I’ve been a fan of WayForward for some time, though I haven’t had the opportunity to play many of their games. The first game from WayForward I played was a little DSiWare title called Mighty Flip Champs, which was very addictive, super fun, and a great challenge. From there came my introduction to Shantae with Risky’s Revenge, though I never quite got a chance to play the game or it’s Game Boy predecessor.
While I’d been meaning and planning to pick up the game it hadn’t happened until the most recent “Friends of Nintendo” Humble Bundle. After missing out on the first one I had planned to join in if and when it ever reappeared. And much to my delight, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse was among the titles in the bundle.
In the third game, you once again play as Shantae, the hair-whipping belly dancing genie. When Shantae loses her genie magic, she must join her nemesis, the nefarious pirate Risky Boots in order to save Sequin Land from an evil curse. As a pirate, Shantae gains new weapons and tools to advance her quest, slay monsters, battle epic bosses … and hopefully get her magic back in the bargain.
This game is fantastic.
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse plays and feels like a Metroidvania type game, but with a more character and charm. The game is a side-scrolling platformer but is not played in a start-to-finish manner. Instead you have a centralized home area and you branch out to other worlds to explore them. And what makes this game feel more like the Metroidvania style of game is that throughout the game you gain items which boost your range of abilities. So there are areas in the cleverly designed levels which you can’t access, but later in the game you gain abilities which unlock those other areas. For the completionist in us, because you know there’s some loot or other important items down there.
The main mechanics for Shantae are your basic running, jumping, and attacking, which involve the titular character whipping her hair out to strike enemies. It’s a cute mechanic. As the game progresses you’ll also be able to unlock items to expand her abilities, as well as purchase upgrades to the various abilities. Also purchasable are items to give you an attack or defense boost, as well as healing items. This is something that seems so natural, but could easily have been overlooked. While breaking jars and defeating enemies does give you a heart to restore your health on occasion, the addition of healing items which can be purchased is definitely a positive.
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a challenging game, but never feels too tough. There are points in the game where you’ll have to use some sound reasoning to figure out where to go next when you get a new key item, though usually the other NPCs do a good job at helping point you in the right direction. There are also points in the game where getting to a new platform or into a tight spot can take some fancy footwork, and handywork on the controls, but it never feels like an unreasonable task.
The game has a nice balance of difficulty and playability.
I briefly mentioned the character and charm of this game, which is what initially drew me to this game and the series as a whole. The characters in Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse are beautifully designed. The story dialogue that bridges the gameplay elements are lovely, and the varied poses and expressions of the characters make for a highly enjoyable read. At no point in the game did the dialogue sessions feel too long, unneeded, or excessive, especially with the humorous writing and solid character designs.
The in-game art and environments are masterfully done, both of which look fantastic in 3D. The environment layering looks great in 3D, as do the previously mentioned character art.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the soundtrack, which is another highlight here. The tracks have been made with a lot of care and are perfectly suited to the upbeat nature of the gameplay.
I had a blast playing Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse on my Nintendo 3DS, though the game is also available in the Wii U eShop. You should definitely check this out. You won’t be disappointed.
