This walkthrough was created because Shadow of the Beast is one of my favourite
games for the Sega Master System. I feel that I've mastered it and I want to
share my knowledge and strategies of the game with others. Shadow of the Beast
is a side-scrolling action adventure platform game and is one of oddest games
on the system. The player controls a beast who must take revenge on the Beast
Lord who transformed him from a man and killed his parents. The game includes
different weapons, strange enemies, potions and keys. Unlike the
Mega Drive/Genesis/Amiga versions of the game, items are not used immediately
and must be selected from the menu to use them. Some keys are useless, while
others are necessary to progress. Some of the items and potions are not only
useless but evil and hinder you or hurt you. In this way, this version of Beast
has RPG elements in it and trial and error is needed to complete the game.
This walkthrough is split up into sections.
These are:
-Technical Information
-My Experience With The Game
-Story/Object Of The Game
-How To Play
-Health
-Items
-Walkthrough
-Final Notes
Shadow of the Beast was developed by Reflections Interactive, published by
Psygnosis and released on the Sega Master System by TecMagik. The game was also
released on many other systems with the Mega Drive and Amiga versions being
considered the best. The game was advertised in the instruction manual of
another TecMagik release on the Sega Master System: Populous.
As mentioned in the preceding section, the game was advertised in the
instruction manual of Populous and as a child I was eager to play it. It wasn't
until 2001 when I first played this and although at first I was disappointed, I
became intrigued with the mystery and variety of different paths one could take
in the game and soon became enamoured with it.
According to the instruction manual, a child who was snatched by the mages of
Maletoth the Beast Lord is transformed into a bestial slave by dark magic and
is forced to perform physical tasks. After witnessing the execution of his
father, his memories return and he vows revenge on Maletoth and sets out on his
adventure.
So the object of the game is to seek out Maletoth and destroy him by travelling
through various lands. It's a simple concept but the game itself is by no means
simple.
Before I explain the controls, it should be known that Shadow of the Beast is
a type of game I like to call an Up-Jumper. This means that instead of Button 1
or 2 being used to jump, up on the D-Pad is used to jump instead. Other games
on the Sega Master System that use this control scheme include Black Belt,
Altered Beast and Lord of the Sword. This game is by far the worst offender for
being an Up-Jumper because of the many difficult jumps that are made even
trickier because of the control scheme.
The game also effectively has two pause buttons: the Pause button on the
console merely pauses the game and Button 2 takes the player to the item menu
which effectively also pauses the game. Because Button 2 is used this way, it
can't be used to jump. I think the game would've been better if the Pause
button were used to bring up the item menu too, similar to Jurassic Park or
Wonder Boy III on the Sega Master System.
The controls are as follows:
-Press and hold the D-Pad left or right to run in those directions.
-Press the D-Pad up to jump and hold for continuous jumping or to climb up
ladders.
-Press the D-Pad up-left or up-right to jump in those directions.
-Press the D-Pad down to duck or hold to climb down ladders.
-Press Button 1 to punch or, while jumping, to kick.
The player starts the game with three lives which are displayed at the
top-left of the screen. Although more than three lives can be held, the extra
lives will not be displayed. For example, if five lives are held, only three
hearts will show in the top-left corner but two hearts will only be shown once
the player has two lives so three lives will have to be lost from five held
before the player loses a heart in the top-left corner.
The player starts the game and each subsequent life with nine health points
which are displayed at the top-right of the screen. Each time the beast is hit
either one or two points will be deducted from the total. If the health points
reach nought, a life will be lost and the player is sent back to the start of
the current level. Once all lives are lost, it's game over.
One health point is lost if the beast falls too far. This makes the tricky
controls for jumping even more frustrating.
Also, there is a glitch in the game that can save a few health points.
It's quite useful and should be utilised whenever fighting enemies. If you
punch at the exact moment an enemy or projectile touches the beast's body, you
will not lose any health. The timing has to be pretty precise but once you get
the hang of this trick, it'll almost become second nature, and it's worth it to
learn, trust me.
Before I list the available potions and sundry items I will talk about the Item
Screen quickly.
Pressing Button 2 while playing the game will bring up the Item Screen. There
are eight slots for storing items but one of them is always used for the OUT
button. Pressing Button 1 while in this screen does nothing; pressing Button 2
will use items highlighted by the red square including the OUT button which is
used for exiting the Item Screen. Because of the OUT button, there are seven
slots left that can be used to store items. Items cannot be dropped and must
be used to free the item slots they occupy. Because of this, it is important
that only items that do no harm be picked up as harmful potions have to be used
to discard them. Useless items such as keys that have no use and other red
herrings can be used as they do no damage and will free the item slot they
occupy without causing damage.
