Play The Shadow Online

You creep through 1930s alleys as The Shadow, toying with gangsters—vanishing into darkness, tricking them into shooting each other, then finishing the job with twin pistols when things get messy. That jazzy soundtrack and flickering streetlights make the whole thing feel like some weird, violent magic trick.

Developer: Ocean Software

Genre: Action

Released: 1994

File size: 1.26 MB

Game Overview

Okay, so The Shadow on SNES is one of those licensed games that somehow doesn’t suck—actually, it’s weirdly great. You play as this 1930s vigilante with a fedora and twin pistols, creeping through moody alleyways and using invisibility to mess with gangsters’ heads. The first level throws you right into it: flickering streetlights, jazzy music, and thugs who absolutely do not see you coming (until you want them to).

It’s got this weird mix of stealth and action—like, you *could* go in guns blazing, but sneaking up and scaring the hell out of guys with mind tricks is way more fun. The controls take a minute to click (classic ‘90s jank), but once you figure out how to melt into shadows or make enemies shoot each other, it feels stupidly cool. Also, the boss fights? Brutal. Shiwan Khan does not play fair.

Honestly, it’s a shame more people don’t talk about this one. The atmosphere’s thick enough to cut with a knife, and the soundtrack nails that pulpy, “radio drama” vibe. Just don’t expect it to go easy on you.