us so much about the games without falling into a fixed and predictable narrative structure. Your videos are a delight!

[@hungrygoriya]

Hey thanks! I'm glad each video feels different because that's my intention with the writing. I like each script to have its own flow based on what's being discussed rather than trying to shove certain games into boxes they don't fit into.

[@aedwardsss]

The Uninvited (another MacVenture game by the Shadowgate people) gave me an actual jump scare as a kid. I definitely recommend that and “DeJa Vu”

[@hungrygoriya]

Nice! I have them both but haven't had the opportunity to play them yet. Apparently I need to!

[@aedwardsss]

@@hungrygoriya you are my favorite game, reviewer at the moment, and I have been a long viewer of this type of content. I always look forward to seeing you play some of my favorite games.

[@Mintcar923]

The one from the series I played the most was Deja Vu 2.. Still never had the patience to finish it lol Weirdly I didn’t have the original back in the day.. Got it now tho Maybe I’ll check it out on my next vacation.. That’s what I do revisit the oldies whilst on vacation.. What I would like to see is a remake of The Immortal by FromSoft being it had that pre Soulsbourne sorta vibe

[@aedwardsss]

@@Mintcar923 Deja Vu was the first one I finished and damn is it twisted all over. I say finish it!!

[@PaulLaPorteJr]

​@@hungrygoriya I can second the Deja Vu and Uninvited recommendations. Deja Vu was my favorite game growing up and doesn't have that clock aspect that Shadowgate does. But its not without its own frustrations. It's entirely possible to throw out critical items to the games progress and soft lock the game.

[@oobgarm1]

I played Shadowgate as a youth. It's neat to hear you articulate the feelings I felt as well about the brooding and dark nature of the environment and the excellent narration. Since this game was a rental, I didn't get a lot of time with it initially. I was stuck right at the entrance, not having yet built up the observational skill the game requires to proceed. As an 11-year old, I wrote a letter to Kemco-Seika's customer service department, complaining about my struggles. I remember getting a letter back, giving me a few hints to nudge me along without spoiling things too much. I wish I still had that somewhere, but alas it seems to be lost to the ether of time. As it stands now though, this is one of my favorite NES games.

[@hungrygoriya]

It's so awesome that you got to experience some of this as a kid. I loved everything horror-themed and melancholy when I was little so I think I would've absolutely adored this game if I'd had the chance to try it back then. I wish you still had that note too! It would be really cool to look back on, but at the very least, it helped you get moving on the game and that's fantastic!

[@davidlynn5272]

Oh my I jive with that childhood description in this game. I’d forgotten all about it for 30 years with just some images in my mind of it. This week found it again and am binging! Love how it all came back. Be well!!

[@Teachermook]

I'm surprised you didn't also mention Uninvited in this group. That game really frightened me and creeped me out. Especially one certain item.

[@hungrygoriya]

I haven't tried Uninvited yet. I actually played Shadowgate and The Immortal back to back and was surprised at how similar they were in their themes and tone.

[@lonwoogmail]

Same thought. That lady with the umbrella freaked me the hell out.

[@Teachermook]

@@hungrygoriya well fair warning if you play uninvited. It is pure horror fuel. Scarlet O'Zombie alone is creepy enough. But you can actually die on the first screen rather easily

[@GerardoSantana]

@@lonwoogmailNot gonna lie I think Scarlet O'Hara gets everyone

[@johncarney5956]

Don't forget Déjà Vu

[@ZarkAttack]

For Shadowgate's timed aspect: What I'd recommend is something similar to what you're doing. Make a save, then light your torch and go experiment. Light a new torch every time you need to. Once you make what you feel is progress, just reload, do those things, and save your game again. Repeat.

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah, that's a good way to do it too!

[@ZarkAttack]

@@hungrygoriya it'll really help you avoid having to listen to that music too much

[@totalimmortal88]

My childhood anxiety just came back listening to that Shadowgate theme!! man I loved that game. Nothing on the NES came as close as anxiety inducing as hearing that theme when your last torch starts to run out and you know the grim reaper screen is lurking! Loved how crazy that game was, something always waiting to kill you haha.

[@hungrygoriya]

These games were some of the most fun I've had playing the NES lately. There's so much suspense at all times in both games, and many great laugh out loud moments. I appreciate both titles very much!

[@antonjernberg5925]

That calm and collected voice is a big reason I subscribed.

[@hungrygoriya]

There's no better way to be while playing video games! Glad you like the channel!

[@Preying4War]

I love when you make new content because I get to talk to someone else about my experiences with a game, & I love Shadowgate (but not as much as Deja Vu). It took me years to figure out how to beat the game. I was stuck on the screen with two bridges (one sturdy, one flimsy ). Then finally a friend in my class told me to drink the potion which is described as "the vial feels impossibly light". I was sure the solution was to defeat the fire hound, but nothing in my inventory worked. I played The Immortal once. I thought it looked awesome, but it was absolutely merciless. I remember thinking it was a rip off that the Genesis version was gorier.

[@hungrygoriya]

I had a heck of a time with that bridge and learned that I could possibly softlock on the other side if I didn't have enough potion bottles in my inventory. The game was pretty open but also oddly specific sometimes in the order in which you had to complete certain parts, but softlocking was a constant fear for me. I started writing out the steps I took to get through the game at first just in case! The Immortal's pretty merciless when you start out with it, but it's truly one of the more rewarding experiences I've had on the NES. It's pretty neat to see your skills getting better, though sometimes fighting the monsters over and over when you get put back at the beginning of a stage was hard on the thumb too! I've yet to try the Genesis version but I'd like to see what that version looks like sometime. Thanks for the thoughtful comment here! I appreciate you stopping by!

[@Ratralsis]

I feel like I've said some variation of this opening line on a dozen of your videos, but that just speaks to the topics you cover, I suppose: I played both The Immortal and Shadowgate when I was a little kid. I remember having a friend over and the two of us not getting very far. I was so young that I had to read the game's text out loud to my friend because he could not yet read well enough to do so without me. That's how young we were, and you can guess that we did not far in that game! But my dad? This was another of those games that he'd obsessively play on weekends. He had an entire legal pad of notes. He wrote down EVERY word of every dream dreamt on a hay bed, every clue, mapped out those rooms of spikes and worm pits, and, of course, all of the passwords. When he finally finished the game, he dove right back in and got the second ending based on whether or not he gave Ana her ring. He was deservedly very proud of himself. Shadowgate, though? My dad and I never finished that one. I found out years later, in middle school, from an older kid, that we were missing that ice orb. We just never found the darn thing on our own. A couple of years later, it was rereleased on Gameboy Color, and I played through my copy of that at least a dozen times, trying to get through it in the smallest number of turns (measured by how many torches I used, of course) as possible. I'm sure I was far from the top of any speedrunning leaderboards, but I had fun. You'd think the other Macventure games, Deja Vu and Uninvited, would have been favorites of mine, too, but they aren't. I don't know what makes Shadowgate special, but it's the only one of them I clicked with. Anyway, thanks for the trip down memory lane. I don't think of either of these games very often these days, and it's really wonderful to see an adult discover them for the first time and enjoy working their way through them like they're new. I still remember back when they really were.

