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Shadow of the Beast

Shadow of the Beast

Oct 1, 1989PlatformHack and slash/Beat 'em upCommodore VIC-20Commodore C64/128/MAXZX SpectrumAtari LynxSuper Nintendo Entertainment System

Shadow of the Beast — frequently asked questions

Is Shadow of the Beast on Steam?
No. Shadow of the Beast is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Shadow of the Beast on?
Shadow of the Beast is available on Commodore VIC-20, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Atari Lynx, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Atari ST/STE, FM Towns, Amiga, Turbografx-16/PC Engine CD, Amstrad CPC, Sega Master System/Mark III.
When did Shadow of the Beast release?
Shadow of the Beast was first released on October 1, 1989.

About Shadow of the Beast

Shadow of the Beast is a platform game developed by Reflections and published by Psygnosis in 1989. The original version was released for the Amiga and later ported to many other systems. The game was known for its graphics, with many colours on screen and up to twelve levels of parallax scrolling backdrops, and its atmospheric score composed by David Whittaker, which used high-quality instrument samples.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Developer
Reflections Interactive
Publisher
Psygnosis
Game modes
Single player
Themes
Action, Fantasy, Horror

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating
66/100
from 30 ratings

Collector value & authenticity

Atari Lynx · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-08-07

Loose
$21
Complete
$35
Sealed
$37
Region
NA+EU
Released
1992
Authenticity
Low
Never re-released — the original cartridge is the only way to playLow counterfeit risk
Atari Lynx prices, all games & how to spot a fake

The Amiga showpiece shrunk to a handheld, with most of what made it famous left behind.

Digital Developments handled the 1992 Lynx conversion for Atari, the first of two Psygnosis titles brought to the handheld — Lemmings followed. The original’s reputation rested on thirteen layers of parallax scrolling and a Tim Wright soundtrack on Amiga hardware; the Lynx version keeps the art direction and the brutal difficulty but cannot keep the spectacle.

A period reviewer put the platform’s problem well: the criticism that has dogged EVERY version of Shadow of the Beast is that it sacrificed entertaining gameplay for graphical excellence, and the Lynx version is “at times open to that argument” — while crediting Digital Developments for exploiting the hardware’s scaling at every opportunity to compensate. A contemporary German review scored it 65% graphics, 50% music, 49% sound effects, which is about right.

Before you buy

Low risk, mid-tier price, narrow loose-to-complete spread. Buy complete.

Shadow of the Beast screenshots

Shadow of the Beast screenshot 1Shadow of the Beast screenshot 2

Watch on YouTube

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