History VideoGame / Nightshade

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* ''VideoGame/Nightshade2003'': A 2003 hack and slash on the [=PlayStation=] 2. Part of the ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'' series.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px-Nightshade_NES_Coverart_2957.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Nightshade's our man!]]
->''"Crime feeds upon itself like rats fighting over cheese."''

''Nightshade Part 1: The Claws of Sutekh'', more commonly known simply as ''Nightshade'', is a game for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] released in 1991 -- the very end of that system's life. It was developed by Beam Software and published by Creator/{{Konami}} under their Ultra Games label. For plenty of reasons, the game was not successful and faded into obscurity. Yet, in recent years -- thanks to internet and particularly WebVideo/TheHappyVideoGameNerd and WebVideo/JonTron -- it has undergone something of a revival, including being released on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} in 2019 courtesy of Piko Interactive, with another rerelease on UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch the following year.

The game chronicles the rise of wannabe vigilante "Nightshade". Armed only with [[CoatHatMask a Trilby]], [[BadassNormal his fists]], and some shades ([[SunglassesAtNight at night]]), he's out to clean up his hometown of Metro City, now a crime-ridden cesspool since the death of its former superhero. Nightshade's top priority is tracking down the [[{{diabolical mastermind}} mastermind]] who's controlling the gangs, Sutekh.

Very tongue in cheek and only taking itself seriously when necessary, ''Nightshade'' combines two very different kinds of game-play: Point-and-click adventure with a (rather unpolished) fighting system. Don't be fooled though, ''Nightshade'' is [[NintendoHard hard]]. You'll lose, many times, which leads to something original in game design: Your continues play out in the form of comic book-style {{Death Trap}}s. If you manage to escape, you live to fight another day. This doesn't mean you have infinite continues though; the traps get tricker each time you fail, and after the fourth trap, [[GameOver you'll be placed in an inescapable one if you're defeated once more]].

Seeing how obscure this game is, it's no surprise that the franchise never got to ''Nightshade part 2.'' Fortunately, it spawned a SpiritualSuccessor: Beam Software's ''VideoGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' for the SNES.

There is a very interesting article in the ''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen Might Have Been column]]'' on [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190412034804/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2007/06/column_might_have_been_nightsh.php GameSetWatch]] trying to explain why this game flopped. Give it a look if you can.