[@hungrygoriya]

It sounds like you have some awesome memories with this one. I really appreciate you sharing them with me too! I remember getting stuck in games I was playing as a kid like Curse of Monkey Island or King's Quest VI for months on end because I'd missed a small detail like you did with the ice orb. And even if you had the ice orb, the way you use it (and need to pick it up again!!!) is also tricky! I'm glad you eventually got through it. I need to see what the Game Boy version is like sometime! I'd also like to try Deja Vu and Uninvited one of these days too, though the consensus seems to be that I've already played the best of the three. Still though, I enjoy these kinds of games and look forward to playing them too.

[@interghost]

As always your reviews are so well done and crammed full of info. I appreciate the effort you put in. Also, loving the cart switching... so eligant :)

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh thank you so much!

[@NakedSnake85]

" and gives you an eternal sunburn." That always made me laugh. Shadowgate has one of the best soundtracks of NES.

[@hungrygoriya]

Shadowgate has an excellent soundtrack and a very funny sense of humour. I loved it!

[@not_jon_vendi]

You are quickly becoming one of my favorite youtubers. thank you for all you do, love your content!

[@hungrygoriya]

That's very high praise! Thanks for this!

[@Merlchar]

Absolutely loved both of these games when I was a kid. Little wonder that one day I would love Dark Souls for many of the same reasons. Mystery, dark fantasy--and lots of learning by dying.

[@hungrygoriya]

I've only played King's Field, which I think was a very early "souls"-type game. I definitely felt some of that same sentiment while playing that one, but I imagine the more modern games with all the brilliantly choreographed fights are even more rewarding to work through. I'll have to take the plunge and try Dark Souls one of these days.

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

Great review as always Goriya! One of the neatest parts about the NES library is that at the time, there was basically no "console versus PC" divide, so there are actually a fair number of games that came out for the NES (or just the Famicom in Japan) that you'd normally consider PC games, especially a surprising number of point and click games. If you've never played it before, I'd highly recommend Maniac Mansion, which does have a NES version, and Nightshade. A tie in to the film, The Goonies, Goonies 2 is also surprisingly, in the NES Point and Click Adventure Game style, oddly enough. On the Famicom side of things, Nintendo produced a few of their own adventure games too, though we never got them in the west until very, very recently. The Famicom Detective Club games were more focused on triggering the correct dialogue sequences with characters than picking up items and using them in deathtrap puzzles, and there was the Portopia Serial Murder Case game, which was again, another mystery solving adventure game, by Enix (and which was I think the first game by the creator of Dragon Quest). You'd need emulators if you wanted to play these games in English, however, since they were never translated into the NES library, though the Detective Club games were eventually remade and rereleased on the Nintendo Switch with some rather nice graphics and full Japanese voice acting! And if you liked Shadowgate in particular, it ended up having a sequel for the N64 of all platforms! It's actually a pretty solid successor too, keeping the same first person style with the massive improved graphics of low polygon 3D! I had quite a bit of fun with that one myself, and you might too.

[@hungrygoriya]

Of the games you've recommended here, I've only had a chance to play through Maniac Mansion! Thank you for the other suggestions, especially about the Famicom games and the N64 sequel to Shadowgate! I really need to try to find a way to play all of those someday. I'd definitely like to try anything else made in the same form as Shadowgate especially since it was such a blast, and a sequel seems like a pretty good place to start.

[@EddieSlabb]

Shadow Gate is a game my sister and I completed together in our youths and I'll never forget the satisfaction of completing it. We also had UNINVITED a very similar title for NES. I'd highly recommend it as well for its quirky writing and puzzles.

[@hungrygoriya]

What wonderful memories with your family! I used to play Super Mario Bros. 2 with my mom and I treasure those times very much. I'd definitely like to try Uninvited one of these days, as well as Deja Vu, and possibly even Nightshade even though it's not a pure point and click. I need more of this kind of thing in my life!

[@DezorianGuy]

17:35 Never got that trumpet, all I got was a nasty key.

[@hungrygoriya]

I was also let down that it was not actually a trumpet. I enjoyed thinking about the story of the lake-bound musician who died stuck to a wall afraid to cross the waters because of a shark...

[@DezorianGuy]

@@hungrygoriya That was definitely a strong point and the magic of Shadowgate. You always wondered what history lay behind each room... I remember, in the last section of the game, there was a stone boulder that would crush you from above if you tried to enter the left passageway. Where would you have ended up if the door weren't trapped? I wanted to explore each part of the castle. So many mysteries indeed.

[@MotherKojiro]

The bathtime brush line definitely got me; I'd never seen it like that before, even though I did always think the machete looked like a giant feather, but now I can't unsee it. I'm tempted to bring up the rest of the MacVenture trilogy (Deja Vu and The Uninvited), but they weren't quite as ridiculous with the deaths as Shadowgate was, and I've only played the sequel to Deja Vu once (the Game Boy Color port), so I don't remember if that had a lot of deaths, either. There is also Shadowgate's ill-fated Turbo CD sequel that's going to be getting a remake in this first-person style (the original was something more akin to King's Quest, but more action-oriented, and again, ON A CONSOLE), and given that it's going to be made by the same company that did the Shadowgate remake (which was a lot of the same people who worked on the original game), I think that's going to be another game that celebrates death in such a way. My go-to for laugh-out-loud deaths, though is I Wanna be the Guy, which is a freeware Platformer for the PC. On the first screen, your snake your way down through some passages, and in what feels like two frames of animation, a spike wall flies out and VAPORIZES you faster than you can blink. So, you notice an opening at the top, and you go up instead; walk under a tree, and a piece of fruit turns you into a fine spray again. So you VERY CAREFULLY, tempt the arborian ovules to drop and retreat, making your way to the other side; you hop up, cross over the top, and the fruit FALLS UP AT YOU. This is the second screen of the game. It's one of those old masocore titles that gave rise to the likes of Super Meat Boy and Celeste, and will test your reflexes (and patience; one screen had me yelling incoherently in Spanish), but almost every death has a great deal of humor to it.

[@hungrygoriya]

Hahaha I couldn't unsee Jason's bathtime brush once I noticed it the first time, so you're welcome! I can't wait to see what the remake you mentioned is going to be like! It's cool that there are people out there that still want to breathe life into that series and make it new again. I'd still like to try the old games on the TG-16 and the N64 just to see what they're all about, but an official sequel coming out as well as a remake are both very exciting pieces of news for fans! I know I Wanna be the Guy in name only, but it's good to know that there are some hilarious death moments in that game. I haven't played anything like Super Meat Boy or Celeste, but I've watched a lot of people play through those games on Twitch. I'll see if I can find someone streaming I Wanna be the Guy because I think I'd much rather enjoy watching a game like that than playing it myself. While I don't know Spanish, I'd hate to start yelling at my TV incoherently in English out of frustration!

