Cyber Shadow Interview: Aarne Hunziker Talks 8-Bit Graphics, Physical Release, and Comics

Cyber Shadow Updates: The emergence of indie developers has brought many reverses to the days of 8-bit games, and the latest such example is Cyber Shadow.

Cyber Shadow is a 2D action platformer that will come on Nintendo Switch and PC, Play station, and Xbox next week. It’s inspired by ninja-centric NES games like Ninja Gaiden.

The next title, produced by Aarne Hunziker, will be released by Shovel Knight’s Yacht Club Games. ComicBook.com had the opportunity to talk and develop Cyber Shadow beyond the game itself with Hunziker.

Cyber Shadow Interview: Aarne Hunziker

The future could take the title. Thank you, thank you. Thank you! It’s a weird experience. I play this for a long time and I feel as if my life has lost its purpose [laughs]. I have become integrated into the routine of my daily life.

I have taken a coffee maker and the washing machine to take my time away so far. For of element of the game, the number one challenge was allocating the correct amount of time.

Any complexity would totally stop the development of the game, as it was mainly a one-thread workforce operation. On the other hand, I found that my pipe line is very fluid, and in a matter of hours, I will often introduce a new enemy or level gimmick.

This was the most pleasant part of the whole project. The constraints force you to come up with imaginative art and gameplay ideas while still providing a canvas where everything is naturally coherent.

Most NES games are recognizable as NES games and some within the same boundaries have their own theme. The art of low resolution leaves a lot for the imagination and, with just a suggestion, has the ability to put you into a new world. One would think that going 8 bit would only make it easier to function.

Alternatively, there are certain things that are in fact less work and some that are more complicated. The aesthetic illusion disappears quickly and the bigger the game gets, it becomes harder and harder to keep it all together.

It can be a challenge to evoke a mood you want without having access to those colors or visual effects, but you feel like solving a fun puzzle until you find the answer.

NES classics such as Shadow of the Ninja or Batman should be on par with the difficulty, but with checkpoints that do not punish death. Instead, repeated failed attempts collect the currency that can be used at the checkpoint to maximize your odds if your Ninja-like concentration wavers, so you can survive with perseverance.