Phase 2 of level design is going extremely well, with 31 of the 42 total levels having been finished. The developer now estimates this level-polishing phase will be completed by the end of November 2025.

Phase 3: December 2025 to January 2026 - Integration of final graphics into the game.

Optimization Phase: February 2026 to March 2026 - Special effects, sound, and music will be implemented in the game.

Beta Test: April 2026 to June 2026 - All campaign backers will receive a digital copy of the Neo Geo beta version, no matter which platform you backed - i.e. Neo Geo, Genesis / Mega Drive, Dreamcast, Switch, PS5, Xbox, PC (Steam). So be prepared to experience the beta using the flash cart, FPGA, or emulation device of your choice. The developer is counting on you to help iron out all bugs and give useful feedback, as Shadow Gangs Zero is very much a community-driven effort.

Gold: The developer is aiming for the final Neo Geo version to be released by July / August 2026. Once that's done, the versions for the remaining platforms will be developed and released in fairly rapid succession.


Don't miss out on the fun. The campaign is accepting new pledges:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero


So far, £115K has been raised. We're just £5K away from reaching the final stretch goal of £120K, which will enable the inclusion of six unique mini-bosses - e.g. Ferocious fire-breathing dragon, Military helicopter dropping high-caliber rounds from above, Cannon wall with an arsenal of heavy fire, etc.

Thanks for your help.


P.S. Did you know that Shadow Gangs Zero has a 2-player cooperative gameplay mode? That means you can play solo, or with a friend!

Development is now in Phase 3, which involves the integration of final graphics into the game levels. As of December 10th, Phase 3 is 28% complete, with 12 of the 42 levels all done.

The developer writes:

Quote:

The final graphics go through a special division and processing pipeline to maximize the colour usage on the Neo Geo, allowing us to take full advantage of its 256 palettes. The results are excellent, and the game is really coming alive visually.

All the music for the game has been finished. The audio driver reproduces the songs with perfect clarity and accuracy, enabling the Neo Geo to play the music faithfully to the original tracker files.

After Phase 3 has concluded, the extra polish phase will begin. This will involve the artists taking detailed instructions from the developer and refining the level graphics to the highest quality possible. While the artists do their thing, the developer will work on Neo Geo code optimization to ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently on the actual hardware.

The campaign has reached close to £117K and is a little more than £3K away from the final stretch goal that gives us the six mini-bosses. If you haven't yet pledged, please do so and join the nearly 800 enthusiastic fans who've already contributed to the campaign:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero


==> View the update post with screenshots here.


P.S. Happy holiday season to you all. May you find a new game or two under the tree this year!

Happy new year! We're now in 2026 and this is the year we'll see Shadow Gangs Zero (SGZ) released, beginning first with the Neo Geo version and then all other versions afterwards - i.e. Dreamcast, Switch, PS5, Xbox One, Steam (PC), and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive.

Progress:

Phase 3 of development has been finished, which was the integration of final graphics. Now the developer has moved on to Phase 4, which involves working on: special effects, impacts & hit flashes, blood & debris, explosions, background animations, HUD, and menus & loading screens. The alpha version of the game is projected to be ready by mid to late February 2026.

Upcoming:

After alpha, the developer plans to work on these tasks: final optimization, difficulty tuning, sound effects integration, and Neo Geo hardware performance checks. Once those tasks have been done, we enter the phase that you've all been waiting for - Beta testing. During the beta phase, all backers will be given a digital copy of the Neo Geo beta version to playtest. By all backers, I mean EVERYONE, not just Neo Geo backers. So for example, if you've backed the PS5 version, you'll be playtesting the Neo Geo beta. Ditto for backers of Sega Genesis / Mega Drive, Dreamcast, Switch, Xbox One, and Steam (PC).

Tribute:

In his January 10, 2026 progress update, the developer pays tribute to Arjie Cosca, the original main level artist who sadly passed away three months ago. As you view the developer's update post with screenshots linked below, please know that SGZ’s levels carry Arjie's vision, style, and inspiration. The developer notes Arjie's contribution:

- He shaped the visual identity of the game.
- He brought atmosphere and world-building to every stage.
- His sense of detail, mood, and composition is everywhere.
- The art pipeline, tone, and richness all began with his work.

Campaign:

Over 800 backers are on board with their game controllers on hand, ready to experience the SGZ revolution. We're only £1.3K away from reaching the final stretch goal that gives us the six mini-bosses. Don't let the term "mini-bosses" fool you, as these aren't tiny adversaries. One of them is a large ferocious dragon that fills more than half the screen!

Please help make the inclusion of the mini-bosses a reality. The campaign is still open, but not for much longer:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jkmcorp/shadow-gangs-zero


==> View the update post with screenshots here.


Thank you!

Last edited by MarcioD on 14-Jan-2026 at 06:59 AM.