[@MotherKojiro]

@@hungrygoriya If you're looking to follow the remake, Friday Night Arcade did a really good video on it a while back; I don't know where the project is at as far as funding or any of that, but at present, there isn't a Steam page for it, so it's probably going to be a little while. I did try the other two games, but didn't get all that far; Beyond Shadowgate does look really cool, but with the mechanics being the way that they are, I just watched the U Can Beat Video Games guide instead of trying to drag myself through it.

[@thrallgames]

I am thoroughly enjoying this channel, keep up the great work!

[@hungrygoriya]

Hey thanks so much! I will do my best!

[@mattlockwood6089]

This is a genre of game I dont play but I love the insight and breakdown you give every game and it looks like your reputation is spreading 😊

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh thank you! I love point and clicks and games that have great ambience and writing, so these two were great choices for me personally! I'm just glad anyone shows up to watch at all. Thank you for the thoughtful comment!

[@granpastreetz]

Wow! I'm impressed The Immortal used a cool "Old English" style font instead of the generic "video game/8 bit" font. Great channel!

[@hungrygoriya]

You don't see that often eh? I liked that touch as well!

[@juststatedtheobvious9633]

Maniac Mansion, Deja Vu, and Ultima: Exodus were my own sadomasochistic sandboxes. There's just an artificial innocence to the overall library that makes it feel like you're actually getting away with something, but like, in a fun way instead of a depressing slog through mandatory nihilism. The PSP version of Sims 2 was another example of genuine "Are they really letting me go there?" And I hear Balder's Gate III regarded this kind of flexibility as a mission statement?

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah, I definitely felt sneaky playing Shadowgate especially! I'm really curious about Baldur's Gate 3. It's been held in such high regard, but I have so much retro to play. It might be a while before I get to it!

[@juststatedtheobvious9633]

@@hungrygoriya If you're looking for more console point and clicks, may I suggest the Sega CD library? But only if load times aren't a deal breaker for you. Also, Scooby Doo on Genesis and GBC were two games in that style which reviewed surprisingly well. (Lowered expectations might be an issue, but I haven't gotten to either one yet. Like you said, there's a lot of retro out there. I'm currently exploring DS and GBA.)

[@JoakimKanon]

Goodness gravy, the music of Shadowgate. 🤩

[@chrislaustin]

I love Shadowgate and all of it's spinoffs and while I never played the NES version much, it's probably the most famous version due to having a wider audience get to enjoy the experience. I've seen The Immortal before covered in videos like this, but I've never played it, but it looks like something I might be in to, so maybe I'll play it sooner rather than later.

[@hungrygoriya]

I hope you give The Immortal a try. It's not easy but it's very interesting to make progress in it. I'm curious about other versions of Shadowgate as well, just to see what some of the graphical differences might be like!

[@Vexelius]

Your videos are always so enjoyable to watch! I remember playing both games when I was a kid, and ShadowGate turned out to be one of my favorites. Personally, I felt that dying was strangely "rewarding" there, because of the creative writing and the intricate ways that it could happen. It was almost an extra challenge to find new ways in which you could meet your demise. When I played ShadowGate the first time, I only got killed ~4 or 5 times, in the parts where you really have to guess the right answer (the mirror room being the first one I found) and after completing the game, I decided to play it over and over just out of curiosity, to see all the "bad endings". In the case of Immortal... That game was really frustrating to me. Things felt unfair and teasing, and while I admit that the graphics and atmosphere was impressive (specially for a Nes game), I couldn't stand being killed over and over, so I didn't bothered to play it after again after a couple of hours. However, your video (and the way you put everything in perspective) has made me feel like checking it out again. Thanks for this new video!

[@hungrygoriya]

It's cool that you got through Shadowgate so quickly! I got stuck on some of the puzzles that took a little extra thinking outside the box like freezing the lake with the sphere, and eventually taking it back out again... The Immortal's definitely mean. There's no denying its very cruel sense of humour but I loved it anyway. I hope you end up enjoying it more if you do decide to try it again sometime. It does have some very forgiving qualities too! Good luck!

[@jasonrustmann7535]

Always a good day when you upload! I played both of these as a kid, and can honestly say i couldn't figure out a damn thing with either lol i owned (and still do) shadowgate, it's sound track still gets used in my d&d games =) i rented the immortal once, and couldn't get past the fist monster you have to fight! That one was just to hard for younger me lol

[@hungrygoriya]

Maybe it's a good thing for older you to try sometime, yeah? I'm sure you could get through The Immortal if you gave it a solid try. I'm a big fan of the idea that if I can do it, so can you! The Shadowgate music's really good. I'm not surprised to hear that it's made its way into other facets of your life. It'd definitely fit that D&D vibe for sure!

[@jasonrustmann7535]

@@hungrygoriya i belive it's on the switch now that i think about it. Perhaps it's time a take another crack at it lol Keep up the great work, and thanks for the encouragement ;)

[@danielpe3746]

I think Shadowgate definitely earned the nod as a classic. Not only is it a great game with the right tone for a generation that grew up with DnD and early stage fantasy, but it also embodies the true meaning of NES hard. You had to keep on trying and trying to make it through this adventure puzzle game. I bet anyone born in the 80s would be able to identify that death screen immediately. "It's a sad thing that you adventures have ended here!!"... and here!! ... and here!!... You catch my drift :⁠-⁠)

[@hungrygoriya]

I do catch your drift! What a fantastic game.

[@briansmith1288]

I played Shadowgate a ton. So many deaths. Learned to save often. And the certain music loop is stuck in my head thanks to the Gaming in the Clinton years videos

[@hungrygoriya]

I hadn't heard about Gaming in the Clinton Years until today, and I'm amazed it took me this long to find out about it.

[@briansmith1288]

@@hungrygoriya its a rabbit hole... with some wild opinions and odd reviews. But they put the music from Shadowgate in the opening. So it took me months to place it because I knew the tune

[@Qwarky]

You know it's a good thursday when we get a new hungry goriya AND it's about Shadowgate AND The Immortal. You spoil us so!

[@hungrygoriya]

It's absolutely my pleasure to get these videos together. Sorry for the long wait on this!

[@kyleh6671]

Will you do a video on beyond Shadowgate? Done in the style of the new original.

[@kyleh6671]

NES original, that is

[@hungrygoriya]

I might consider it! I do like keeping the channel retro-focused so I'll have to see what the game's like first! I'm very excited to see what it's all about though!

[@1Holbytla]

🙂 I enjoyed your reference to The Log-Drivers Waltz! I grew up here in Canada hearing it a lot along with the animated cartoon set to it. A quite Canadian thing, I think? It made me smile to think of you singing that as your wizard was paddling his barrel! 😊 PS - I think you do a great job with your channel. I appreciate your videos very much! 😁👍

[@hungrygoriya]

Hey thanks! I couldn't help myself when the time came while paddling around on that barrel in The Immortal. I'm glad I'm not the only person that remembers that song. I used to get so excited when it'd come on TV back in the day. It was a little show between shows. When someone uploaded it onto KZbin many years later and I heard it again for the first time after many years, it was blissful! And thanks for your kind words about the channel too! I appreciate it!

[@1Holbytla]

Lol 😂 I *also* am glad to find I’m not the only one who remembers that grand ol’ ditty. You’re welcome. 😊 Thank you for taking the time to respond, hungrygoriya. Lol, btw what do you like to be called/referred to as?

