Sample Coverage
“[Cyber Shadow] bears a strong resemblance to Ninja Gaiden and looks to be the love letter to that genre that Shovel Knight was to its inspirations.” – Imran Khan (Game Informer)
Shovel Knight Developer Yacht Club Games Set to Publish Ninja Action Game Cyber Shadow
Full gameplay demo available at PAX East this week!
LOS ANGELES – March 27, 2019 – Yacht Club Games, the Marina del Rey-based studio behind the hugely popular Shovel Knight franchise, will be unveiling cyber ninja game Cyber Shadow at PAX East this week.
In Cyber Shadow – the newest addition to the Yacht Club Games roster – the world has been taken over by synthetic lifeforms. A desperate plea for help sets Shadow on a journey to uncover what set the world on the path to perpetual ruin. Slash through techno hordes, leap past traps, and nimbly navigate the ruins of Mekacity. Only you can unlock the secrets to your clan’s ancient powers in Cyber Shadow – a quintessential take on the ninja action genre.
“It’s a huge honor to work with Aarne Hunziker on Cyber Shadow,” says Sean Velasco, game director of Yacht Club Games. “We understand more than most what a massive undertaking it is to bring a game you’ve been dreaming about for years into the world. We’re here to help Aarne deliver his vision – taking care of the ‘boring stuff’ so that he can do what he does best!”
“Working on Cyber Shadow has been exhausting but amazing at the same time,” says Aarne ‘MEKASKULL’ Hunziker, creator of Cyber Shadow and founder of Mechanical Head Games. “I’m thrilled that Yacht Club Games has taken an interest in my ninja game. It feels surreal for sure, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.”
Why Cyber Shadow?
Yacht Club Games reached out to Aarne two years ago about getting involved with Cyber Shadow. Aarne had been developing the game on his own for years with no intention of working with a publisher – but Yacht Club Games was the only team he’d ever consider to help him hone his creation. Aarne described Cyber Shadow to the Shovel Knight creators as an “NES-style game that had the level design principles of Mario, the skills and action of Ninja Gaiden, the enemy designs of Contra, and the dark visual aesthetic of Batman.” What the team played was a brilliantly elevated take on classic ninja action. After 6 years and 5 Shovel Knight games, Yacht Club Games had become associated with authentic 8-bit fun – and the company was confident it could rely on its past experiences and expertise to take Cyber Shadow to the next level. To both studios, Shovel Knight and Cyber Shadow offer players the trials of NES games … without any of the tribulations!
Yacht Club Games is handling the marketing, porting, business, and typical roles of a publisher so that Aarne can focus on the core game development. In addition, Yacht Club Games is deeply involved in giving design feedback – imparting some of the lessons learned from the Shovel Knight saga along the way.
Key Features
- Dash, slice, and leap through masterfully designed levels filled with sharply honed ninja platforming action.
- Authentic 8-bit presentation with handcrafted sprites, a detailed pixel aesthetic, and perfect controls. Modern touches like fluid animation, multi-layered parallax backgrounds, and evolved game design.
- Take down more than a dozen apocalyptic bosses – from enormous war machines to your synthetic clan rivals.
- Relive the authenticity of classic 8-bit challenge or experience it for the first time … with an added convenience or two.
- Rescue your clan to unlock permanent Ninjutsu skills and abilities – combining them seamlessly as only the warrior of legend could.
- Search for secrets as you explore the ruined world. Return to your old haunts to find supplies, items, and upgrades.
- Experience a gripping story – told both in-game and through animated cinematic story scenes between the action. Who can be trusted? How far will Shadow go to protect his clan and the one he loves?
- Pulse-pounding soundtrack by Enrique Martin, produced by Jake Kaufman.
PAX East: Press Meetings
Yacht Club Games’ Sean Velasco (Game Director), Sandy Gordon (Pixel Artist), and Alec Faulkner (Level Designer) will be in attendance at PAX East. Aarne Hunziker will be there as well with the first official Cyber Shadow playable demo. Yacht Club Games will also be featuring the latest playable code from Shovel Knight: King of Cards and Shovel Knight Showdown!
Booth Location:
Expo Hall / Booth 20079 / near Nintendo and Indie MEGABOOTH
Pricing & Availability
Cyber Shadow’s release date is yet to be determined. At launch, Yacht Club Games will be targeting Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 with a suggested retail price of $14.99.
About Mechanical Head Games
Mechanical Head Games is the sole brainchild of indie developer Aarne “MEKASKULL” Hunziker. To learn more about Cyber Shadow and Mechanical Head Games, please visit https://www.cybershadowgame.com.
About Yacht Club Games
Yacht Club Games is an independent game developer located in Marina Del Rey, California. The team works in a deeply collaborative environment with a passionate goal: to make original games that fuse modern and retro sensibilities like never before. To learn more about Yacht Club Games, please visit https://yachtclubgames.com.
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