I am going to be very personal and vulnerable in this review. I very much am biased and unable to look at this game with a more critical eye, my apologies. I've wanted to play this game for so long. When Half-Genie Hero was getting a lot of buzz back in 2016, it got me interested in the series. This game in particular was on Game Pass at the time, so naturally I took the opportunity to play it right? Actually no, and the reasoning requires some personal background.
I've been struggling with my identity for a long time now. Before I recently discovered that I'm transfem, I was often ashamed of myself for my interests, and not being how I was "supposed" to be. To tell the truth, there's plenty of media I've been interested in checking out over the years, which I haven't allowed myself to. The main reason being that 'Guys don't do that and I'll be mocked and ridiculed for it.' Shantae was one of these cases. How was I, a male teenager, supposed to justify playing a game where the main character is a belly dancing genie woman? I mean that's just ridiculous right?
After coming to terms with my identity, I've been trying to open myself up to more things that I was pushing away all this time. After all this time, I finally played a Shantae game, and the experience was purely magical, for lack of a better word. Right away, Shantae and the Pirate's Curse was hitting me right in the nostalgia. As a kid, one of my favorite things to play was the original Adventure Time game, also made by Wayforward! Booting up this game, being met with the incredible 16 bit look, hearing another legendary soundtrack by Jake Kaufman, fighting enemies while platforming in 2D, it just...felt right.
As silly as this probably sounds, playing this game felt like I was just my old self again. Before I was stressing over my identity, my relationships, my future. Before I was struggling to come to terms with who I am as a person. I was just...my authentic self, playing a game I loved and enjoyed. The game's world and lovely cast of characters pulled me in immediately. It's got a great sense of humor, all kinds of whacky and entertaining scenarios happening at every corner, again, just like Adventure Time.
I don't just love the game because it reminds me of Adventure Time though, that'd be silly. Let's get into what makes Shantae so amazing. For one, the metroidvania gameplay. The game doesn't have one big map like most games in the genre do, or even some other games in this same series. Instead, there are a handful of separate islands you fast travel between. Each one has a handful of collectibles to find, a dungeon, a new ability to unlock, and a boss fight. Each island also has its own mini story arc with the characters you run into and these are absolutely delightful. My absolute favorite is Spiderweb Island where you have to carry Rottytops to her home. Rottytops is without question my favorite character and she gets a fair amount of depth throughout the game, which I appreciate.
Though, one of these little arcs, specifically the one on Sunburn Island, is clearly just an excuse for fanservice, if you know what I mean. That's not a negative for me, I just thought it was worth pointing out. I honestly love how these games just do not care. I mean, all of the different characters you run into throughout the game not only have unique sprites, but portrait art too. The team clearly just wants to draw hot women and I have to respect that.
Regarding the islands themselves, there are both Heart Squids and Tinkerbats to find on them, and a lot of them require abilities you'll have to come back with later. Heart Squids increase Shantae's maximum HP, while Tinkerbats are simply just for 100% completion. The true final boss is hidden behind collecting all of these. As for the abilities and upgrades, Shantae does not have her magic in this game, meaning no animal transformations. Instead, Shantae finds Risky's different pirate gear throughout the different dungeons and adds them to her arsenal. These include a pistol, a big hat for gliding, a scimitar for attacking directly below you, boots that allow you to run super fast (think the Speed Booster from Metroid, except you're also invincible while moving that quickly), and a cannon for additional jumps in mid-air. Sure, these aren't really magical at all, and don't have the spectacle that the animal transformations do, but they are so much fun to use. They can all be activated on the fly and can even be chained together in really fun ways.
Revisiting older areas with your new equipment is so fun in this game. Not only can you reach new areas that you couldn't before, but you feel so much stronger, with so many ways to easily take out enemies. Ever try staying in the air as long as possible while bouncing on zombies' heads with the scimitar? You should! I also love that your hub area of sorts, Scuttle Town, does change as you progress. There are always new scenarios and dialogue to experience there, most of which are pretty funny!
Playing this game just makes me feel so fucking good, man. Normally I wouldn't be inclined to go after everything in the game for the sake of a true final boss or whatever, but I did here because I was having too much fun! I didn't want to reach the end yet! I love this world, I love these characters, I love how satisfying this game is to play. I love that I'm feeling this way playing a game. I love that I'm finally opening myself up to experiences like this.