It should be noted that items can only be used once. If they are used in the
wrong place they will be wasted and the game may become unfinishable because
needed items were wasted. Always make sure that the item you want to use is
highlighted before you press Button 2 and, if using keys, you are standing in
front of the door you want to enter before using them.
Here is a comprehensive list of all the available items in the game, what they
do and where they can be found. I will also mention them in the walkthrough
found later in this FAQ.
-Red Potion: Drinking this potion will restore up to four health points.
They can be found throughout the game.
NOTE: It is recommended that the Red Potion only be drunk when the beast has
five or fewer health points remaining as drinking them with more health points
will not utilise the full four points' worth of healing power.
-Green Potion: Drinking this potion will restore up to eight health points.
They can be found throughout the game.
NOTE: It is recommended that the Green Potion only be drunk when the beast
has one or two health points remaining as drinking them with more health
points will not utilise the full eight points' worth of healing power.
Although drinking Green Potions with two health points will waste one health
point, some enemies and situations can cause the player to lose two health
points at once.
-Orange Potion: Drinking this potion will cause the beast to jump longer
distances than usual. Only one of these potions is in the game and it's in
level 2.
-White Potion: Drinking this potion will grant the beast invincibility for
twenty seconds. Two of these are found in the game: one in level 3 and
another in level 7.
-Blue Potion: Drinking this potion will cause the beast to lose three health
points. It will therefore cause death if the player has three or fewer health
points. Only one of these potions is in the game and it's in level 5.
-Turquoise Potion: Drinking this potion will cause the beast to lose two health
points when hit instead of one. Only one of these potions is in the game and
it's in level 5.
-Magenta Potion: Drinking this potion will cause the D-Pad controls to become
reversed for twenty seconds. Pressing right will make the beast go left and
so on. Only one of these potions is in the game and it's in level 6.
-Purple Potion: Drinking this potion will cause the beast to jump twice as high
for fifteen seconds. Only one of these potions is in the game and it's in
level 6.
-Clear Potion: Drinking this potion will cause the beast to become "surprised"
although what effect this has on the game is unknown. Only one of these
potions is in the game and it's in level 7.
-Yellow Potion: Drinking this potion will cause the beast to die instantly
regardless of how many health points the beast has. Only one of these potions
is in the game and it's in level 8.
-White Round Key: Use this key to open the "Home" door and enter level 2. This
is found in level 1.
-Yellow Round Key: Use this to open the well at the end of level 3 and enter
level 4. This is found in level 2.
-Green Round Key: Use this to open the door at the end of level 6 and enter
level 7. This is found in level 5.
-White Square Key: Use this to open the door to the castle at the end of level
5 and enter level 6. This is found in level 3.
-Yellow Square Key: This is a red herring and has no use. This is found in
level 6.
-Green Square Key: This is a red herring and has no use. This is found in level
3.
-Heart: Using this will give you an extra life. Three of these are in the game
and are in levels 2, 5 and 8.
-Book: using this will warp the beast back to the start of the current level
with full health. Only one of these is in the game and it's in level 3.
-Coin: Drop this in the well in level 5 to be given a Heart. Only one of these
is in the game and it's in level 5.
-Torch: Use this at the start of level 6 to light up the castle. Only one of
these is in the game and it's in level 5.
-Magic Wand: Using this will make the level go dark. The effect only wears off
after you lose a life. Only one of these is in the game and it's in level 6.
-Spanner: Use this to turn off the electrical beam in level 6. Only one of
these is in the game and it's in level 6.
-Gun: Use this to equip the gun which makes the beast fire shots instead of
punching when Button 1 is pressed. The gun can be used from when it is found
in level 6 until the end of level 7. Only one of these is in the game and it's
in level 6.
-Jetpack & Mask: Equip this before exiting level 6 so that you can breathe and
move in level 7. If you get it but don't put it on you'll lose four health
points immediately at the start of level 7. If you don't get it, the game will
end after exiting level 6. Only one of these is in the game and it's in level
6.
-Dragon Egg: This is automatically given to King Gargoyle when you meet him in
level 8. Only one of these is in the game and it's in level 7.
-Crucifix: Use this to summon King Gargoyle at the start of level 8. Only one
of these is in the game and it's in level 8.
-Green Orb: This is a red herring and has no use. Only one of these is in the
game and it's in level 8.
