SHADOW GANGS ZERO - Retro-style ninja action game for PC !

[Marcio D.]

If you enjoyed arcade games like Shinobi (1987) and Shadow Dancer (1989), the following game series will pique your interest.  A Shinobi-style action game called Shadow Gangs was released for PC (Steam) in 2020, and its success has now led to the development of a prequel named Shadow Gangs Zero.  In addition to PC, the prequel will be available for Switch, PS5, current-gen Xbox, Neo Geo, Sega Genesis / Mega Drive, and Dreamcast.


The Kickstarter campaign has achieved full funding, but it still needs to reach a series of stretch goals, the first of which is:

Second Playable Character
Introducing Hikaru, the ninja girl!  Play as this new character and experience the game from a fresh perspective.


Take a look and see if you might be able to help out!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero




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[Marcio D.]

Only a few days left in the campaign, so please help out if you can:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero

Thanks!

[Marcio D.]

I think it is for more than just PC, shame there is no Amiga version, as they have a MegaDrive version.

It's just as well.  Classic Amiga hardware is too underpowered for the task.

And who in their right mind is going to waste time and energy porting such an ambitious game to Amiga, when there's no money to be made in the Amiga market?

But the real shame is that Metro Siege will take another 6 or 7 years to be released.  It's already been "in development" for the past 5+ years !

[Marcio D.]

Underpowered? and a MegaDrive isn't???

Not trying to hurt your feelings, as I'm an Amiga fan as well.  But for sure OCS/ECS Amiga is underpowered compared to Mega Drive when it comes to action gaming.  Mega Drive just does everything better, from having a slightly faster 68000 CPU, more onscreen colours, better sprites, etc.

AGA Amiga closes the gap with more onscreen colours, and a 68020 CPU as baseline.  But other things like sprites are still lacking in their finesse.

Ignoring commercial viability for a moment, the Sharp X68000 would be more suited to the task than an Amiga.

[Marcio D.]

The core campaign ended on September 14, 2024 and was a smashing success.  Not only was the project fully funded, but it also surpassed the stretch goal for having the female ninja included as a playable character!

Due to extremely strong demand, the developer has decided to accept Late Pledges for those who missed out during the core campaign.  Here's the exciting part... The project is only £2,000 away from reaching the next stretch goal:  2-player co-operative gameplay.  This will be a revolutionary feature, as none of the arcade and console Shinobi games had this 2-player simultaneous gameplay.

Join the revolution here:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero

[Marcio D.]

UPDATE:

Less than £1,000 away from unlocking:  2-player co-operative gameplay.

Join the party:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero

[Marcio D.]

2-player co-op gameplay has been unlocked.  Thanks to all backers for making this happen!

Late Pledges are being accepted for a bit longer, so make sure you join the club while you still can.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero

[Marcio D.]

ShadowTeam has posted an update for the upcoming Shinobi-inspired game Shadow Gangs Zero.  The first bit of news is that the graphics development is coming along very nicely.  The second major takeaway is that porting from the lead system Neo Geo to the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive has now begun!


Catch up on the exciting details here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero/posts/4310516


Enjoy the latest music tracks from the game:

https://soundcloud.com/user-723778647/shadow-gangs-zero

https://soundcloud.com/user-723778647/boss-level


If you haven't made a pledge to the campaign yet, what are you waiting for?

[Marcio D.]

Last month (April 2025), the developer finished crafting the game engine for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive version of the game.  It shouldn't be too much longer before work on the PC / Steam version begins.


The latest news for this month (May 2025) is that the game's core artwork is now almost fully complete, with just special effects and background animations left to add - these will bring extra life and energy to the levels.


For the few of you who haven't yet pledged, you're invited to join the ninja revolution at this page:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero


When you make a pledge to the campaign, here are some cool personalized rewards available:

Custom Backer Image - Later levels:
Add a small image (up to 64 x 64 pixels) of your choice - whether it’s your portrait or any design - within a game level.

