This page details pre-release information and/or media for Shadow Warrior (1997).

To do:

The screenshot for the 09/30/96 update doesn't appear to be archived. If you have the original picture, please add.
There are probably previews from 1995, but I have no sources, other than random screenshots from MobyGames.
Perhaps add a sub-page for the Weekly Update Blog? It's not necessary for now.
Development Timeline feels stubby, it could have more details.

Compared to its siblings in the Build engine, Shadow Warrior had a fairly peculiar development cycle; changing art style, plot and tone considerably throughout.

Development Timeline

1993

September - Jim Norwood creates a ray-casted 3D Ninja game pitch for Scott Miller.

1994

Unknown - The project switches to Ken Silverman's Build Engine, and the game begins production under the name Shadow Warrior.

1995

January - The game's direction is changed from looking cartoony to more realistic and moodier. Multiplayer begins being tested as well.
October - SW.GRP is introduced. A container file containing multiple sound effects, and eventually art files.

1996

March - The Duke Nukem 3D team steps in to help finish the game.
October - Lee Jackson steps in to make the soundtrack, replacing Tyler Tullock from composing (who was Jim's guitar teacher).

1997

April - A prototype is leaked after an employee wanted to try it out in multiplayer with his friends.
May 13 - The Shareware version is released.
September 12 - The Registered CD-ROM version is released.

PC Home - Issue 26

Dated November 1994. The same page (102) also features an early preview for Duke Nukem 3D and Rise of the Triad.

Textures and Ninja graphics from January 1995 are already here, though the Sumo wrestler from 1994 is still present.
Earliest picture of the Uzi, before the game went with the real digitized graphics for the weapons.

GameCenter Preview

A Q&A with George Broussard is in GameCenter's preview for Shadow Warrior from sometime in 1996.

The pages have been archived in the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/19970205121227/http://www.gamecenter.com/Features/Peeks/Shadow/qanda.html

Website Info

The website includes an early story from July 1996.

Archived from the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/19961018111213/http://apogee1.com/cgi/kds?$=pub/sw/sw.htm

3 years in the future - A chain of remote Japanese islands. You are a member of a secret Japanese mercenary team, trained in the use of several exotic weapons and in the stealth arts of the ninja. Your body has been augmented with state of the art nano-tech biomedical enhancements. Your senses, strength, agility, and stamina are greatly boosted. You are a lethal weapon.

The mage Kirin, your ancient ancestor of 1000 years, has risen from the dead on a remote island, given life once again by forces not understood today. Kirin now has an army of cult followers spread over many small islands to do his bidding. Some were once human... some never were.

If they are not stopped, evil will spread across the planet. It is your task to stop the Kirin and his army.

When hi-tech meets magic-tech... gibs fly!''

Shadow Warrior Weekly Update Blog#

From March 1996 up to October 1997, on apogee1.com and 3drealms.com, Shadow Warrior would get its updates presented on their respective websites, usually on a weekly basis, though not always.

Archived are the original pages through the Wayback Machine. What's in here on TCRF is the same as those.

March - October 1996: https://web.archive.org/web/19961018111249/http://apogee1.com/cgi/kds?$=pub/sw/sw0396.htm

November - December 1996: https://web.archive.org/web/19961222183928/http://www.3drealms.com/catalog/sw/sw1196.html

March 1996#

Update: 03/30/96#

This week was marked by the initial formulation of the SW wrap-up team which will join forces with principal Shadow Warriors Frank Maddin, Jim Norwood, and Eric Reuter in the effort to bring final closure to the project. Certain members (to be announced) of the Duke Nukem development team will roll over onto the Shadow Warrior project after the completion of the complete commercial version of Duke Nukem 3D. Estimated time for this is early to mid May. By adding the battle hardened Duke resources to the already well-along Shadow Warrior effort, we expect the final push to get the game done will go much smoother.

Above:Mayhem shatters the peace in a once serene meditation garden as the super gatlin shotgun pumps holes into advancing attackers.

Left:Fueled and ready-to-drive.. one of Shadow Warrior's awesome battle tanks!

