this is the best of the games in this dogass series? lmao
I really should've saved my Tex Avery joke for this one, because Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is at least twice as thirsty as the previous game. That's really what sequels are all about, one-upping everything its predecessor did. It's about finding any excuse to put your characters in bikinis or have their clothes get shredded up because that's... that's just for daddy.....
Joking aside, Shantae and the Pirate's Curse does a pretty good job of building off of Risky's Revenge, a game I mostly found fine though limited in scope and fairly barebones for a search-action. Pirate's Curse is comparatively more involved yet still undemanding, perfect for people who want to get into the genre and still feel engaged. Gone are Shantae's genie powers, which were stripped from her by Risky in the previous game, negating the slow dancing/transformation mechanic and swapping it out for collectable pirate-themed items. I found these to be overall more fun than Shantae's transformations, and not needing to wind each of them up before using them helps a ton with maintaining the flow of gameplay.
Dungeons play very similarly to Risky's Revenge, though they are more aesthetically distinct. The overworld, however, is far more realized than it was in the last game, featuring some great character interactions and excellent level design. Some of the islands you visit could be considered dungeons in their own right, and by spending a more significant amount of time above ground, it makes getting into a dungeon feel more like an event. The story is also given more room to play out here, and it actually feels like characters are moving around and doing stuff, whereas the world in Risky's Revenge felt mostly static as Shantae zipped between dungeons. Teaming her up with Risky is a lot of fun too, it's great seeing how Shantae's softness rubs off on her, but I am a sucker for a good villain-turned-hero arc.
I do think Pirate's Curse could've done a bit more in some areas, like with the mutating tinkerbats, which are very similar mechanically to the Metroids you hunt in Metroid 2. Unlike Metroid, however, you'll only fight one type of tinkerbat. They don't evolve over the course of the game or become more challenging, and I think that was a missed opportunity. The final dungeon is also needlessly brutal, with a lot of sequences that involve precise timing and a bit too much trial and error for my taste.
I still had a great time with this one and I can certainly see why people say it's the best Shantae game, but that's also a little upsetting because I still see room for improvement here. A Shantae game that has the same level of exploration and depth as a proper Metroid could be great, and I think there's something to the idea of Shantae transforming and gaining new abilities even if that system could be smoother in practice. Hopefully the following two games give me exactly what I'm looking for, which is more girls in bikinis, and they're uh... they're covered in oil, yeeeeah... yeah that's just for daddy ,....
Joking aside, Shantae and the Pirate's Curse does a pretty good job of building off of Risky's Revenge, a game I mostly found fine though limited in scope and fairly barebones for a search-action. Pirate's Curse is comparatively more involved yet still undemanding, perfect for people who want to get into the genre and still feel engaged. Gone are Shantae's genie powers, which were stripped from her by Risky in the previous game, negating the slow dancing/transformation mechanic and swapping it out for collectable pirate-themed items. I found these to be overall more fun than Shantae's transformations, and not needing to wind each of them up before using them helps a ton with maintaining the flow of gameplay.
Dungeons play very similarly to Risky's Revenge, though they are more aesthetically distinct. The overworld, however, is far more realized than it was in the last game, featuring some great character interactions and excellent level design. Some of the islands you visit could be considered dungeons in their own right, and by spending a more significant amount of time above ground, it makes getting into a dungeon feel more like an event. The story is also given more room to play out here, and it actually feels like characters are moving around and doing stuff, whereas the world in Risky's Revenge felt mostly static as Shantae zipped between dungeons. Teaming her up with Risky is a lot of fun too, it's great seeing how Shantae's softness rubs off on her, but I am a sucker for a good villain-turned-hero arc.
I do think Pirate's Curse could've done a bit more in some areas, like with the mutating tinkerbats, which are very similar mechanically to the Metroids you hunt in Metroid 2. Unlike Metroid, however, you'll only fight one type of tinkerbat. They don't evolve over the course of the game or become more challenging, and I think that was a missed opportunity. The final dungeon is also needlessly brutal, with a lot of sequences that involve precise timing and a bit too much trial and error for my taste.
I still had a great time with this one and I can certainly see why people say it's the best Shantae game, but that's also a little upsetting because I still see room for improvement here. A Shantae game that has the same level of exploration and depth as a proper Metroid could be great, and I think there's something to the idea of Shantae transforming and gaining new abilities even if that system could be smoother in practice. Hopefully the following two games give me exactly what I'm looking for, which is more girls in bikinis, and they're uh... they're covered in oil, yeeeeah... yeah that's just for daddy ,....