[@otakubullfrog1665]

I loved Shadowgate, Deja Vu and The Uninvited when I was a kid because they offered something very different from the standard NES fare. Because my family wouldn't buy a computer until well into the 16-bit era, I never cared how much better purists claimed that other versions of these games were.

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah, I take issue with people that write off console ports of games. At least people got to experience them, you know? I played the heck out of King's Quest V on NES and loved that experience and it wasn't until a few years ago that I tried out the PC version. It was okay, but the NES version served me just fine and I'm very nostalgic for that experience!

[@maesejesus]

Finding your channel was the discovery of the year, I love how you communicate. I got stuck with just The Immortal as a kid for some time, and believe me, between its difficulty and the language barrier, it was a trip and a half. The OST was pretty great, and nowadays I find the NES versiok better than the Mega Drive one, specially since enemies seem to have some intelligence in their actions. Shadowgate I only got to play as an adult, but alsoa lovely game. I mean, it's pretty evil but you get it. Anyway, happy holidays, and thank you for your videos!

[@hungrygoriya]

I think I'd like to try the Genesis version of The Immortal just to see what it's like. I have a feeling that I'll still like the NES version more because I adore that aesthetic, but I'd also like to see the extra gore/content in the other version. That's incredibly kind of you to say! Thank you so much! Hopefully I'll have a new video out soon enough. Wishing you very happy holidays as well!

[@mariusamber3237]

Funny how Shadowgate is what most people think of when they think of 8-bit console adventure games in the West (I still see games in this style made to this day - in fact, a sequel in the same style is in the works; Beyond Shadowgate), but not in Japan, since Portopia was the main template there. You may know this, but this game had a bad first-person Japanese translation which became a source of memes and jokes in Japan - yeah, it wasn't well received there. I tried playing it in Japanese and I'd agree that it's basically their equivalent of A Winner is You, just with hundreds of lines instead of one.

[@BDBD16]

There is a Beyond Shadowgate for the TG16-CD as well.

[@Gamingtrevor]

@@BDBD16 There is- and it's not half-bad, but doesn't quite grab the original's feel. This new game looks like it's going to be good. The kickstarter is late, but they're very open about the development and it seems to be coming along nicely. :)

[@BDBD16]

@@Gamingtrevor Good to know! Hoping the kickstarter one is good. I can't justify 800 to 1K for a TG16 CD for a mid game.

[@hungrygoriya]

Portopia eh? I can't say I've even heard of that game before, but I might be familiar with some of the memes if I saw them. That's really too bad that the writing's so poorly done :(

[@mariusamber3237]

@@hungrygoriya Yup, that's unfortunate, MacVenture games (all of them had this issue) didn't deserve this. Portopia was a big hit that even influenced people like Hideo Kojima to make games. One of those cases where a massively influential game stayed in Japan... well, kind of. We got a crappy port with 'AI dialogues' on Steam recently. It's so bad/broken that it's best to forget about its existence, though. : D

[@BlondeMcGuinn]

I’ve been watching you for awhile now. Two things I look for in KZbinrs are great writing and unique perspectives. You certainly qualify lol. Big Ups! I appreciate your work. *Wasn’t The Immortal for the Genesis too? I wasn’t aware it was on the NES at all. Very cool. It’s a fun, unique experience. I’ve heard it referred to as a proto-roguelike.

[@hungrygoriya]

That's extremely kind of you to say! Glad to know my channel fits the bill on both fronts :) The Immortal's also on the Genesis, and from what I understand, it has gorier graphics and a bit of extra content. It's all scripted so I don't think it'd qualify as a rogue-like on that point alone. I'd love to try the Genesis version sometime just to see all the neat death scenes!

[@neilfmoore]

Shadowgate is one of my favourites on the platform, in large part because of the music. Others have said this already, but you should definitely try Uninvited and Deja Vu, two other MacVenture games that were ported to the NES.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'd definitely like to try them both someday! Nightshade too!

[@WillBurgify]

i really love this channel so much. Please dont ever change ❤

[@hungrygoriya]

I can only be myself, so no plans to change any time soon!

[@procow2274]

I still hate how avgn threw the immortal under the bus for views

[@billlyons7024]

Subscribed! You have a relaxing Bob Ross voice. As a kid I remember being blown away by Shadowgate and it's graphics and all the interaction options. It looked like a computer game. But honestly I had to get help with beating it, some of the puzzle solutions were not intuitive. It was also not a great buy since there is no replayability. As I kid I only got one or two new games a year so I had to make them count. Still, I enjoyed it and Shadowgate has some of my favorite music on NES.

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww thanks! I agree with you about the intuitiveness of the puzzles in Shadowgate. There were a couple of puzzles that were really tricky and I needed a few nudges from my stream chat to keep making progress. I can also understand the lack of replay value once you know what to do. Am I right in that there are sometimes multiple ways to approach some of the puzzles? I believe some people mentioned that in the comments here, so I suppose there's a little bit of that to mess around with. You should do like what I did with games I played as a kid like King's Quest V and some of the Monkey Island games. Come back to them in 10 years once you've forgotten everything. That's one way to get a big nostalgia dose along with being able to experience a game fresh again.

[@billlyons7024]

​@@hungrygoriya I have replayed a ton of old NES and PC games, and still do. I shock myself with the secrets I remember in NES games, like breakable blocks and kneeling near lakes, and warp zones. It's so nice being able to save in Nestopia though, if not for that I may not have had the patience to play these games again. They have a new Monkey Island game out now, I got it for my friends kid. It's like playing a cartoon. It's worth a look if you were a fan.

[@iansmith8783]

New Hungry Goriya! It's going to be a good day

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww that's very sweet!

[@iheartyaybies3995]

I love your videos and your voice. I watch your videos to wind down at night after a long day and it’s super calming and relaxing to enjoy your videos. Thank you for making content! I love it! 😊

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww this is so nice to hear! Thanks for sharing that with me. It really warms my heart knowing people like you not only enjoy the videos, but also find them useful!

[@DigitalNomad765]

Love Shadowgate for NES one of my favorite games 😁😁😊😊😊

[@hungrygoriya]

Understandable! It was a lot of fun!

[@aburninglandfillofbadmovie2930]

The Macventure trilogy is always good. Deja Vu (noir) Uninvited (haunted house) and Shadowgate (spooky castle). To my mind, few games revolutionized the way we play video games more than these did, and they are by far among the most popular point and click games of the time period. All 3 deserve high quality high fan fidelity remakes, and Shadowgate has a few sequels if I'm not mistaken, though I never played the sequels.

[@hungrygoriya]

I wish I'd gotten the chance to play Shadowgate and the others in this "series" back when they were new. Better late than never I guess! I agree about the deserved remake status. I think revisiting these games nowadays would be really special for a lot of people.

[@aburninglandfillofbadmovie2930]

@@hungrygoriya I completely agree. Why not stream shadowgate sometime? I'll bet anything if someone came along who wanted to do a serious respectful remake of any of these people would put money behind it.