April 1996#

Update: 04/05/96#

The Shadow Warrior team is fervently working on refinements to nearly all maps which will be included in the final game. The key objective is to review each map for purposes of assuring a high frame rate while maintaining high aesthetic appeal. Also important is that each map have clear central theme that the player can relate to and remember (as opposed to generic settings). Programming continues in several areas, including weapon tweaking and actor A.I.

Update: 04/12/96#

This week's update will not appear because of the final push to get Duke Nukem 3D done. Greg Malone, the producer of Duke3D is also the producer of Shadow Warrior, and is very busy trying to complete Duke Nukem 3D this coming week. This update will return next Friday.

Update: 04/19/96#

This week's update will not appear because of the final push to get Duke Nukem 3D done. Greg Malone, the producer of Duke3D is also the producer of Shadow Warrior, and is very busy trying to complete Duke Nukem 3D this coming week. This update will return next Friday. I promise. :) Duke Nukem 3D's done now, so Greg can start doing this weekly update in a more timely fashion.

Update: 04/26/96#

The Shadow Warrior team is preparing for a long visit to the Apogee/3DRealms Dallas offices during which time intense focus will be given to bringing the Shareware version of the game to completion. Frank Maddin will be coming up from Austin, TX, while Jim Norwood will make the trek from the Seattle area. Jim has recently implemented a really great battleship level in which the player can explore and fight his way thru a realistic ship setting. David Demaret, 3DRealms artist, has been reworking a number of game graphics, bringing his unique style to the Shadow Warrior fantasy world.

May 1996#

Update: 05/10/96#

Jim Norwood has finished up the battleship level complete with a driveable fork-lift, turnable machine gun turret, and huge turnable 46 cm guns. Jim is now working on a sub-terrainian base that promises to be cool. Eric Reuter just finished up a level set in an underground mine full of volcanic activity. Huge conveyer belts and rotating drill bits round out this level. Eric is now hammering on a roller coaster type map where the player can ride fast platforms that move in three dimensions (they can even loop bridges!). Should be fantastic! Frank Maddin is swatting bugs and looking toward implementing our "3D Creature Cameras" that will be completely movable by the player in 3D. Send the Creatures on suicide missions and take out other players before they spot your "Camera". We are all looking forward to the trip to Apogee/3DRealms so we can wrap the game up.

Update: 05/17/96#

On the programming side, breakable walls with shrapnal have been implemented. Work continues on the Creature Cameras and code fixes. Some tweaks on our driveable sector vehicles such as boats and tanks have been done. Plans for destroyable sectors are starting to come into focus. This would allow, for example, the driveable tanks to roll over and destroy some sectors, and then keep on rolling. Jim Norwood is in the process of changing residences before the trip to Dallas and his work continues on the sub-terrainian base level. Eric Reuter continues work on the roller coaster style map.

Update: 05/24/96#

Eric Reuter and Jim Norwood continue level work. Eric has done a wild Parallax level that gives you the feeling that you are running around in nothing but elemental atmosphere (fire, water, etc). Finalization is being done on game Save/Restore and the Demo Mode. Plans are being made at headquarters for the trip tentatively set for sometime around May 31. More on this next week.

Update: 05/31/96#

The team is getting ready for the trip to 3D Realms on Monday. Making plans, packing, and taking care of last minute business. At 3D Realms we'll be working on finishing actor models, maps, artwork, programming, doing lots of multi-play testing and implementing last minute cool ideas.

June 1996#

Update: 06/07/96#

Frank & Jim completed the trip to 3D Realms on Monday. George Broussard, President and SW Producer, is getting ramped up on the game. Work has progressed on making a better story and planning ending cinematics. The main character model is being worked on by Chuck Jones. Tank development has progressed and they can now destroy walls. Jim and Eric working on levels that are still top secret. More on this later...

Update: 06/14/96#

Last minute story changes have been hammered out to allow a bit more variety in the level types. There are more near future and present day elements to the game now. Allen Blum is mapping a very dark and moody level with architecture never before seen in a 3D game of this type. Jim Norwood is working on some more realistic types of levels with cool recognizable places. Dirk Jones and Jim Norwood are busy cranking out art for some of the new levels. Frank Maddin is programming some interesting sector effects. Chuck Jones is wrapping up the model of the main character.

