Table of Contents
Introduction
Ok. So I decided to start a LP of Shadowrun for SNES, a game I count among my favorites. (I'm a console gamer since the NES days, in addition to loving good RPGs.)
First off, Shadowrun isn't really an RPG. It actually derives a lot of its gameplay from old-school adventure games, in which you collect items and information, which in turn need to be utilized the correct way in order to advance the storyline. It's more open than the traditional adventure game, however, in that you can approach some problems in a number of different ways. There's also some optional things to do in the game. The other RPGish aspect of Shadowrun is the character system, which is a dumbed down version of the Shadowrun PnP one. Combat is realtime, and tactics consist of deciding which target to kill first. Ok, you can also hire runners to order around, and you get a couple of really useful spells, but it's still not much more than "my stats/equipment vs your stats/equipment" and "spam the best spell". Also, expect no C&C.
If you love the Shadowrun PnP RPG, and want this game to be a simulation of that, you will be disappointed. You'd be better off playing the Genesis version. But as a stand-alone adventure/RPG light, it's a gem. What you'll find is a moderately interesting storyline, a sense of exploration, adventure game-like problem solving, strangely addictive leveling, and a superb atmopshere backed by great music. Oh, and it features furries.
With that out of the way, let's fire it up!
Getting excited...
Yeah, yeah, start already.
Ok. Backstory. Short and sweet, like it was back then. Read it and soak it in.
Screen fades to a panning view of a cityscape:
It stops by a building, and starts scrolling down. Faster. Faster. A shadow flashing a few times.
Screen fades to black, and BAM:
Man, I love that logo. So much better than the shitty new one.
decline
Waiting a few moments at the title screen gives us a very short introduction to the actual storyline. A writeup follows the screenshots. (Sorry, forgot to resize those before uploading.)
A gang of thugs approach a lone person. He tries to escape, they open fire. He eats bullets for a few seconds before falling down (tough son o a b). A dog or fox enters and approaches the fallen man. It's apparently a shape shifter, because it turns into a probably hot woman (must be a fox, then). She casts a spell on the man, then leaves. Now some morgue guys enter the scene and we're treated to a black screen. If you couldn't follow, watch it on youtube. It's better with music, anyway.
Ok. Let's start a new game, then.
Part 1 - A Shitty Day, or, Must've Had Fun Yesterday
(This first part is very screenshot dense, in order to explain the mechanics a bit, and perhaps communicate the flow of the game. Any following parts will be more condensed, because it's a pain in the ass to do this, apparently.)
So, we're in a morgue. The morgue guys are chatting over our head.
Uh.. Ok. Anyway, the slab starts to move, slides out, and we fall down on the floor.
Ah. The good old amnesia plot. Ok, let's explore the room. We start with the slab:
So, for each object in the game, you get a menu like that with different options. Examine is almost always available.
So our last name is Armitage. Let's check out that paper.
Interesting... We pick the paper up and take the opportunity to check out our character screen.
HP derives from Body, MP derives from Magic. Strength is a weapon requirement, and high Charisma is good for hiring mercs (known as runners in this game). Simple stuff. So let's check out our items. In addition to the torn piece of paper we just picked up, we've also got a matchbox. Let's examine it:
The plot thickens...
We examine the rest of the room. On the table there's a scalpel, "a very sharp instrument", and in one of the fridges there's a slap patch. I bet that'll come in handy. Let's leave through the only viable exit.
They got scared and hid. Oh, well. The cabinets are both locked, so let's get the hell out of here.
The door across is locked. Heading down the corridor, we reach the exit.
Some dude immediately approaches us. Enter the conversation system of Shadowrun.
It's keyword based. Think Morrowind. Only here it seems to make more sense. The game, the world, is about information. You collect knowledge. And use it to draw more knowledge out of people. The bolded words in conversations are new keywords. So here we learn about the hitmen that tried to kill us. In addition to asking about keywords, you have the option to just "Talk". This gives you a set standard phrase for each character. So there are no real back and forth conversations. So, let's "talk":
Ok, another keyword. We ask him about hitmen, then firearms.
