The game that infamously took a 200$ price tag. Virtually unheard of at first, Shantae really reached a lot of hype when eBay sales skyrocketed in price and gamers pleaded about how amazing this game was. It took over 10 years to get it back to a regular gamers pocket thanks to the virtual console on the 3DS, but was it really worth all the fuss and hassle it gave? I don’t think so. The game is good, rest assured, but more often than not the game can become very frustrating. Whether it’s figuring out what to do, having to deal with a somewhat complex button scheme, or just dying trying to get where you’re going, Shantae will get you frustrated at some point. And while I realize that a lot of its short comings have to do with its time of release, it doesn’t make them any less annoying.
The game would have obviously worked better on a different handheld or console; mainly due to the small amount of buttons used for the game boy color. The main button, B, is used for varies different things along with d-pad movements making for sometimes accidental incidents when you use an item when you don’t want to. As well, the dancing mechanic for Shantae really feels wonky and unresponsive, making for some of the longer spells and transformations a lot harder to do. Exploration is a key part in this game as well, but the way it’s handled just doesn’t have an excuse for its release. By the time of it’s release we already had games like Super Metroid which gave a map system to use when exploring so it was easier to navigate, Shantae however has no map system. This leads to a lot of looking around and figuring out where exactly you need to go. This is enhanced further with the games hint system being fairly useless, mainly due to the game telling you the names of the areas which are never really found out because the name doesn’t pop up in game nor is there a map to tell us where we are. This way of navigating also has the burden of trekking through the game where it is very easy to die by simply falling in a bit or getting hit by a constant re-spawning number of enemies. This leads to a lot of exploration being for not simply because you missed a jump and you were on your last life so you have to go back to start.
As much as I do gripe about this game though, it is an enjoyable experience, just not something I’d pay 200$ for. All the dungeons are fun to explore and give a bit of a challenge throughout. With a lot clever use of the transformations given throughout each dungeon, kind of acting as the new weapon you get. All the bosses are interesting, but they are never really that hard, including the final boss. The graphics are stellar for what’s suppose to be a game boy color game, and the music matches it with its constant upbeat chip tune mix. The whipping attack is also great as a weapon as it gives a delay in reminiscence of Castlevania, with making each attack count. Not to mention that the items take another cue from Castlevania by having them fairly overpowered throughout the game, but having a limited amount of ammo meaning you have to be wise with it. At the very least utilizing the items is key for safer travel and easier battles throughout the game. Overall this game doesn’t pull punches, but gives you enough make things a little easier.
The characters are all pretty interesting for the most part, although this probably due to the way they are designed rather than their actual personality, as there is usually little dialogue to go on. And really the biggest thing I think Shantae really has for itself is that it can become a better IP in time. Given the success of Risky’s Revenge and the announcement of another Shantae, this IP will only get better considering that this game is still quite good especially for its eShop price.
Final Thoughts:
Shantae may not be worth the 200$ entry fee, but if you plan to buy it on the virtual console it’s worth the investment. Shantae borrows a lot of great elements from titles like Castlevania, Metroid, and Zelda with its need for exploring, item based combat , and transforming based platforming. The game is not without faults though, as much of the game is still stuck in the past, with a lot of merciless platforming and exploration that could have easily been better design with a better hint guide and/or map system. Still, Shantae is an ambitious Game Boy Color title that’s worth exploring as both a game and IP.