Update: 06/21/96#

Jim Norwood is beefing up the graphics on our shotgun and has recorded 45 great new sounds for the game. Programming is going VERY well and thats all Frank has to say about that. We are looking into changing the shuriken throw to a shuriken gun that fires a stream of shurikens. There will be an interesting twist to this. Eric Reuter is working on R&D; level design. He finished with a Construction Zone a while back and has started an ending level for the game that promises to rock-n-roll. Allen Blum has been working on some R&D; level techniques that are top secret right now. Chuck has finished the model of our Shadow Warrior character and he looks damn good. INTERESTING FACT: Shadow Warrior is bio-enhanced and nearly twice as tall as Duke Nukem! Who's tougher??? I see no need to state the obvious. Catch ya next week.

Update: 06/28/96#

Still kicking butt and takin' names. Next name on the kick list starts with a "Q". Expect large bruises that border on child abuse.

Frank took a short trip home recently for a sonogram of his wife Lucinda's belly. It contained a 9 ounce human male. For those of you who don't remember Lucinda, she was one of the artists on the blockbuster Apogee game Crystal Caves. Programming continues to go well for Frank. Jim has done more sound effects and art touchups. Both Dirk and Jim have come down with the dreaded cold that is threatening to overtake 3D Realms. Jim is going home to visit the wife the 2nd through the 9th. Eric is steadily working on R&D; levels. Allen continues his past innovations. Chuck has mostly finished up the animation’s for our Shadow Warrior and has started on another model.

July 1996#

The July 5th update did not occur due to the July 4th Holiday.

Update: 07/12/96#

Allen is doing new and unheard of things in a parallax level. Ken has been working on some new network features that should be useful in Shadow Warrior. Our sector objects now have hit points and can take damage. There is some new shrapnel code to make shrapnel triggered where-ever you want it. Programming, models, maps, and art are all progressing nicely.

Jim "hurled his insides out" for a day or two and now is off to Seattle to visit his wife. Dirk found an action figure at K-Mart that looks very much like our Shadow Warrior character. He's posed on Frank's desk urging him to program faster by brandishing his large knife and machine gun. Frank calls him "Studly" and swears that it speaks to him late at night when no ones around. Alan is musing as to why 3D Realms can't seem to hire any females for him to "work with". We're thinking of trading Dirk in for female artist. Chuck is moving into a new apartment that’s closer to the offices.

Update: 07/19/96#

There is now every kind of teleporter you could ever want in the game. The most interesting ones are the ones that you don't notice. George and Allen have started doing some multi-play testing and things are looking good on that front. Maps continue on at a good clip from Eric, Jim, and Allen. Lots of clean up work has been done and is continuing in the programming/maps/art department. Chuck is on to modeling our kamikaze coolie character and his flayed version. They are looking great.

The big thing around the office is GURGL'IN GUTS. Dr I. M. Gorey (the dastardly fellow on the box) promotes his squishy brains, hearts, eyeballs, and intestines/stomachs. Squeezing them makes for juicy fun-filled auditory and tactile pleasure. Speaking of squishy stomachs, Frank is heading home for the weekend to see his lovely wife with the bulging belly.

Dirk has been moving into a new apartment. Allen has been taking the opportunity to interview female artists for Dirks job. The saga continues.

Update: 07/26/96#

The Levelord took Eric's R&D; Construction map and has it mostly completed. It's looking very cool. Jim is touching up our weapons and hands for the panel. He's also working on the graphics for our rail gun. Can't wait for that one! Frank has been working on menus and function key routines and trying to get the user interface looking good. Allens got a "huge.map" map going. If I had to pick a descriptive metaphor, I'd say it's freak'in HUUUGE. Dirk is plugging away on misc graphics as they come up. Chuck Jones is working on our "Coolie" character, both the alive and dead versions. They are looking much more horrific. Doug Wood is modeling our Guardian head weapon. One interesting change thats been made recently for this weapon is how the player carries the head. Instead of carrying the head by the hair the player sinks his fingers into the back of the skull. The modes of firing are triggered by which fingers are touching the brain.