[[SimilarlyNamedWorks Not to be confused]] with [=PS2=] game called ''VideoGame/NightshadeKunoichi''.
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!!This game provides examples of:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:#-G]]
* FiveFiveFive: The glyphs in Sutekh's hideout actually say, "Are you reading this? Then so are your customers! Contact Sutekh at 555-EVIL"
* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: King Rat's vast, labyrinthine lair. In screenshot terms, the sewer is roughly half the size of the city itself.
* AffablyEvil: Metro City's resident ninja clan is comprised entirely of bubblegum blondes, many of whom won't attack until they've unmasked you as a crimefighter. They seem like pleasant enough girls, regardless.
* AirVentPassageway: Averted with Nightshade bungling his entry into the penthouse.
-->"I bet I could quietly remove this grate and sneak in undetected." *[[WithCatlikeTread CRASH! BANG! Tinkle...]]*
* AlwaysNight: Metro City exists under the oppression of permanent darkness.
* {{Animesque}}: The portraits of most female characters in this game appear to have a lot of anime influence.
* AristocratsAreEvil: Lord Muck.
* {{Autodoc}}: Vortex left one behind in his HomeBase. (Watch out, it only works a few times.)
* BadassArmfold: Sutekh's default pose.
* BadassInANiceSuit: Goliath, as well as the blue-clad English gang.
* BadassNormal: Nightshade himself has no superpowers and not even any gadgets to speak of.
* BaldOfEvil: The thugs.
* BeardOfEvil: [[spoiler:Suthekh unmasked]].
* BetterThanABareBulb: Nightshade has a Creator/MontyPython sense of humor toward the superhero genre. This is established on the very first screen. ("For no readily explainable reason, there is a candle burning here.")
* BigRedButton: The first lever in the game is labeled "SelfDestructMechanism! Do not touch!" It actually turns off water to reveal the exit. If this is Sutekh's idea of security, you can guess the extent of his idiocy later on.
* BossRush: Unless you had the foresight to cover the four artifacts with domes before you went hunting for bosses, the game throws all four crime bosses at you in the [[BossCorridor final hallway]] before Sutekh.
* BookcasePassage: The library stacks conceal two of these. Happy PixelHunting.
* {{Bouncer}}: Thugs guard the entrances to the club, so you'll need to find another way in.
-->"Durr, no entry, sir. Or madam."
* BrainUploading: Vortex seemingly anticipated his death, so he uploaded his brain into the computer at his base. He won't allow you inside until you've got sufficient popularity.
* BreadEggsMilkSquick: "Typical Oriental waitress, with note-books, aprons, and shuriken pouches."
* BritsLoveTea: Confronting Lord Muck in the Pyramid Club. "Oh dear, [[OhNoNotAgain this always happens]] at tea time."
* BrownNote: Nightshade doesn't grasp how awful his whistling sounds, but it gets the bats off your back.
* BullfightBoss: Goliath [[CirclingBirdies sees stars]] when he crashes into the walls. The mummies might also count, since their only weak point is their backside.
* CardCarryingVillain: Sutekh. "Now I shall leave you to your doom while I go and brew more evil!'
* CaneFu: The fight with Lord Muck. He's the only English gangster who carries a staff.
* CatUpATree: A quick way to net some popularity. You need catnip to coax down Tibbles; otherwise [[CatsAreMean it'll shred you]].
* CheckPointStarvation: There is no way to save your game. Unless you're playing on an emulator, you're expected to play the entire game from start to finish in one sitting.
* ChekhovsExhibit: The museum and art gallery hold two of the treasures Sutekh seeks.
* TheChosenZero: Nightshade's real identity is Mark Gray, an encyclopedia researcher. No parents dying or lab accident or being made a champion. Nightshade is just some guy who gets bored and decided to fight crime. Doesn't help that he was preceded by Vortex, an actually well-equipped and formidable superhero who lost to the same villains.
* CityNoir: Metro City is an undeniably gloomy and forbidding place, despite the light-heartedness of the story.
* CoatHatMask: Nightshade's superhero "costume", albeit with shades instead of a mask.
* CollapsingCeilingBoss: Lord Muck shaking the room with his cane. However, this is when he's most vulnerable, as he's forced to stand still.
* ContinuingIsPainful: Continuing the game is a puzzle in itself. If Nightshade gets knocked out, the villain ties him up in a trap, and you have to figure out how to escape before Nightshade gets killed. This is virtually a guaranteed Game Over the first few times.
* ControllableHelplessness: Even ropes can't hold the mighty Nightshade!
** He can't move at all in the conveyor belt sequence, but you can manipulate his feet to reach the controls.
** Played straight with the freeze ray.
* ConvenientlyPlacedSharpThing:
