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"The Jet Gamer" Game Review: Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
8 years ago
Time for more 3DS again.
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse
I’ve had my eye on the Shantae series for a while, and finally, I got a physical copy of this game, so I’m not stuck with digital anymore, meaning it didn’t exist to me. Now that it is physical, this game is finally going to get to be played, to where I can give my full opinion on it. It looked like something I would like, but now that I actually have it, let us see how it really is shall we?
Gameplay
The gameplay of Shantae is your normal platformer, where you roam around from area to area to beat a boss, so that you can move on to the next one. In a way, this game sort of reminds me of a simplified metroidvania type game. You have the map where you uncover the grid, but the levels are much smaller and way more straightforward. You do get to roam around and explore, but the levels are pretty linear, at least for the most part. You still have twists and turns about where you go, but still, when you are roaming around, it is usually pretty clear where you need to go next, despite the exploring opportunities. There are exploring opportunities of course though, though this is mostly in the form of backtracking. There are some areas that you are not going to be able to get to easily unless you have gear that you get later in the game. These extra areas usually involve the two main collectables that the game involves, which are extra heart squids, which are used for more health, and dark magic enemies. Finding all of these are not necessary, but the second one, with the dark magic does allow you to get the rest of the ending. So yes, as you can see, you go to an area, you roam around until you find the main dungeon, then you go through the dungeon where you get a new item, and fight a boss that then allows you to go to the next area to do the same thing. You are collecting money as you go along, that you can use to power up your attacks or to get new moves as well. Money does take a while to get, but it is worth collecting, as you can also get auto revive potions in case you do end up dying. There are a few small quests here and there you can do, but many of them are quests you either are required to do, or are needed to get essential items. Just be ready for these, as this is what you do when you aren’t going for your next new dungeon right away. So yeah, the gameplay is pretty simple for sure, but hey, it works. This is a game where you are supposed to figure everything out and then possibly do it better or faster next time as well. I’ll talk more about this later, but this game definitely is a speed run worthy game as well. It even has a mode you can unlock later that is basically built for speed running. But yeah, the game is simple, but it does offer a lasting appeal that’s for sure.
Story
The story of this game is a little confusing, but also makes sense as well. I know that’s a little confusing, but here is why I say that. This game has its own story that makes sense, but there are many references to the other games in the series from the past. This game in many areas seems to be relying on the fact that you have played the other games in the series to get some of the jokes or references it is trying to reference throughout the game. I’m glad it does an okay enough job about introducing the many characters you encounter throughout the game, but you really don’t get much origins on most of them, as it is assumed in many places that you have met these characters before. I don’t mind a game that does this, but not even giving big synopses about them all does at times bug me a bit. Besides this fact though the story revolves around this baron taking over the town Shantae is supposed to be protecting, and now you are looking for ways to stop him. Shantae is a half genie who has lost her magic and is trying to figure out how to get it back. Also, Shantae is also working with an old enemy as well as you work to stop the spirit of an older pirate from reviving into the world again. The story then involves you going from island to island with this old enemy, which most people don’t trust as you look for dungeons that house the magic that is being used to revive this old enemy. This part of the story is unique and makes sense. It is on the short side for sure, but hey, it works. It just wish there was more explanation about the backstories though of these characters as you feel like you are missing bits and pieces by not having played the older games yet.
Graphics
This game does look pretty good, as it is bright and colorful, and the animations of the characters that are standing around in the towns look lifelike enough. Shantae wiggles around and stays in constant motion, even when she is standing still. She feels life like and not just a stiff cut out sprite that stand still when you aren’t doing anything to control her. You see that in many games, where in 2D games like this, where they just clip sprites and stick them in there and they don’t really move around much at all. That’s not something you see here, as characters do animate and move around, so they don’t look like they are just stuck in the game. When characters are talking though, they blow the images of the characters up to large versions of the characters that have a lot more detail to them. This means you can see what they look like a lot better, and also see the smaller details better as well. Yeah, the little details. That’s something you are going to notice quickly is that this game is very suggestive in its themes towards the girls, Shantae included. Many of the main girl characters in this game wear very skimpy outfits, and even sometimes change into even more skimpy outfits for you to check out. If you were looking for a game that basically tries to make girls look like eye candy with a bit of sex appeal, this game sure has that. Yes, you never actually see anything bad, but if you want to see some girls in outfits that look like they are just barely covering the things they need to be covering, you are going to enjoy the looks of this game. The only thing I have to say sometimes is that I do wish that the story parts were a bit more animated and that it wasn’t just big pictures that change sometimes to express certain reactions and that’s it. It would be nice if they were a bit more animated, but that is just pushing now for a little thing to talk about in the game. Really, other than that, this game looks pretty good for sure.
Sound
The sound in this game isn’t that bad at all. It seems to do the job and keeps you from being bored or feeling like the music isn’t there at all. Again though, this is one of those games where the music just isn’t super memorable to me, and I feel like I’m going to forget it rather easily. Also, while I appreciate the fact that they added a few words that Shantae will occasionally spit out in certain situations, I do feel that they could have added more voice acting to the game as well. It just seems like a bit of a tease to make Shantae say a few words here and there, when it shows that they could indeed have added voice acting to the game. So really, other than that, I don’t have too many other complaints. It just seems like they could have gone just a slight bit further than that did. Other than that, the music and sound effects seem just fine to me.