In this section I shall guide you through the game. Shadow of the Beast has no
distinct levels although changes in background and music do occur. So for the
purposes of this FAQ I make distinctions between eight different levels as it
makes writing this guide and describing/explaining the game much easier.
At the start of this level the beast is facing right and it is natural to
assume that the way forward is to the right; if you do this however, you will
get to the Beast Castle far too early and, without the key, you will be
trapped and be forced to start the game again. So from the start, turn around
and head left punching or kicking the grey boulders and flying monsters.
Remember to utilise the glitch I mentioned above. After some flashing spikes on
the ground, you'll reach a small building labelled "Home"; run past it to the
left until you see a stack of stones. Further past the stones is a dead end -
you can't run any further. Punch the stones and take the Round White Key then
head back to "Home", stand in front of it, press Button 2, highlight the key
and press Button 2 again to use it. If you use the key anywhere else you will
waste it and you will have to start the game again. Once the key is used some
text will appear. Read it and head into level 2.
After reading the text, level 2 will start. This level is a bit of a maze and
there are some important things to do and items to get before you can exit it.
Head right and carefully jump over the flame that comes from the left. You can
do the punching trick mentioned above on this flame if you want but I prefer to
jump as it's easier. Head down the first ladder you see and do not keep heading
right or you'll encounter the boss which you won't be able to fight yet and you
will die. Anyway, go down this ladder and head left. Simply let the winged
enemies fly over you while jumping over the gap. You can fall down this gap if
you want but you will lose health so jump over it and climb down the ladder.
Head right, killing several green enemies along the way and climb down the next
ladder you see. At the bottom, head left (right leads to the boss again) and go
down the next ladder. Head left after reaching the bottom of that ladder and
punch the blue chest and take the Orange Potion which you'll need very soon.
Keep going left until you see a ladder. Before going down the ladder, wait for
the green serpent thing to move upwards. At the bottom of the ladder inch
towards the edge of the platform but don't fall in or you'll die. Across the
huge gap to the left is a chest with a Heart in it and at the bottom of the gap
is a spike pit from which there is no escape. The spikes won't kill you
instantly but will whittle your health down till you die as there's no escape.
Anyway, to jump over the large gap you need to drink the Orange Potion so press
Button 2, highlight the potion and press Button 2 again to drink. The potion
lasts for twenty seconds so while standing on the edge, jump to the left over
the gap, punch the chest, grab the Heart and jump back. Go into the menu to use
the Heart and you'll get an extra life. Of course, you don't need to get the
life and you can keep the potion but you'll never need it as its only use is
for getting the life.
Once back across the gap, head to the right and kill more enemies. Go down the
ladder and go the left again. You can drop off the edge here instead of going
down the next ladder as the drop is too short to hurt the beast. Don't head
right as the items we need are to the left. Kill some more enemies and jump
over the gap carefully. If you miss the jump and fall down, head to the right,
climb up and go left to try again. Once across the gap you'll meet a sort of
boss called The Keeper of the Orb. He's quite easy so take your time as you
have no time limit. He will shoot a flame out under which you can duck. When
his flame stops, stand up and punch the Orb which is quite tricky as he throws
it in the air continuously. Punch the Orb (making sure the Keeper flashes
white) twelve times and the Keeper will die and the battle is over. You now
have the Orb's power: every time you punch, you will shoot a fireball. This
power lasts until you do the next boss Death Skeleton so don't worry that it
will run out like on the Mega Drive version of the game. After killing the
Keeper of the Orb, head left if you wish and see the spikes that are at the
bottom of the big pit you traversed earlier.
Head back to the right and try to jump back over the gap and head back to the
ladder from before. Kill the enemy that might be chasing you and climb up it,
head to the right, drop or climb down and go down the first ladder. Once at the
bottom, head left and drop or climb down. Head left and blue drops will begin
to fall. This bit is quite tricky but the punching trick definitely helps here.
Try to punch as soon as the drops touch you and you should avoid losing a lot
of health. Keep heading left and you'll get to another gap. Jump over it and
pick up the Round Gold Key from inside the chest. If you didn't make the jump,
follow the next paragraph and you'll get back to where the blue drops are to
try again. The trouble is you'll have to try and get past them again and will
probably lose more health so it's best to do the jump first time.
After getting the key (or if you didn't), drop down the hole and head right.
