REVIEW
Written byDethyanFrom the archive
The Saint Seiya resemblance is impossible to miss, and for someone who grew up in the ’90s, there’s a special pleasure in getting to live inside that kind of armored-hero fantasy. 9 Years of Shadows understands the appeal: elemental armor, dramatic powers, and warriors facing down formidable foes. It isn’t just nostalgia doing the work, though. The armor system gives the adventure its own satisfying ideas, especially when exploration asks you to think about which form can get you somewhere new.
Backtracking is more than revisiting a corridor with a newly acquired key. Each armor brings a different way to move through the world, so changing forms becomes part of reading the environment. The fire armor was my favorite surprise. I expected fire to mean destruction, but here it lets Europa glide through pockets of hot air. That’s a clever, memorable use of an element, and a good example of how the game makes its abilities feel useful beyond combat.
Combat builds on that same elemental logic. Enemies carry auras in the colors of their corresponding armor, and choosing the matching one lets you deal more damage. In some encounters, it’s essential: the wrong armor simply won’t hurt the foe. This gives swapping a purpose beyond showing off the different designs, and makes paying attention to an enemy’s color part of the fight. The bosses can be genuinely challenging, too. One tied to chess pieces struck me as especially creative; it’s the sort of encounter whose central idea stays with you after the battle is over.
The presentation is a huge part of the pleasure. The pixel art is gorgeous, with a look that suits the game’s colorful armor and fantasy world, and the soundtrack is every bit as strong. Music is woven into the story, and the orchestral references are a delightful detail to come across. The story itself is sweet rather than elaborate, which suits the warm, earnest mood. I came away liking its heart, and the music-related touches give the journey an identity beyond its familiar heroic influences.
This is a Metroidvania, so its world asks you to return to places with new abilities and use those powers to open routes. Here, that structure feels particularly natural because the armors are both combat tools and keys to traversal. The pleasures reinforce each other: learning what a new armor does can change how I look at a route, while an enemy’s aura gives me a clear reason to change gear in a fight. There’s a welcome sense that these elements belong to the same adventure rather than sitting in separate systems.
I recommend 9 Years of Shadows. Its love of classic armored-hero anime is immediate, but the varied armor abilities, inventive backtracking, demanding bosses, lovely story, beautiful pixel art, and excellent music give that affection something substantial to support. If you grew up with Saint Seiya, the resemblance may make the invitation irresistible; even so, the game’s own elemental ideas are what make the trip worth taking.
— Dethyan / Noobsnoplay