Control
The controls of this game are very good, and for a platformer, that’s actually a good thing, when controls are so important to them. One of the reasons I say they are so good is how the game introduces the controls to you. You only use a few of the buttons when you first start the game, and as you learn new moves or get new equipment, you slowly start using more and more of the buttons to use these moves. It’s a slow progression to using all the buttons, which I actually think introduces the controls in an easy to learn way that doesn’t have you constantly confusing what button does what, which is an issue I tend to see a lot these days. You introduce too many controls at one time instead of letting it be learned a little at a time over time in a more natural, easy to learn way. So yes, the controls seem really good to me, and this should be a way more games do it, in my opinion at least.
Replay Value
As I mentioned a bit above, the replay value is pretty good here. Some of the main reasons are that this game is mostly about trying to play it as quickly as possible. Yes, you have the normal things such as finding the few collectibles that I mentioned above, but that isn’t the bulk of what makes this game replayable. It is the fact that you can either play the game normally, or unlock a special mode that gives you all the special equipment right off the bat to play as in a new way. It is nice to have basically a new game plus mode, but it is also nice to have a game that actually encourages you to play it fast and better each time you do so. The game is short enough as well to not feel like you have to make massive commitments to do so either. I know I normally complain a bit about a short game, but this is one of those rare games that takes advantage of its length not being the longest in the world and actually appears to me to encourage you to want to play it multiple times. Yes, you are doing the same thing over and over again, but having an additional mode to play through after you beat the game does add a little bit for sure.
Overall, I have to say I’m actually quite impressed with Shantae for the 3DS and feel it is a good platformer/metroidvania type game that is worth people’s time if they like those 2D platformer type games. Other than the story really being a little lacking on the backstory, and the sound being a bit of a tease at time, I really can’t find a ton wrong with this game. I am glad this game finally came out of the digital realm and gets a physical release for people to play on as well. I would recommend you go out and try it, if you like these types of games. If you are looking for something a lot more deep or something with a long length though, this may not be the game for you. Everyone else though, I would say at least try it out, as this seems like a series you will see more from me in the future.
Overall, in my opinion at least, I give Shantae and the Pirates Curse an eight point five out of ten.
Gameplay: 9
Story: 7
Graphics: 9
Sound: 8
Control: 10
Replay Value: 9
Overall: 8.5
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse
I’ve had my eye on the Shantae series for a while, and finally, I got a physical copy of this game, so I’m not stuck with digital anymore, meaning it didn’t exist to me. Now that it is physical, this game is finally going to get to be played, to where I can give my full opinion on it. It looked like something I would like, but now that I actually have it, let us see how it really is shall we?
Gameplay
The gameplay of Shantae is your normal platformer, where you roam around from area to area to beat a boss, so that you can move on to the next one. In a way, this game sort of reminds me of a simplified metroidvania type game. You have the map where you uncover the grid, but the levels are much smaller and way more straightforward. You do get to roam around and explore, but the levels are pretty linear, at least for the most part. You still have twists and turns about where you go, but still, when you are roaming around, it is usually pretty clear where you need to go next, despite the exploring opportunities. There are exploring opportunities of course though, though this is mostly in the form of backtracking. There are some areas that you are not going to be able to get to easily unless you have gear that you get later in the game. These extra areas usually involve the two main collectables that the game involves, which are extra heart squids, which are used for more health, and dark magic enemies. Finding all of these are not necessary, but the second one, with the dark magic does allow you to get the rest of the ending. So yes, as you can see, you go to an area, you roam around until you find the main dungeon, then you go through the dungeon where you get a new item, and fight a boss that then allows you to go to the next area to do the same thing. You are collecting money as you go along, that you can use to power up your attacks or to get new moves as well. Money does take a while to get, but it is worth collecting, as you can also get auto revive potions in case you do end up dying. There are a few small quests here and there you can do, but many of them are quests you either are required to do, or are needed to get essential items. Just be ready for these, as this is what you do when you aren’t going for your next new dungeon right away. So yeah, the gameplay is pretty simple for sure, but hey, it works. This is a game where you are supposed to figure everything out and then possibly do it better or faster next time as well. I’ll talk more about this later, but this game definitely is a speed run worthy game as well. It even has a mode you can unlock later that is basically built for speed running. But yeah, the game is simple, but it does offer a lasting appeal that’s for sure.