I don't give a shit about how cunty the sprites are aria of sorrow gives you gliding and a proyectile like 5 minutes into the game and here it takes an hour of plain level design and bad jokes I know this was before the over abundance of metroidvanias but holy shit I tried playing this game five separate times and I had to fight to stay awake every single time.
I want to fuck most of the female characters in this game.
Shantae in a slave bikini? Erm cleanup aisle: my underwear!
After being recommended Shantae as a series due to my love for Metroidvania's, I thought I'd give one a shot. This seemed like a good place to start. I haven't ever taken the time to figure out what the series was like; I've just heard about it in passing a few times over the years. Turns out it's ~almost~ the kind of game that I love.
First, I'd like to get this out of the way: the ways the girls are designed (all the exact same way) is a bit weird. I'm not one to ever point something like this out, or even care... but this is by far the most egregious example of random/unnecessary fan service. (I don't go near other games that are way over the top with this, so this stands out to me.) Again, I don't really care about it in most games, but here it stood out immediately as very intentional and very distracting. Especially when the character art is shoved in your face constantly when conversations are being had. Also, it's such a jarring difference between the pixel art aesthetic and the very high resolution illustrations of the characters when in dialogue. All around just some strange/off-putting choices regarding the art.
To be honest, that last paragraph has nothing to do with my low-ish score of this game, though. That's not something that would move the needle of a games quality for me, I just figured it needed to be pointed out.
Anyways - the actual game. At first, I was optimistic. I think the game controls very well - the way a platformer should. The jumps are tight, the animation is smooth, the knockback feels right, the upgrades to your arsenal are fun, and the precision of all of your inputs is appreciated. I was thinking hey, we might have another Guacamelee/Hollow Knight on our hands here.
The problem arises when the "loop" sets in. I played up until the second last island. It became clear half-way through that you end up doing something similar on every island, and it got to be boring. Unlock a new island, go to it, realize you can't progress, go back to a spot on the island 2 islands ago, find a hidden path to get a random item for someone, give it to them, earn something to now progress on the new island - repeat.
It's somehow both too linear in its design and also too vague. The conversations had by the characters are not nearly interesting/engaging enough to truly pay attention to, so I was constantly looking up where to go next. Sometimes I clued in to what I was supposed to be doing, but about half the time I hit a wall and was like.... what? Where do I go? This is something that rarely happens in other Metroidvania's. Getting lost is part of the genre, though. In this game, it doesn't feel like getting lost while exploring, it just feels like you're going the way you should be but you hit an arbitrary wall that forces you to backtrack. It's not a smooth process; like I said, it's oddly linear. Oh, you walked to the right for 2 minutes through a mess of enemies that are piling on screen at an awkward rate. So much so that they overlap each other, sometimes. Welp, you hit a wall, time to turn around and go back through it so that you can get an item you didn't know you'd need. But guess what? Now you get to spam Y on your way back through those enemies for a third time! (Yes, I know the teleporting barrel thing exists, I used it frequently once I realized what it was.)
The map is an important tool in any Metroidvania. In this game, it serves its purpose (red/yellow squares are appreciated) but doesn't go any further to aid your quest. It would be nice to be able to look at the map of any island regardless of where you are. Additionally, I think adding the ability to place a pin on the map would do wonders. Plenty of times I came across something I couldn't access (like a hole/gap/chest) and assumed I could return to it later. The problem is, half of these things are mandatory to progress and half of them are just extra items. There's no way to know which ones are truly important to remember. I also don't think the areas are memorable enough to have me recall the exact location I came across something. Within each island, most of the scenery is very samey. Even in situations where I knew what kind of item I needed to progress, I had no idea where it was. They're always in super arbitrary spots. One of the last ones I got just required me to go back 2 islands, wander around and find a random patch of grass I could now destroy with my downward thrust. Why? Well, I guess that's how Metroidvania's work. I guess everything just felt like it lacked context. It didn't feel purposefully placed.
The music in this game is fantastic, though. Nothing to complain about there. Loved every tune I heard. Almost reminded me of Banjo-Kazooie music, which is some of my favourite video game music around.
In terms of the combat and your arsenal of tools... it's a mixed bag. Fighting things feels good, if you're just considering how it feels to jump around, dodge, and attack enemies. The problem is that it's, again, really basic. There's barely any reason to attack anything with things other than your basic attack. It's by far the most powerful way to fight. The game kinda just turns in to mashing Y. Outside of bosses, which were a highlight of the game. I liked the way the pistol was used to manipulate platforms, though that ability wasn't used much. The glider is cool, too. The scimitar was a pretty boring addition that late in to the game. I liked the way the boots were implemented because they weren't super easy to pull off, but it felt fair.
