Nightshade (1985 video game)

Nightshade
ZX Spectrum cover art
DeveloperTim and Chris Stamper
PublisherUltimate Play the Game
EngineFilmation II
PlatformsZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, MSX, Commodore 64
ReleaseZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, CPC
MSX
GenresAction-adventure, maze
ModeSingle-player

Nightshade is an action game developed and published by Ultimate Play the Game. It was first released for the ZX Spectrum in 1985, and was then ported to the Amstrad CPC and BBC Micro later that year. It was also ported to the MSX exclusively in Japan in 1986. In the game, the player assumes the role of a knight who sets out to destroy four demons in a plague-infested village.

The game features scrolling isometric gameplay, an improvement over its flip-screen-driven predecessors, Knight Lore and Alien 8, all thanks to an enhanced version of the Ultimate Play the Game's Filmation game engine, branded Filmation II. The game received positive reviews upon release; critics praised its gameplay traits, graphics and colours, but one critic was divided over its perceived similarities to its predecessors.