Play Nightshade - Part 1 - The Claws of Sutekh Online

You play a wisecracking detective who switches between investigating crime scenes and punching goons in dimly lit alleys, all while dropping terrible puns like it’s your job. The whole thing feels like someone mashed up a noir novel with a cheesy cartoon and somehow made it work.

Developer: Konami

Genre: Action

Released: 1992

File size: 512 bytes

Game Overview

Nightshade - Part 1 - The Claws of Sutekh is one of those NES games that feels like it fell out of a parallel universe where Raymond Chandler wrote comic books. You play as this sarcastic, fedora-tipping detective/superhero hybrid who punches thugs in alleys one minute and cracks wise about the weather the next. The whole thing oozes this weirdly charming mix of noir and Saturday morning cartoon energy.

Gameplay’s a funky blend—you’ll poke around crime scenes like a point-and-click adventure, then suddenly brawl through side-scrolling streets with clunky but satisfying punches. The real star is the writing, though. Every other line is a ridiculous pun or some over-the-top detective jargon, like the devs were dared to cram in as many bad jokes as possible. And Sutekh? Classic NES villain—all dramatic cape flourishes and vague world-ending plans.

It’s janky in that endearing 8-bit way (good luck with some of those pixel-hunt puzzles), but if you’ve got a soft spot for retro oddballs, this one’s a riot. Just try not to adopt Nightshade’s habit of muttering one-liners to yourself after playing.