Overall, it just feels too by-the-books in its design for me. The segmentation of all the islands made it feel like I wasn't really exploring anything - I was just following a path until the game told me I wasn't allowed to. A Metroidvania is all about the interconnected paths and how you learn to slowly unveil new ways to explore the map. I didn't get that feeling at all here. It's a shame, because I love the way the game plays. It feels right, which I always say is the most important aspect. I suppose in a game like this, the exploration/progression is equally as important.
I likely won't be trying the newer games in the series, as they are supposedly easier than this one. I did find this game a bit too easy for my tastes, combat/platforming wise, so any easier would probably make things worse.
Maybe, though. I haven't totally written it off. There's a decent amount to like here, but it's on the lower end for me as far as Metroidvanias go.
First, I'd like to get this out of the way: the ways the girls are designed (all the exact same way) is a bit weird. I'm not one to ever point something like this out, or even care... but this is by far the most egregious example of random/unnecessary fan service. (I don't go near other games that are way over the top with this, so this stands out to me.) Again, I don't really care about it in most games, but here it stood out immediately as very intentional and very distracting. Especially when the character art is shoved in your face constantly when conversations are being had. Also, it's such a jarring difference between the pixel art aesthetic and the very high resolution illustrations of the characters when in dialogue. All around just some strange/off-putting choices regarding the art.
To be honest, that last paragraph has nothing to do with my low-ish score of this game, though. That's not something that would move the needle of a games quality for me, I just figured it needed to be pointed out.
Anyways - the actual game. At first, I was optimistic. I think the game controls very well - the way a platformer should. The jumps are tight, the animation is smooth, the knockback feels right, the upgrades to your arsenal are fun, and the precision of all of your inputs is appreciated. I was thinking hey, we might have another Guacamelee/Hollow Knight on our hands here.
The problem arises when the "loop" sets in. I played up until the second last island. It became clear half-way through that you end up doing something similar on every island, and it got to be boring. Unlock a new island, go to it, realize you can't progress, go back to a spot on the island 2 islands ago, find a hidden path to get a random item for someone, give it to them, earn something to now progress on the new island - repeat.
It's somehow both too linear in its design and also too vague. The conversations had by the characters are not nearly interesting/engaging enough to truly pay attention to, so I was constantly looking up where to go next. Sometimes I clued in to what I was supposed to be doing, but about half the time I hit a wall and was like.... what? Where do I go? This is something that rarely happens in other Metroidvania's. Getting lost is part of the genre, though. In this game, it doesn't feel like getting lost while exploring, it just feels like you're going the way you should be but you hit an arbitrary wall that forces you to backtrack. It's not a smooth process; like I said, it's oddly linear. Oh, you walked to the right for 2 minutes through a mess of enemies that are piling on screen at an awkward rate. So much so that they overlap each other, sometimes. Welp, you hit a wall, time to turn around and go back through it so that you can get an item you didn't know you'd need. But guess what? Now you get to spam Y on your way back through those enemies for a third time! (Yes, I know the teleporting barrel thing exists, I used it frequently once I realized what it was.)
The map is an important tool in any Metroidvania. In this game, it serves its purpose (red/yellow squares are appreciated) but doesn't go any further to aid your quest. It would be nice to be able to look at the map of any island regardless of where you are. Additionally, I think adding the ability to place a pin on the map would do wonders. Plenty of times I came across something I couldn't access (like a hole/gap/chest) and assumed I could return to it later. The problem is, half of these things are mandatory to progress and half of them are just extra items. There's no way to know which ones are truly important to remember. I also don't think the areas are memorable enough to have me recall the exact location I came across something. Within each island, most of the scenery is very samey. Even in situations where I knew what kind of item I needed to progress, I had no idea where it was. They're always in super arbitrary spots. One of the last ones I got just required me to go back 2 islands, wander around and find a random patch of grass I could now destroy with my downward thrust. Why? Well, I guess that's how Metroidvania's work. I guess everything just felt like it lacked context. It didn't feel purposefully placed.
The music in this game is fantastic, though. Nothing to complain about there. Loved every tune I heard. Almost reminded me of Banjo-Kazooie music, which is some of my favourite video game music around.
