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1[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lostinshadowsmall_9775.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:250:A boy and his shadow...]]
3
4''Lost in Shadow'' is a UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} game that's, essentially, a side-scrolling PuzzlePlatformer with 3D segments in the latter half of the game, all presented with an aesthetic very reminiscent of the VideoGame/TeamICOSeries. Brought to you by Creator/HudsonSoft.
5
6There is a Tower that rises above all in an alternate world. No one knows who built this or why it was built. One thing is certain, the Tower both casts a large shadow and at the same time is filled with moving shadows...
7
8There is a shadow of a boy that climbs this tower. He runs through the shadow of the Tower, solving mysteries and puzzles along the way, and fighting off enemies that try to impede his progress. The boy is not affected by gravity but his movement is restricted within the thin border between light and shadow...
9
10There is a winged sylph known as a "Spangle" that supports him in his journey. The boy is not alone in his endeavors as this creature of light joins him on his quest.
11
12----
13!!This game provides examples of:
14
15* AdvancingBossOfDoom: The Shadow Soul
16* AttackItsWeakPoint: [[spoiler: During the actual fight with the Shadow Soul, it will occasionally open up a large set of glowing red eyes. [[GoForTheEye Three guesses to what its weak point is.]] ]]
17* {{Backtracking}}: So much of it!
18* BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame: How you kill one particular shadow monster.
19* BlockPuzzle: Due to their three-dimensional nature, most {{Block Puzzle}}s appear once you gain a body of light.
20* BossCorridor: [[spoiler:The Well]], before the final boss.
21* CallAHitPointASmeerp: Your HP is measured in "grams".
22* CharacterLevel: Unusually, leveling up only increases attack, while health is gained by [[GottaCatchThemAll recovering memories]].
23%%ZCE* CheckPoint
24%%ZCE* {{Cutscene}}
25* CorridorCubbyholeRun: Happens in a handful of Shadow Corridors.
26%%ZCE** SmashingHallwayTrapsOfDoom
27%%ZCE** SpikesOfDoom
28* DarkIsNotEvil: [[spoiler:Well, not ''all'' of it, anyway...]]
29%%ZCE* DarkWorld
30%%ZCE* DeathCourse
31* DoorToBefore: After reaching the top of the tower, you throw a switch to activate the elevator so you can quickly travel to various floors throughout the tower.
32** The last area of [[spoiler: The Garden]] leads to the very first area of the game, where you can either return to the Tower to continue exploring it, or [[spoiler: go down The Well to fight the Shadow Soul.]]
33* DualWorldGameplay: The game is primarily a 2D platformer using shadows for terrain, but once you pick up the Watchman's Sword, you can activate gates of light that allow you to (temporarily) move around in 3D in the real world, mostly for solving even more puzzles.
34* EldritchAbomination: The Shadow Soul.
35* EpicRace: Happens a few times within the tower.
36%%ZCE* EventFlag
37* ExperienceMeter: The purple bar below your red HP meter.
38%%ZCE* ExpositionBreak
39* FairyCompanion: The Spangle.
40* FinalBossPreview / RecurringBoss: The Shadow Soul makes it quite obvious that you're going to fight it eventually after chasing you through several different hallways.
41* FloatingPlatforms: While a number of platforms "float" only by virtue of being shadows cast on a surface, there are also a number of genuine FloatingPlatforms; when they move, their shadows move too.
42* GottaCatchThemAll: The 90 Memories, as well as all the 40 Shadow Corridors. There's one reward each for collecting them all.
43* GroundhogDayLoop: [[spoiler:It turns out that many shadows have tried -- but failed -- to climb the tower already, and are now just memories scattered throughout. Hopefully this shadow can make it to the top.]]
44* HeartContainer: Scattered "memories" increase your HP as you collect them, in increments of 0.1 or 0.2 grams apiece.
45* InterfaceSpoiler: What are those empty spots on the inventory screen? You'll find out as soon as you reach the top of the tower.
46%%ZCE* ItsUpToYou
47* JustifiedExtraLives: Not only is the game silently keeping track of how many times you've run out of HP, the GameOver screen actually says "Boy ##'s shadow expired at...," implying that you're not the first shadow attempting to climb the tower. All those Memories you collect? Remains of previous shadows that died while climbing the tower.
48* LevelGoal: "Shadow Walls" mark the end of each level; you have to collect three Shadow Monitors to dispel it before proceeding.
49* LivingShadow: The boy's shadow, and the shadow of assorted monsters he battles along the way.
50* MarketBasedTitle: It's called ''Lost In Shadow'' in the Americas, and ''A Shadow's Tale'' in Europe.
51* MusicalSpoiler: The Shadow Soul has a distinct theme which starts on a level before it appears, letting players get ready to run quickly.
52* NewGamePlus / EndgamePlus: [[spoiler: After beating the game, you can unlock two hidden swords which you can carry over to the same or different file.]]
53* NonLethalBottomlessPits: If there isn't a shadow to land on below, falling in will cost you some HP and set you back at the nearest checkpoint.
54* PointOfNoReturn: There is no going back once you leave for the Shadow Tower ... [[SubvertedTrope or is there]]?
55** More traditionally, [[spoiler: once you head down The Well for the final battle against the Shadow Soul, there's no turning back.]]
56* PlotCoupon: You start collecting pieces of stained glass halfway through the game.
57* RuleOfThree: Most floors require you to touch and unlock three Monitor Eyes before you can continue on.
58* RunOrDie: Against the Shadow Soul. Just being near it causes damage, while coming into close contact with it is instant death.
59* PressurePlate: Many of which can only be used when you're navigating the physical world, not the shadow world. And yes, many of them do require placing a weight on them to hold down.
60* PuzzlePan: This happens often when you flip a switch or pull a lever by showing you what was unlocked and where.
61%%ZCE* RunDontWalk
62* [[spoiler:SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: The whole reason the boy's shadow was cut from him to begin with.]]
63%%ZCE* {{Shadowland}}
64%%ZCE* SteamPunk
65* StoryToGameplayRatio: On the "high gameplay, low story" end.
66* SuicidalOverconfidence: Those poor, poor shadow spiders on 1F of the tower once you begin to backtrack...
67* SuspiciousVideogameGenerosity: While you can find fountains of infinite life in many shadow corridors, the only ones you find in the actual tower are right before encountering [[EldritchAbomination The Shadow Soul]].
68* SwordOfPlotAdvancement: The Watchman's Sword allows you to access those mysterious gates of light scattered throughout the tower's various floors (mostly for collecting extra Memories) once you find it.
69%%ZCE* TrapDoor
70* WeakenedByTheLight: The only way you'll be able to keep ahead of the Shadow Soul's pursuit, as well as the means by which it is finally vanquished for good.
71* WhereItAllBegan: You eventually end up back where the Shadow first landed when it was thrown off the Tower, [[spoiler: where you have to go down the Well to fight the Shadow Soul.]]
72* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: The tower is 55F high, but your journey doesn't end there ... [[spoiler: Where's the boy's body? What's with the altar and stained glass?]]

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