Grab the Green Potion from the chest and head right. There are some spikes and
some jumping green enemies here as well as some annoying pillars in the
foreground which obstruct your view of the beast. The best strategy I find is
to jump over the spikes and while doing so, kick the green enemies. You might
still lose health but I find it's the best strategy. Focus on avoiding the
spikes first and foremost as they're more dangerous. Once you reach a ladder,
climb up it and head right (if you missed the Round Gold Key, head left to get
back to the gap to jump across). Jump over the flame that approaches from the
left and climb up the next ladder. Head right, kill or jump over the yellow
spider that appears here and climb up another ladder. At the top, head left,
punch the silver and red drum and take the Red Potion from inside. Climb the
next ladder and head left when at the top. A bouncing grey boulder will come
quite quickly so be ready for it and climb the next ladder. As you start to
climb this ladder another boulder will appear most of the time; it usually will
take some health away. Once at the top of this ladder a blue drop will fall and
will also most likely cause some damage. Head left, climb one last ladder and
head right once at the top to battle the next boss, Death Skeleton.
Death Skeleton is extremely easy if you know how to get him. Stand on the left
of the screen as Death Skeleton will appear from the right. He will appear
three times, reach the mid-point of the screen and retreat back. The fourth
time he appears, he will not turn back and he will attempt to crush you.
Touching Death Skeleton will cause instant death for the beast so you must kill
him before or during his fourth appearance. If you didn't get the orb from the
Keeper earlier you will not be able to hurt him and will not be able to
progress beyond this point. If you did get the orb, just shoot eight fire balls
at him to kill him. I usually just go to the left of the screen and hold punch
for auto-fire until he dies and depending upon the rhythm I get into, he either
dies on his third or his fourth appearance. Anyway, after he's dead, read some
text and go onto level 3.
After reading some more text, head right and kill some more green enemies and
avoid more green serpents that drop down to attack. When you get to the ladder,
punch the silvery drum to obtain the Book. This is a very useful item as it
not only restores all your health but will transport you back to the start of
the current level which is very useful if you're trapped somewhere; hold on to
it. Climb up the ladder and head left. This next bit is optional: before going
up the next ladder, head all the way to the left killing the enemies on the
way. You will reach a dead end with a switch and a notice that reads "Don't
Touch". If you want you can press the switch by punching it. I explain later on
what the switch does. The switch doesn't affect whether you can complete the
game or not as it's a red herring. Anyway, go back to the ladder and climb it
to the top. At the top, go right first (the grey stone is just in the
background) and jump over the hole. If you fall in the hole you become trapped
and will either have to kill yourself by standing in some poisonous green slime
or you can waste your newly acquired Book and warp back to the start of the
level; the choice is yours but it's best to be careful and avoid falling down
this hole. Past the hole is some green slime. The green slime will slowly drain
your health when you stand in it so jump over it. Punch the silvery drum and
get another Green Potion.
Head back, jump over the hole and go left this time. Here is a bit of a
gauntlet: duck underneath the red winged creature, and run underneath the
eyeballs when they bounce up as they can't be killed. Next are three jumps with
some annoying red winged creatures to distract you. If you fall down, you'll be
back near the start of the level minus some health so try to make them first
time or try again if you don't. It can get quite frustrating so just relax and
take your time as there's no time limit. In the silvery drum at the end is the
Square White Key which is needed later on so get it. You can drop down
afterwards and lose some health or you can jump back and head back to the
ladders to climb down, it's your choice. Either way, when you get to the foot
of the ladder which was where you found the Book earlier, head right and climb
up another ladder. Head right, kill the snail or two and climb down the next
ladder and head left. Try to kill or avoid the blue jumping demons here and
jump over some more slime with a bouncy enemy on it that can be killed.
Eventually you'll get to some bouncing balls that have the Psygnosis logo on
them - an owl's face, kill them and jump over the gap to reach a ladder. Climb
down it and head right.