** A variant in the start of the game, as you use a Conveniently Placed Candle to burn ropes holding you to a chair.
** Played totally straight in one of the death traps, where you use a piece of frayed metal to free yourself.
* CoversAlwaysLie: From the box art and back description, you'd think this game was a totally straight comic book hero adventure.
* TheCowl: Watch out, crime. (Vortex can also be considered this.)
* CreepyCemetery: Suekh's hideout on the north side of town. Interestingly, this is the polar opposite to Vortex's base, located at the south side.
* CreepyChangingPainting: A portrait of some random guy whose expression changes each time you see it. It's actually a time-lapse of his face going from a heavy-lidded smirk to a big-eyed scream. The second of such portraits is actually a ConcealingCanvas.
* CrucifiedHeroShot: Vortex is shown hanging from manacles in the opening cinematic. [[spoiler:His corpse is still stuck in this pose]], with his cape draped over him to boot.
* DefeatByModesty: A weird kind. Mummies can't actually be beaten in fights. You have to hit them with a combo that makes them spin around so their bandages fall off. This leaves them so embarrassed they run away.
* DeathTrap: Each time you lose, Sutekh tosses you into another slow-moving and overly-elaborate trap. To his credit, he becomes progressively more clever each time you break loose. Also to his credit, [[MoonLogicPuzzle given the kind of logic these games run on]], a player who hasn't read a walkthrough still stands a good chance of dying in these:
** IncrediblyObviousBomb: Complete with [[CartoonBomb cartoon fuse]]. Hiding behind a wall protects Nightshade from the blast, as the bomb is of shoddy quality.
** ConveyorBeltODoom: If you get caught by Sutekh early on in the game (by running out of life), you get strapped to one of these. It's possible to free yourself, but if you make a mistake, the belt speeds up, leading you to a rather messy death.
** TheWallsAreClosingIn: A hydraulic press lined with SpikesOfDoom. Again, Sutekh's odd affinity for candles gets the better of him here.
** FedToTheBeast: Nightshade, bound and gagged again, must get free before Sutekh's RightHandAttackDog eats him. The gap in the floor widens until his chair topples into the dog kennel.
** RubeGoldbergHatesYourGuts: A pulley system threatens to drop a [[AnvilOnHead 700 lb. weight]] onto Nightshade.
** FreezeRay: You're boned. There's no escaping this one.
** GasChamber: We eventually learn this was [[spoiler:Vortex's cause of death]]. Nightshade will succumb to it, too, if you forget to turn off the valve.
* DialogDuringGameplay
* DramaticUnmask: The headline announcing Sutekh's arrest. (Though he's still in full costume during his trial, and even in jail.)
* DrinkingOnDuty: Upstanding Nightshade refuses to even enter the tavern.
* DualWielding: Sutekh wields a pair of Khopesh swords, and is pretty handy with them.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: In ''Nightshade'', the titular superhero starts off in a sewer, which is about as low as his popularity. There are several citizens with which to talk, like an old man who snubs you condescendingly or a librarian who always gets your name wrong, until you clobber a crime boss.
-->'''Jontron''': Well, I may have gotten blown up by a bomb, but apparently that's what happens when you're unpopular. Like Nightshade.
* DumbMuscle: Thugs have a [[YouNoTakeCandle feeble grasp]] on the English language.
* ElaborateUndergroundBase: Sutekh's faux-Egyptian temple is hidden beneath the cemetery. Also, a Batcave-like lair belonging to Vortex.
* EvilOverlooker: Sutekh on the box art, as well as the prologue and game over screen.
* ExpositionFairy: An elderly fan of Vortex (he's wearing a button which says "Vortex is my chum") hangs around the first screen and dispenses hints.
* {{Expy}}: The Vortex character is an odd mishmash of Franchise/{{Superman}} (hideout disguised as a phone booth, red cape) and Franchise/{{Batman}} (underground base, black roadster).
** Nightshade riffs on campy fedora-wearing vigilantes from the 60s and 70s, such as Radio/TheGreenHornet.
* TheFaceless: Nightshade's true face is never seen. He is essentially a player surrogate.
* FailedAttemptAtDrama:
-->'''Sutekh:''' Farewell, Lampshade!\\
'''Nightshade:''' '''''NIGHTSHADE!!'''''\\
'''Sutekh:''' [[ApologeticAttacker Oh, sorry]].
* FailureHero: The instant Nightshade finishes his hard-boiled monologue, he is tied to a chair in a dingy sewer. This is the first screen of the game. Sutekh has a nice chuckle over your aborted career in crimefighting.
* FauxHorrific: Sutekh reveals his EvilPlan: [[spoiler:To make '''wooden nickels legal tender!''']] Oh, the humanity!
-->'''Nightshade:''' Not so fast, you [[YoureInsane twisted fiend!]]