Hitmen -> "They want you DEAD. If I were you, I'd watch myself."
Firearms -> "I ain't got time to talk to a corpse. If those guys find out I was with you, I'll be creamed too!"
Fuck you, too. We say goodbye. The guy runs along down the street. Let's follow him!
Ok. We ended up in some dark alley.
*Gunshots are heard* Oops. Someone got killed. Was it by the "hitmen"? I keep going. Why? Because I'm fucking stupid.
A goddamned orc is firing at us. We seem safe behind the container, though. Oh, look over there. Our friend, dead, and he dropped his weapon. Let's make a run for it:
A beretta. Not bad. I start trading shots with the orc.
I win. I examine his corpse and find a "worn leather jacket". I wear it and feel like Terminator. Let's check out the rest of the alley.
A dog approaches from within the darkness. A talking dog.
A talking dog. Ok, so we have some other crazy dog to seek out and give stuff. Trying to get any other information out of it proves futile. It just answers with "Grr". Let's check out the billboard before leaving the alley.
Ah, I love those little tidbits. Ok, heading back now. Once back on the street, I follow it back to the morgue, then turn right and keep walking until the street turns left again. I find an entrance. Why did I go this way? Because I played the game before and I feel like saving my game, already. One thing at the time, though...
I enter the room on my left, and find a man on the floor. He "seems familiar". Instead of trying to help him, I steal the key he has in his pocket. There's also a memo on the table:
So I'm involved in some sort of run (job) that went wrong? I don't like the sound of this. Time to leave, but first, let's check out the other room.
It turns out to contain a guy in a white suit firing at me. A mage, apparently. This is what makes Shadowrun so great. When you expect a mage to cast a spell on you, instead he pulls a fucking desert eagle and starts unloading. If this is a white mage, I can't wait to see what a black mage looks like. I kill him.
The currency is Nuyen. I grab it and head out. I turn left upon exiting.
Ok. Turning left again. Along a new street.
A hitman is taking shots at me from a window in the building ahead. When will this shit end? A firefight follows. Our battle cries are drowned out by the din of a passing train. Finally he dies. I don't have much HP left. I enter the building to lick my wounds.
I'm in a corridor of doors. Apartment doors. The one on my right is number 8. Now look at this, the key I found on the dead or dying man:
I head to apartment 6, and...
Voila! Yes. It takes a lot of looking and poking around to find this the first time playing. Most likely dying a few times and restarting because you can't save, until...
Now! Let's check this place out. First off, the video phone thing on the wall is beeping. I examine.
So J is for Jake... And someone named Drake is out to kill me. And, wait, this is my apartment? Why did the other guy have my key? Oh, well. I need to sleep on this. But first let's check out the room.
I find three things:
Putting on the sunglasses:
Looking... good? Let's try to call this Sassie.
Oh. I guess I don't have a CredStick, so I can't call any numbers yet. Maybe it's back at the morgue? First, let's get some sleep and heal up.
So yes, this is where you save the game, and "use karma". When you kill mean people, you gain karma, which is then used to level up your character. What I like about this leveling system is how straight forward it is; upgrading any stat, skill or magic spell all costs karma, and the cost is always equal to the current level of the stat/skill/spell. We don't have any karma yet, but let's check out our options:
Worth mentioning is, new skills can be learned. By asking people about the right things, they can teach you new skills that can then be upgraded in the same fashion. There aren't many of them, but they're all optional, and pretty useful. Pretty cool, in my opinion.
If I can muster to continue this LP (I didn't anticipate the amount of time is takes to put together), the next step will be to kill some bad guys and increase my firearms skill, before I explore the area further and look into how to access the locked cabinets in the morgue. Until then!
