History VideoGame / ShadowWarrior

[[redirect:VideoGame/ShadowWarrior1997]]

[[redirect:ShadowWarrior]]

There are multiple pages by the name ShadowWarrior.

* For the 1997 first person shooter, go to VideoGame/ShadowWarrior1997
* For the 2013 reboot / prequel, go to VideoGame/ShadowWarrior2013

->''"Ha ha! You no mess with Lo Wang!"''

A FirstPersonShooter based on the famous [[GameEngine Build engine]] of ''VideoGame/DukeNukem [[VideoGame/DukeNukem3D 3D]]'' fame, ''Shadow Warrior'' had the misfortune of being released in 1997, when the sprite-based shooters were already showing their age. (Compare ''{{Blood}}'', which was based on the same engine and released the same year, but is better remembered.)

The player controls Lo Wang, the titular Shadow Warrior, a former employee/bodyguard of [[MegaCorp Zilla Enterprise]]s... until he found out that Master Zilla was summoning monsters from the netherworld and plotting to TakeOverTheWorld. Being a man of honor, Lo Wang quit the corp, but Zilla decided that if Wang will not be on his side, then he has to die. Now, of course, Lo Wang sets out to reach Zilla and thoroughly kick his gluteus maximus - partly to save the world, but primarily out of revenge for the death of his former teacher, Master Leep.

Among the first shooters to contain now common features such as controllable vehicles, alternate weapon firing modes, bosses with more going for them than [[DamageSpongeBoss lots of HP]] and [[ArsonMurderAndLifeSaving lower enemy variety with slower pace]].

Characterized by crude humor and by gratuitous application of the RuleOfCool.

Two expansions were released, both for free: ''Twin Dragon'' in 1998, and ''Wanton Destruction'' in 2005 (when the former CEO of the company that developed it randomly stumbled across it on a CD full of add-ons the company had created). In the former, Lo Wang battles his EvilTwin brother, Hung Lo; in the latter, he faces Master Zilla for the last time. A third expansion titled ''Deadly Kiss'', starring Wang's sister Tensi Yoka, was announced in early 1998 but never materialized.

Not to be confused with the former [[MarketBasedTitle European title]] of ''NinjaGaiden''.

