A fantastic, although not very hard, adventure game.
On with the review:
This is a point & click adventure game (and not an RPG, as some people seem to think). It's made by kemco, and was released on the NES & the MAC (and also later on the GBC). Its story is very simplistic, and predictable (a bit like a poorly written adventure for a pen & paper RPG actually). You are the last descendant from a line of warrior kings, who have to save the kingdom by slaying the evil warlock lord (lord warlock in the Swedish version of the game). That's about it.
If you can look beyond the simplistic story, you will find an interesting game thought. The puzzles might be tricky at times, but there are almost always hints that will help you on your way (try looking at items, or at patterns on the walls, and remember to read everything). While some of the puzzles might get frustrating at times, and some of the deaths are cheep (how would I know that smashing the wrong mirror will kill me?) death is only a minor setback (you will be transported to the last room you were in). And as I said, there are hints for most of the puzzles, if you look carefully enough.
Graphics:
So, how does this game look? Really nice for its time, actually. The environment looks great for a NES game, although the animations are somewhat poor (5 frames or so is simply not enough for a snake to turn into a staff).
Sound:
The sound in shadowgate is generally speaking good. There are 2 tunes that I really hate though. Thank god for the mute button on the remote.
Gameplay:
It's a simple point & click adventure game, and as such there is not a whole lot to say about it. The puzzles are good, and not too hard.
Replay value:
Somewhat low. The game is kind of short, and once you have done a puzzle, you will most likely be able to solve it again, without much of a problem. Learning the game by heart is not that hard, and after you have done that, there is not much of a reason to play it.
Final verdict:
This is simply a must have for anyone who owns a NES & who enjoys point & click adventure games. It's a fantastic game, well worth your time & money. The only real drawback would be the fact that it's somewhat on the easy side. If I could finish it when I was 6 years old (and that is with the horrible mess that is the Swedish translation) most people should be able to breeze trough it.
If you want your kids to learn how to read, this might actually be a good start. Before playing this game I was only able to read simple texts, but after playing trough this all the teachers thought that I was a wonder child, or something along that line, because I was able to read almost as well as a 4th grader (note: in Sweden school starts at the age of 7)