How to Play 9 Years of Shadows on Switch: Tips for Beginners

Quick Answer

Focus on mastering the dash and parry early, explore every room for health upgrades, and use the map to backtrack efficiently.

Beginner Tips for 9 Years of Shadows

1. Master the Dash and Parry First: The dash lets you avoid most enemy attacks, while the parry (timed block) stuns enemies and opens them to counterattacks. Practice these in the first few rooms until they feel natural. Common mistake: mashing the attack button instead of waiting to parry. Patience wins fights.
2. Explore Every Room Thoroughly: Health upgrades, ability enhancements, and shortcuts are hidden in breakable walls and optional paths. Check the map for grayed-out areas and revisit them after gaining new powers. Checkpoint: if you hit a dead end, mark it on the map and come back later with a new ability.
3. Use the Map to Backtrack Efficiently: The in-game map shows locked doors and unreachable items. When you obtain a new movement or combat ability, open the map and plan a route to previously blocked areas. Common mistake: wandering aimlessly. Always have a target room in mind.
4. Prioritize Health and Stamina Upgrades: Early upgrades to your health bar and stamina gauge make later boss fights manageable. Seek out collectibles and optional rooms before tackling major story bosses. Checkpoint: if a boss feels too hard, you likely missed an upgrade path.
5. Save Often and Use Multiple Save Slots: The game has manual save points. Use different slots so you can revert if you make a mistake or want to explore a different path. Common mistake: relying on a single save slot. A corrupted file or bad choice can cost hours.

Product Details

• Switch Limited Run #270: 9 Years of Shadows: 9 Years of Shadows is on a region-free physical cart for the Nintendo Switch, part of Limited Run #270. You can play it on any Switch system without region restrictions, and the physical cart means no download required.