The best Shantae game is the one where she isn't a genie. Huh?
The Shantae series always felt like if Zelda game fused with a 2D metroidvania. Heart-pieces, Dungeons, and variety of gadgets that open up new ways of interacting with the world are all present here. Instead of a huge map to explore, however, you instead get a few smaller maps that you can shift between. This removes a lot of the getting-lost and backtracking friction from the typical metroidvania experience at the expense of making the exploration less engrossing. It's still great fun though, especially since each island is very distinct in terms of design and the activities you participate in them (i.e. stealth in the desert island vs combatless platforming in the spooky island).
The greatest advantage this game has is the removal of the Shantae's most iconic feature: her genie powers. Instead of having to interrupt the gameplay with a belly dance and transform into a restrictive animal form, Shantae just uses a variety of pirate gear in the same way as any other metroidvania protagonist. Everything is integrated seamlessly into her moveset and this improves the flow so much, even if some of the series identity is lacking. And these gadgets are really fun. Whoever decided a cannon should be used to give the player a quadruple jump was a genius! Couple this with the best level design in the series and you have an incredibly solid game.
Presentation-wise, Wayforward's pixel art is still as gorgeous as ever and the music is an absolute delight. My only complaint here is that the music is constantly interrupted by cutscenes or pick-up fanfare and is forced to start from the beginning whenever this happens. Such a shame...
As for the story, I would liken it to something you would find off cartoon network. It never takes itself seriously and every character is an comedic idiot in their own way. I was definitely entertained, but never cared for where the story would go, only for where it took me.
If you're looking for a solid, charming platformer, absolutely give this game a try. It's the best entry in the Shantae series, and possibly Wayforward's best work. It showcases all their talent wonderfully.
The Shantae series always felt like if Zelda game fused with a 2D metroidvania. Heart-pieces, Dungeons, and variety of gadgets that open up new ways of interacting with the world are all present here. Instead of a huge map to explore, however, you instead get a few smaller maps that you can shift between. This removes a lot of the getting-lost and backtracking friction from the typical metroidvania experience at the expense of making the exploration less engrossing. It's still great fun though, especially since each island is very distinct in terms of design and the activities you participate in them (i.e. stealth in the desert island vs combatless platforming in the spooky island).
The greatest advantage this game has is the removal of the Shantae's most iconic feature: her genie powers. Instead of having to interrupt the gameplay with a belly dance and transform into a restrictive animal form, Shantae just uses a variety of pirate gear in the same way as any other metroidvania protagonist. Everything is integrated seamlessly into her moveset and this improves the flow so much, even if some of the series identity is lacking. And these gadgets are really fun. Whoever decided a cannon should be used to give the player a quadruple jump was a genius! Couple this with the best level design in the series and you have an incredibly solid game.
Presentation-wise, Wayforward's pixel art is still as gorgeous as ever and the music is an absolute delight. My only complaint here is that the music is constantly interrupted by cutscenes or pick-up fanfare and is forced to start from the beginning whenever this happens. Such a shame...
As for the story, I would liken it to something you would find off cartoon network. It never takes itself seriously and every character is an comedic idiot in their own way. I was definitely entertained, but never cared for where the story would go, only for where it took me.
If you're looking for a solid, charming platformer, absolutely give this game a try. It's the best entry in the Shantae series, and possibly Wayforward's best work. It showcases all their talent wonderfully.