The original can be bought [[http://www.gog.com/gamecard/shadow_warrior_complete with both expansions]] on Website/GOGDotCom, and [[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-20-shadow-warrior-remake-set-for-pc-and-next-gen-consoles a reboot]] has been in the works from Flying Wild Hog, the same developer as ''VideoGame/HardReset'', and intorduces a robust skill upgrade system, the ability to use KiAttacks and rendering the humor slightly less racist (but still immature as expected). To prepare people for this remake, they have released the original game on {{Steam}} [[http://store.steampowered.com/app/238070/?snr=1_7_15__13 as a Free-To-Play title]]. In addition, a slightly UpdatedRerelease with Steam Achievements and [=OpenGL=]-compatible versions of the game and its expansions is available for purchase on Steam.
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!!Provides examples of:
* ActionBomb: The Coolies, zombified Chinese villagers who will charge you will a crate of explosives. Even when killed, they will raise as a ghost shortly after.
* AffectionateParody: The game has been created as one for [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Warrior#Reception "bad kung-fu movies"]].
* AKA47: In the remake, the Zilla Industries SMG is an [=MP7=]. {{Lampshaded}} in the flavor text, which states Zilla Industries was forced to stop distribution after being sued by a German arms manufacturer[[note]]Heckler and Koch, for the less gun-inclined, make the MP7 and are based out of Germany.[[/note]]
* {{Animesque}}: Almost any of the female [=NPCs=] you encounter, in contrast to the action movie styled rest of the game. Though the dominatrix ninjas and the old woman in Hara-Kiri Harbor are still rendered in style with the rest of the game.
* AwesomeButImpractical: A lot of weapons can fit under this category.
** The Nuke. The blast radius on it is so huge, you can easily kill yourself with it. The trick is to duck behind cover before the nuke makes contact. Even after you master that trick, there aren't really a lot of places or enemies outside of bosses that warrant a nuke to the face.
** The Grenade Launcher, simply for having an absurd blast radius. It's not a good weapon for direct assaults, but it's perfect for shooting around corners.
** The Railgun. It doesn't deal as much damage as you'd expect it to, and it seems to constantly miss the enemy, even with auto-aim on. Without auto-aim, there's still the split-second delay between pulling the trigger and the shot you have to contend with.
** The Guardian Head. Fantastic weapon to use, only hampered by its insanely low ammo count, and the rate at which it consumes it.
* BeatStillMyHeart: One of the weapons is a still-beating, blood-spouting heart. It summons a clone of you if used.
** The Rippers, the monster the above weapon is taken from, will [[AndShowItToYou rip out]] ''your'' heart if they manage to kill you.
* BoringButPractical: The Riot Gun. It deals a consistent and considerable amount of damage, but it's ultimately an incredibly boring weapon to use.
** The Uzis. Great for mook crowd control, but not as fun or destructive as any other weapon.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The enemy ninjas are distinguished by the color of their pants. The regular Mooks have brown pants, while EliteMooks have different colored pants that indicate their special abilities and weapons.
* ConvectionSchmonvection: In the final level, which is set atop and inside a volcano, Lo Wang has no problem with prancing around pools filled with hot lava.
* CoolOldGuy: Lo Wang seems to be at "Old Master" age, making him one of the oldest if not the oldest FPS protagonists around. The 2013 reboot has a much younger Lo Wang, being a prequel to the original game.
* CorporateSamurai: Lo Wang's former job.
* CowardlyBoss: Episode 1 ends with you facing the Serpent God, who proceeds to fight you with much fanfare... and teleports away after suffering a little damage.
--> '''Lo Wang''': HEY! Come back here and finish fight! Ugly, scary, snake... shitface!
* CrazyPrepared: In the remake, Lo Wang has a huge secret vault besides his house, containing his comic book collection, weapons, arcade machines, and ''a set of ninja armor'', all in preparation for a zombie apocalypse.
* CreditsGag: In the remake, a rare non-comedic example. The credits roll endlessly, looping back to the beginning, as the camera does a flyby of the final level... [[spoiler: When it departs from Lo Wang kneeling above Hoji's evaporating form, we see his sister looking up at Wang. When the camera rolls back to this staircase the first time, we see Wang kneeling in the same pose above her unmoving body. The second time, Wang is gone, leaving the Nobitsura Kage embedded into the stonework next to the girl's body.]]
* CutsceneBoss: In the 2013 remake, [[spoiler: both Orochi Zilla and Enra are dispatched in cutscenes. Enra doesn't even put up a fight, calmly resigning himself to his fate after you defeat his giant bodyguard.]]
* DiagonalCut: Ninja + katana = 2 half-ninjas
** "Ooh, you have SplitPersonality!"
* DiscOneNuke: Not even out of Lo Wang's apartment in the first level, you can find a secret area in his house that holds a nuclear warhead, of all things.
* DirtyOldMan: Master Leep, judging by all the naked women living in his mansion. Not to mention Lo Wang himself...
