Notice, this is a review with my OC instead of starring myself in fiction. Readers discretion is advised.
(One day, in Anthony's house when he was gone for a review of "The Lego Batman Movie".)
Zelia: *walks to Anthony's house for her plan* I wonder if he's doing something in his home... *knocks the door and waits for a minute, which he was not there.* Hm? Strange, he hasn't come and open the door. *sees a paper on the window with a tape* A message? *picks it up and reads*
"Dear anyone, im sorry that il be gone for a long day, i was packing up to my business in Montreal. Especially with in theater, going shopping and more. I got plenty of plans of review and others, but i leave it for you to finish my work. One plan that i haven't talking about is Shantae Half Genie Hero. If it must be Zelia, i hope she'll enjoy it when i showed her about Shantae's series. If not, i guess il let whoever give a shot. Thank you and good luck. PS: i putted my second house key in the mailbox to keep it secret from someone's trespassing. -Anthony"
Zelia: Well, i guess il give a shot of this game, since he showed me about Shantae games from last months ago.
Hello everyone, my name is Zelia and this is a game review. Im pretty sure some of you don't know about Anthony, which he's left for his business, especially his adventure to take look at something going on in this year, 2017.
So today on game review, he told me that im talking about Shantae. Im pretty some of you know about her, a half genie who's a guardian of Scuttle Town to face against her nemesis names Risky Boots. She was first introduced in 2002 on GameBoy Color, which although it was a fun game, but it didn't get a good release from a criticisms of sexist, seriously, its just a game for everyone, not an objectifying harem girl from big boys you mindless SJWs! I mean seriously, there's no reason to complaining that "Itz Tooh Sexay four Kidz!!!". I hate it!
*ahem* Sorry for my outburst. Anyway, not only it didn't do well for the release, its also mention to be the final game of GBC, since Nintendo was focused on GameBoy Advanced. Despite that, the game became a cult favorite for the fans, which the company Wayforward Technologies made three more games of Shantae and they went pretty good when they came out.
But there's one game that it came out last year that Anthony actually beat this game for a week before New Year.
Shantae Half Genie Hero is a 2016 game that was developed and published by Wayforward Technologies (And Marvelous USA for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Wii U.). This game was announced in 2013 before the release of "Shantae and the pirate's curse", the creator of Shantae Matt Bozon had a plan for the forth game, but rather working together, they decided to making a crowdfunding on Kickstarter.com. They wanted to reach the goal of 400,000$ for their game, and it was successful that it got doubled with more than 800,000$. When their crowdfunding is done, they kept going their Paypal donation for the backers until December 2014. They wanted to release it on October of the same year, but got delayed for not only need more money from backers, but also upgrade and even fixing from the bugs, until they finished the development in November 2016 and finally released it on December of the same year.
So, this makes me asked a question, how did it succeed than Mighty No. 9?
Lets find out.
For the gameplay, its a same thing from the previous game, with a genre of "Metroidvania" with save points and some secret room to achieve. As Shantae, her main attack is her ponytail as a whip. I find it pretty strange for her attack, i wouldn't do that for my own hair. Anyway, aside that, you can also using magic like fire, spinning damage, bubble shield and thunder cloud. But you have to buy them before you get them and they're limited that you can recharge your energy with a magic potion.
Speaking of magic, as Shantae who's a half genie, she can transform into animal and mythical creatures by doing belly dancing. While you're in belly dancing, you can select by using a D-pad, but it can change for about 2 seconds if you wanna transform or even using something specials like destroy everything or even turning into a tree for free oranges...? Thats, weird...
When you're in animals, you may or may not attack, each of them as special abilities, like a monkey can do a side dash to the wall, a mermaid can shoot bubbles in water and an elephant can stomp on the ground (Specifically a flower.).
In shop, aside of magics you can buy, you can buy some upgrades for magics and even the hit points for extra damage for her hair whip and even more defense for your health, like a bikini armor for more defense. That may sounds... questionable, i don't know if il be comfortable to wear it, either that or Anthony will be crazy to see me wearing it, but i digress... But the cool thing about shopping, there's a humanoid snake named Tuki who appeared in various location in the level map. I like the concept of shopping in the middle of the level.
