Baptism into Point and Click
Before I played Maniac Mansion, before I played Shadowgate, I played Nightshade.
I remember how this game made me feel as a kid, as if I were skittering along the edge of some great chasm of deep and (while tongue in cheek) riveting realities. I remember how I longed for a sequel, wanted so badly to go on Nightshade's second adventure, but it never came.
The game focused on a new vigilante who took over for the old one (vortex I believe). It started off with Nightshade in a deadly trap that you had to get out of. You could die a few times in the game (each death actually leaving you in another death-trap that you could escape). It had some real time fight scenes, and some very funny moments when people just couldn't seem to remember your name (night-light, lamp-shade, etc).
The point and click world lost something when the promised sequel never came out. The part of me that loves potential will always long for the next adventure of this very first point and click hero from my childhood.
Hats off to you Lampshade....erm...NightShade!