Shades!
A curse has fallen on the island of Arulan called Shades and it causes
people to vanish and reappear elsewhere. Whatever brought the curse also
brought monsters and traps making the island a dangerous place to be. You play
a hero determined to find out the truth and rid the island of the curse,
monsters and traps, and make the island the lovely place it used to be. You
can attempt this quest solo or you can allow three other players to attempt
the quest as well, each taking it in turns at various points. Three skill
levels can also be picked.
Shades is a flick-screen arcade adventure where each screen is viewed from
an elevated angle as you explore the island. You are armed with a sword (a
crossbow can be found later) and as you move about the island you can
encounter many monsters who can either be avoided, fought or pleaded with but
if pleading fails then you can fight or run away. On each screen are many
traps and you can search by pressing T but be careful because if there are
many traps then not all will be revealed at first. Secret doors can also be
searched for by pressing E and these are an important part to complete your
quest. Fighting or hurting your self on traps decreases a Physical State bar
but if you can avoid battles this can increase slowly if in the green section.
Once the bar is empty then it is game over for that player.
Scattered around the island are chests containing various objects to help you
in your quest. You can carry up to eight items and any items carried can be
dropped or used in various locations to aid you on your quest. Objects cannot
be dropped on stairs or The Moors as the winds would blow them away. Taking
objects or fighting monsters increase your experience and is used as a high
score at the end of the game. As you explore the island the Shades curse can
hit you and transport you to an earlier location you visited. Once all the
players are dead then the game is over.
Shades!