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Shadowrun (SNES)
Encyclopedia
Shadowrun is a cyberpunk
action role-playing
video game (RPG) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
(SNES). It was adapted from the tabletop role-playing game Shadowrun
by FASA
. The video game was developed by Australian company Beam Software and first released in 1993 by Data East
.
The game is loosely based on the novel Never Deal with a Dragon by Shadowrun co-creator Robert N. Charrette
. The player takes on the role of Jake Armitage, a data courier
who is assassinated by a hit squad in the year 2050. He wakes up in a morgue
, suffering from amnesia
. The game follows Jake as he attempts to uncover his own identity and the identity of the mysterious figure who wants him dead, and eventually complete his mission.
tabletop role-playing game of the same name
. The storyline of the video game is loosely based on the first Shadowrun novel, Never Deal with a Dragon, written by Robert N. Charrette
. The narrative opens in Seattle, Washington
in the year 2050, where the protagonist Jake Armitage, is shown being gunned down in the street at the hands of armed men. A shapeshifting lupine figure rushes to his side and is seen casting a spell over Jake before leaving hastily as the medics arrive on the scene. Jake awakens in a morgue
, suffering from amnesia
. Upon leaving the morgue, Jake is approached by the "Dog", a shamanistic totem
who gives him a warning before vanishing into the shadows.
The rest of the story is spent investigating the events leading to Jake's shooting, learning the identity of the shapeshifter who saved him, as well the person who ordered his assassination, a mysterious crime lord named "Drake". Most of the information is found by piecing together snippets of data found by hacking various protected computer systems. Along the way, he has encounters with gangs, criminals, and magically-awakened creatures while under constant threat of attack from hitmen out for the contract on his life. Jake also discovers and develops his own latent magical abilities. Apart from his totem spirit, his only allies are shadowrunners with their services for hire.
It is eventually revealed that Jake is a courier who was carrying a program in his "head computer", a computer built inside his brain. The program was designed to destroy a malevolent artificial intelligence
, which the sinister Aneki Corporation is trying to protect. The company is being aided by Drake, who is in reality a dragon
and is behind the entire plot.
commands to respond. Some battles within the game require sharp reflexes. This is further complicated by the fact that the Seattle in the game is a tough city - practically every screen contains at least one hidden assassin
who, from random locations, opens fire on Jake; the player must immediately find the source of the attack and respond or risk death. At the same time, Jake builds up "karma
" from killing enemies. Karma can then be allocated by the player into different attributes, skills, and magical powers.
As the title of the game implies, Jake is described as a "shadowrunner," a mercenary
type of character common within the Shadowrun world. Moreover, in the game, Jake is able to hire other shadowrunners as henchmen, though it is possible for the player to win the game without hiring a single shadowrunner. In interacting with non-player character
s, Shadowrun uses an unusual system. Whenever Jake hears a new and unusual term, this word is highlighted, then added to a sort of database of terms he can use; from that point on, when speaking with NPCs, Jake is able to ask them about this new word; only in this manner can a player progress with the game.
The game also includes an unusual way of entering into cyberspace
, known as the Matrix. Using a cyberdeck, Jake is able to hack into computers
to retrieve information, as well as gain more money, which in the game is nuyen (noo-yen). During such scenes, the gameplay becomes two-dimensional while an icon of Jake moves through cyberspace, fights intrusion programs, and retrieves data. As in the original RPG (and cyberpunk literature in general), if the player dies in cyberspace, he dies in real life as well.
in the United Kingdom. The game's production was shelved by Beam, but eventually resumed before its set deadline. Having been hired by Beam's parent company Melbourne House, fantasy writer Paul Kidd
quickly took Barnett's place as producer and designer. According to Kidd, the given timeframe for finishing Shadowrun for publisher Data East
was very short, forcing the team to complete production in a tumultuous five and a half to six months. An avid role-player, Kidd was already familiar with the Shadowrun license, but had to utilize the storyline that his predecessor had already gotten approved. The basic aspects of Beam's game Nightshade were used as a basis for Shadowrun. Specific film noir
components such as "dark cityscapes, dialogue-heavy exchanges, and touches of humor" were adapted directly from the former to the latter. To coincide with the last of these qualities, Kidd and artist Jeff Kamenek altered the original "serious" tone of Shadowrun by replacing portions of the script and artwork with more comedic elements.