Graffiti Text / Image - Level 1:
Be the sole backer to have your custom text or graffiti design featured in the very first level of the game - up to 80 x 64 pixels in size.

Graffiti Text / Image - Later levels:
Add your custom text or graffiti design within a game level - up to 80 x 64 pixels in size.

Name the Ninja Girl:
Name the fierce, playable ninja girl - choose her name!

[Marcio D.]

The pixel art for all 18 levels was completed last month (June), as was the majority of the music tracks.  Now in July, level design is well underway and things are progressing very nicely.  The Neo Geo version is on schedule to be completed by December 2025 as planned, with the PC (Steam) version close behind for early 2026.

The campaign is currently at £109K in pledges.  It needs to reach £120K to unlock the six mini bosses.  Please make a pledge so that you can join in the fun.  In addition to the PC and Neo Geo versions, you can also back the versions for these other platforms: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive, Dreamcast, PS5, Xbox, and Switch.

Visit the campaign page:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero

Reminder:  All backers will have their names displayed on the credits screen accessible from the main menu, as well as on the end-game screens.

Also:  Backers of the physical versions for Neo Geo, Genesis / MD, and Dreamcast will receive the corresponding digital versions for free!

[Marcio D.]

Level Design:
Last month (August 2025), the developer reported that level design was in high gear.  Now in September 2025, the developer tells us that he's finished the first pass in creating these game levels:  City, Bridge, Airport, Bunker, Forest, Beach, Cyber Punk, Castle.  The current level being designed is:  China.  He estimates that he'll have finished the first pass of designing all levels by mid-to-late October 2025.  Designing levels for Shadow Gangs Zero is a multi-pass process involving three primary passes plus a polishing phase.  Lots of work, but the developer is making great progress.


Mini Bosses:
The final campaign stretch goal is the inclusion of six mini bosses:  Fire-breathing dragon, Military helicopter, Cannon wall with heavy firepower, Van with armed fighters, etc.  To achieve that stretch goal, the pledge total needs to reach £120K.  We are so very close to reaching this goal, as the pledge total is currently at £113K.


Neo Geo Flash Carts:
A couple of months ago, I reported that the Neo Geo digital version is compatible with NeoSD PRO, as the developer is personally testing the game with it throughout development.  Since then, a new backer has come aboard who will help with testing for BackBit compatibility and DarkSoft Multi MVS compatibility.  Why all the fuss about Neo Geo flash carts?  Because Neo Geo is the lead development system and flagship version, so the developer wants to make sure that all Neo Geo fans can play the game!


Beta Testing:
Speaking of testing, you already know that backers will have access to the Neo Geo beta digital release.  I've received confirmation from the developer that ALL backers will have access to this Neo Geo beta release.  In other words, even backers of the Genesis / Mega Drive, Dreamcast, PS5, Xbox, Switch, and Steam versions will be granted access to the Neo Geo beta.  Granting broad beta access will help the developer iron out all bugs, while giving backers early access as a loyalty perk.  A win-win for everyone!


Ongoing Pledges:
So far, the campaign has attracted over 760 backers to its cause.  That's awesome!  We're striving to reach 800 backers by year's end - Could you help make that happen?  If you haven't yet pledged, please take another look at the campaign page to see if you'd like to add Shadow Gangs Zero to your collection.  If you've already pledged, please tell your circle of friends about the game and invite them to join the SGZ community.

Did you know that all backers of the physical media versions will also receive the corresponding digital versions for free?  For example, Genesis / MD physical cartridge backers will receive the Genesis / MD digital ROM file at no extra cost.  Perfect for playing SGZ on your portable devices when you're away from home!


New Music Track for Genesis / Mega Drive:
From the developer:

We also have a great new Mega Drive track to enjoy. Listen closely at 0:30 seconds — those toms are actually FM drums, not samples, showcasing the MD’s unique sound!

https://soundcloud.com/user-723778647/wip-mp3-10


Shadow Gangs Zero - Campaign Page:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero