The darker possibilities where magic and technology both play a role in Shadowrun.
The Super Nintendo Version of Shadowrun puts you in the role of Jake Armitage. The setting is future Seattle, but to be more precise, the year is 2050. Many changes have affected the world since our time as magic has had a resurgence and with combination with technology, the game's uniqueness begins. You were mercilessly gunned down by a gang of thugs but mysteriously, you wake back up except you are suffering from Amnesia. The entire game, your objective is to find out who wants you dead and why.
You'll have your common assortment of weapons and you'll eventually find yourself your first handgun and go from there. Eventually, you'll get shotguns and machine guns and also some spells that can dice up the adventure a little more.
In the midst of all this, you'll fight lots of types of enemies, from undead to orcs and even vampires. Yes there are vampires. I'm not exactly sure where they came from but to give you a subtle hint, it doesn't end there as there are far more dangerous and ominous monsters to slay.
Control-wise, the game is fairly simple. You move the D-pad to move to wherever you want to go and when you want to attack something, you hit the button and a cross hair appears on the screen. While the cross hair is up, you can not move, so the D-pad moves allowing you to aim. The controls are quite simple and easy to use. Firing is just as easy as you all have to do is hold down the button but be careful not to shoot innocent bystanders as you will lose Karma or experience points.
One of the main aspects of the game, are the partners you will be able to get, or should I say hire. There are people in the world, that can be hired as mercenaries. Each one has their unique skills and stats and definitely some are better than others. Some are magic users and are generally not as strong as those that love toting guns while there exists those that are excellent at getting into computer systems.
Shadowrun has a unique alternate world called the matrix. You can use computers to get into the system to steal data or even money but there are security protocols in place and it's your job to avoid them. You only have some much life and if you die in the computer, you die in real life as well. Trust me, I've lost more than a fair share of mercenaries to this problem. At least you can go back to their original position and hire them again but they sure are expensive.
The mercenaries are definitely a really fun part of the game. At any one time, you can have up to three mercenaries so it's nice to mix and match. Obviously some are far more useful than others but one problem is, they can not level like you can. Your stats can be improved by killing enemies and you can then distribute points into things like magic and charisma. Unfortunately, the mercenaries can't seem to grow like you do so they are as good as they get. When you first meet them, it seems they are so much more powerful than you but by the end of the game, the mercenaries are far too weak to be much use other than a human shield for a few hits. All facets of the mercenaries become useless eventually because you can get into computers, shoot enemies, survive against enemy blows and use magic better than any of them can at the end. It's such a shame that a core element of the game basically becomes pointless at the end.
The visuals of the game are very good and in my opinion, sharper than the Shadowrun game on the Sega Genesis. Everything is gloomy looking and the black coat that Jake always wears makes me wonder what else he is packing underneath. The fireballs and other spells in the game look simple but effective and I love it when characters die as they become flat anonymous bodies that don't look like anything they did in life.
One aspect of the game that is still dear in my heart is the music of the game. Futuristic Seattle is a dark and scary place and the music definitely does it justice. When battling, it's the same music that goes over and over again. For some, they might find it annoying, but I think it's catchy and classic.
Overall, the game doesn't do an excellent job of the role-playing game but it does do an adequate job in the respect but the other areas of the game more than pick up for that. The story is strong and the amount of different enemies, weapons and spells you end up experiencing quite large in scope that it's hard not to fall for this game's charm. Shadowrun definitely deserves some of your time if you're into any action RPGs.