* DoubleEntendre: Mostly related to Lo Wang's last name. Just about everything Wang says is a single entendre, at best.
--> '''Lo Wang''': You want to wash Wang, or you want to [[ADateWithRosiePalms watch Wang wash wang]]?
--> '''Lo Wang''': Whooo want some Wang?
** Most fortune cookie messages in the game are also {{Double Entendre}}s.
---> '''Fortune say:''' Man stuck in pantry have ass in jam.
* DrivenToSuicide: If a standard mook fires at Lo-Wang for a long enough time without hurting him significantly, they'll eventually feel so dishonoured they'll stick their Uzi's barrel in their mouth and shoot half their skull off but even that is sketchy. At times, it seems like they do it out of sheer randomness, like Lo-Wang approaching them from around a corner.
** [[Webcomic/SchlockMercenary "They committed suicide when they saw me coming."]]
* EleventhHourSuperpower: In the 2013 reboot, when you finally assemble all 3 pieces of the SwordOfPlotAdvancement in the last level, it gains the ability to fire energy slashes through the air whenever you swing it. Each slash is powerful enough to slice multiple enemies into pieces with one swing.
* EliteMooks: All the ninjas above the regular brown-colored ninjas have significantly enhanced health and a variety of special abilities and weapons based on their color.
* {{Fartillery}}: The Sumo Demons leave an unpleasant gift behind when you kill them...
* {{Fanservice}}: For some bizarre and illogical reason, there are many scantily clad (if they are dressed at all) women dispersed throughout the game. The remake, we have the "Kyokagami" twins, clad in [[SpyCatsuit bodytight suits]].
** Many players were caught off guard when the women would suddenly pull out a gun and shoot at the player if provoked enough via the use key.
** The only gal whose nipples are visible [[FanDisservice commits seppuku.]] (Probably why she went unused)
** FanDisservice: There are plenty of naked women in the remake/reboot! Problem: they're all dead, skinned and impaled on various things.
* FarEast: The game takes place in a mishmashed Chinese/Japanese setting. The main character, a ninja with a Chinese name, is the most obvious example.
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: see DiagonalCut above. Lo Wang actually says this occasionally when he slices up an enemy.
* HighlyVisibleNinja: Both the title character and the hordes of ninja mooks.
** Averted with one type of ninja enemy, which is always invisible until you kill him. Appropriately, he's the most dangerous of the ninjas for being incredibly fast and capable of killing Lo-Wang in one hit even at max health and armor.
* HighPressureBlood: With the bad guys and the rabbits. If there are two or more rabbits in a given area, they will do what rabbits do. Shortly afterwards, one of them will shoot a baby rabbit and a gout of blood from its hindquarters.
* IdiosyncraticDifficultyNames
* IKnowYourTrueName: In the remake, Lo Wang demands to know his demon companion's name because he read that knowing it will give him control over him. When he gets it, Hoji is shocked that Wang could pronounce it, stating that he must be the one the prophesies spoke of: A goddamn moron who believes everything he's told.
* InvulnerableKnuckles: Averted somewhat. Punching walls will actually hurt you (and may kill you.)
** Somehow, punching a wooden or straw training dummies restores your health up to 100, like the drinking fountains from ''Duke Nukem 3D''
* JapaneseRanguage: Played straight with Lo Wang.
--> '''Lo Wang''': Row, row, row your boat! Genterry down da stream!
** Significantly downplayed in the 2013 reboot. He still has a slight accent, but otherwise speaks perfectly normal English.
* KatanasAreJustBetter: The katana, unlike most FPS melee weapons, is incredibly powerful and will kill many enemies in one hit. As ammo went ''fast'', it was necessary to use it most of the time. In the 2013 remake/reboot, the katana is slightly less powerful, but it's still a major weapon and you can perform various special moves with it.
* KillerRabbit: [[spoiler:A secret area has the original [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail Rabbit of Caerbannog]], cave and all!]] All the more devious because every other rabbit in the game is completely harmless, so you may not even realize what is attacking you until it's too late. In the remake, killing too many rabbits spawns a special hard-to-kill rabbit that requires several special moves to be slain. It can also teleport, and heavy metal plays as you fight it.
** Another example: [[spoiler:You come upon several scantily clad or nude girls. Annoy them and they'll whip out an Uzi.]]
* LudicrousGibs, especially when killing an enemy with explosives.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Orochi Zilla.
* NoCutsceneInventoryInertia: Not actual cutscenes, but no matter which weapon Lo Wang is holding or whether he wears or not a body armour, any mirror will show him bare chested and wielding a single Uzi.
** In the remake, this occasionally happens to the Nobitsura Kage being replaced by Wang's generic starter katana when transitioning to and from cutscenes.
* NukeEm: The third alternate fire for the missile launcher is a ''fucking NUKE!'' It deals massive amounts of damage and has an extremely large blast radius, and finishes off with fallout that sticks around for half a minute and hurts anyone near the epicenter.