In terms of the combat and your arsenal of tools... it's a mixed bag. Fighting things feels good, if you're just considering how it feels to jump around, dodge, and attack enemies. The problem is that it's, again, really basic. There's barely any reason to attack anything with things other than your basic attack. It's by far the most powerful way to fight. The game kinda just turns in to mashing Y. Outside of bosses, which were a highlight of the game. I liked the way the pistol was used to manipulate platforms, though that ability wasn't used much. The glider is cool, too. The scimitar was a pretty boring addition that late in to the game. I liked the way the boots were implemented because they weren't super easy to pull off, but it felt fair.
Overall, it just feels too by-the-books in its design for me. The segmentation of all the islands made it feel like I wasn't really exploring anything - I was just following a path until the game told me I wasn't allowed to. A Metroidvania is all about the interconnected paths and how you learn to slowly unveil new ways to explore the map. I didn't get that feeling at all here. It's a shame, because I love the way the game plays. It feels right, which I always say is the most important aspect. I suppose in a game like this, the exploration/progression is equally as important.
I likely won't be trying the newer games in the series, as they are supposedly easier than this one. I did find this game a bit too easy for my tastes, combat/platforming wise, so any easier would probably make things worse.
Maybe, though. I haven't totally written it off. There's a decent amount to like here, but it's on the lower end for me as far as Metroidvanias go.
✓
shantae and the horny curse
due to horny, Shantae is somehow a series - but it has a problem. the problem is that Shantae is kinda bad? the main gimmick of transforming is a total pace-breaker and nothing about its world or characters are very, uh, written. at all. playing the stories and dialogue of these games feel like trudging through rejected scripts from a strange Canadian cartoon time forgot, ones from the third season that only make sense with the rest of the show. the series feels like an afterthought, like nothing in it was ever planned out beyond the characters being hot and boobies. EXCEPT for this one, actually. it's fun! i can't tell you a single goddamn thing that happened in its narrative or what anything in it was but it was fun. mostly fun because it cripples Shantae's powers, inadvertently making her far more powerful and fun to play as. the pacing is good, the music is great, and sometimes that's all you really need.
Yerim seni
Com toda certeza, o melhor da franquia até o momento.
I like Shantae :)
I'm not even done with the entire series and I can already see why this is considered the best.
This game rocks.
This game rocks.
Perfect Pixel art and then they use the most boring text boxes and fonts
The story of the Shantae series is one of the most fascinating tales in indie games. What started as a small underdog, released at the end of the GBC with little to no acclaim, managed to return years later, bringing with years banger after banger, and eventually turning into one of the most popular indie franchises.
In my opinion, Shantae and the Pirate Curse, the third title of the series, is the one responsible from making Shantae the juggernaut that is today. A really memorable and enjoyable platformer and metroid-vania, able bring together so many fun and crazy scenarios and formulas that make it impossible to be bored.
Graphically impeccable, with a snappy flow and a really endearing writing that makes yu grow attached to this cartoony world and its goofy heroes and villains. Also the music is a straight up banger.
Long live Wayforward. There is a reason they are such a beloved studio.
In my opinion, Shantae and the Pirate Curse, the third title of the series, is the one responsible from making Shantae the juggernaut that is today. A really memorable and enjoyable platformer and metroid-vania, able bring together so many fun and crazy scenarios and formulas that make it impossible to be bored.
Graphically impeccable, with a snappy flow and a really endearing writing that makes yu grow attached to this cartoony world and its goofy heroes and villains. Also the music is a straight up banger.
Long live Wayforward. There is a reason they are such a beloved studio.
A very good sweet, short platformer game of very good quality, with a Zelda (or Metroid/Castlevania) style structure. I don't have any problems with this game really, but I also don't have anything that I liked extremely or that I consider especially outstanding (except for the soundtrack, it's phenomenal), it's just a good game and that's it.
Well, yes I have a little problem, but it's my fault, and that is that this is my first game in this series, and unfortunately, the game assumes that you already played the previous ones and that you already know all the characters, their relationships and their past problems. And this was a minor annoyance I had during the game, because I feel like I would have liked it more if I had at least been introduced to their world, story and characters in some way or given a summary of the events of the previous games, I mean, it's not that hard, it's just putting a couple of dialogues or a plain text screen with said stories. Be that as it may, the story is very simple and easy to understand, it looks a lot like the story an episode of a children's cartoon would have, with colorful and charismatic characters, and simple problems that are sometimes solved in goofy and funny ways.
The game is like Zelda in many ways, at least in structure, as we have to explore several islands that we will unlock each time we defeat a boss, each island has a temple where there is a magic item that expands our movements and is what will allow us to access secret places, key objects, and defeat the boss of the dungeon, the typical. The things I like about this structure is that being divided into islands with different themes and not being all in one giant map, makes each area can be perfectly differentiated from the others by having different types of enemies, music and theme and makes it very difficult for us to get lost in the islands. I would also like to praise the good difficulty curve this game has, as there are no unexpected difficulty spikes and everything is built in a way that even the most novice gamer can learn and understand. Something that helps make the experience smoother are the consumable items, which range from healing items, items that increase your attack and items that serve as a force field, plus one quite useful that teleports us to the beginning of the map.
The music is something I also loved in every sense of the word, seriously, the soundtrack for some reason is unexpectedly excellent, and there is a very good variety of songs. It will definitely be an OST that I will listen to from time to time to enjoy it. The graphics are also very nice, it's pixel art of a quality similar to 2D PS1 and DS games, colorful, detailed and with good animations, it's quite well done, everything is very charismatic and charming, and some enemies explode as if you made them a fatality hahaha. The character designs are good, although almost everything is based on breasts and fan service.
Conclusion
As I have made clear, this game is quite good, frankly I had a very enjoyable time with it. However, I didn't feel any kind of "connection" with this game, I don't know how to explain it, but no aspect of it made me feel enough satisfaction or pleasure, and neither was there anything that I consider special or outstanding that makes this game unique against others in the genre, it's good enough in all its playable sections, but excellent in none.... Well, who knows, maybe in the future I'll look at this game fondly and raise it from a 7/10 to an 8/10, because even with everything, it left a good taste in my mouth, so I plan to play other games of this franchise in the future. (If you see that I raised the rating from 7 to 8 for this game, it was probably because it deserved it and/or because I became a fan).
Well, yes I have a little problem, but it's my fault, and that is that this is my first game in this series, and unfortunately, the game assumes that you already played the previous ones and that you already know all the characters, their relationships and their past problems. And this was a minor annoyance I had during the game, because I feel like I would have liked it more if I had at least been introduced to their world, story and characters in some way or given a summary of the events of the previous games, I mean, it's not that hard, it's just putting a couple of dialogues or a plain text screen with said stories. Be that as it may, the story is very simple and easy to understand, it looks a lot like the story an episode of a children's cartoon would have, with colorful and charismatic characters, and simple problems that are sometimes solved in goofy and funny ways.
The game is like Zelda in many ways, at least in structure, as we have to explore several islands that we will unlock each time we defeat a boss, each island has a temple where there is a magic item that expands our movements and is what will allow us to access secret places, key objects, and defeat the boss of the dungeon, the typical. The things I like about this structure is that being divided into islands with different themes and not being all in one giant map, makes each area can be perfectly differentiated from the others by having different types of enemies, music and theme and makes it very difficult for us to get lost in the islands. I would also like to praise the good difficulty curve this game has, as there are no unexpected difficulty spikes and everything is built in a way that even the most novice gamer can learn and understand. Something that helps make the experience smoother are the consumable items, which range from healing items, items that increase your attack and items that serve as a force field, plus one quite useful that teleports us to the beginning of the map.
The music is something I also loved in every sense of the word, seriously, the soundtrack for some reason is unexpectedly excellent, and there is a very good variety of songs. It will definitely be an OST that I will listen to from time to time to enjoy it. The graphics are also very nice, it's pixel art of a quality similar to 2D PS1 and DS games, colorful, detailed and with good animations, it's quite well done, everything is very charismatic and charming, and some enemies explode as if you made them a fatality hahaha. The character designs are good, although almost everything is based on breasts and fan service.
Conclusion
As I have made clear, this game is quite good, frankly I had a very enjoyable time with it. However, I didn't feel any kind of "connection" with this game, I don't know how to explain it, but no aspect of it made me feel enough satisfaction or pleasure, and neither was there anything that I consider special or outstanding that makes this game unique against others in the genre, it's good enough in all its playable sections, but excellent in none.... Well, who knows, maybe in the future I'll look at this game fondly and raise it from a 7/10 to an 8/10, because even with everything, it left a good taste in my mouth, so I plan to play other games of this franchise in the future. (If you see that I raised the rating from 7 to 8 for this game, it was probably because it deserved it and/or because I became a fan).
Breasts not big enough.
i wish the future Shantae games kept the 16/32 bit look :(
Much more enjoyable than 1/2 Genie Hero in my opinion. I like the locations, bosses, and art more this time around. Onto the next one!
Saying this as someone who used to be obsessed with this series, I think this is the only Shantae game that's actually worth playing
É um jogo realmente muito legal, porém ele sofre demais com umas coisas de jogo antigo mesmo. Umas decisões idiotas. E eu acho horrível a sexualização de todas as mulheres desse jogo. Mas ele é divertido demais de jogar, vale a pena
a very fun, and very horny metroidvania. visuals are very nice, gameplay is fun with great combat, soundtrack kicks ass, the locations are all interesting, the final boss is decently impactful, and its pretty funny too. other than the fairly frustrating final area before the final boss, there's not really a lull anywhere. i honestly dont really have a whole lot to say other than shit was damn good.
cute girls. 10/10
It's rare for me to play a game that I completely enjoy, every second of playing this game was fun, from the beautiful sprite animation, to the rockin' music, even the character dialogue and story was really good, the Shantae series is definitely one I would suggest to anyone who loves platformers or the Metroidvania style gameplay, the only flaw of the game and the series as a whole so far is the first game on GBC was the hardest, every game after got slightly easier but still fun. MUST PLAY
I was kind of embarrassed to be a Shantae fan for a while, but nah, I love this game.
It's also personally important for me. When I first accepted I was gay, I got very into this game and it became a huge comfort for me as I learned more about myself. Not the best game of all time or anything, but it'll always be near to my heart.
It's also personally important for me. When I first accepted I was gay, I got very into this game and it became a huge comfort for me as I learned more about myself. Not the best game of all time or anything, but it'll always be near to my heart.
This game just oozes personality all throughout with some fun and engaging gameplay makes for an enjoyable metroidvania filled with fanservice to keep you engaged if you freaky enough
So far I think it's safe to say that this is the best Shantae game. Not only does it have Shantae and Risky teaming up to fight a greater threat (which is always peak) but it has the best move set in all the Shantae games. I preferred the more "linear" feel of this game and it's islands over Risky's Revenge and how the game was separated into layers so far it's the only Shantae game I went out of my way 100% complete. The only area I didn't like was Mud Bog island but other than that this game was great.
Where it Shines:
Music - 8/10
Humour - 6/10
Pixel Art - 7/10
The Good:
This game as a metroidvania is quite well done. It's nothing special, but there are a lot of things to collect and unlock without being too much, and the platforming and level design is very good. That combined with the art and music make for mostly a pleasant play through.
The Bad:
I have to comment on the stereotypical use of culture for Shantae, and the hyper sexualization that often accompanies female protagonists of this nature. I know Shantae, as an IP is quite old, so at the time with these games I was just sort of happy to see any brown skinned person in a game.
I think this game in particular doesn't lean too hard into appropriation, but it's still there as an undertone.
That aside, it's also just sort of a medioce experience - I think there's far better metroidvania's out there, though maybe not as bright and colorful as this one.
Summary:
You're not missing anything by skipping this, but it's not a horrible game by any means.
****note on my ratings:
half ⭐: hot trash garbage
⭐: below average, needs work
⭐⭐: average
⭐⭐⭐: pretty good
⭐⭐⭐⭐: excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: all time favourite
half star ratings between those mean it's slightly better or worse than stated in this list.
*
Music - 8/10
Humour - 6/10
Pixel Art - 7/10
The Good:
This game as a metroidvania is quite well done. It's nothing special, but there are a lot of things to collect and unlock without being too much, and the platforming and level design is very good. That combined with the art and music make for mostly a pleasant play through.
The Bad:
I have to comment on the stereotypical use of culture for Shantae, and the hyper sexualization that often accompanies female protagonists of this nature. I know Shantae, as an IP is quite old, so at the time with these games I was just sort of happy to see any brown skinned person in a game.
I think this game in particular doesn't lean too hard into appropriation, but it's still there as an undertone.
That aside, it's also just sort of a medioce experience - I think there's far better metroidvania's out there, though maybe not as bright and colorful as this one.
Summary:
You're not missing anything by skipping this, but it's not a horrible game by any means.
****note on my ratings:
half ⭐: hot trash garbage
⭐: below average, needs work
⭐⭐: average
⭐⭐⭐: pretty good
⭐⭐⭐⭐: excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: all time favourite
half star ratings between those mean it's slightly better or worse than stated in this list.
*
This is the only Shantae game with any semblance of fun and quality. Still painfully average though.
Even though it's nice, I fell like Shantae only works the first time you play it. Fuck it