Game: Blades Of Vengeance (Electronic Arts, Genesis)

Compiler: John Brain

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to John Brain's Blades Of Vengeance (Genesis) maps.

The Master has summoned three adventurers, The Huntress, The Barbarian, and The Wizard, as they are the only ones who can save The Kingdom from the evil Mannax, The Dark Lady.

It's not much of a story, but everything else about Blades Of Vengeance is quite venerable. Two-player simultaneous co-op games are always a treat, for one thing, but it's also got solid gameplay, great graphics and animation, and even the sound and music are pretty good! And so are the level layouts. There are many hidden rooms and shortcuts (there's even one by the area in the thumbnail here), all thoroughly indicated on the maps we have here made by John Brain, who has mapped several other Genesis games, as well. Thankfully, he hasn't overlooked this cult classic.

So to recognize the effort put into mapping this hidden Genesis gem, John Brain's Blades Of Vengeance (Genesis) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for February 2026.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!

Game: Nightshade - Part 1: The Claws Of Sutekh (Beam Software, NES)

Compiler: zagato blackfist

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to zagato blackfist's Nightshade - Part 1: The Claws Of Sutekh (NES) maps.

The villainous Sutekh seeks to dominate and control Metro City through crime and terror. But a crimefighter named Nightshade might thwart Sutekh's plans. Playing as Nightshade, you will patrol the dark corners of the city to find clues and items, solve puzzles, gain "Popularity", and confront five crime kings, including Sutekh himself.

This game has a unique atmosphere and play style, absolutely unlike anything else seen on the NES. It's mostly point-and-click action, but sprinkled in are some 1v1 and 1v2 fighting sequences. There's even a brief fire rescue sequence that almost feels like a Donkey Kong level! Popularity is required to progress at a couple of points, and you can build that up by winning fights and doing good deeds for Metro City's civilians.

Metro City (not to be confused with the Metro City in Final Fight, Captain Commando, or the Megamind movies) is a dark place, but zagato blackfist has mapped all 108 screens to give Nightshade a fighting chance, including the five traps that Nightshade finds himself in if he's defeated, four of which can be escaped with puzzle-solving skills (or zagato blackfist's provided solutions). It's a neat twist on the concept of having a number of lives, and one of the things this game is known for, but if it were to have a Popularity meter, it's still on the low side and could use a boost.

So to recognize the effort put into recognizing this hidden gem, zagato blackfist's Nightshade - Part 1: The Claws Of Sutekh (NES) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for January 2026.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!