Late in the life of the Game Boy Color, the world received Shantae, the first in WayForward's flagship series. A love letter to fans of 16-bit action platformers, the game was highly praised and developed a cult following, but it didn't do terribly well due to being released after the launch of the Game Boy Advance. Eight years later, WayForward released Shantae: Risky's Revenge on the DSiWare service to even greater acclaim; many claimed that it was the best game available for the digital storefront. Now, six years and one sequel later, WayForward has chosen to revisit Shantae's sophomore outing via a 'Director's Cut', and naturally one must wonder if it's still just as good as it was back in 2010. It most certainly has stood the test of time, and we'd suggest that anyone who hasn't experienced this wonderful title the first time around go to the eShop and download this.
The plot picks up during the annual Relic Hunter Expo, where a mysterious old genie's lamp is revealed to be encased in stone. Shantae's old rival, Risky Boots, shows up to steal the artefact away, and it's up to our half-genie hero to save the day once again. While the narrative isn't necessarily the most compelling that we've seen in games of this sort, the writing that backs it up imbues the game with a heart and soul that makes it a real joy to play through. Item descriptions are almost always written in a very tongue in cheek manner and the character interactions are almost always lighthearted and comical affairs. For example, there's one part in the story where a zombie promises to help you break into a fortress in exchange for a cup of coffee. It never takes itself too seriously, and this really works in the game's favour.
Gameplay could be most closely described as a mixture of classic games such as Metroid and Castlevania, yet it never feels too derivative of any preceding games that so clearly inspired it. Shantae primarily attacks by whipping enemies with her voluptuous purple hair, but she also has a small arsenal of sub-weapons that give her additional options, such as projectiles or damaging shields. The battle system is simple, yet effective, and it manages to stay relatively engaging throughout.
The whole game is interconnected by a fairly large overworld, which is absolutely packed with secrets and collectables to keep you busy. Of course – given the original limitations of the DSiWare service – the world size certainly doesn't approach that of, say, Super Metroid, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it feels claustrophobic. There are plenty of dungeons to explore, health and magic upgrades to find, alongside the occasional new ability that expands Shantae's traversal abilities (more on this later). It may not be the largest or most densely packed map we've seen in a Metroidvania, but it's got it where it counts and it'll no doubt take several hours for players to see everything this game has to offer.
One of the neatest aspects of the gameplay is how Shantae is able to transform into different animals or creatures at will, all with unique abilities that allow her to reach previously inaccessible areas. Whether it be scaling walls as a monkey or exploring underwater as a mermaid, the world gradually begins to open up as you acquire new forms. It might have been nice to have seen a few more upgrades in this respect, but the existent set of forms is used in increasingly clever ways as you progress deeper into the story.
Graphically speaking, the spritework and animation is some of the best we've seen for nostalgic games such as this. The attention to detail put into the backgrounds and environments really lends them more character and atmosphere, and a particular Mutant Mudds-esque technique of jumping between layers is occasionally used to great effect. Colours are varied and vibrant, and the overall look of the game manages to be just retro enough that it looks like a 16-bit game, but advanced enough that it obviously couldn't have been pulled off on the Super Nintendo. In this sense the visuals are a fantastic achievement, and they rarely fail to impress.
The soundtrack that backs it all manages to have both depth and diversity, providing the right track for every situation. Though much of the game is catchy, vaguely Arabian themed music, each zone has a distinct sound to it that contributes to its unique character. While there may not be anything that jumps out as particularly memorable, the soundtrack is nonetheless a strong inclusion, one that doesn't really disappoint.
Of course, this being the 'Director's Cut', one must wonder what changes have been made for this second release. Most notably, a warp system has been implemented, something the original release was sorely lacking. No longer will you be forced to run from one side of the map to the other, as several strategically placed towers allow for effective fast travel. Another notable inclusion is the unlockable 'Magic Mode'. This sees Shantae wearing a different costume that bolsters her magic power but lowers her defensive power. It's really a glorified hard mode, but its inclusion is no less welcome as it invites you to do a second playthrough. Another thing worth mentioning is that the game holds to its original aspect ratio, meaning that there are borders on either side of the screen. Some may not be overjoyed to see this, but it can be tweaked in the options menu to have the display stretched across a widescreen display or to even have it display in the original resolution.
No game is without its flaws, and while Risky's Revenge mostly stands the test of time, there are some remnants of archaic design to be found. For one, enemies in the overworld have an irritating tendency to immediately respawn after the camera leaves their initial spawn point. It doesn't always occur for some reason, but it can be rather annoying to have to clear out the same groups multiple times. Also, the map system could use some work. Not only is it rather difficult to decipher the overworld map, but dungeons leave you to figuratively grope around in the dark without any sort of guidance. These issues may not be game breaking in any sense, but it does seem like a missed opportunity for the developers in this enhanced edition of the game.