- Introduction / Part 1 - A Shitty Day, or, Must've Had Fun Yesterday
- Part 2 - Let the Grindfest Commence
Introduction
Ok. So I decided to start a LP of Shadowrun for SNES, a game I count among my favorites. (I'm a console gamer since the NES days, in addition to loving good RPGs.)
First off, Shadowrun isn't really an RPG. It actually derives a lot of its gameplay from old-school adventure games, in which you collect items and information, which in turn need to be utilized the correct way in order to advance the storyline. It's more open than the traditional adventure game, however, in that you can approach some problems in a number of different ways. There's also some optional things to do in the game. The other RPGish aspect of Shadowrun is the character system, which is a dumbed down version of the Shadowrun PnP one. Combat is realtime, and tactics consist of deciding which target to kill first. Ok, you can also hire runners to order around, and you get a couple of really useful spells, but it's still not much more than "my stats/equipment vs your stats/equipment" and "spam the best spell". Also, expect no C&C.
If you love the Shadowrun PnP RPG, and want this game to be a simulation of that, you will be disappointed. You'd be better off playing the Genesis version. But as a stand-alone adventure/RPG light, it's a gem. What you'll find is a moderately interesting storyline, a sense of exploration, adventure game-like problem solving, strangely addictive leveling, and a superb atmopshere backed by great music. Oh, and it features furries.
With that out of the way, let's fire it up!
Getting excited...
Yeah, yeah, start already.
Ok. Backstory. Short and sweet, like it was back then. Read it and soak it in.
Screen fades to a panning view of a cityscape:
It stops by a building, and starts scrolling down. Faster. Faster. A shadow flashing a few times.
Screen fades to black, and BAM:
Man, I love that logo. So much better than the shitty new one.
declineWaiting a few moments at the title screen gives us a very short introduction to the actual storyline. A writeup follows the screenshots. (Sorry, forgot to resize those before uploading.)
A gang of thugs approach a lone person. He tries to escape, they open fire. He eats bullets for a few seconds before falling down (tough son o a b). A dog or fox enters and approaches the fallen man. It's apparently a shape shifter, because it turns into a probably hot woman (must be a fox, then). She casts a spell on the man, then leaves. Now some morgue guys enter the scene and we're treated to a black screen. If you couldn't follow, watch it on youtube. It's better with music, anyway.
Ok. Let's start a new game, then.
Part 1 - A Shitty Day, or, Must've Had Fun Yesterday
(This first part is very screenshot dense, in order to explain the mechanics a bit, and perhaps communicate the flow of the game. Any following parts will be more condensed, because it's a pain in the ass to do this, apparently.)
So, we're in a morgue. The morgue guys are chatting over our head.
Uh.. Ok. Anyway, the slab starts to move, slides out, and we fall down on the floor.
Ah. The good old amnesia plot. Ok, let's explore the room. We start with the slab:
So, for each object in the game, you get a menu like that with different options. Examine is almost always available.
So our last name is Armitage. Let's check out that paper.
Interesting... We pick the paper up and take the opportunity to check out our character screen.
HP derives from Body, MP derives from Magic. Strength is a weapon requirement, and high Charisma is good for hiring mercs (known as runners in this game). Simple stuff. So let's check out our items. In addition to the torn piece of paper we just picked up, we've also got a matchbox. Let's examine it:
The plot thickens...
We examine the rest of the room. On the table there's a scalpel, "a very sharp instrument", and in one of the fridges there's a slap patch. I bet that'll come in handy. Let's leave through the only viable exit.
They got scared and hid. Oh, well. The cabinets are both locked, so let's get the hell out of here.
The door across is locked. Heading down the corridor, we reach the exit.
Some dude immediately approaches us. Enter the conversation system of Shadowrun.
It's keyword based. Think Morrowind. Only here it seems to make more sense. The game, the world, is about information. You collect knowledge. And use it to draw more knowledge out of people. The bolded words in conversations are new keywords. So here we learn about the hitmen that tried to kill us. In addition to asking about keywords, you have the option to just "Talk". This gives you a set standard phrase for each character. So there are no real back and forth conversations. So, let's "talk":
Ok, another keyword. We ask him about hitmen, then firearms.