The ROM image
of the first version of Shadowrun contains a much more crude script, with more sexual suggestive and violent phrases. For example, one line is changed from "morgue guys" to "chop shop guys." The game's distributor favored the less serious version for retail release, sparking indignation and conflict among Kidd and other members of Beam's staff. "Beam Software was a madhouse, a cesspit of bad karma and evil vibes," Kidd recalled. "The war was reaching shooting level; old school creators who just wanted to make good games were being crushed down by a wave of managerial bull. It was no longer a 'creative partnership' in any way; it was 'us' and 'them'. People were feeling creatively and emotionally divorced from their projects." Shadowrun was ultimately completed by its deadline. Kidd credits this to the staffers obstaining from company meetings and workshops, and continually keeping management away from the designers. Shadowrun was released in North America and Japan by Data East, and in PAL region
s self-published by Beam Software as Laser Beam Entertainment. The Japanese version has a significantly longer introduction than the English version of the game, and also has a vertically uncompressed Shadowrun logo on the title screen. The same script as the North American and PAL editions are used, but Japanese subtitles are added.
, and Game Informer
, as well as runner-up for the best RPG of 1993 in GamePro
. Shadowrun was given the second place Nintendo Power
award in the category "Most Innovative (Super NES)", describing it as "one of the best sci-fi games ever"; it was also nominated in the category "For Challenge". Super Play
listed it as the 34th best SNES game of all time. In 2009, Game Informer listed Shadowrun as the 125th best video game of all time. In 2011, IGN
ranked the game at number 77 on its list of the top 100 SNES games of all time.
Shadowrun has been positively recounted by many contemporary gaming restrospectives. Tim Turi of Game Informer cited Shadowrun as an important milestone in the use of film noir in video games. Turi summarized, "Shadowruns moody music and dark streets set the somber tone for this RPG's prying conversations and self-reflective narrative." IGN AU
contributor Patrick Kolan fondly considered Shadowrun "without question, one of the best underexposed classics of the SNES era" because it presented players with "a mature narrative, strong characters and a dystopian backdrop", irresistibly blended with traditional RPG elements. 1UP.com
writer Paul Furtari included Shadowrun on his list of "15 Games Ahead of Their Time" for its use of a keyword dialogue system, common to PC
games but foreign to consoles games of the time.
Despite meeting with favorable reviews after its release, Shadowrun sold poorly, partly because of low shipping numbers. Two co-licensed games of the same name were released around the same time by different developers and publishers: the 1994 North America-exclusive Sega Genesis title
by BlueSky Software
and Sega
, and the 1995 Japan-exclusive Sega Mega-CD title by Group SNE
and Compile. The storyline and gameplay of the SNES Shadowrun are completely different from these two games. In 2007, FASA Studio and Microsoft Studios released an adaptation of the franchise on Xbox 360
and Microsoft Windows
.
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
action role-playing
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
video game (RPG) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
(SNES). It was adapted from the tabletop role-playing game Shadowrun
Shadowrun
Shadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
by FASA
FASA
FASA Corporation was an American publisher of role-playing games, wargames and board games between 1980 and 2001. Originally the name FASA was an acronym for "Freedonian Aeronautics and Space Administration", a joking allusion to the Marx Brothers film Duck Soup. This tongue-in-cheek attitude was...
. The video game was developed by Australian company Beam Software and first released in 1993 by Data East
Data East
also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, when it declared bankruptcy...
.
The game is loosely based on the novel Never Deal with a Dragon by Shadowrun co-creator Robert N. Charrette
Robert N. Charrette
Robert N. Charrette has worked as a graphic artist, game designer, art director, commercial sculptor, and author. He co-wrote, with Paul Hume, Bushido, Aftermath!, and Daredevils for Fantasy Games Unlimited. Other works include FASA’s BattleTech and Shadowrun series which he co-designed along...
. The player takes on the role of Jake Armitage, a data courier
Sneakernet
Sneakernet is an informal term describing the transfer of electronic information, especially computer files, by physically couriering removable media such as magnetic tape, floppy disks, compact discs, USB flash drives, or external hard drives from one computer to another. This is usually in lieu...
who is assassinated by a hit squad in the year 2050. He wakes up in a morgue
Morgue
A morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
, suffering from amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
. The game follows Jake as he attempts to uncover his own identity and the identity of the mysterious figure who wants him dead, and eventually complete his mission.
Plot
Shadowrun is an adaptation of the FASAFASA
FASA Corporation was an American publisher of role-playing games, wargames and board games between 1980 and 2001. Originally the name FASA was an acronym for "Freedonian Aeronautics and Space Administration", a joking allusion to the Marx Brothers film Duck Soup. This tongue-in-cheek attitude was...
tabletop role-playing game of the same name
Shadowrun
Shadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
. The storyline of the video game is loosely based on the first Shadowrun novel, Never Deal with a Dragon, written by Robert N. Charrette
Robert N. Charrette
Robert N. Charrette has worked as a graphic artist, game designer, art director, commercial sculptor, and author. He co-wrote, with Paul Hume, Bushido, Aftermath!, and Daredevils for Fantasy Games Unlimited. Other works include FASA’s BattleTech and Shadowrun series which he co-designed along...