* FightWoosh: When encountering an enemy, we see the spinning Nightshade insignia.
* FinalBossPreview: "So, pathetic meddler! Your career is over before it has begun! Now there is [[NothingCanStopUsNow no one to stop me]] in my reign of evil!"
* FirstPersonSmartass: Nightshade loses his patience when "examining" commonplace things.
-->"Oh, so you need it in writing? Well, it's a D-O-G."
* FourIsDeath: The city is held by a tetralogy of crime lords who report directly to Sutekh: King Rat, Goliath, Lord Muck, and the Ninja Mistress.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Scattering food for animals is key to winning, and will save your bacon in one instance.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: [[spoiler:Sutekh's real identity is Waldo Schmeer, a lowly museum assistant.]]
* GameOverMan: Sutekh. "Metro City is mine!"
* GangOfHats: [[EvilBrit British gents]] [[QuintessentialBritishGentleman in bowler hats]], [[RodentsOfUnusualSize mutant rats]], [[BaldOfEvil bald thugs]], and [[AmazonBrigade all-female]] [[HighlyVisibleNinja ninjas]]. Sutekh, naturally, is flanked by a small army of mummies and robotic jackals.
* GiganticMoon: The pale moon looms large in a few areas, particularly the park and graveyard.
* GoodOldFisticuffs: Nightshade doesn't have any gadgets, or powers -- just his fists. The English gents insist on fighting by "Queensberry Rules."
* GothicPunk: As mentioned earlier, the city's aesthetic borrows a great deal from Batman and Raymond Chandler works. The stone skull adorning one of Sutekh's hideaways is quite foreboding.
* GottaCatchEmAll: Your goal is to enter Sutekh's hideout by collecting five scarabs. An optional quest is to find and secure four Egyptian artifacts before Sutekh loots them for his own purposes. In game terms, not securing the artifacts before you go around beating the minibosses to collect the scarabs means you have to re-fight each miniboss during the final fight with Sutekh.
** GottaKillEmAll: The crime bosses each hold a scarab.
* GrimyWater: The sewer has rivers of toxic waste for you to avoid.
* GuideDangIt & TheManyDeathsOfYou: ''Nightshade'' is a very unforgiving game with no shortage of sudden deaths.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:H-Z]]
* HeKnowsTooMuch: Sandleford is evidently in deep trouble, as he's holed up on the edge of town with a ninja practicing punches outside his door. He still refuses to leave his home even after you've defeated her.
* HealThyself: There is only one first-aid kit in the entire game, so be careful with it. Fortunately, the pizza has the same effect, and has multiple uses.
* HeroesLoveDogs: Nightshade positively melts whenever you examine dogs (even if they're trying to kill him). He does not get along with cats.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: Everyone is pretty rude to Nightshade, at least in the beginning. You need to earn "Popularity" by performing heroic deeds.
* HyperactiveMetabolism: The least effective method of healing, but at least it's there.
* ItsAllUpstairsFromHere: A modest example would be Goliath's penthouse. There's no way in, so Nightshade must [[spoiler:leap onto the elevator and climb the sides of the building]] to the roof.
* JoeSentMe: Make friends with the nut vendor and he'll refer you to his identical brother, who guards the back door to a club.
-->"Goodness gracious! You look like the sort of person who's recently spoken to my brother! Why don't you go through this back door?"
* JokeItem: The curio shop sells a fake Staff of Ra.
** The box labeled "Contents: [[RedHerring Herrings, Red]]."
* JustYouAndMeAndMyGUARDS: Sutekh sics mummies and statues on you during the final boss battle. This is if you made sure to protect the four treasures before you went around defeating the minibosses. If not, [[BossRush you fight them again instead]].
* KarmaMeter: Nightshade's "Popularity" meter which goes up from defeating villains and helping those in need. Among other things, you need to increase it to convince Vortex's computer you're enough of a hero to hand his operation over to.
* KingMook: The crime bosses are essentially these. The only difference is an additional special move or two.
* KleptomaniacHero: Averted with the four items Sutekh draws his power from. You can't run away with them (that would be stealing). [[spoiler:Instead, you need to cover them with four domes you find in Vortex's base. That prevents Sutekh from drawing upon their power.]]
* KryptoniteFactor: There are secret sidequests you can go on to find an item that makes certain enemy types weaker [[note]] The ninjas and giant rats to be specific. [[/note]].
* LegitimateBusinessmensSocialClub: Each of the crime bosses (exempting King Rat) hides out in a restaurant or club. The ninjas also run a clothing boutique.