Allen Blum who is well known around the office for his propensity toward "angry" music has let it slip that he likes the group TLC. Well, he only likes 2 of the songs. Well, he's only listened to them once. Well, maybe he doesn't REALLY like them. TLC, whats that? Is it like a BLT?

August 1996#

Update: 08/02/96#

Allen, Dirk, and Richard have been temporarily pulled to do some Duke work. Progress continues on weapons art and programming. Eric is wrapping up another R&D; level. Frank rewrote the elevator code and calls them 'vators. You can now do some pretty cool stuff with them and they are very flexible.

Heinous atrocities have been committed around the office. Todd (you know, that guy who programmed the Duke thing) squeezed Allen's brain until it burst. Todd had to change clothes but Allen did not seem too upset about it. Jim maintains that his brain was stolen, but I suspect he mis-placed it. Dirk has a very small mind and also a tiny brain on his key-chain. Frank's brain is just fine. He keeps it hidden from his office mates and rarely takes it out except to wash it (problems with a dirty mind). Note to Eric: Eat a couple of chili-dogs with cheese for me.

Update: 08/09/96#

Work continues with the weapon graphics and programming. The airport map is moving toward completion with all of the fine tuning. Jim has a really cool and really large volcano level going. Eric has done an R&D; Experimental Gravyard area with some very neat areas and plans on starting another soon.

Allen's catz won't shut up. Every time he leaves his computer on for a while un-attended the damn thing starts making a racket. The catz are apparently breeding because they show up on Jims and Marks computer. Dirk (our resident J. F. Sebastian type) has a toy collection that is a living, breathing thing and threatens to overtake his workspace. One day Dirk will be overtaken by his toys and we will find him strapped to his chair with yo-yo string ,wearing slinky eye glasses, and an Earthworm Jim stuffed in his mouth.

Update: 08/16/96#

Work continues on and on and on. Eric has done a uploaded a new R&D; level with some very interesting areas. Jim is working on his truely gigantic volcano map. Will there be some virgins sacrificed? This one will be a killer. Frank has been tweaking a dozen different areas of the game.

Frank has been out of town this week visiting the ever ballooning wife. Jim and his wife had a "Joe's Apartment" experience and had to high-tail it to a new one. Eric made a trip recently and probably snuck in a few chili-dogs on the side.

Update: 08/23/96#

Jim is working on some tech graphics for his newest level. Frank has been jumping around in the code, where he'll stop nobody knows.

The Ping-Pong table has been set back up at the office. Once again, Frank is putting the spank on all takers. There is now a name for this phenomenon, Frank Spank (TM). There is even a new left handed version of the Frank Spank (TM) for the lesser players around the office. Frank Spank (tm) is ®© 1996 Frank Maddin.

Update: 08/30/96#

This week Frank applied The Spank (TM) to the code with many new and interesting tricks. Jim continues to crank out tech graphics and work on his new level.

Next week Frank starts his Frank Spank (TM) franchise business off with a Frank Spank (TM) video, available in stores "When It's Done!". Next is a Frank Spank (TM) 1-900-SPANK-ME number for people to call and actually hear an authentic recorded message of Frank spouting how good he is at Ping Pong.

You'll also get free for a limited time the Top 10 Excuses Frank hears from opponents. ($4.95 a minute plus tax, you must be over 21 to call, other charges may apply)

September 1996#

Update: 09/06/96#

Many fixes and improvements have taken place this week. There are new lighting effects, some new build editor add-on programming, and a few new sector effects. We got a new rendered boulder from Chuck for the Volcano level. Jim finished up our chop-stick player hands. Hmmm, wonder what those are for? Jim is going back to his E1L1 level and adding a lot of the new stuff we have programmed. Its looking very good indeed.

All 3D Realms/Apogee employees now get free soda and snacks. The snacks run out in the blink of an eye so some people are taking up the snack slack. Dirk has provided a supply of chocolatty goodness in the Duke office. At any moment he could show up with an Everlastinggobstopper and a troup of small orange men. Alan is a jerky man. I can't say more than that.

