Shadow of the Beast came out back in 1989 on the Amiga we will be looking into Genesis version here.
The story of Shadow of the Beast if I can remember correctly casts you as a boy who was kidnapped as an infant and with the power of magic transformed into a bipedal monster to serve your new master, yes the one who kidnapped you.

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Game: Shadow of the Beast PS4

For a number of years he trained you into a skillful brutal killer and you done as you master wished, the Lord Maletoth often got you to kill humans and many other creatures.
You were relatively content to do his bidding after all if you say no most likely only death awaits you as lord Maletoth is much too strong for you to take down.

You cant see much of him here except hes foot and hand

Game: Shadow of the Beast Genesis

But its wasn't until "that day"
The day that Lord Maletoth broke his hold over you forever "that day" Lord Maletoth killed your parents and from that day forward instead of Master you now placed him on the number 1 spot on your most wanted hit list.

"WJS Design" ported this side scrolling action adventure type game to the Genesis from Psygnosis's original Amiga version.
I like Psygnosis they have created some good games like Lemmings, Alundra, Barbarian, Kingsley's Adventure, Toy Story, Wipeout etc.

Anyway so you start your adventure to revenge your parents death you begin in what looks like the countryside fields, punching things like rocks and bats, yes it seems a little odd those big flying rocks coming your way, it gets annoying and they just seem to come out of nowhere... all the time... seriously those dam rocks!

Game: Shadow of the Beast Genesis

What's more this annoying phenomenon can be experienced within seconds of starting up a new game by just literally running to the left and these crazy rocks just come at you!

Yes yes ok moving on in Shadow of the Beast the game does actually expect you to do more than just jump kick rocks to death well... that depends on whether or not you ever get past them as the game expects you to do it all perfectly.
Basically it seems like there is one proper sequence that will guarantee you getting further or... not, so until you work it out you'll have a sort life expectancy, yes all because of those dam rocks argh!

I guess this would of been alot easier if the game told you what you needed, where to go, or what to do when you got there, but the game is brutal it throws right in the middle of this insane rock throwing field and from the start you can wander straight into places you aren't equipped to handle, just run to the right at the beginning and see what I mean.

Once you enter certain locations get ready for these maze-like stages that will require backtracking and pixel-perfect jumps and punches to complete.

Game: Shadow of the Beast Genesis

Enemies also are on endlessly-respawning, the stage hazards like dripping water... and these very random fireballs are just like those pesky rocks they seem to come out of nowhere
This game really is a recipe for some extreme skill and outright frustration.

Shadow of the Beast is one of those games that you can never turn your back on unless you want to lose all your internal organs.

It also pretends to be a fair game it gives you a very generous 12 hit points, I mean WOW how many games give you that many hits to play with? Not many no but dam until you figure out how combat works you can easily lose them all on the first screen, hahaha no I am not joking argh dam those rocks!

Game: Shadow of the Beast Genesis

Anyway its interesting, because they have given you so many hit points to play with they decided to place in a perma-death system, yes you only have one life, and I say perma-death because once you take that final hit there's no lives or even continues.
Yup it's back to the title screen to start from the beginning so whether you're twenty seconds in or twenty minutes into the game if you die prepare to start again.

As you may have expected there are no maps to help you, and because you are a horrible killing creature you have no companions to bring you any sort of aid or guidance
So until you die a thousand times to figure out how the developers wanted you to play their game it will be almost impossible to pick up any of the power-ups.

Forget power-ups man?

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No you cant you need them to beat the bosses and if you dont know the best ways of getting to those fights then be prepared to only have them run out in the middle of the fight, yes I am sure you figured out by now because they indeed come with a limited duration time like most power-ups.

So yes this one is crazy like super ghouls and ghosts finish this one without resorting to save states or cheat codes and you my friend are one dam good gamer.

Also like many of these games you might get angry when you see the ending for all the torture it put you through lol but coming games didn't have big endings in those days.