Story
The story of this game is a little confusing, but also makes sense as well. I know that’s a little confusing, but here is why I say that. This game has its own story that makes sense, but there are many references to the other games in the series from the past. This game in many areas seems to be relying on the fact that you have played the other games in the series to get some of the jokes or references it is trying to reference throughout the game. I’m glad it does an okay enough job about introducing the many characters you encounter throughout the game, but you really don’t get much origins on most of them, as it is assumed in many places that you have met these characters before. I don’t mind a game that does this, but not even giving big synopses about them all does at times bug me a bit. Besides this fact though the story revolves around this baron taking over the town Shantae is supposed to be protecting, and now you are looking for ways to stop him. Shantae is a half genie who has lost her magic and is trying to figure out how to get it back. Also, Shantae is also working with an old enemy as well as you work to stop the spirit of an older pirate from reviving into the world again. The story then involves you going from island to island with this old enemy, which most people don’t trust as you look for dungeons that house the magic that is being used to revive this old enemy. This part of the story is unique and makes sense. It is on the short side for sure, but hey, it works. It just wish there was more explanation about the backstories though of these characters as you feel like you are missing bits and pieces by not having played the older games yet.
Graphics
This game does look pretty good, as it is bright and colorful, and the animations of the characters that are standing around in the towns look lifelike enough. Shantae wiggles around and stays in constant motion, even when she is standing still. She feels life like and not just a stiff cut out sprite that stand still when you aren’t doing anything to control her. You see that in many games, where in 2D games like this, where they just clip sprites and stick them in there and they don’t really move around much at all. That’s not something you see here, as characters do animate and move around, so they don’t look like they are just stuck in the game. When characters are talking though, they blow the images of the characters up to large versions of the characters that have a lot more detail to them. This means you can see what they look like a lot better, and also see the smaller details better as well. Yeah, the little details. That’s something you are going to notice quickly is that this game is very suggestive in its themes towards the girls, Shantae included. Many of the main girl characters in this game wear very skimpy outfits, and even sometimes change into even more skimpy outfits for you to check out. If you were looking for a game that basically tries to make girls look like eye candy with a bit of sex appeal, this game sure has that. Yes, you never actually see anything bad, but if you want to see some girls in outfits that look like they are just barely covering the things they need to be covering, you are going to enjoy the looks of this game. The only thing I have to say sometimes is that I do wish that the story parts were a bit more animated and that it wasn’t just big pictures that change sometimes to express certain reactions and that’s it. It would be nice if they were a bit more animated, but that is just pushing now for a little thing to talk about in the game. Really, other than that, this game looks pretty good for sure.
Sound
The sound in this game isn’t that bad at all. It seems to do the job and keeps you from being bored or feeling like the music isn’t there at all. Again though, this is one of those games where the music just isn’t super memorable to me, and I feel like I’m going to forget it rather easily. Also, while I appreciate the fact that they added a few words that Shantae will occasionally spit out in certain situations, I do feel that they could have added more voice acting to the game as well. It just seems like a bit of a tease to make Shantae say a few words here and there, when it shows that they could indeed have added voice acting to the game. So really, other than that, I don’t have too many other complaints. It just seems like they could have gone just a slight bit further than that did. Other than that, the music and sound effects seem just fine to me.
Control
The controls of this game are very good, and for a platformer, that’s actually a good thing, when controls are so important to them. One of the reasons I say they are so good is how the game introduces the controls to you. You only use a few of the buttons when you first start the game, and as you learn new moves or get new equipment, you slowly start using more and more of the buttons to use these moves. It’s a slow progression to using all the buttons, which I actually think introduces the controls in an easy to learn way that doesn’t have you constantly confusing what button does what, which is an issue I tend to see a lot these days. You introduce too many controls at one time instead of letting it be learned a little at a time over time in a more natural, easy to learn way. So yes, the controls seem really good to me, and this should be a way more games do it, in my opinion at least.
Replay Value
As I mentioned a bit above, the replay value is pretty good here. Some of the main reasons are that this game is mostly about trying to play it as quickly as possible. Yes, you have the normal things such as finding the few collectibles that I mentioned above, but that isn’t the bulk of what makes this game replayable. It is the fact that you can either play the game normally, or unlock a special mode that gives you all the special equipment right off the bat to play as in a new way. It is nice to have basically a new game plus mode, but it is also nice to have a game that actually encourages you to play it fast and better each time you do so. The game is short enough as well to not feel like you have to make massive commitments to do so either. I know I normally complain a bit about a short game, but this is one of those rare games that takes advantage of its length not being the longest in the world and actually appears to me to encourage you to want to play it multiple times. Yes, you are doing the same thing over and over again, but having an additional mode to play through after you beat the game does add a little bit for sure.
Overall, I have to say I’m actually quite impressed with Shantae for the 3DS and feel it is a good platformer/metroidvania type game that is worth people’s time if they like those 2D platformer type games. Other than the story really being a little lacking on the backstory, and the sound being a bit of a tease at time, I really can’t find a ton wrong with this game. I am glad this game finally came out of the digital realm and gets a physical release for people to play on as well. I would recommend you go out and try it, if you like these types of games. If you are looking for something a lot more deep or something with a long length though, this may not be the game for you. Everyone else though, I would say at least try it out, as this seems like a series you will see more from me in the future.
Overall, in my opinion at least, I give Shantae and the Pirates Curse an eight point five out of ten.
Gameplay: 9
Story: 7
Graphics: 9
Sound: 8
Control: 10
Replay Value: 9
Overall: 8.5