* OffWithHisHead: Bizarrely enough, it's a weapon.
* OldSaveBonus: Owning ''{{VideoGame/Saints Row IV}}'' will give you the Penetrator [[GagPenis dildo bat]] as an alternative to your katana.
* OverlyLongScream: If Lo Wang is falling from a dangerous height, he will scream all the way down. Find a pit deep enough and he will actually pause for breath and then continue shouting.
* PissTakeRap: Lo Wang does one in the credits. It's actually made of various voice clips edited together and set to a hip-hop beat, because the voice actor couldn't actually rap at all.
* PowerTattoo: In the remake, upgrading Wang's powers grants him new tattoos.
* ProductPlacement: The reboot has arcade cabinets for ''HotlineMiami'', ''SeriousSam'', ''VideoGame/HardReset'', and the original ''Shadow Warrior'', which apparently use Alienware tech. The Wangtastic Features trailer [[{{Lampshading}} labels]] this as [[SelfDeprecation "Shameless cross-promotion"]] and "[[BlatantLies Tasteful product placement]]", respectively.
* RecycledInSpace: Shadow Warrior in general is ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'' [-WITH NINJAS AND ANIME!-]
* ResignationsNotAccepted: Zilla sends his monsters after Lo Wang after Wang quits the corporation.
* {{Retcon}}: In the original game, Zilla sends his men to kill Lo Wang soon after Lo Wang resigns. The 2013 reboot has Lo Wang turn against Zilla and implies this is where the two of them became enemies, even though it seems to take place at least 30-40 years prior to the original game based on the difference in Lo Wang's age.
* {{Shareware}}: As with most early 90s FPS, Shadow Warrior has a shareware episode. Interesting in that, like VideoGame/RiseOfTheTriad, the Shareware episode was different from the actual product.
* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: see BoringButPractical
* ShoutOut: A secret area in [=E1M4=] is clearly taken from ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'', complete with a KillerRabbit. You can also find SailorMoon in the crew quarters of a submarine, and you can encounter [[Franchise/TombRaider Lara Croft]] in a tomb, and Wang says "Be proud, [[JohnWoo Mr. Woo]]" when he picks up a [[GunsAkimbo second Uzi]], among other shout outs.
** Sailor Moon isn't the only scout that appears.
** A Anime/SpeedRacer remote control car in the first level. He even (horribly) sings part of the theme song.
** One of Lo-Wang's responses to cutting an enemy in half is "[[Franchise/{{Highlander}} There Can Be Only One!]]"
** A poster for the ''{{Slayers}}'' anime with Lina Inverse on it can be found in the game, along with posters for other anime, including something by Masami Obari and what MIGHT be ''[[DirtyPair Dirty Pair Flash]]'', although the low resolution makes them hard to make out.
** Two of the FanService naked women greatly resemble Sasami and Ayeka from ''TenchiMuyo''
** A secret area in the third level contains the grave of Creator/JackieChan. According to the plaque, he slipped in the shower.
*** In the remake:
** [[Film/DirtyHarry "Do you feel lucky, chump? I mean, punk? Damn, I always mess that one up...]]
** [[WesternAnimation/TransformersTheMovie Lo Wang singing along to The Touch in the beginning]]. Also doubles as a shoutout to VideoGame/SaintsRowIV.
** The pre-order laser katana [[Franchise/StarWars makes lightsaber noises.]] Lo Wang later refers to himself as a "simple moisture farmer".
** The killer rabbit is in this game also.
** As are the scantily clad anime babes from the original game - mostly in areas TAKEN from the original game!
* SnarkyNonHumanSidekick: In the remake, Lo Wang is accompanied by Hoji, a demon who grants him Ki powers while also making sarcastic remarks on his actions.
* SociopathicHero: In the novelizations, Lo Wang will not hesitate to kill most people for the slightest reasons, usually involving matters of the subject's inherent honor. All the more so if they work for Zilla. Something of the opposite of his game iteration, where he specifically left Zilla for killing most people.
* SoftWater: In Level 3, if Lo Wang falls off the extremely high cliffs, he will die. Unless he falls in water, in which he will take no damage at all.
* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''Videogame/DukeNukem3D''. They have the same developer, the same gameplay, and both lie heavily on heavy combat and crude humour.
* TransformationIsAFreeAction: Averted in the 2013 remake [[spoiler: during Lo Wang's first CutsceneBoss fight with Zilla. Lo Wang just slashes Zilla, injuring him, when Zilla stupidly stands still and tries to charge up some kind of power attack.]]
* WaterfallShower: Follow the singing to find a woman doing this. But don't stand too close for too long, or your character's pickup lines will lead her to whip out an Uzi.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The original conception of the game was much straighter than what we eventually got. The wise-cracking protagonist and lashings of adult humour were only added after the success of ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D''.
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* KatanasAreJustBetter: The katana, unlike most FPS melee weapons, is incredibly powerful and will kill many enemies in one hit. As ammo went ''fast'', it was necessary to use it most of the time. In the 2013 remake/reboot, the katana is slightly less powerful, but it's still a major weapon.