There has been spotted around the office a small animal of the phylum rodentia that has been seen climbing the network cables with an excess of speed. Although not his real name, we'll call him Algernon. It is widely believed that Algernon is responsible for shunting network packets around from computer to computer in a tiny briefcase. More on this as it develops.

Update: 09/16/96#

Several muti-play testing rounds between Jim and George generated a nice list of tweaks and fixes. Steven Hornback has been doing some breakable items, rendering some Rail Gun smoke and finishing up a new backdrop for the game. Jim has been working on several levels at once getting them in shape. Eric is working on finishing a couple of Episode 2-3 levels.

Alas, the sweet sound of pinging and ponging has not been heard around the office lately. The problem? Frank is bored with his opponents. Hmmm, perhaps when that young upstart Ken Silverman comes by to visit. I hear he has a pretty fast paddle. I wonder...? Could it be...? Frank Spank(tm) time once again!

The September 20th update did not occur due to Frank Maddin having to make an unexpected trip to the hospital. The update should return next week.

Update: 09/30/96#

Jim has been adding a whole bunch of cool puzzles to all his maps. The newest mapper at 3D Realms, Stephen Cole, has started up on the Construction Area map. Eric Reuter is working on his Prison map adding all the new tagging and sector tricks that will fit.

Frank had a trip to the hospital on both Saturday and Monday to pick up some mind numbing drugs. Turns out that hospitals don't just hand these out and you have to prove you have some pain. Through a series of tests it was determined that Frank had been spanked by a kidney stone.

Dirk has no room at his desk to work anymore because of all his toys. If he tries to get to his keyboard or mouse he'll knock one over and thats no good because they all need to be posed. Everyone around the office is raving about the Nintendo 64 and the new Mario game. Allen bought one but he is too busy to play it.

NOTE:

Effective immediately, the day that the new updates will appear will now be Monday, as opposed to Friday, like it used to be.

October 1996#

Update: 10/07/96#

Great stuff continues on the game with more cool map work on the all the maps. Eric is working on a top secret level when he's not finishing up some of his more completed maps. Programming is going quite well with a lot of new things for the mappers to try out. Lee Jackson has taken our sound and music over and has started to add his touches. The first song I heard from him was excellent.

New toy alert! Allen has a plethora of new toys. Three are very musical. A low rider truck that plays a funky hip-hop tune. A guitar that wails heavy metal. A mega-phone voice distorter with special effects such as scratching and guitar licks. A few more of these toys and we could easily start a world tour. Rounding out the toy list for this month is a small remote controlled car that goes 100 mph scale whose purchase was inspired by the Nissan "You Really Got Me" commercial. BTW, what the heck is up with Van Halen? Gary Cherone?

Update: 10/14/96#

Ken Silverman is in town helping Frank update network code and helping with general problems. Maps are going good with Jim, Eric, Randy, and Stephen working on them. Randy just picked up the Plax map. Stephen is working on Dozer and it is coming along very well. Jim is very close to "done" with 2 shareware maps and is working on a 3rd. Lee Jackson has done two awesome new songs. They are so good I'd like to get a CD of Shadow Warrior songs when the game is over. Chuck is working on the model of our "Evil" enemy ninja. Can't wait to see that!

The young Kenneth did prove to be a worthy ping pong opponent but alas fell, and fell hard, to the Frank Spank(tm). Recently the Frank Spank(tm) has gained sentience. This thing has grown larger than Frank and he is now but a pawn to it. While it is true that absolute power corrupts absolutely, the Frank Spank(tm) corrupts "even more absolutely". Perhaps the near future holds an X-files or Seinfeld episode about this?

Update: 10/21/96#

Ken Silverman completed his trip and bid adieu to the Apogee offices. Ken helped out greatly with the network code and with a multitude of other small issues. Thanks for your help Ken.

Good things are happening on the modeling and music front. Maps have also been going well. Eric has not been feeling to well lately and we all hope he gets better soon.

(No animals were harmed in the writing of this SW weekly update)

There will be no updates for the next two weeks. The reason for this is that 3D Realms' webmaster, Joe Siegler, is getting married and will be on his honeymoon.