[@frankintosh0420]

Castle Shadowgate took 2 blocks of gamer kids, 1 mom and 13 years to finally be completed. The only reason it was finished was due to the invention of the internet and me being able to "Dogpile" a walkthrough. The kids these days have no idea.

[@hungrygoriya]

That's a lot of people! Glad you all got to eventually see the end of this one!

[@bloodblues85]

When you said "lay beyond" I thought you said something else at first 🤣🤣 I'm so sorry. I love your deadpan tone, it makes your jokes really funny lol.

[@hungrygoriya]

I have no idea what you're alluding to with the first part of your comment here, but that's just my normal speaking voice! I sound like that all the time haha

[@bloodblues85]

It's not a voice you're putting on just for the sake of the joke, like some people do (me included). That's what makes it so great! :)@@hungrygoriya

[@thepositiver9977]

Watched the vods of your playthrough of both, the Shadowgate one was really funny since the whole soundtrack was just the torch running out theme. But Shadowgate is one of my favorite point and click adventure games, the atmosphere, the puzzles. It was all just really good. Always wanted to try The immortal, was a bit put by it's reputation, but nowadays I prefer to give it a fair shake. Having the manual alongside will help a lot, since as mentioned in the video it is like a walkthrough to the game. Excellent video as usual :)

[@hungrygoriya]

Hahaha I hope you enjoyed the torch soundtrack as much as I did... it definitely made for a funny time because my chat would collectively groan whenever it would come on, and it was nearly always on. Thanks for checking out the vods! I hope you'll give The Immortal a try sometime. It's not easy by any means, but I found it really funny and rewarding to work through. The manual has a walkthrough with some really amazing hints. They're well-written and definitely a great asset to any playthrough. I'm just stubborn and enjoy doing things the hard way, apparently!

[@thepositiver9977]

@@hungrygoriya I didn't groan with the torch music, but I don't think I heard it as many times as I did before that haha

[@roberthiltz2741]

I admit I have never beaten Immortal, but Shadowgate was my jam back in the day! Fun video

[@hungrygoriya]

The Immortal's definitely a tough nut to crack. And I think I would've adored Shadowgate if I'd had a chance to play it as a kid. I loved the horror genre very much!

[@KairuHakubi]

3:08 that is so cool. It's nice to see a game, especially from back then, neither babying you nor tossing you to the wolves. And most of all giving you CHOICE.

[@hungrygoriya]

And your choices normally end in doom of some kind. It's very charming!

[@low_e_music]

Great review of one of my favorite games of all time, Shadowgate! I remember playing this in the late 80s before the internet and pulling my teenage hair out after getting stuck multiple times, haha. Love the music too, learning to play some of it on my synths.

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh goodness, I can just imagine the hair loss! There were definitely some tough sticking points in Shadowgate but I still liked the game despite how tricky some of the puzzles were. And it's cool that you play a synth! I love video game covers so I'll definitely have a look to see if you have anything from this game on your channel. Good luck with the music learning!

[@low_e_music]

@@hungrygoriya Video game covers are the best! I love Bit Brigade, Vomitron, The Fast Loaders, and all the various synthwave bands that have covered vg music.

[@MaidenHell1977]

The Log Driver's Waltz. It's so beautiful.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm glad you like it! It's definitely a staple of my childhood. It used to come on as a little show between shows on a TV station called TV Ontario. I used to get so excited when it would start up.

[@Mystemo]

Great video! Shadowgate was one of very few NES games that got an official Swedish translation so it and its predecessor Deja Vu where pretty special to me as a kid. We sadly never got the NES version of The Immortal over here but I later got the excellent Mega Drive/Genesis version. It's pretty much the same game but with a bit better graphics and by 90's console standards EXTREMELY gory and detailed death animations for the enemies.

[@hungrygoriya]

I had no idea that those two games got a Swedish translation. What a treat! I imagine that was a real rarity! I'm really curious to see what the Mega Drive/Genesis version of The Immortal was like. I enjoy some over the top graphics so I think it'd be right up my alley.

[@Khardankov]

Good to see a new HungryGoriya video again, just in time for the summer holidays! (You Northern Hemisphere types are doing it all wrong.) The Immortal is a vague memory of a poorly-understood rental with no instruction manual that I definitely gave up on well before I got anywhere near figuring out even the basic controls, but Shadowgate was the bane of my god-damned existence. This was the game that taught me the ever-so-hard way the importance of frequent saving.

[@hungrygoriya]

I would take your summer holidays in a heartbeat. We're getting hammered with snow here! I think we all have that game that teaches us to save almost constantly. Mine were King's Quest V and King's Quest VI. They put me through the wringer as a kid and I spent months and months trying to get through them.

[@thecrazycapn]

As an adult, I realized the trick when you're stuck is to keep a save with torches to reload after futile death wandering around. As a child, just hit continue and start where you are with no torches, unable to do anything. :C

[@hungrygoriya]

I tried to save often as a kid, which usually had me ending up softlocked in these kinds of games!

[@lemmingrad]

Kudos for mentioning the The Log Driver’s Waltz!

[@hungrygoriya]

It's been stuck in my head for decades!

[@lemmingrad]

@@hungrygoriya I actually saw the band perform at a music festival last summer. Was definitely a surprise.

[@cartoonraccoon2078]

I loved that you opened with Blaster Master! I loved that game, as well as Shadowgate. I never made it all the way through, I don't think. To this day, I'm scared of running out of torches and dying instantly.

[@hungrygoriya]

The beautiful part is that if you save your game even with a low torch, you get to reload with it at full. It's annoying listening to the low torch music so often but it's a way to make sure you don't paint yourself into a corner and have to start over completely. On the flipside, once you know where to go, you can optimize your path too! Don't be scared!

[@theusher2893]

The Immortal is a work of art. Every inch of that game (on ALL platforms) was so carefully crafted, from the animation to the gameplay to the story. It's truly a gem.

[@hungrygoriya]

I thought it was a gem as well. I wish more people would give it a shot!

[@DoomRater]

Lie to the programmers. I DARE you

[@theusher2893]

@@DoomRater No, they need their coffee

[@sneakyskunk1]

I never got a chance to play either of these as a kid, so I always like hearing about the experiences others had(or have) with these two games. I seem to recall (possibly incorrectly)Nintendo Power covering both titles in complete walk throughs. The Immortal walk through especially was a visual feast of screen shots I still have vivid memories of.

[@hungrygoriya]

I can just imagine how much fun it must've been looking through Nintendo Power as a kid. I didn't have that luxury unfortunately, but I find it really interesting as an adult.

[@sneakyskunk1]

@@hungrygoriya Back then, those things got passed around until they fell apart. In a pre-internet age, Nintendo Power was an invaluable resource for chucklehead kids like myself. I won't pretend things aren't better now. That said, old gaming magazines had a charm that may never be replicated again for me. Channels like yours are always a rush of nostalgia. Keep up the great work!

[@thejusticeappalachianhomes1454]

This game was way under rated. One of my favorite games. Imagine beating a game like this before the internet.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm sure people managed, but figuring out some of the hard stuff would've been an absolute'y thrilling thing to experience! I fumbled my way through King's Quest V on NES as a kid and I remember how excited I was whenever I figured anything out.