* JapaneseRanguage: Played straight with Lo Wang.

** "Ooh, SplitPersonality!"

* DrivenToSuicide: if a standard mook fires at Lo-Wang for a long enough time without hurting him significantly, they'll eventually feel so dishonoured they'll stick their Uzi's barrel in their mouth and shoot half their skull off. Even that is sketchy. At times, it seems like they do it out of sheer randomness, like Lo-Wang approaching them from around a corner. [[Webcomic/SchlockMercenary "They committed suicide when they saw me coming."]]

* {{Fanservice}}: For some bizarre and illogical reason, there are many scantily clad (if they are dressed at all) women dispersed throughout the game.

* IKnowYourTrueName: In the remake, Lo Wang demands to know his demon companion's name because he read that knowing it will give him control over him. When he gets it, Hoji is shocked that Wang could pronounce it, stating that he must be the one the prophesies spoke of: A goddamn moron who believes everything he reads.

* KillerRabbit: [[spoiler:A secret area has the original [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail Rabbit of Caerbannog]], cave and all!]] All the more devious because every other rabbit in the game is completely harmless, so you may not even realize what is attacking you until it's too late.

** The pre-order laser katana [[Franchise/StarWars makes lightsaber noises.]]

* SociopathicHero: In the novelizations, Lo Wang will not hesitate to kill most people for the slightest reasons, usually involving matters of the subject's inherent honor. All the more so if they work for Zilla.

* SnarkyNonHumanSidekick: In the remake, Lo Wang is accompanied by a demon who grants him Ki powers while also making sarcastic remarks on his actions.

* KatanasAreJustBetter : The katana, unlike most FPS melee weapons, is incredibly powerful and will kill many enemies in one hit.
** More so in the 2013, where it is a major gameplay mechanic and is quite feasible to go through most of the game with just the katana.

* OverlyLongScream: If Lo Wang is falling from a dangerous height, he will scream all the way down. Find a pit deep enough and he will actually pause for breath and then continue shouting.

* ProductPlacement: The reboot has arcade cabinets for ''HotlineMiami'', ''SeriousSam'', ''VideoGame/HardReset'', and the original ''Shadow Warrior'', which apparently use Alienware tech. The Wangtastic Features trailer [[{{Lampshading}} labels]] this as [[SelfDeprecation "Shameless cross-promotion"]] and "[[BlatantLies Tasteful product placement]]" and , respectively.

** You have SplitPersonality!

* DirtyOldMan: Master Leep, judging by all the naked women living in his mansion.
** Not to mention Lo Wang himself...

* DrivenToSuicide: if a standard mook fires at Lo-Wang for a long enough time without hurting him significantly, they'll eventually feel so dishonoured they'll stick their Uzi's barrel in their mouth and shoot half their skull off.
** Even that is sketchy. At times, it seems like they do it out of sheer randomness, like Lo-Wang approaching them from around a corner.
** [[Webcomic/SchlockMercenary "They committed suicide when they saw me coming."]]

* ProductPlacement: The reboot has arcade cabinets for ''HotlineMiami'', ''SeriousSam'', ''VideoGame/HardReset'', and the original ''Shadow Warrior'', which apparently use Alienware tech. The Wangtastic Features trailer [[{{Lampshading}} labels]] this as [[SelfDeprecation "Shameless cross-promotion"]] and "Tasteful product placement" and , respectively.
* RecycledInSpace: Shadow Warrior in general is ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'' [-WITH NINJAS!-]

* {{Shareware}}

* ProductPlacement: The reboot has posters for Alienware, as well as arcade cabinets for HotlineMiami and SeriousSam. The Wangtastic Features trailer [[{{Lampshading}} labels]] this as "Tasteful product placement" and [[SelfDeprecation "Shameless cross-promotion"]], respectively.

->''"Who want some Wang?!"''

* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: see DiagonalCut above. TropeNamer: Lo Wang actually says this occasionally when he slices up an enemy.

* {{Animesque}}: Almost any of the female [=NPCs=] you encounter, in contrast to the action movie styled rest of the game. Though the dominatrix ninjas and the old woman in Hari-Kiri Harbor are still rendered in style with the rest of the game.

** A poster for the ''{{Slayers}}'' anime with Lina Inverse on it can be found in the game.

*** Startled To Suicide?

The original can be bought [[http://www.gog.com/gamecard/shadow_warrior_complete with both expansions]] on Website/GOGDotCom, and a reboot has been in the works from Flying Wild Hog, the same developer as ''VideoGame/HardReset''. To prepare people for this remake, they have released the original game on {{Steam}} [[http://store.steampowered.com/app/238070/?snr=1_7_15__13 as a Free-To-Play title]]. In addition, a slightly UpdatedRerelease with Steam Achievements and [=OpenGL=]-compatible versions of the game and its expansions is available for purchase on Steam.

A remake is [[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-20-shadow-warrior-remake-set-for-pc-and-next-gen-consoles scheduled to be launched in 2013]], introducing a robust skill upgrade system, the ability to use KiAttacks and rendering the humor slightly less racist (but still immature as expected).