Kill the bouncing green thing, drop down and head right. Kill as many enemies
as you can here while watching out for more green slime. Just past the ladder
at the end is another Green Potion. Down the ladder head right, jump over slime
and go down another ladder. Head left at the bottom and kill the little flying
blue creature. Further on are lots of flames. Some are avoidable, some aren't;
utilise the punching trick to minimise damage. Run past the ladder, jump over
some slime and get the White Potion from the drum. Hold on to this as you'll
need it later on. Down the ladder head left and quickly drop down before the
enemy touches you. To get to the boss, head right; to see what pressing the
"Don't Touch" switch did, head left. I will warn you that you will likely lose
some health going left so unless you're curious, go right and you can skip to
the next paragraph. If you go left, you'll have to fight some floating white
ghost enemies and go up a ladder. Up the ladder, go left and climb down the
ladder. Don't fall off the left edge as you'll land in some slime. At the
bottom, go left and climb up the ladder on the left. The white ghosts here
never stop coming so line up with the ladder, kill a ghost, then climb up to
avoid the next ghost. If you did not press the switch earlier there will be an
electrical beam blocking your path once you get to the top of the ladder. If
you touch it you'll be instantly killed. If you did press the switch, the beam
will be off and you can run past, jump over the gap and grab the Square Green
Key from the drum. The Square Green Key has no use whatsoever and so the whole
exercise is a red herring. To get back, jump back over the gap, climb down the
ladder, avoid the ghosts, climb down the next ladder and head right. Kill the
new enemies here that I like to call Green Bogeymen and run right and you'll
reach a ladder that goes up.
If you went right earlier and therefore skipped getting the useless Square
Green Key, you would reach a ladder going down. Climb down this ladder and you
will be at the location described at the end of the previous paragraph. So if
you headed right back there, you would have ended up here. Anyway, head right
and jump over the spears and slime to reach the next boss Hydrassas the Dragon.
There are two strategies to defeating him: you can duck and punch him, jump
back to dodge his fire balls and then jump forward again to punch him and
repeat this until he dies and you might not lose any health, or you might lose
a lot; the other strategy is just to duck and punch him until he dies while
absorbing some fire balls. Because the beast is temporarily invincible after
getting hit, and because each fire ball causes the beast to lose two health
points, you should only lose a maximum of four health points if you kill
Hydrassas this way. Just make sure you have at least five health points and
that you punch Hydrassas non-stop until he dies. Once he's dead, read the text
and run to the right so you're touching the door. Use the Round Gold Key here
to open the door and exit the level. If you haven't the key I'm afraid you're
stuck and will have to restart the game.
After using the Round Gold Key and reading the text, the beast is at the bottom
of a well. Climb the ladder all the way to the top, read the text and enter
level 5. Yes it's not much of a level but there was a change of music and some
text which I think defines a level in this game. Also, once in the well,
there's no way back.
Once out of the well, you'll find yourself in the same landscape as level 1
except the sky is a bit darker. If you go left, you'll find yourself at the
start of the game and yes, it is possible to reach the top of the well from the
start of the game but it's not recommended as you will be heading in the wrong
direction. Anyway, this level is a bit of a gauntlet with lots of enemies. The
plus side is that it isn't a maze: all you have to do is run to the right until
you reach the Beast Castle. Run to the right, kill some enemies (you don't have
to duck to kill the black spiders) until you reach some stacks of stones. Punch
the first one to obtain the Coin then run back to the well while trying not to
get hurt too much. Stand in front of the well and use the Coin and a Heart will
be deposited in your item list automatically. Use the Heart to get an extra
life. Afterwards, run back to where you got the Coin and punch another stack of
stones to get a Red Potion. The next stack of stones has a Blue Potion in it.
Either ignore the stack of stones, jump over the potion if you did punch the
stones or take the potion and waste an item slot. The only way to discard the
potion is to drink it and lose three health points for doing so. If you do have
to drink it, make sure you have four or more health points or you'll die
instantly once you drink it.
Anyway, keep heading right, jump over some blood-stained green spikes. After
one flying red creature, boulders appear with green bogeymen. In the next stack
of stones is a Red Potion followed by a boulder then a Turquoise Potion.
Drinking this potion will cause an enemy or projectile to take two health
points away instead of one. The effect lasts until you die so avoid the
Turquoise Potion. Further to the right is a spider, some green enemies and some
new yellow jumping enemies. Either duck to avoid them or jump and kick them. If
you do kick them, remember to time your attack perfectly or you'll take damage.
Flying wasps and missiles appear next: some are avoidable, some aren't. After
some green spikes, red rockets shoot from the left; again, some are avoidable,
some aren't. Easily run underneath the wasps and keep going right while killing
spiders and green enemies. Jump over the spears. After some more wasps,
rockets, green enemies and yellow jumpers will be three more stone stacks.
Inside are two Red Potions and the Torch. Make sure you have room for the Torch
as it's essential for the next level.
Kill some green jumping snakes and traverse some flashing spikes and eventually
you'll reach King Gargoyle and some text to read. He wants you to fetch him a
Dragon Egg from the Beast Castle so he takes you there. If you arrive here
without the Square White Key, you cannot progress any further so start the game
again. It is possible to get here from the start of the game by running right
at the start but you won't have gotten the Square White Key and will have to
start the game again. Stand in front of the door and use the Square White Key
here to read some text and enter level 6.