* LiftOfDoom: The glass elevator adorning the entrance to Goliath's tower. Nightshade can leap onto the roof, but if you wait too long, he'll get crushed by the ceiling, resulting in instant death.
* LivingStatue: The statues of Sutekh come to life when you pass by.
* MaliciousMisnaming: Nightshade is frequently referred to as "Lampshade" with some derision.
* MediumAwareness: After relating his story, Professor Sandleford rudely throws you out. "--And take those darn subtitles with you!"
* MobWar: With Vortex gone, the gangs were descending into all-out warfare until Sutekh united them.
* MoreCriminalsThanTargets: The game can veer into this trope at times, especially given how desolate most of the screens are.
* MrExposition: Professor Sandleford, the museum curator, knows the true identity and intentions of your adversary.
* {{Mummy}}: The museum's mummy attacks Nightshade if you try to touch his diamond.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Sutekh dresses up like the jackal-headed [[Myth/EgyptianMythology God of Chaos]] (alternatively spelled "Set").
* NintendoHard: Not the least because it's an "all the way in one long play" game, highly unusual in a point-and-click adventure. There were attempts made at implementing a password feature, but it was canned due to deadlines.
* NoodleIncident: Nightshade's conversation with a bird. It has some kind of eye-opening revelation about frozen squid, but that's all we'll ever know.
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Inverted. Sutekh is revealed near the end to be [[spoiler:a weirdo with patently ridiculous plans for taking over the city]], well after he was established as a very credible threat who murdered Vortex and repeatedly tried to do likewise to Nightshade.
* ObligatoryJoke: Nightshade exclaims, "[[WaxingLyrical Knick nack paddywhack]]!" when you distract the dog with a bone.
* OhMyGods: "Great quivering enigmas with a side salad and a light tartare sauce!"
* OlderSidekick: In another nod to Batman, Vortex has an old man working for him.
* PowerCopying: Assembling the Staff of Ra will give Nightshade a projectile weapon like Sutekh's. It's not integral to gameplay and expires after a few shots, but it does inflict more damage than your regular punch.
* PrimaryColorChampion: Vortex dresses in crimson, and bears some resemblance to Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}.
* PrivateEyeMonologue: Nightshade has a lot of enthusiasm for superhero lingo, though he can never get it quite right.
* TheProfessor: Professor Sandleford.
* {{Pun}}:
** "Curio's Killed the Cat".
** Nightshade examining the grate in his cell.
* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: Sutekh used to work for [[spoiler:Professor Sandleford -- that is, until he was caught pilfering a number of artifacts]].
* SchmuckBait: "You've discovered the secret lair of Sutekh. For a free sample of what's waiting in the next room, just [[HarmlessElectrocution press the eye!]]"
-->"I hate it when that happens."
* SentryGun: Goliath has sentry guns mounted on the sides of his highrise.
* ShoutOut: If you look at one of the giant rat enemies, the game says "[[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Abnormal Irradiated Samurai Rats!]]"
** If that's not enough for you, there's a lost pizza boy in the sewers asking for a "Mr. Caravaggio," referencing the TMNT being named after Italian artists.
** Nightshade's {{catchphrase}}, "Did I err?", is taken from ''ComicBook/GrooTheWanderer''.
** An automated defense system who refers to you as "[[Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey Dave]]."
** If you check out the crowbar at the beginning of the game, you will find a reference from ''ComicBook/AlbedoErmaFelnaEDF'', a furry comic: [[http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v205/luisedgarf/NightshadeU-0_zps37f1f074.png A very odd romantic message written by Toki (A character from the comic who doesn't appear in the game) addressed to the heroine Erma (who she neither appears in the game either) appears.]] This is justified as the game was scripted by the Australian writer Paul Kidd, who worked with Albedo's creator, Steven A. Gallacci in some of his stories.
* ShownTheirWork: A statue of Nepotakh, lord of the Nile and guardian of the stomach. ("[[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer No kidding, look it up!]]")[[note]]Actually, this would be [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duamutef Duamutef]] - possibly a BlindIdiotTranslation; Egyptian is ''hard'' to translate as it had no vowels.[[/note]]
* SigilSpam: Since Sutekh took over, the whole town is wallpapered with [[BuildLikeAnEgyptian hieroglyphics and Egyptian decor]]. There is also an overabundance of cats, though a couple of them are on Nightshade's side.