Conclusion
All told, Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut is a solid update to the DSiWare classic. While there may not necessarily be enough here to justify a double dip for those of you that picked it up the first time around, there's never been a better way to experience this game. For those of you that have never played it, we'd give this game a strong recommendation; it's creative, clever, and colourful. This is a retro action game you won't want to miss out on.
Comments 36
Weren't there already a warp system in the original version?
Great game but I'll stick with the DSiWare version that I picked up years ago. Ready for the new Shantae game that's coming soon.
I'll feel like an idiot for buying this again, but I really want to play this on my tv and hear it through proper speakers.
@Xilef
IIRC warping in this version works more like Majora's Mask's owl statues. In the original, each warp squid only took you to its counterpart, and you had to activate both. In this, once you activate a squid, you can warp to it from any other squid.
Thank god Reggie was unsuccessful in stopping this game from coming out. It looks like a gem.
Looks really good.
@Li_Bae What are you talking about?!
Really good game, i beat it some time ago on my 3DS and i liked it more than the last Shantae game. Also i don't really get the complaint in regards to the overworld map, i remember thinking they did an excellent job considering the layout of the game goes left to right and background to foreground. It's not perfect but it is really good.
Pretty nice game if you like this sort of game. I know i did
I loved Pirate's Curse, so I decided to get this. Started playing it yesterday, and it's fantastic! The story is funny, and the levels are well designed. Definitely worth $10!
.."Risky Business"?..with the warps it's more like Footloose..
Good but not great.
Ok, ok, I will buy it.
@Li_Bae is this a joke? Or did Nintendo actually try to stop this game?
Just in case anyone is wondering, Risky's Revenge is still available to buy on the 3DS as a DSi download.
@nacho_chicken Ah, makes sense. Thanks.
This series has always been great. I was going to pick this up, until I realized I had the iOS version free from a while back. We'll see how it controls..
Smash 5 one day... I just know it.
Pirate's Curse kind of makes sense on the big screen, but this should have stayed on portables. It looks as generic and 'trendy' as it plays. On a DSi or 3DS, that's relatively excusable, but at full price, on a home console? It's almost as bad as Xeodrifter.
Axiom Verge, Mutant Mudds, Fez, Poncho, Shovel Knight, even Last Survivor are better investments.
If you want to support Wayforward, wait for the next Shantae. Or pick this up when it inevitably sales for 2$.
Then again, if these devs had their way, they'd still have the KS running and you'd never see 1/2 Genie Hero.
I was one of this game's biggest fans when it was first released on DSi. The Director's Cut though? I do have a few gripes.
It's a bit disappointing that you can't "collect" the ending screens as wallpapers like in Pirate's Curse. Also, could it not have been presented in 16:9 (extra pixels at the side)? For a Director's Cut, it feels extremely basic.
That said, it's a great game and recommended for anyone who hasn't played it.
From what I can tell from the screenshots, it looks virtually identical to the iOS version, with borders on the sides and pixelated graphics (seems really, really lazy that they didn't bother to redo them in order to bring it in line with the previous Shantae game on Wii U/3DS). Hardly resembles a "Director's Cut" considering that it seems to have the same limitations as the mobile versions and is visually on par with the original DSi release.
I always wanted to get this game on my 3DS but didn't really feel like paying a premium price for a DsiWare game. Now that it is on my platform of choice I am much more likely to pick it up!
Looks good, seems like it should be on the 3DS though
Question: Did they speed up her run for the director's cut? Pirate's Curse fixed my one huge issue with Risky's Revenge when they made Shantae feel freed up and fast.
Doesn't seem different enough to warrant a purchase since I have the original on 3DS.
I wish that for this version, they could have improved on the final level. While I really enjoyed Risky's Revenge, the final level did not take advantage of her animal transformation powers very well compared to the finale of the original game. I think a comparable gauntlet would have made a certain end-of-game incident that much more powerful.
Thanks for this, I was satisfied with the original DSi game and thought this would be sort of different.
Finally published my review of this. Obviously, it's an excellent game and should be owned by just about everyone. It was actually my first Shantae game I'm ashamed to say.
@Humphries90 I am ashamed to say that Pirate Curse was my first Shantae game, and it is not as good as everyone says. Elliot's Quest is better and more metroidmania like.
@LemonSlice Yeah, and it's actually more expensive, so there's absolutely no reason to get that version instead unless you don't have a Wii U.
@NodesforNoids The problems with Xeodrifter on Wii U are that the gameplay was tailored for stereoscopic 3D, it has primitive graphics that don't look any better on a TV screen, and it's very short with no extra content. None of this is true for "Risky's Revenge."
If I didn't already have the original version, I'd be all over this, but I see no reason to double dip.
Wasn't this version also supposed to release in the 3DS? I had been waiting for tha one, but nothing has come of it for a long time.
Asap purchase.
I have it already but I'll double dip for TV play.
Don't think I'll double dip unless I get it in a sale.
Never played a Shantae game, but I'll think I'm just gonna wait and play the new one.
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