At the start of level 6, everything is dark so use your Torch to make
everything bright again. If you don't have the torch, the game is unplayable.
In theory, you could remember the route and the location of every enemy and
hazard but that would take years of practice I imagine so start again if you
don't have the Torch. This level is full of traps which are very unfair. It is
only possible to learn how to get past these traps by making mistakes and
trying new strategies for getting past them: effectively trial and error. I
explain in the walkthrough of this level how to get past these traps.
The object of this level is to get the Round Green Key and defeat the boss so
you can exit this level. Unfortunately, to defeat the boss we need the Gun and
to get the Gun we need the Spanner, so our first task is the acquisition of the
Spanner. Head a little to the left and climb up the ladder before the green
snake hurts you. The green snakes here cannot be killed - only avoided. Once up
the ladder head right, kill some green bogeymen, a beige blob with wings and a
bouncing beige head and climb down the ladder. Head right, jump over the flying
sword and climb up the next ladder while also avoiding the swords. Once up the
ladder, head left and stand near the edge of the platform. Be careful here
because beyond the edge, at the bottom, are two pairs of crossed swords which,
if touched or landed on, cause instant death. There are several strategies for
getting past them: if you did not use the Orange Potion from level 2 and thus
still have it, you can use it to perform a long jump over both pairs of crossed
swords and land safely beyond them; you can use your White Potion to become
invincible for twenty seconds and just fall off the edge where the two pairs of
crossed swords will not hurt you; or you can try to land in the small gap
between the two pairs of crossed swords. Since the Orange Potion is best used
to get the Heart on level 2 and since the invincible is needed to complete the
game, I advise using the third method. To land perfectly in the gap, stand
directly underneath the middle of the above platform near the edge and, from
this point, jump to the left over the edge. You should land directly in the gap
between the two pairs of crossed swords. Once there, jump to the left over the
swords to safety and head left.
Towards the left, spiked daggers start raining diagonally and they're tough to
avoid so use the punching trick to avoid getting hurt too much here. Just past
another Red Potion red drops similar to the blue drops from level 2 start
raining down but they're easier to avoid: just move gingerly towards the left,
bit by bit and they should always fall a little bit ahead of you. Past them is
a white floating ghost and once at the ladder, ghosts keep appearing non-stop.
Kill one then start climbing the ladder. At the top, go right and avoid the
chest. Inside the chest is a Magic Wand which, if used, will reverse the
effects of the Torch and make everything dark. The effect lasts until you die
and it works outside the castle too so avoid it. There's no way of knowing what
it does without using it so the first time I played this, I was tricked by it.
Further to the right, jump over the gap and grab the Square Gold Key if you
want. The key has no use and so you can either avoid picking it up or avoid it
altogether. Further on is a Green Potion so grab that and jump over the next
gap. If you fall down here, you'll end up where it rained red drops and daggers
earlier and you'll have to go all the way back so try your best to make the
jumps first time. During these jumps, axes and skeleton legs start attacking.
They never stop appearing so you'll have to bite the bullet and try to attack
them while jumping over the gaps. Remember that making the jumps is more
important and if need be, use your potions to regain health. If you make it
past all the jumps, you'll get a chest at the end with the Spanner in it. Make
sure you pick it up and then you can either jump back across the gaps which
isn't recommended or you can just fall down the hole next to where the Spanner
was and you'll be back near the crossed swords trap from earlier. This way is
easier in my opinion.
Make your way past the crossed swords trap again and then past the red drops
and daggers until you can climb the ladder again. At the top, go left this time
and jump over the green snakes until you get to a sitting coiled green snake.
The snake cannot be killed and there is no way past him without getting hurt
so bite the bullet and run through it. Very seldom, the snake is not there and
you can go past without taking damage. I believe this is a glitch as there is
no way I know to make this happen. You can of course waste a White Potion to
get past the snake without getting hurt but it's not worth it. Go down the
ladder just to the left of the snake and once at the bottom, go right and try
to avoid the axes. Jump over the deadly pairs of crossed swords and open the
chest if you wish. Inside is a Magenta Potion which, if consumed, will cause
the controls to become reversed for twenty seconds; other than that it's
useless. It's fun to try the reversed controls but be very careful not to run
into the pairs of crossed swords. Although it doesn't do any permanent damage,
it's best to avoid it for this reason.