[@SwiftSmashGamingZone]

There are so many *tough* games in the NES library

[@hungrygoriya]

Totally! I don't know that I'll ever get to see all of them at this rate!

[@TVs_Brent]

the one-two punch of shadowgate and castlevania II really set the stage for a young TV's Brent to love all things spooky for the rest of his life.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm also a lover of spooky things. I wish I'd played more stuff like this as a kid.

[@petercrouchole]

I distinctly remember having to find a key in the skull over the door on the very first screen of Shadowgate, yet here you just click "open" and it opened? Is this an NTSC and PAL region difference perhaps?

[@hungrygoriya]

I used a key on the door there to unlock it first.

[@PlasticDiverGuy]

I did not expect a Log Driver’s Waltz reference, or the earworm that followed. Tip o’ the tuque to ya for that one.

[@hungrygoriya]

Hahaha glad to put something in your ear. That video/song used to play as a show between shows on a TV station called TV Ontario. I fell in love with it as a kid and got so pumped up whenever it would come on. I tried to figure out its schedule but never quite hammered it down completely.

[@thewingedavenger1007]

Brilliant video! These games are brutal but they won me over with their creepy atmosphere.

[@hungrygoriya]

The atmosphere is really one of the best parts. The writing, the music, the graphics: a trifecta of perfection in both of these titles.

[@HaLP-halp]

Yes! I can't wait to watch this. Love your work!

[@hungrygoriya]

I hope you enjoy it!

[@fearhunger3983]

Shadowgate looks so interesting. Might have to give it a try. Thanks for a great video! Wasn't aware of these games before despite exploring NES titles quite a bit.

[@hungrygoriya]

I hope you give it a try! There are others in a little trilogy of games that came forward from old Mac computers, and they're called Uninvited and Deja Vu. I've heard that Shadowgate's supposed to be the best of the three and I haven't tried the others, but I hope you enjoy your time with Shadowgate!

[@fearhunger3983]

@@hungrygoriya oh that's cool. The game does definitely give off old Mac game vibes, or at least that's how I picture those games, never really played them myself.

[@PsionicMonk]

As a toddler one of the people who would regularly baby sit me had an NES with like, 200 games (I was born in 89 so they'd been accumulated over years.) The obvious ones, Mario, Zelda etc, but there are a few fames i remember finding to try when they were in the shower/taking a nap and Shadowgate was one! I obviously never got far since I was barely able to read but the graphics and music left an impression, took forever to be reminded of the name! Same happened with Lifeforce and Willow

[@PsionicMonk]

Games* KZbin app refuses to let me edit

[@hungrygoriya]

That's really cool! I had a few family members with different games than me and got to play Ninja Turtles II, Ghostbusters, and Battletoads at their houses growing up. I'm glad you've finally made the connection about what game Shadowgate was! There's a few titles that are fuzzy in my memory from a friend's old Famicom multicart that I need to rediscover and I have no idea what they're even called either!

[@TiroDvD]

I had to a do a double check for "Log Rider's Watz". I thought you were saying an alternative title for the "Volga Boatman" and was going to suggest "Erie Canal" but I've learned something completely new instead.

[@hungrygoriya]

The Log Driver's Waltz is a staple from my childhood. It used to come on as an animated short between TV shows, and I would be over the moon every time I got to listen to it.

[@TheCasualMark]

I’m loving this content! Subscribed and shared ❤

[@hungrygoriya]

Thank you!

[@gamerboy6787]

The Immortal! Oh my God. That brings back memories. My brother came home with this title, on a Saturday afternoon, after our mom had taken him to our local mall to get a game, for getting good grades. The music in this game was VERY well-done, especially considering the hardware limitations of the NES. I still have nightmares about the "Red Room of Worm Doom," the magic carpet section, and the paddling section, to this day. XD

[@hungrygoriya]

What a wonderful thing to receive for getting good grades! The music's honestly so good. I listened to the soundtrack over and over again while I was writing up the video script and never got sick of hearing it. I'm sorry you still have nightmares about the red worm room, but that's totally understandable! Even with all the hints and tools the game gives you to get through there, it was still a lot of guessing and checking.

[@QMulative]

I always liked the little quill that writes out the story's narration in Shadowgate. A little unique charm that makes a game of largely reading, more palatable. IIRC there's one death that they didn't write well, and that is if you use the hammer on yourself. It just uses the same text as if you used something bladed or pointed on yourself, just with the occurrence of that item replaced with "hammer". I always considered Shadowgate to be a part of a trilogy, with Deja Vu and The Uninvited to be the other parts, despite those other two games having very different tones and settings. "Nothing sweeps a woman off her feet better than someone who has memorized the Log Drivers' Waltz!" - a man, presumably single, 2023

[@hungrygoriya]

I like the little quill detail too! I had no idea about the hammer + self death being poorly written. I will admit I wasn't inclined to try very many of the self-inflicted stuff out for myself after I saw that you could do it the first time. I still need to try out Deja Vu and Uninvited one of these days. I've played a few other point and clicks on the NES, but I still need to get to those two sometime. The Log Driver's Waltz is such a fun little ear worm that's been stuck in my head since I was a kid. If it was your first time hearing it, I hope you enjoyed!

[@QMulative]

@@hungrygoriya When I played Shadowgate, it was still relatively new, and I was little enough to have the wide-eyed wonder to try everything on everything, and giggle at the little scene-change to "POW!" that appeared whenever you hit things, too. I get the feeling that we learned the Log Drivers' Waltz around the same time. It was drilled into my head when I was little just through repetition on the TV, along with the chorus to the little black fly song.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@QMulative It's cool that you also got to hear the little black fly song when it was airing on TV! I didn't hear that one until much later in life but was also swept up in the catchiness of it. Awesome!

[@JLunaarS]

I had the fortune of growing up playing Shadowgate from as far back as I can remember. There are few reviews that really understand the uniquely gnawing feeling of "NES dread" it can imprint upon a player. Thanks! 😃

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh lucky you! I think I would've loved it as a kid since I was (and still am) a huge fan of horror stuff in general. That NES dread you've described here is palpable in both games here. I want to have more experiences like this!

[@Y9Power]

You hit right on the nail again! Your videos always make me happy!😁❤ Excellent music, graphics, Immortal was the Dark Souls of its day. Did you play Deja Vu? It was a spinoff or spiritual sequel to Shadowgate. The familiarity of the presentation of your videos is awesome. Keep up the good work!!❤

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww thanks so much for your kindness! I wish I'd been able to get through Deja Vu, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. Shadowgate, Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom, Maniac Mansion, and King's Quest V is the extent of my pointing and clicking on the NES so far. I definitely plan to play Deja Vu, Uninvited, and some Nightshade one of these days!

[@mechaao1229]

Wonderful video 😊

[@discobunny4eva759]

Have you played Equinox for the SNES yet? I was wondering if you had since you like the isometric style so much.

[@hungrygoriya]

Not yet! I'd definitely like to though!