Hitmen -> "They want you DEAD. If I were you, I'd watch myself."
Firearms -> "I ain't got time to talk to a corpse. If those guys find out I was with you, I'll be creamed too!"
Fuck you, too. We say goodbye. The guy runs along down the street. Let's follow him!
Ok. We ended up in some dark alley.
*Gunshots are heard* Oops. Someone got killed. Was it by the "hitmen"? I keep going. Why? Because I'm fucking stupid.
A goddamned orc is firing at us. We seem safe behind the container, though. Oh, look over there. Our friend, dead, and he dropped his weapon. Let's make a run for it:
A beretta. Not bad. I start trading shots with the orc.
I win. I examine his corpse and find a "worn leather jacket". I wear it and feel like Terminator. Let's check out the rest of the alley.
A dog approaches from within the darkness. A talking dog.
A talking dog. Ok, so we have some other crazy dog to seek out and give stuff. Trying to get any other information out of it proves futile. It just answers with "Grr". Let's check out the billboard before leaving the alley.
Ah, I love those little tidbits. Ok, heading back now. Once back on the street, I follow it back to the morgue, then turn right and keep walking until the street turns left again. I find an entrance. Why did I go this way? Because I played the game before and I feel like saving my game, already. One thing at the time, though...
I enter the room on my left, and find a man on the floor. He "seems familiar". Instead of trying to help him, I steal the key he has in his pocket. There's also a memo on the table:
So I'm involved in some sort of run (job) that went wrong? I don't like the sound of this. Time to leave, but first, let's check out the other room.
It turns out to contain a guy in a white suit firing at me. A mage, apparently. This is what makes Shadowrun so great. When you expect a mage to cast a spell on you, instead he pulls a fucking desert eagle and starts unloading. If this is a white mage, I can't wait to see what a black mage looks like. I kill him.
The currency is Nuyen. I grab it and head out. I turn left upon exiting.
Ok. Turning left again. Along a new street.
A hitman is taking shots at me from a window in the building ahead. When will this shit end? A firefight follows. Our battle cries are drowned out by the din of a passing train. Finally he dies. I don't have much HP left. I enter the building to lick my wounds.
I'm in a corridor of doors. Apartment doors. The one on my right is number 8. Now look at this, the key I found on the dead or dying man:
I head to apartment 6, and...
Voila! Yes. It takes a lot of looking and poking around to find this the first time playing. Most likely dying a few times and restarting because you can't save, until...
Now! Let's check this place out. First off, the video phone thing on the wall is beeping. I examine.
So J is for Jake... And someone named Drake is out to kill me. And, wait, this is my apartment? Why did the other guy have my key? Oh, well. I need to sleep on this. But first let's check out the room.
I find three things:
- A pair of sunglasses on the little table by the bed.
- A ripped note with a phone number to someone named "Sassie", and
- a little money in the cabinet.
Putting on the sunglasses:
Looking... good? Let's try to call this Sassie.
Oh. I guess I don't have a CredStick, so I can't call any numbers yet. Maybe it's back at the morgue? First, let's get some sleep and heal up.
So yes, this is where you save the game, and "use karma". When you kill mean people, you gain karma, which is then used to level up your character. What I like about this leveling system is how straight forward it is; upgrading any stat, skill or magic spell all costs karma, and the cost is always equal to the current level of the stat/skill/spell. We don't have any karma yet, but let's check out our options:
Worth mentioning is, new skills can be learned. By asking people about the right things, they can teach you new skills that can then be upgraded in the same fashion. There aren't many of them, but they're all optional, and pretty useful. Pretty cool, in my opinion.
If I can muster to continue this LP (I didn't anticipate the amount of time is takes to put together), the next step will be to kill some bad guys and increase my firearms skill, before I explore the area further and look into how to access the locked cabinets in the morgue. Until then!
Do continue.
.