Jump over the last pair of crossed swords, punch the axe and climb down the
ladder. At the bottom, head left and start punching the barrels that start
coming towards you. Further left will be a dead end with a chest; inside this
chest is the Round Green Key which is needed to exit this level. Sometimes,
and I don't know what causes it, the chest will be either a quarter, a half,
three quarters or completely inside the wall. This glitch can cause problems
because although you can still punch it, the key may appear inside the wall too
and if it does that, it's unobtainable and the game is effectively over because
the key is needed. If the chest is only a quarter inside the wall, the key will
still be obtainable but any more than that and I'd recommend not punching it,
killing yourself and coming back to where the chest is and seeing if you're
lucky enough for it to have moved position. The chest is usually outside the
wall completely but this glitch does and can happen so beware of it.
With the key, go back towards the right and use the punching trick on the
barrels that come from behind. After two yellow ceiling monsters you will come
to an edge. Jumping off this edge will get you back to the start of this level
but you will take some damage. You can't go back the way you came because the
ladder you went down to get here is slightly off the ground and can't be
grabbed onto from the bottom. There is one more option however: if you still
have the Book you got from level 3, you may use it and it will transport you
back to the start of the level and restore all your health as an added bonus.
I usually like to save the Book for this moment but if you've used your Book
already, just make sure you have more than two health points and jump off the
edge to go back to the start of the level. It's frustrating but these are the
only two options you have: lose two health points or use your Book. If you do
decide to jump off the edge, stand close to the edge, then jump off. Do not
fall off the edge as a pair of crossed swords is directly below; jump off to
the right to avoid the swords and land on the ground to lose two health points.
You can of course use the Book as soon as you get the Round Green Key as
there's nothing important between getting the key and going back to the start
of the level.
Now that you have the Spanner and the Round Green Key, you just need the Gun to
go and tackle the boss. From the start of the level again, head left and punch
some barrels and jump over some green snakes. Go down the ladder at the end and
head right once at the bottom. There are lots of enemies to kill and avoid here
such as barrels, axes and a new enemy: a blue flying demon with the head of an
elephant. These are actually quite easy so punch them and head right till you
get to another ladder. Climb down this ladder and head left at the bottom. Kill
flying red creatures and barrels that are partially obscured by the pillars in
the foreground and at the end will be a chest with the Gun in it. Like the
chest that had the Round Green Key in it, this chest can sometimes manifest
itself inside the wall although a lot less often. Use the Gun to equip it and
you'll have endless auto-fire for the rest of this level and the next one too.
The Gun is very liberating and since it has an endless supply of bullets, don't
be shy about shooting everything mercilessly.
With the Gun equipped, head right, kill enemies, jump over the pairs of crossed
swords while shooting wasps and stop when you see an electrical beam. Touching
the beam causes instant death so don't try and run past it. If you got the
Spanner earlier, stand in front of the control panel and use it to turn the
electrical beam off, then run past to the right. If you don't have the Spanner
for whatever reason, you'll have to kill yourself and respawn at the start of
the level. Anyway, past where the electrical beam was is a ladder, climb it to
the top, jump left over two pairs of crossed swords, over the edge to the left,
shoot some barrels and climb the ladder to get back to the start of the level
again. Now that you have everything, run to the right and kill a lot of enemies
with your Gun. At the end climb down the ladder and head left while shooting
missiles with your gun. At the end is a chest and a ladder. Inside the chest is
a Purple Potion and it's needed to kill the boss. The potion causes the beast
to jump higher than normal and the only way to kill the boss is to shoot its
head which can only be reached by using the Purple Potion. Very rarely, this
chest isn't here and this renders the game uncompletable. Anyway, go down the
ladder once you have the Purple Potion and head right.
Jump over three pairs of crossed swords to reach the boss, Skarios the Slayer.
Because the chest with the Purple Potion in it won't reappear if you die, you
only get once chance to defeat the boss so make sure you have a lot of health
(use a Red or Green Potion if necessary), use your Purple Potion and stand next
to the boss. Skarios will have daggers fly at you from the top-right; all you
have to do is jump very high and shoot his head with your Gun. Luckily, the
daggers can be shot too so try and get into a rhythm in which you are shooting
his head and the daggers so that nothing hurts you while you kill Skarios.
After a few hits, Skarios will die and you can run further to the right. Be
careful with the Purple Potion because it only lasts for about fifteen seconds
and if you use it before the text screen warning you of the boss battle
appears, it will have worn off instantly after the text screen goes so only use
the Purple Potion once the battle with Skarios actually starts.