[@autumnshinespark]

Whoa, sounds just like King's Quest! Thanks for sharing ^^

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah, similar feel to King's Quest in many ways!

[@chroniclesofguyver7888]

I was a real fan of the NES point and click games. Along with Shadowgate I also liked Uninvited and Deja Vu. I was thrilled when these three games recently showed up together in a collection on the Playstation Store. Deja Vu in particular was my favorite and eventually got a sequel on Game Boy as Deja Vu 1+2. As for "games that want you dead" I don't think anything from this time really sticks out for me. Back in those days I never really thought of any particular game as being more difficult or unfairly difficult. Not because I was some super gamer but just because it wasn't something I gave any thought to. And now, looking back, everything form that time is just lumped together in that category of "NES Hard". It's hard to pick out what games were unfairly difficult. Although I think I would say Castle Quest sticks out as my hardest NES game of all time. The game actually comes with a full map of the entire game and straight up tells you the map is there because this game is so hard, you're going to need the map to plot out a viable route. It also has a suicide button because you're required to get yourself into impossible situations where the only way forward is to use said button and return to a checkpoint.

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh man... Castlequest looks like such a hard game to get through! I have a pal that adores it and I've watched him play through it a few times over the years. I have no idea how to even approach it myself, though I haven't sat down to try it out for myself yet. I think I'd either love it or hate it! And I still also need to get around to playing Uninvited and Deja Vu. I've heard that most people like Shadowgate better, but I'm curious to see what those other two are like. Thanks for the recommendations! I'm going to see if I can find that Deja Vu 1 +2 cartridge for the GBC as well.

[@spadesvex]

Two awesome games in one video. Excellent job! You should play the Genesis version of The Immortal. No annoying bats, more gore, and an extra level to boot.

[@hungrygoriya]

No bats? Really??? That's a huge selling point for me! I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for a Genesis copy to try someday.

[@snookers5123]

I feel like gorier is an understatement. That game is absolutely wild!

[@PragmatikReviews]

Definitely resonate with Shadowgate a bit more! Fell in love with it and Deja Vu a few years back! The music and writing in those games are top notch!

[@hungrygoriya]

I still need to try out Deja Vu one of these days. I'm glad to know there's more for me to look forward in this realm!

[@PragmatikReviews]

@hungrygoriya Oh you'll love it I think! Though it doesn't hold as much challenge as Shadowgate, I feel.

[@francescosmith7859]

Another excellent review video. I have such mixed feelings for the Immortal. As a kid I picked up the NES version but it was a loose copy with no manual and of course no internet at that time to find tips and suggestions so it was fun but I don't think I ever made it particularly far. Maybe the third level down and that was a struggle. As an adult, it was included on one of the mini consoles I bought though it was the Genesis version. Initially I was excited remembering the good vibes and maybe I remember things wrong but I felt like combat was solid on the NES (tough but at least controllable) but the Genesis version feels like getting any input to register is a victory. So with that condition even with a walkthrough (and a rewind function) I wasn't particularly enthused and quit early but your video makes me think I should give it another shot.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'd definitely give it a try on the NES again sometime. I haven't played the Genesis version so I don't have experience with the control issues you're describing, but I think it's definitely worth pushing through on the NES if you enjoyed it even a little bit as a kid. Good luck if you pick it up again!

[@imshinycaptain]

In the vein of games that want you dead... Solstice. Another isometric puzzle game. I loved Shadowgate but I was never able to get Immortal. I was probably too young.

[@hungrygoriya]

I loved Solstice! I have a review of that one on the channel already and adore isometric games. It was right up my alley! I imagine The Immortal being really tough when you're young. Shadowgate too, just because of how you have to think about some of the items you have. They're both good games in my opinion, but I'm very glad I got to play them as an adult in many ways. I think I would've enjoyed them as a kid, but they're more approachable with my adult brain!

[@carlswicegood4519]

My wife: New Hungry Goriya just dropped! I will always say: playing Shadowgate as a preteen kid with my friends was the closest that got to the experience of playing AD&D. Chrono Trigger is still my favorite RPG, but no other game actually captures the feeling of Tabletop roleplaying like this game. I still revisit it often.

[@hungrygoriya]

Awww it's so nice that you and your wife watch the channel! This is very heartwarming :) I've never done any tabletop gaming personally, but I can definitely see what you're saying here! Do you think the writing has a lot to do with that feeling?

[@carlswicegood4519]

@@hungrygoriya definitely! It's the type of description that you'd find in a D&D module and that GMs love to read. In fact, I named on of my wizard characters off of a name that was in one of the books in Shadowgate, Larrik.

[@hungrygoriya]

@@carlswicegood4519 I'm glad you didn't choose Butwik for your character name, haha... in all seriousness though, it's cool to see that kind of connectedness with Shadowgate and the tabletop realm. Thanks for pointing that out to me!

[@Desertskunk]

I love shadowgate, still to this day I play through it at least once a year, and the immortal is a hurdle that defined my gaming childhood joy in overcoming. Both games seen here from someone else who enjoyed the experience is a wonderful thing, I far too often see both games panned and maligned, so it's nice to see I'm not alone in all of this. If you really enjoyed the immortal and haven't given Deja Vu a chance yet, or it's GBC sequel, both are wonderful playthroughs as well.

[@hungrygoriya]

I'm usually not surprised when I play a game that many people dislike and my opinion's the opposite. These were both definitely fun, interesting, ambient, and intriguing to me. I'd love to try the Deja Vu games, though I didn't know until I released this video that there was a GBC sequel! Neat!

[@girlbuu9403]

I mentioned this on someone's video detailing the first Zelda's second quest and how punishingly difficult and cryptic it could be, in fact it also said it wanted you dead. Dungeons and Dragons was being playtested by Gary Gygax using his children back in the 70s. But his kids soon started getting cocky. Started getting smug. Started talking about how easy the game was. He ramped up the difficulty, and even with their characters almost dying they still were giving him bravado. Gary decided he'd had enough of that. So he made a very special dungeon for them. He called it the Tomb of Horrors. Eventually it would be released as a module and kind of serve to make most Dungeon Masters think that is how you should run a game of D&D for a long time. And it very clearly influenced early computer RPGs. So every time you play a punishingly difficult old school game look to the stars and thank Gary's kids for acting a little too snotty.

[@domeplsffs]

This is great stuff! Thanks for your effort, Ma'am. Best new sub in a while for me!

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh thank you! Glad you're enjoying the channel so far.

[@mccloaker]

"Describing my blood and guts to me when they were no longer within the confines of my own body." Okay, I laughed. If one's stomach is outside of one's body, can one still be Hungry? I always felt the Reaper's expression made his sympathy feel somewhat insincere.

[@hungrygoriya]

I wonder if you'd get ghost hunger pangs...

[@kyo666oyk]

Shadowgate and Maniac Mansion share the same space in my head. Both games I loved and had to play so many times over and over to figure them out.

[@hungrygoriya]

Yeah! That's the way it was back then. I played King's Quest V on NES, King's Quest VI and Curse of Monkey Island for nearly my entire childhood on and off. I miss those days!