November 1996#

Update: 11/11/96#

Jim has been having some fun programming on the build editor getting it in shape in between working on his levels. Jim's also been doing some R&D; levels pushing the limits of the Stacked Sectors and driveable objects. He's got some really cool driveable/controllable objects in his levels. Should see a highly touted new level from Eric soon. Frank is working from home until the baby arrives. Frank recently put remote controlled objects into the game. Chuck has a new model finished that looks great. All other fronts continue at a clip.

Ping pong must not be ignored. Frank has been creating a new weapon of war. Its a new ping pong paddle formed from a lightning struck tree just like the one he had as a boy. Some said that the young Frank was a ping pong natural. The only thing that stopped his ascent was being gut shot by a woman in a black vail while riding a train to play in the Olympics. But that is history. When Frank returns to Apogee with "Lightning 2" no fluorescent light will be safe.

The updates may be sporadic for the next couple of weeks. The reason is that Frank Maddin's wife Lucinda is about to give birth, and Frank went home to be with her.

All of us here at 3D Realms all wish them good luck with their child.

December 1996#

Update: 12/09/96#

Keith Schuler has joined the Shadow Warrior team as a full time map designer. He is a welcome addition to the team and is cranking out some great map work. He is currently working on a Japanese bath house level in a down town Tokyo night life type setting, complete with a propane truck you can blow up and a beat up taxi you can drive around the block squishing anything that moves.

Brian has been creating lots of great looking voxel items to use in the game and touching up all the new model frames the Chuck has been creating.

Randy continues working on his gigantic forest adventure level. You can almost smell the leaves on the ground it looks so real. And hey, if you've wasted all the bad guys in this level and you're bored of walking around in the pretty forest, just fire your four barreled shotgun up into any tree and a few surprises may drop out, including a dead squirrel or two. Even deer hunting is an option in this map.

Steve Cole is constructing his construction map. Some new mechanized gadget gets added to the map each day. Think `Hard hat Mac from Hell.'. In this level, you can give those evil monsters some cement boots to wear, that is, if you haven't already ground most of them into dust with the controllable giant drill bit, or flattened them like a pancake with the bulldozer!

Eric is working on a refinery map that has lots of chemical vats to fall into and a control center, complete with a Cray computer complex. The architecture is typical of Eric, `stunning', in a word. The night time outside scenery is eye popping.

Jim has turned in his mapper hat and has taken on programming responsibilities full time. Lately, he's gotten the Shadow Warrior AI Bots running around in the game and killing any poor human that has the misfortune to get in their way, as well as each other. He is also continually refining all the actor code and AI logic as well as getting the game's network code stable.

Frank continues working from home since the arrival of his new baby son. Frank continues working on sector and game environment code, as well as all the player code.

Update: 12/16/96#

Lately, Jim has implemented Redbook audio for Shadow Warrior. Shadow Warrior will feature Redbook audio when you purchase the registered version of the game. So now you'll be able to enjoy 'real' music in the game instead of having to listen to midi songs again!

Frank has been implementing new game setup code that has extended support for various types of controllers.

Chuck has been working hard building lots of cool character models for the game. He recently re-rendered the Ripper model. He has also added frames to our hero character so that if someone sneaks up on you and slices you with the sword, your body actually separates into two halves and plops down on the floor! This is going to make for some *very* satisfying deathmatch kills!

Brian has been working hard finishing up all the voxel game items. It's so nice to walk around a game sprite and not have it always facing you.

The mappers are still mapping. Pretty much working on the same maps as last week except that Steve Cole has started a palace type map and it's looking great! Randy's map is starting to worry some people around the office. It's so huge now, it has been dubbed, 'The Entity Thing'. We are just sure that at any moment, it's going to become self aware and try to crawl off of his hard drive. Let's just hope Randy's not in the way when this happens!

Doug is working on what must be called, the scariest underwater creature you'll ever see. It has lot's of big teeth, and can shock you like an electric eel from a radial distance, plus they travel in schools and gang up on you. Let's just say, if you go in the water in Shadow Warrior, bring lots of guns, big ones!

Frank Maddin and his wife have had a baby.

All of us at 3D Realms wish them well with their new boy!