Shantae and the Pirate's Curse Review

So, on Christmas Night I went home and finished Child of Light, and then instantly downloaded this game. I had never played a Shantae game before, but it's a series I've had a decent interest in playing since it debuted in 2002. I decided in the summer I would add this to my eShop download list, so I snagged it right after finishing the last game, and I gotta say, DAMN, I was not expecting it to be as good as it is.

Though I had an interest in playing the Shantae series, I didn't know much about it other than it's made by Way Forward and that it's a 2D platformer. I wasn't aware, however, that the games are "Metroidvanias" as they've come to be known (though I still feel the Castlevania inclusion in the title is silly since more than half of the series isn't in that format, and all of the most memorable classics in the series aren't in that format except Symphony of the Night, which came out ten years after the first one, but oh well, we get the point) and I also didn't know the game was so humorous. I guess from the vibrant colors and silly character designs I should have expected such humor, but it still surprised me. Mostly because a large chunk of it is rather good humor. Sure, it's not gut-busting humor, but it's clever yet silly humor that definitely has you giggling on the inside (I loved that He-Man reference). I love being able to play a game that's just goofy, funny, and self aware these days, as too many games and movies alike seem to take themselves too seriously. Along with the humor that took me by surprise, Shantae's personality took me by surprise too. I thought she would be your typical "badass female lead" who is void of unique personality, but she's actually really silly and goofy, and even a bit stupid and oblivious, which isn't bad, I actually think she's adorable. I wasn't expecting such a funny, childlike personality, but it was more than welcome. Now, since I never followed the series prior to this, I don't know who the returning characters are or what the story thus far is, though the game makes it rather easy to learn as you go. I know Risky Boots, the busty pirate, was the main villain in some (or all?) of the previous titles. It does seem weird to think they were hardcore rivals in previous games, because when they team up in this game, they seem like sisters, Risky being the older, more serious one, and Shantae being the playful younger one who annoys Risky all the time. They seem like they bicker among each other, but they also seem to be friends at heart, being more "cute" with one another rather than fighting out of hatred (to be honest, "sisters" is one analogy, but there are often times where they come off as a gay couple... just sayin'...). All in all, I think the characters are great. Their physical designs are all unique and memorable, and their personalities are all fun and silly.

One thing that can be noted about this game, though, is it shamelessly dishes out fan-service more than any game ever, practically. Seriously, almost every character's a hot chick, and they are always finding ways to get them naked, or practically naked, and their conversations constantly seem to involve sexual references and innuendos. Hell, even half of the enemies, statues, and secondary characters you talk to just for puzzles in the game are hot chicks. I can't speak for the other Shantae games, but this game is pure fan-service, though that's not a bad thing in my book (hear me out, I'm not just being a pervert). It's good to every now and then get something that's silly and without filters. I'm sure angry feminists would blast the game for being "sexist" (people need to look up what that term actually means... just sayin'...) but it's just fun and simple, giving the fans what they want and adding silliness and appeal to the game. Sure, there's no reason for the whole female cast to be dressed in Princess Leia's famous Return of the Jedi get up, but it's so silly that such a thing would happen, it's hilarious. So, if seeing scantily clad cartoon hotties offends you for some wacky reason, just stay away and find something better to lose sleep over (...must sound like a broken record, but... ahem... just sayin'...)

Well, now that the T&A are out of the way, let me talk about this game's awesome gameplay (seriously, there is a really great game beyond the fan-service). As stated before, it's a "Metroidvania", meaning it's an open world where everything is connected by a map, and platforming puzzles and feats must be completed to progress to areas you previously couldn't reach. This game is a bit different from most games of the type as it has separate islands you can travel to via a map which are all their own mini-worlds, but you are forced to go back and forth between them, giving it more of a sense of being one big world to explore. The controls are solid - the type you'd expect from a high-quality sidescroller. Everything's very responsive, and I haven't found many flaws in the movement or control scheme (except one time when I jump onto a high platform and Shantae got frozen in a squatting position, able to be dragged back and forth like that until I jumped again). The game has complex level designs, but it's simple controls, reasonably small item collection, basic goals and easy to grasp gameplay, as well as its abundance of characters to talk to, makes it a good title for gamers of all experience levels to get into. I really have nothing bad to say about the gameplay. Seriously. I got nothing.

The graphics and music are a joy. The soundtrack is always pumping out funky synth Franco-Arabic tunes, and other arcade-style jams, which always gets you pumped for action, especially seeing Shantae break it down when she stands. The graphics are visually pleasing. They may not be the most amazing graphics, but had this game been on the SNES or Genesis, they would have been some of the best. They look more like retro 16 bit style graphics with a new age twist, and some effects that weren't available in the 90s. Way Forward, in my book, is one of the best video game developers out there when it comes to capturing the classic essence of gaming from yesterday. Once again, they may be 90s style graphics, but they are extremely lush and pleasing to the eye, and the character art during conversations and menu screens is great, crisp and clean.

I wouldn't say the game is very hard. While there are moments that stump me for a few minutes, and the enemies can really sock it to you once and a while, the abundance of items, merciful stage length, and frequent save states bring the difficulty down quite a bit. I would like it to be a bit tougher, but I'm also not finished with the game yet (just got to Mud Bog Island). I hope the difficulty raises a bit, but it will still be a great game if not.

So, my final analysis? Go download it already! This game kicks ass. Since 1001 Spikes had a pretty unfair level of difficulty some times, along with a couple other minor flaws, I feel it falls to #2 on my ranking of eShop games I've downloaded thus far, and Shantae instantly rises to #1 (I only own four... but still an achievement). Now I'm interested in playing the previous Shantae games (are there two or three others?).