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At its worst, however, the storytelling is simply an inoffensive and unremarkable component that doesn’t much inspire strong feelings one way or the other.Īs one of the last Game Boy Color games ever released, Shantae was famous for pushing the limits of its platform and providing one its most ambitious adventures. You can’t expect too much, of course, as this is a GBC game from 2002, but the gap in quality is noticeable when compared to the later entries. Shantae’s sassy personality feels a lot more toned down and characters just generally have a much flatter presence to them.
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It’s a rather simple setup and overall tells a good story, though it must be noted that the writing feels considerably more awkward and the sense of humor that the series is now known for is mostly absent here. Panicked, Mimic explains that Risky could use the engine to create a terrible weapon that would enable her to rule the seas, so Shantae sets out to collect the elemental stones needed to power it before Risky gets to them first. She successfully does so, but not before Risky manages to swipe a steam engine built by Mimic (who evidently isn’t Shantae’s uncle here) and sails off into the sunset. The narrative picks up with the evil pirate queen Risky Boots laying siege to Scuttle Town, and it’s up to Shantae-the resident Guardian (half…)Genie-to repel Risky’s crew of Tinkerbats. Shantae is a fun game in its own right and a fascinating period piece, though it feels undoubtedly like a lesser experience when compared to its successors. Now, WayForward has opted to re-release Shantae yet again for the Switch, finally bringing the entire Shantae saga to one place. Original copies of the first-run cartridge can cost up to thousands of dollars these days, but it became substantially more accessible when it came to the 3DS Virtual Console a few years ago. Of course, Shantae eventually got the attention she deserves, but not before her inaugural release fell into relative obscurity. In that window, the Game Boy Advance enjoyed a successful debut, which made the eventual release of a brand-new IP on Game Boy Color a rather unappealing concept to most consumers. After a couple years of searching, Capcom finally swooped in to save the day for WayForward, but the company sat on the release for about eight months after it had gone gold. Production went well, but the game required an expensive cartridge which caused many publishers to balk at the idea of backing it.
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The original Shantae was potentially planned as a SNES or PC release before it finally settled on the Game Boy Color. Though Shantae has gone on to become an indie gaming icon, her origins were much dicier. There’s also plenty of character artwork and sprite sheets from the development process to scroll through.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) The game comes with a few improvements to drag it into the modern era, including save states, and playing in GBC or GBA modes. Despite being Shantae’s original outing, I don’t think this game holds a candle to any of its many sequels such as Shantae: Half-Genie Hero. Still, the game offers a solid 2-5 hours of solid Metroidvania goodness, if you’re patient enough to overlook the QoL shortcomings of a game that’s almost 20 years old. I’m spoiled by modern titles, and the 16-button controllers many swear by. Considering the GBC only had two buttons, a start and select, and a basic D-Pad, I understand why Shantae controls are a little awkward. The platforming in the game feels as cumbersome as classic Mega Man games. These moves turn her into different animals with varied abilities, which allow her to traverse new obstacles and open up new areas.Īfter my hour with the game, it felt a little stodgier than I remember. Instead of gaining new weapons or armor upgrades, Shantae, the genie guardian of Sequin Land unlocks new dance moves. What game isn’t ported to the Switch, nowadays?įor those unfamiliar with Shantae’s first title, it’s quite similar to the other games bearing her name. Having happily played every Shantae release since the first, I was as excited as many retro gaming fans when I heard the Game Boy Color cult classic was being ported to the Nintendo Switch. Despite buying buried under the onslaught of a new, shinier portable, Shantae left an impression and is now a celebrated game series five games strong. One of the Game Boy Color’s most ambitious titles was released about a year after the Game Boy Advance launched.
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The release of the original Shantae was as strange as it was celebrated. When it comes to classic titles, sometimes, you simply can’t go home again. Many games from the golden era are still quite playable.