. The narrative opens in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
in the year 2050, where the protagonist Jake Armitage, is shown being gunned down in the street at the hands of armed men. A shapeshifting lupine figure rushes to his side and is seen casting a spell over Jake before leaving hastily as the medics arrive on the scene. Jake awakens in a morgue
Morgue
A morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
, suffering from amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
. Upon leaving the morgue, Jake is approached by the "Dog", a shamanistic totem
Totem
A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem...
who gives him a warning before vanishing into the shadows.
The rest of the story is spent investigating the events leading to Jake's shooting, learning the identity of the shapeshifter who saved him, as well the person who ordered his assassination, a mysterious crime lord named "Drake". Most of the information is found by piecing together snippets of data found by hacking various protected computer systems. Along the way, he has encounters with gangs, criminals, and magically-awakened creatures while under constant threat of attack from hitmen out for the contract on his life. Jake also discovers and develops his own latent magical abilities. Apart from his totem spirit, his only allies are shadowrunners with their services for hire.
It is eventually revealed that Jake is a courier who was carrying a program in his "head computer", a computer built inside his brain. The program was designed to destroy a malevolent artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, which the sinister Aneki Corporation is trying to protect. The company is being aided by Drake, who is in reality a dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
and is behind the entire plot.
Gameplay
As an action RPG video game, Shadowrun combines both the statistical factor in the tabletop game with real-time gameplay. For example, the player controls Jake, moves him around using the controller, and when attacked, must use guns or magicMagic (gaming)
Some role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
commands to respond. Some battles within the game require sharp reflexes. This is further complicated by the fact that the Seattle in the game is a tough city - practically every screen contains at least one hidden assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
who, from random locations, opens fire on Jake; the player must immediately find the source of the attack and respond or risk death. At the same time, Jake builds up "karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
" from killing enemies. Karma can then be allocated by the player into different attributes, skills, and magical powers.
As the title of the game implies, Jake is described as a "shadowrunner," a mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
type of character common within the Shadowrun world. Moreover, in the game, Jake is able to hire other shadowrunners as henchmen, though it is possible for the player to win the game without hiring a single shadowrunner. In interacting with non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s, Shadowrun uses an unusual system. Whenever Jake hears a new and unusual term, this word is highlighted, then added to a sort of database of terms he can use; from that point on, when speaking with NPCs, Jake is able to ask them about this new word; only in this manner can a player progress with the game.
The game also includes an unusual way of entering into cyberspace
Cyberspace
Cyberspace is the electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.The term "cyberspace" was first used by the cyberpunk science fiction author William Gibson, though the concept was described somewhat earlier, for example in the Vernor Vinge short story "True...
, known as the Matrix. Using a cyberdeck, Jake is able to hack into computers
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
to retrieve information, as well as gain more money, which in the game is nuyen (noo-yen). During such scenes, the gameplay becomes two-dimensional while an icon of Jake moves through cyberspace, fights intrusion programs, and retrieves data. As in the original RPG (and cyberpunk literature in general), if the player dies in cyberspace, he dies in real life as well.
Development
Shadowrun was created by the Australian developer Beam Software when Adam Lanceman, part of the company's management team, acquired the license for FASA's 1989 tabletop RPG. The project was initially headed by Gregg Barnett until he abruptly left Beam midway through the game's development to start Perfect EntertainmentPerfect Entertainment
Perfect Entertainment was a British computer game producer, which ceased production in 1999. It was created in 1994 as a result of a name change from Perfect 10 Productions, a company previously known as Beam Software ....
in the United Kingdom. The game's production was shelved by Beam, but eventually resumed before its set deadline. Having been hired by Beam's parent company Melbourne House, fantasy writer Paul Kidd
Paul Kidd
-Career:Before pursuing a career in writing Kidd had worked at Beam Software, an Australia-based game developer. He is credited as, among other things, the writer, director and lead designer of Nightshade, an ambitious action-adventure title for the NES....
quickly took Barnett's place as producer and designer. According to Kidd, the given timeframe for finishing Shadowrun for publisher Data East
Data East
also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, when it declared bankruptcy...
was very short, forcing the team to complete production in a tumultuous five and a half to six months. An avid role-player, Kidd was already familiar with the Shadowrun license, but had to utilize the storyline that his predecessor had already gotten approved. The basic aspects of Beam's game Nightshade were used as a basis for Shadowrun. Specific film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
components such as "dark cityscapes, dialogue-heavy exchanges, and touches of humor" were adapted directly from the former to the latter. To coincide with the last of these qualities, Kidd and artist Jeff Kamenek altered the original "serious" tone of Shadowrun by replacing portions of the script and artwork with more comedic elements.
