All Articles: PAX East 2019

In addition to their role as the steward of the Shovel Knight franchise, Yacht Club Games has previously worked as a publisher to help bring two games in the Azure Striker Gunvolt series to retail shelves. Earlier today, the developer confirmed they’re getting back into the publishing game to assist Aarne “Mekaskull” Hunziker with the release of Cyber Shadow.

The developer describes Cyber Shadow 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.” The team at Yacht Club Games was drawn to these retro-inspired qualities, and they all certainly shine through in the game’s Announcement Trailer, which has been embedded above.

Cyber Shadow has been in development for more than two years, and will offer players a new take on the “Ninja Action” genre:

Description
In Cyber Shadow 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.

Features

• Dash, slice, and leap through masterfully designed levels filled with sharply honed ninja platforming action.
• Authentic 8-bit presentation with hand-crafted 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 the 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.

Cyber Shadow is currently in development for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. A release date wasn’t announced, but Yacht Club and “Mekaskull” will bring a demo of the game to this weekend’s PAX East convention for fans to try out.

Yacht Club Games originally released Shovel Knight in 2013, and the developer has spent the half-decade since producing multiple expansions for the game to fulfill promises made during its Kickstarter campaign. The final two expansions, King of Cards and Showdown, will be available later this year, and now it looks like Yacht Club is getting ready to move on to their next project.

Yesterday, the developer uploaded a stunning bit of artwork to their Twitter account, while also confirming that they’re bringing “something new” to PAX East 2019:

Who is that, lurking silently in the distance? Something new will emerge from the shadows at @officialpaxeast … pic.twitter.com/w1MQhIrYiB

— Yacht Club Games (@YachtClubGames) March 16, 2019

Unlike the medieval aesthetic found in Shovel Knight, this new project looks to feature a more post-apocalyptic vibe as a ninja stands amongst the rubble of a modern skyline.

Yacht Club’s new game is obviously a bit of a mystery, but we’ll all find out what they’re cooking up in just a few weeks. PAX East 2019 kicks off later this month in Boston on Thursday, March 28.