I love that I'm being more true to myself. I love...me.
I've been struggling with my identity for a long time now. Before I recently discovered that I'm transfem, I was often ashamed of myself for my interests, and not being how I was "supposed" to be. To tell the truth, there's plenty of media I've been interested in checking out over the years, which I haven't allowed myself to. The main reason being that 'Guys don't do that and I'll be mocked and ridiculed for it.' Shantae was one of these cases. How was I, a male teenager, supposed to justify playing a game where the main character is a belly dancing genie woman? I mean that's just ridiculous right?
After coming to terms with my identity, I've been trying to open myself up to more things that I was pushing away all this time. After all this time, I finally played a Shantae game, and the experience was purely magical, for lack of a better word. Right away, Shantae and the Pirate's Curse was hitting me right in the nostalgia. As a kid, one of my favorite things to play was the original Adventure Time game, also made by Wayforward! Booting up this game, being met with the incredible 16 bit look, hearing another legendary soundtrack by Jake Kaufman, fighting enemies while platforming in 2D, it just...felt right.
As silly as this probably sounds, playing this game felt like I was just my old self again. Before I was stressing over my identity, my relationships, my future. Before I was struggling to come to terms with who I am as a person. I was just...my authentic self, playing a game I loved and enjoyed. The game's world and lovely cast of characters pulled me in immediately. It's got a great sense of humor, all kinds of whacky and entertaining scenarios happening at every corner, again, just like Adventure Time.
I don't just love the game because it reminds me of Adventure Time though, that'd be silly. Let's get into what makes Shantae so amazing. For one, the metroidvania gameplay. The game doesn't have one big map like most games in the genre do, or even some other games in this same series. Instead, there are a handful of separate islands you fast travel between. Each one has a handful of collectibles to find, a dungeon, a new ability to unlock, and a boss fight. Each island also has its own mini story arc with the characters you run into and these are absolutely delightful. My absolute favorite is Spiderweb Island where you have to carry Rottytops to her home. Rottytops is without question my favorite character and she gets a fair amount of depth throughout the game, which I appreciate.
Though, one of these little arcs, specifically the one on Sunburn Island, is clearly just an excuse for fanservice, if you know what I mean. That's not a negative for me, I just thought it was worth pointing out. I honestly love how these games just do not care. I mean, all of the different characters you run into throughout the game not only have unique sprites, but portrait art too. The team clearly just wants to draw hot women and I have to respect that.
Regarding the islands themselves, there are both Heart Squids and Tinkerbats to find on them, and a lot of them require abilities you'll have to come back with later. Heart Squids increase Shantae's maximum HP, while Tinkerbats are simply just for 100% completion. The true final boss is hidden behind collecting all of these. As for the abilities and upgrades, Shantae does not have her magic in this game, meaning no animal transformations. Instead, Shantae finds Risky's different pirate gear throughout the different dungeons and adds them to her arsenal. These include a pistol, a big hat for gliding, a scimitar for attacking directly below you, boots that allow you to run super fast (think the Speed Booster from Metroid, except you're also invincible while moving that quickly), and a cannon for additional jumps in mid-air. Sure, these aren't really magical at all, and don't have the spectacle that the animal transformations do, but they are so much fun to use. They can all be activated on the fly and can even be chained together in really fun ways.
Revisiting older areas with your new equipment is so fun in this game. Not only can you reach new areas that you couldn't before, but you feel so much stronger, with so many ways to easily take out enemies. Ever try staying in the air as long as possible while bouncing on zombies' heads with the scimitar? You should! I also love that your hub area of sorts, Scuttle Town, does change as you progress. There are always new scenarios and dialogue to experience there, most of which are pretty funny!
Playing this game just makes me feel so fucking good, man. Normally I wouldn't be inclined to go after everything in the game for the sake of a true final boss or whatever, but I did here because I was having too much fun! I didn't want to reach the end yet! I love this world, I love these characters, I love how satisfying this game is to play. I love that I'm feeling this way playing a game. I love that I'm finally opening myself up to experiences like this.
I love that I'm being more true to myself. I love...me.