[@Maderyne]

You have quite an impressive collection of NES games. I remember playing Shadowgate and found the challenge compelling for a 1-time playthrough. I was younger then when the game came out and preferred action games, so it went back to the store as a trade. The stupidity of a child!

[@hungrygoriya]

Hey thanks! It's taken the better part of a decade to collect most of those, though I still also have the games I owned as a kid as well. Sorry you traded your game in. I hope you can find a way to play Shadowgate again sometime if that's something you're interested in doing.

[@Murdoc_rusche]

I'm cheating a bit by making a comment only 5 seconds in, I'm just so happy to see you review these games. I looovvved them as a Nintendo youngling, though the Immortal took a long time to beat. I'm gonna watch now. Thank you.

[@hungrygoriya]

I hope it was worth the watch! Thanks for taking the time.

[@davidconlee2196]

This video has made me want to give The Immortal another try. I bounced pretty hard off of it, though it did make me laugh. Thank you for the fun video!

[@hungrygoriya]

I hope you enjoy The Immortal if you do get back to it. And it's my pleasure! Thanks for perusing the channel!

[@video_ouija7114]

Love it. My mom told me about shadowgate when I was a kid. she picked it up on ebay then. I never did finish it. I remember getting stuck in a wizard looking tower room or something

[@hungrygoriya]

It's cool that you have memories of video games with your mom. I used to play some of the Super Mario games with mine when I was little as well and I really cherish them.

[@michaeltylerstewart]

Have you played Altered Space on Game Boy? That's a great isometric. I never beat it.

[@hungrygoriya]

I haven't yet! I've had it in my eBay cart for a while now. I should just get it!

[@Seikent]

My dad had a Mac in his office and Shadowgate was installed (when I was a little kid). I remember passing hours trying to figure out how to progress (without any English knowledge and barely reading skills). The death skull terrified me (I remember it being much scarier than the NES version). I don't think I ever was able to beat the game, other than from loading a save state from the last section of it. It was quite fun and fulfiling to make progress :). Recently I beat the NES version (with a few hints - there is this nice hints website that doesn't give you straightforward solutions- and a few save states to avoid having to start from scratch given the torch issue. Regarding the Immortal, I took a ring, put it on and decided it wasn't a game for me xD. I'm surprised you mention that the game isn't too punishing in terms of losing progress, so maybe I'll give it another try. I wonder if the genesis/mega drive version is better? As another game that shares some similarities is Dark Seed. The art is great. I never got too far on it, but the general idea is that you have a parasite in your head that will kill you in about 24h, so you can imagine that you'll need to do a sequence of events at certain specific times or die. As far as I read, the game isn't great, so I'm not really recommending it (but take a look at its art!).

[@hungrygoriya]

Oh a hints website for something like Shadowgate sounds perfect! I hate when those resources just tell you what to do. I enjoy getting a good nudge in the right direction instead! I can understand why putting on a ring in The Immortal might have sealed your fate with the game going forward, haha... sorry that it's not the game for you, but maybe you'll like it if you try it again down the road. I'd love to see how the Genesis version plays as well since I haven't had a chance to try it myself. Dark Seed eh? Your description sounds like a neat concept for a game! I'll definitely look into it, but cautiously if it doesn't come highly recommended. I love some good artwork!

[@adambilz9978]

Another excellent video. Thank you for these!

[@hungrygoriya]

Thanks so much for watching and your kind words too!

[@jacobthesnacob4192]

Great video as usual. I had heard of Immortal, and never really paid it much mind, but hearing about your experience of it here was like learning about it for the first time, and makes it seem more interesting to me now. I recently started Shadowgate (as part of the 8-bit Adventure Anthology collection on Steam), and while I think it looks awesome, I can't seem to get past the first room or so, which is too bad, because I really want to enjoy more of the game, and don't want to have to resort to looking up walkthroughs... I loved playing Sword of Hope II for the Game Boy back in the day (though not sure that I finished it), and I'm very interested in more classic first person adventure stuff like this, but I guess it's hard for me to find one that works for me. I did play a little bit of a relatively new game in this style called From Beyond Prologue (also on Steam), though, that seems very promising. Also, I guess there is an upcoming sequel to Shadowgate, called Beyond Shadowgate (made in the style of the NES classic and not to be confused with a previous title of the same name), that just got a Steam store page as well, in case you haven't heard about that.

[@hungrygoriya]

I know I'm a bit late in responding here, but I hope you made it out of that first room in Shadowgate. If it's any consolation, it took me a long time to figure out what to do too, and I had a bunch of people in my stream chat impatiently tapping their feet waiting for me to figure it out! I've been looking for a copy of Sword of Hope II forever. I have the first game (haven't played it yet) but the sequel is so elusive! The only copies I've seen on eBay are ridiculously priced! Beyond Prologue eh? I should look into that! And I've heard of Beyond Shadowgate as well! I'm really happy that that project was kickstarted and that it's coming together nicely too! One of the people working on the game replied here in the comments if you want to go digging!

[@jacobthesnacob4192]

@@hungrygoriya That's quite alright Goriya. I know you try to promptly reply to all your comments, but you have so many that I honestly don't know how you do it as much as you do (even with some like mine being so long-winded all the time lol), so don't worry about it. I'm just grateful for all the wonderful content that you provide for us, regardless. Also, I did go ahead and look for that comment from the developer of Beyond Shadowgate and it's not surprising to find that they have already been fans of your channel for years, but it was still very cool to see that. Yes, it IS consolation for me to know that it took you a long time to get through the beginning of Shadowgate. It was giving me feelings of puzzle solving inadequacy lol, but knowing that even you had trouble with it, despite how many challenging classic games you seem to regularly brave and overcome, does in fact inspire me to try it some more (especially with that sequel on the way), so I think I will be doing that again soon, thanks! Oh, wow, I guess Sword of Hope II really is ridiculously overpriced now. What a bummer... I still need to play the first one too, myself, actually... Yeah, I think that From Beyond Prologue was probably very much inspired by the NES version of Shadowgate. From what little I've played so far of either game, it seems to me that From Beyond Prologue has quite the similar aesthetic, atmosphere, and interface, and apparently the Steam store page describes it as having NES era graphics and sound, classic MacVenture style gameplay, and more content than the original Shadowgate, so I guess there's that...

[@HybridDivide]

Great video, Hungry!

[@hungrygoriya]

Thank you very much for watching!

[@MikeTheGamingRoadWarrior]

Shadow Gate was definitely a favorite of mine since it gave me access to what playing a PC game was like. Didnt mind using the NES controller on it as well. Ah, yes I remember doing the same thing like you, with me letting my torch die out when I first played this as a kid , 😆. Great video also, Hungry Goriya.

[@hungrygoriya]

I had a similar experience as a kid when I played through King's Quest V on the NES. I really liked how the pointer snapped to the menu in Shadowgate though. It was a really nice interface and without too much real-time pressure, it worked very well. I'm glad I'm not the only one who just listened to the torch music for nearly the entire game, haha

[@IllIllIIIllIll]

Thanks!

[@hungrygoriya]

Hey thanks so much for the tip!