** You can spot Vortex's presents via the scrawled "V"s on certain bricks and signposts. (Sound [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy familiar?]])
* SmokeOut: Ninjas use this trick to teleport around.
* SpandexLatexOrLeather: Nightshade constantly catches flak for his outfit. ("And get yourself some proper tights!") Vortex wears red spandex, and the ninjas are clad in steel-gray [[SpyCatsuit catsuits]].
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Nightshade can talk to cats after you read certain graffiti. Inexplicably, he can speak to squirrels, rats, and seagulls inherently.
-->"Nightshade had a long and meaningful conversation with the rat. Both feel they have been enriched by the experience."
* StockFemurBone: {{Justified|Trope}} for being an actual human femur. A DinosaurDoggieBone can be taken from the mounted dinosaur at the museum.
* SuperheroesWearCapes: Vortex wore one, as you see when you find his body.
* SurprisinglyCreepyMoment: [[spoiler:Vortex's corpse]] is still chained up in the sewers. It's amazing that Nintendo didn't catch this one.
* TakeOverTheCity: Well... Sutekh has pretty much already done this.
* TakingUpTheMantle: Nightshade pledges to carry on where Vortex failed. Luckily, Vortex foresaw this and left behind numerous hints and power-ups.
* {{Thememobile}}: Vortex's car. (Sadly, you can't drive it.)
* TinTyrant: Sutekh is clad in armor and a billowing cape, not unlike [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/DoctorWhoS13E3PyramidsOfMars a supervillain]] on ''Doctor Who'' who shares his name.
* TradeSnark: Protecting the streets from The Cloying Grasp of Evil™.
** "Sutekh: Beware the Staff of Ra. (Ominous Warnings Ltd.)"
* TroubleEntendre: The clothing store girl offers to read Nightshade's horoscope: "You will assaulted by a ninja with, like, incredible dress sense."
** Likewise, the waitresses warn against going into the restaurant's back room, or else "breakages may occur."
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: "It's just a horribly beweaponed girl in a skin-tight martial arts costume. Nothing unusual."
* ValleyGirl: In a clever reversal, all of the [[DumbBlonde dimwitted blondes]] in this game are actually ninjas.
-->"Oh wow! It's like, so totally awesome to be, like, relating with you at this moment."
* VideoGameLives: A very unique take on the concept of lives: when you run out of health, Sutekh will put you into a DeathTrap. The first four times this happens, the trap will have some kind of puzzle that, if solved, will allow you to escape and continue, although the traps become complex and the solutions become trickier each time. If you run out of health the fifth time, however, Sutekh will dispense with the VillainBall and [[GameOver toss you into a freezing chamber from which there is no escape]].
* WeaponizedHeadgear: The Brits use bowler hats as shurikens.
* WeWillMeetAgain: In the ending, your adversary vows that "[[TitleDrop the claws of Sutekh]] will rise again!"
* WheelOFeet: Goliath, when he charges.
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: It's easy to forget you have a crowbar and screwdriver, but they're useful for prying open grates and switch boxes.
* WorstNewsJudgmentEver:
-->MAN JOGS AROUND AUSTRALIA BY MISTAKE
* YouALLLookFamiliar: Most of the NPC characters share the same [[CharacterPortrait portraits]]. The only unique ones belong to Vortex and his associate, Nightshade, and Sutekh.
[[/folder]]
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-->''"Go forth, young Nightcart!"''
-->'''''"NIGHTSHADE!!!"'''''
-->''"Sorry."''
----

There is a very interesting article in the ''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen Might Have Been column]]'' on [[http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2007/06/column_might_have_been_nightsh.php GameSetWatch]] trying to explain why this game flopped. Give it a look if you can.

* ConvenientlyPlacedSharpThing: A variant in the start of the game, as you use a Conveniently Placed Candle to burn ropes holding you to a chair. Played totally straight in one of the death traps, where you use a piece of frayed metal to free yourself.

* BossRush: Unless you had the foresight to cover the four artifacts with domes, the game throws all four crime bosses at you in the [[BossCorridor final hallway]] before Sutekh.

* SurpriseCreepy: [[spoiler:Vortex's corpse]] is still chained up in the sewers. It's amazing that Nintendo didn't catch this one.

* WikiRule: Well, almost: the "[[http://nightshade.webstarts.com/index.html Nightshade Hideout]]" has a lot of informaiton about the game.

* Animesque: The portraits of most female characters in this game appear to have a lot of anime influence.

* KryptoniteFactor: There are secret sidequests you can go on to find an item that makes certain enemy types weaker.

* ShoutOut: "[[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Abnormal Irradiated Samurai Rats!]]"