The ROM image
ROM image
A ROM image, or ROM file, is a computer file which contains a copy of the data from a read-only memory chip, often from a video game cartridge, a computer's firmware, or from an arcade game's main board...
of the first version of Shadowrun contains a much more crude script, with more sexual suggestive and violent phrases. For example, one line is changed from "morgue guys" to "chop shop guys." The game's distributor favored the less serious version for retail release, sparking indignation and conflict among Kidd and other members of Beam's staff. "Beam Software was a madhouse, a cesspit of bad karma and evil vibes," Kidd recalled. "The war was reaching shooting level; old school creators who just wanted to make good games were being crushed down by a wave of managerial bull. It was no longer a 'creative partnership' in any way; it was 'us' and 'them'. People were feeling creatively and emotionally divorced from their projects." Shadowrun was ultimately completed by its deadline. Kidd credits this to the staffers obstaining from company meetings and workshops, and continually keeping management away from the designers. Shadowrun was released in North America and Japan by Data East, and in PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
s self-published by Beam Software as Laser Beam Entertainment. The Japanese version has a significantly longer introduction than the English version of the game, and also has a vertically uncompressed Shadowrun logo on the title screen. The same script as the North American and PAL editions are used, but Japanese subtitles are added.
Reception
Shadowrun received very positive reviews from the gaming press during its release.Legacy
Shadowrun garnered a number of awards and honors from various publications during and after its original release. It was voted as the best RPG of 1993 in the magazines GameFan, VideoGames, Electronic GamesElectronic Games
Electronic Games was the first video game magazine published in the United States and ran from 1981 to 1994. It was co-founded by Arnie Katz and Bill Kunkel, and is unrelated to the subsequent Electronic Gaming Monthly.-External links:* *...
, and Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
, as well as runner-up for the best RPG of 1993 in GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
. Shadowrun was given the second place Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
award in the category "Most Innovative (Super NES)", describing it as "one of the best sci-fi games ever"; it was also nominated in the category "For Challenge". Super Play
Super Play
Super Play was a UK based Super Nintendo Entertainment System magazine which ran from November 1992 to September 1996.Super Play was notable for a number of reasons. Firstly, it covered in great detail the console role-playing game genre...
listed it as the 34th best SNES game of all time. In 2009, Game Informer listed Shadowrun as the 125th best video game of all time. In 2011, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked the game at number 77 on its list of the top 100 SNES games of all time.
Shadowrun has been positively recounted by many contemporary gaming restrospectives. Tim Turi of Game Informer cited Shadowrun as an important milestone in the use of film noir in video games. Turi summarized, "Shadowruns moody music and dark streets set the somber tone for this RPG's prying conversations and self-reflective narrative." IGN AU
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
contributor Patrick Kolan fondly considered Shadowrun "without question, one of the best underexposed classics of the SNES era" because it presented players with "a mature narrative, strong characters and a dystopian backdrop", irresistibly blended with traditional RPG elements. 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
writer Paul Furtari included Shadowrun on his list of "15 Games Ahead of Their Time" for its use of a keyword dialogue system, common to PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
games but foreign to consoles games of the time.
Despite meeting with favorable reviews after its release, Shadowrun sold poorly, partly because of low shipping numbers. Two co-licensed games of the same name were released around the same time by different developers and publishers: the 1994 North America-exclusive Sega Genesis title
Shadowrun (Sega)
Shadowrun is an action RPG for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, adapted from the pen and paper RPG Shadowrun by FASA. The game was developed by US company BlueSky Software and released in 1994. Shadowrun takes place in 2058 Seattle...
by BlueSky Software
BlueSky Software
BlueSky Software was an American software company situated in California formed in 1988 and had a successful run for 12 years before closing down in March 2001, when parent company Interplay was in financial trouble.- Atari 7800 :* Basketbrawl...
and Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, and the 1995 Japan-exclusive Sega Mega-CD title by Group SNE
Group SNE
Group SNE is a Japanese company founded in 1986 by the current president Hitoshi Yasuda, which produces role-playing games, light novels, board games and card games. Ryo Mizuno was one of the founding members. Group SNE is named after Syntax Error, the programming language BASIC's term...
and Compile. The storyline and gameplay of the SNES Shadowrun are completely different from these two games. In 2007, FASA Studio and Microsoft Studios released an adaptation of the franchise on Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
.