Once the boss is dead, go to the right and get the Jetpack & Mask from the
chest. Use them as soon as you get them to put them on in readiness for the next
level. Once you've equipped them, stand next to the door and use the Round
Green Key to exit the level and enter level 7. If you don't have this key, the
game is effectively over.
If you equipped the Jetpack & Mask before exiting level 6 you will not lose any
health. If you got the Jetpack & Mask but didn't put them on, you will lose
four health points or lose a life if you have four or fewer health points. If
you didn't even pick up the Jetpack & Mask, the game will end and you'll have
to start the whole game again so make sure you put them on before exiting level
6. The Jetpack & Mask are needed because level 7 is an airless void with I
assume no gravity. The mask is needed to breathe and the Jetpack is needed to
move about.
With the gun, this level operates as a very basic side-scrolling shoot 'em up.
It's quite short but a couple of key items are here. Go right and try to kill
or avoid the enemies here without losing too much health. I find that going in
a wave pattern while gingerly moving forward will kill most of the wasps and
other enemies here. Inside some green balls on the ground ahead is a Green
Potion so take that and move on. After three large green spikes will be another
pile of green balls with a White Potion in it; grab it and move on. Further on
is a Clear Potion which doesn't do anything. Drinking it brings up some text
that says you feel surprised but apart from that it has no effect. Up ahead,
avoid the spiky balls easily and grab the last item which is the Dragon Egg
that King Gargoyle requested earlier. Make sure you get it otherwise he'll kill
you later. Further on, you'll meet the next boss Corannis the Varg.
Corannis is actually quite tough and so I recommend using one of the two White
Potions you have to defeat him. Just drink it and continuously shoot either of
his two heads to kill him. He will go down soon enough. If you have only one
White Potion, do not use it and try to kill him by shooting at his top head
while avoiding his projectiles. It's quite tough and you will lose health so
use your Red and Green Potions as necessary if you have any left. The same
applies if you have no White Potions obviously. If you have only one, you will
need it for the final boss who is almost impossible to defeat without one so
make sure you have at least one White Potion for the final boss.
Once Corannis is dead, the level will end and you'll be transported back
outside the Beast Castle again where level 8 starts.
Outside the castle, grab the Crucifix from the gravestone and use it to summon
King Gargoyle. King Gargoyle will take you to a new area with a black sky.
Here, don't run left (it eventually reaches a dead end with no enemies on the
way), run right and you'll meet up with King Gargoyle again who will take the
Dragon Egg from you in exchange for letting you pass freely. If you didn't get
the Dragon Egg or foolishly used it (it does nothing) and thus don't have it
anymore, King Gargoyle will kill you and the game will end forcing you to have
to start again.
Past King gargoyle will be some gravestones: the first has a Green Orb which
does nothing so either avoid it or use it to discard it; the next one has a
Yellow Potion in it which causes instant death so avoid that; the third
gravestone has a Heart in it so get that and use it to gain an extra life.
Further on will be some tough enemies to avoid as many come from behind. Use
the punching trick to minimise damage and keep heading right. Carefully jump
past the flashing spikes as they're very close together and after a few more
enemies you'll reach more flashing spikes. After these and a few more enemies
you'll reach the final boss: Maletoth the Beast Lord.
Maletoth is so big all you can see is his toe and his big hand holding a big
club with which he tries to crush you. As soon as the boss starts, use your
last White Potion and start ducking and punching his toe. The club won't hurt
you. After twenty or so hits, he will die and after some text, the ending
sequence will start. If you don't have a white Potion you will have a very
hard time defeating the final boss. Try to avoid his club while punching his
toe and in time he will die. Unfortunately, avoiding his club is random,
unfair and slightly glitched. Not only is getting hit instant death but
sometimes I've died spontaneously even after avoiding his club. Have a go at
killing him if you don't have a White Potion but if you lose all your lives,
start the game again and aim to have a White Potion for the final boss.
The ending shows the beast running and turning back into a man again. It never
ends so you'll have to reset the console to get back to the title screen. No
credits are displayed.
Congratulations on completing Shadow of the Beast!
If you wish to post this guide on your site, please send me an e-mail first to
the address below.
I hope you enjoyed this. Although not as good as its Mega Drive/Genesis/Amiga
counterpart, Shadow of the Beast provides a unique experience on the Sega
Master System. My only complaints about the game are the glitches that cause
some of the chests to spawn inside the walls and the final boss who is so
glitched that you often die without even getting hit by his club!
Having trouble? E-mail me at edwithmj (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) uk and I will
respond.
