🎮 Play Shadow Force World Version 3 Online (Arcade)

Shadow Force is a side-scrolling beat ’em up released for the Arcade by Technos Japan in 1993, the studio behind Double Dragon and Renegade. One or two players choose from four fighters — Kai, a staff-wielding ninja; Blunet, a dual-sword swordfighter; Tengu, an unarmed cyborg grappler; and Coyote, a claw-fighting beast-man — and battle across five stages to stop the monster-making Wong and his organization from taking over the world.

How to play

Fight your way through each stage to the boss, using six attack buttons rather than the usual one or two: two buttons for weapon strikes and punches and two for kicks, each with its own range, speed, and power, plus a jump button and a block (hold back). The sixth button is Shadow Force’s signature trick — hold it against a stunned enemy to possess them, briefly taking control of their body and moves before returning to your own fighter. Arrow keys move and jump in the browser, and Z, X, C, V, B, and N typically map to the six attack buttons. Between stages, expect a bonus one-on-one match against another fighter.

Tips

• Possessing an enemy is more than a gimmick — it lets you clear a crowd with an enemy’s own attacks and soak damage that would otherwise land on your own character.
• Mix your punch and kick buttons rather than mashing one: the faster, shorter strikes keep an enemy staggered while the slower, stronger ones punish openings.
• Coyote hits hardest but is slow to recover from misses; Kai’s staff gives the most reach if you’d rather keep enemies at a distance.