Nightshade was published by Beam Software, released in 1992.

What kind of game is Nightshade?

Nightshade is a action, adventure game for the NES / Famicom.

Can two people play Nightshade?

No. Nightshade is a single-player game, so it has no two-player mode.

How much data does Nightshade load?

The Nightshade ROM is 271 kB. It is fetched once when you press play and then cached by your browser, so returning to the game does not download it again.

Which emulators can run Nightshade?

Nightshade runs on NES / Famicom and Nestopia UE (Accurate). You can switch between them from the emulator list further down this page if one performs better on your device.

Nightshade Game (1992) - NES

Name: Nightshade
Availability: InStock
Author: Beam Software

Action / Button	Keyboard Key
D-Pad (Up / Down / Left / Right)	`Arrow Keys`
Button A	`Z` or `J`
Button B	`X` or `K`
Button X / Turbo A	`A` or `U`
Button Y / Turbo B	`S` or `I`
Select	`Shift`
Start	`Enter`

Gamepad Input	Retro Function	Keyboard Key
D-Pad / Analog	Character Movement / Steering	`▲` `▼` `◄` `►`
Button A (East)	Primary Action / Attack / Fire	`Z` / `K`
Button B (South)	Secondary / Jump / Cancel	`X` / `J`
Button X / Y	Special / Turbo / Extra Fire	`A` / `S`
Select	Insert Coin / Select Option	`Right Shift`
Start	Game Start / Pause Game	`Enter`

Gamepad Input

Retro Function

Keyboard Key

D-Pad / Analog

Character Movement / Steering

▲ ▼ ◄ ►

Button A (East)

Primary Action / Attack / Fire

Z / K

Button B (South)

Secondary / Jump / Cancel

X / J

Button X / Y

Special / Turbo / Extra Fire

A / S

Select

Insert Coin / Select Option

Right Shift

Start

Game Start / Pause Game

Enter

Emulator Core Engine	Technology	Multiplayer	Gamepad	Touch	Ads	Action / Switch
EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)	`WebAssembly / JS`	YES	YES	YES	NO	▶ ACTIVE
NES / Famicom (Recommended)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡
Nestopia UE (Accurate)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡

Emulator Core Engine

Technology

Multiplayer

Gamepad

Touch

Ads

Action / Switch

EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)

WebAssembly / JS

YES

▶ ACTIVE

NES / Famicom (Recommended)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

Nestopia UE (Accurate)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

Nightshade is a 1992 action-adventure game for the NES developed by Beam Software. You play as a vigilante trying to save Metro City from the villain Sutekh, blending point-and-click puzzle-solving with side-scrolling beat-’em-up combat. As you complete heroic deeds and defeat thugs, your popularity grows, unlocking new areas and revealing more of the city.

How to play

Explore the city using the game’s unique cursor interface to examine items, talk to characters, and solve puzzles, then switch to real-time combat when facing enemies. In the browser, move the cursor or your character with the arrow keys. Use Z (B) and X (A) to interact with the environment, jump, and attack, while Enter (Start) and Shift (Select) navigate the menus.

Tips

If you lose a fight, you aren’t immediately given a Game Over. Instead, Sutekh throws you into a death trap. Pay attention to your surroundings to figure out how to escape before the timer runs out.
Your popularity meter is crucial; completing good deeds like returning lost items or stopping crimes will increase it, which is necessary to access key locations.