Despite of "Metroidvania", as always, there's a platform, which its not easy for your start with a lower health (Unless you're lucky to find more health holder to get extra health points.), mainly because there's plenty of enemies stand in front of you for shooting or something after you, but at least you can't jump back if you get hit. But if you fell down to miss a platform, you gotta start over where you left off. You better transform as a bat that you'll be safe without falling. I know its challenging, but man, im not an expert gamer for a platform. As for the boss fights, they're pretty cool. At first, i though it will be hard to beat, but it turns out if you're lucky to find a pattern to beat it, like in the first boss of "Tinkerslug", you have to beat it by hit the bell, throws a burning barrel to knocking it down and hit it by tapping a button for a million times. Like i said, it starts a bit hard, until you'll find a pattern. But some boss that its way too easy, like where you confronting at Ammo Baron that he uses a flying carpet for his power along with his soldiers, the only way to beat it, its to use you spinning weapon attack at him and his soldiers non-stop, despite you take a damage that you better drink a potion to not only health, but more magic meter.
But unlike previous Shantae games, this one had some lacklusters, there's no map system where you are and there's no way to going back after saving your data for a checkpoint. So this game feels a bit like Super Mario Bros 3, well almost. They could've let us do in freedom in the levels to find some secrets.
In the hub of Scuttle Town, you can walking around talking people and sometimes breaking vases to earning more gems to buy something in shop. There's a bath house that if you're finished in level story, you better take a break to regenerate your health and magic then save your data. If you wanna go to select the location, you better go to Sky's house for for a flight with his big bird name Wrench (I mean jeez, i never seen how it grew bigger out of nowhere.). Finally there's a art gallery that you have to find some secret room to get any keys to unlock the door to see a concept and some fan arts from backers. Personally, i like to see some concepts that they could've been in the game. Unless you counted Shantae's succubus that got removed from the final release. I guess it will be a bit creepy to see her manipulating some boy or something.
For the story, i find it pretty fascinating at the start. It started where Shantae woke up from mysterious voice, not until she meet a spirit known as "Messenger" that she wants to know about her lost mother, Even though it didn't happen until later or not. Then it later focus where Shantae and her uncle Mimic have a blueprint for the project. But not before it was taken by Risky Boots that she has to fight back, until she gets it back. So its up to her that she has to fins some pieces from her uncle's building plan. Although its a bit similar from the first game, but different. So we not sure if the blueprint is gonna be good or bad from Risky.
But the one thing that i don't like, its the subplot where she got fired from the mayor Scuttlebutt that she'll be replaced by newcomer named Holly Lingerbean. But it turns out she's not a half-genie, but a memory vampire thing that she took all of Shantae's friends's memory to make them amnesia. Its cool, but does this has to do with the main plot? No, its just nothing but a filler that we though its gonna be Shantae's new nemesis. Tak about a waste of potential with that evil girl. And yes, i am aware it was a founded pick during Kickstarter.
And the final act, it went shocking that i've ever seen. But i don't wanna talk about for spoilers. Either way, i find the story is pretty good, but its not that perfect from a filler. Not to mention, the dialogue in this game is well-written with good hints to find in the level and some jokes that i giggled.
About the graphic and the music. I find the graphic is wonderful and pretty cute design. Even though we like sprites, but this one has a good artwork what they done. Its colorful, cute and amazing background. But other times if you completed the level story, when you get back to the location say in the desert, the background and the sky got disappeared. I don't know how, so i hope they'll fix it with patch. And for the music, it was pretty good to listen, especially the signature song "Dance through the danger", i guess i like to thanks to Virt for interesting song and Cristina Vee for beautiful signing. Speaking of her, she did play as out titular character, well just a bit. and yes, there's even a voice acting plan during a crowdfunding, which i wish if it has it.
And finally if you're asking me about something included in the game, well when i heard, the game will let you play as Risky Boots, which she's going to have a similar control from "Shantae and the pirate's curse", using guns, her hat for a parachute, charging sword and summoning Tinkerbat for the attack. Aside of Shantae's nemesis, it will also let you play has Shantae's NPC, Bolo, a man with his ball-in-chain, despite he's a creep for girls, Sky who can summon birds and Rottytops for her gameplay style of feeding and self-dismemberment. I don't know if they will be in the game, but only Wayforward will tell.
So, what do i think about this game?
Well, i find it pretty good game, with fun gameplay, good story, likable characters (Minus Holly and Scuttlebutt.), cute graphic, great music and... Its no wonder why this game was successful than Mighty No. 9. Even though it has some issues like a filler, the desert background and some lack of map system, but it still fun. This is a game that i like it when Anthony showed me, you should give a try.
So il give it to 8/10.
So, i guess im done with a game review. Im sure Anthony will be happy for my opinion. If you guys like to know your opinion or some request, send me a comment bellow.
So thank you for reading and see you next review, peace.
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