In ancient eons past, long lost temples to video games known as “arcades” dotted the landscape, providing video gamers of yore a place in which to gather among like-minded peers, stage competitions to perfect their craft, and pay their tithes to the dark gods they chose to serve, twenty five cents at a time. Every gamer who remembers this Golden Age has a favorite cabinet game that they miss like hell — one game to rule them all. For a lot of folks, me included, that game is Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara, the side-scrolling beat ’em up that perfected the genre. And now, Shadow Over Mystara and it’s predecessor, the also excellent Tower of Doom are getting ported to Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network. The king has returned. Let the celebration commence.
For years, the only way to get these games was to own or have access to the original cabinet, track down a copy of the exceedingly rare and correspondingly pricey port for the Sega Saturn, or play an emulator that was less than satisfying. Now, fans of these two classic games — which play a bit like Golden Axe, if Golden Axe were 100% perfect — can relive the finest moments of their ill-starred youth while showing all their friends what’s up. If you can’t wait, or just need a reminder, take a look at the playthrough below and release a sigh laden with the heady scent of nostalgia fulfilled
The official announcement will be made at PAX East next week, when we’ll hopefully find out if Capcom is giving us cooperative online play with the port as well. Considering that this is one of my favorite co-op game experiences of all time, I’m really hoping that doesn’t get left out, because it’s a huge opportunity to leave on the table. Just remember — I play the Cleric. Yes, always. Always always.
And not to sound ungrateful, Capcom, but can we expect this to mean a port of the series’ close relative, the equally classic Alien vs. Predator in the near future? Oh, I hope I hope, I hope.
(via Siliconera)
- Hyperkin will let you play lots of classic games
- The OUYA will play emulator games
- This NES is four Nintendo systems
