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Developer: WayForward Technologies
Publisher(s): XSEED Games / Marvelous USA
Release Date(s):
-- December 20th, 2016 (PC/PS4/Vita/XBO/Wii U [Digital])
-- December 27th, 2016 (Wii U [Retail])
-- June 08th, 2017 (Switch [Digital])
-- TBA 2017 (Switch [Retail])
External Links: Official Website / Kickstarter Campaign
Price: $19.99 USD; $26.99 CAD (Digital) / $29.99 USD (Retail)
Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
ESRB Rating: Teen for Cartoon Violence & Suggestive Themes
Genre: Action Platformer; "Metroidvania"
Risky Beats Edition & Soundtrack Deats: Courtesy of XSEED Games, all initial retail copies for the PS4, Vita and Wii U will come bundled with a soundtrack CD. It contains a selection of 30 tracks whereas the digital version and 'Music CD Reward' tiers from the Kickstarter campaign will feature exclusive content for backers.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is the fourth installment in an action platform series developed by WayForward Technologies. It's a return to the dance-based exploration found in entries prior to Shantae & the Pirate's Curse. Be it through beating a level or uncovering them yourself, you'll assemble an arsenal of dances and abilities that will expand the various paths and items like heart holders to increase health and keys to unlock concept art in a given level. There's a lot of streamlining in comparison to past games, with areas of the map being broken up into levels with the ability to warp back to town at any time. Speaking of previous entries...
Shantae (2002): Although conceptualization of the eponymous character traces back to the mid-1990s between creators Erin Bell and Matt Bozon, it wasn't until the early 2000s that Shantae was summoned into the interactive world with a self-titled release on the Game Boy Color. A mixture of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest by way of the Legend of Zelda franchise, Shantae is often called the GBC's swan song since it arrived about a year after the Game Boy Advance had arrived, a date which was not lost on the developers as they included some new features for those playing the game on Nintendo's newest handheld. Looking back, it's relatively odd when you consider how much more steamline the series will eventually become. With distribution handled by Capcom, the first installment garnered positive reception from both initial and retrospective critics for its solid side-scrolling variety and visual presentation. However, these warm impressions did not translate into notable sales late into the life of the portable system and the property, consequently, went back into the lamp for nearly a decade. It is currently available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop for those of you that aren't made out of money.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge (2010): Kicking off the series as an indie darling, after several scrapped efforts, the first realized sequel, Risky's Revenge, finds Shantae facing off against Risky Boots in a race to uncover three magic seals that could spell danger for the people of Sequin Land. It continued to generate critical praise much like its debut on top of commercial success and it's currently available on the Nintendo 3DS, the Wii U, PC, iOS and the PlayStation 4. As a follow-up to the original, it's far less confusing to navigate through the given areas and the dances are a marked improvement. Still, it doesn't hold a candle to...
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (2014): Considered to be the best entry in the series, Pirate's Curse ditches the dancing in favor of cannons and captain hats. This time around, the eponymous half-genie is forced to work with her former nemesis, Risky Boots, in order to prevent her master from rising from the dead. Changing the game from the slightly tedious transformations to a swashbuckling adventure works surprisingly well thanks to some excellent level design and a boatload of humor to boot. It is currently available on the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PC and PlayStation 4.
Metacritic (81; 28 reviews) | OpenCritic (82; 42 reviews) as of 06/10/17
Is this game a sequel to Shantae & The Pirate's Curse or a reboot?
A: It is indeed a successor to the aforementioned title, albeit it's very loosely connected. The Shantae series has never weighed heavily on continuity between each entry aside from the occasional in-joke, with Half-Genie Hero following this tradition with a couple of references to the events in previous entries (I got fired again?!).
Is this title cross-buy on PSN?
A: No, the Vita and Playstation 4 versions are sold separately.
How does the Vita version fare? I need my Shantae fix on the go, dangit!
A: According to CazTGG's experience, the Vita version runs as smoothly as its console counterparts with a consistent 60 frames-per-second. The only area where any noticeable slowdown occurs is during the Mermaid Falls, but it's perfectly playable.
How long is the game?
A: Half-Genie Hero will take you about the same time to beat as previous Shantae games, meaning somewhere between 6-8 hours on your first playthrough. Ultimately, it depends on how dedicated you are to finding every single heart container and key for concept art. Speaking of...
I can't find ___ in ___level!
A: That's not a question. In any case, many backers have already beaten and/or 100% completed the game so do not hesitate to ask them for help in tracking down any key item(s) you just can't seem to find.
Any details regarding downloadable content?
A: WayForward has announced they're already making progress on a variety of post-release content for 2017. A separate campaign, known as "Risky Mode," will allow players to explore Shantae's arch nemesis as she plunders through Sequin Land. Various sets of costumes are additionally expected although some content will remain exclusive to Kickstarter backers. Bonus chapters that served as stretch goals, "Sequence of Unfortunate Events” and “Fire and Forget,” are already available in the launch version of the game!
Are there any special features for the late Switch port?
A: WayForward has confirmed the port will support the console's HD Rumble feature with 150+ events implemented into the game.
What's with the thread title?
A: Look, stop asking questions and just play the game already!
What was up with Shantae being whiter than the Republican National Convention during the Kickstarter?
A: Right, about that... During the early days of the Kickstarter, there was some concern about Shantae’s character looking far more pale than she had in previous entries, with some assuming Wayforward deliberately whitewashed the character for what would be her console debut. As it turned out, Wayfoward was aware of this since the reason for the change in skin tone was that the team were experimenting with the lighting due to the background and that it wouldn’t be that be how she appeared in the final game. As a result, they quickly changed her skin color to more closely resemble how she looked in the original and Risky’s Revenge, but you can still see the difference in skin tone compared to the final design via images and the trailer for the Kickstarter announcement.
Trailers:
Kickstarter 2013 Announcement
E3 2015 Trailer
E3 2016 Trailer
Launch Trailer
Special Thanks:
- CazTGG - Providing practically everything in this opening post with a majority of the images, links and general text itself!
- Skeletos311 - Kudos for providing the former opening and bookend imagery prior to their delisting!
- mreddie - Suggesting the subtitle for the official thread title!
- draw-till-death - Creator of the closing Giga Mermaid and Shantae fan-art.
- WayForward Technologies - For continuing to deliver awesome hip-shaking, butt-kicking platforming with the titular character!
- XSEED Games / Marvelous USA - Knocking out physical copies for those preferring their half-genies in disc form.
