PixlBit

8-bit and sexy usually don't go together, but this game breaks that mold, along with many other typical gaming conventions

Shantae was released as a late Game Boy Color game, coming out in June 2002, a whole year after the Game Boy Advance had been out. This platformer game was developed by WayForward Technologies and published by Capcom. Shantae was WayForward's first big game; Shantae "put them on the map," if you will.

Shantae is the half-genie guardian of a little fishing town called Scuttle Town. Her job is pretty boring until a female pirate by the name of Risky Boots drops by to steal a steam engine. This launches Shantae on a quest to stop Risky, taking her to several locations, searching for magical gems, and doing all kind of stuff along the way. 

Shantae begins with a first level, but after that, a world opens up that you can explore. You can travel from town to town, exploring forests, deserts, and wastelands. This is a great feature of the game, but backtracking can be a pain. The game also has a day and night cycle, which is really neat, but other than the music changing, does nothing different for you (other than some of the shops closing at night). 

Shantae attacks using her long hair as a whip; now that's a unique attack! She can also jump pretty high. In the item shops found in towns, you can buy upgrades for your attack, such as doing a back flip kick; you can also buy items, such as flash bolts or potions to restore health. There are other things to do in town, such as trying your hand at the dance parlor for some extra cash, or playing a simple gambling game in which you roll dice against an opponent. 

If that's not enough for you, Shantae offers plenty of extras. Each town has a warp squid hut. The warp squid has lost her babies! You will find them anywhere and everywhere as you travel on your adventure. Return them back to the right mother (there are several different warp squid moms) and I imagine you will be able to warp from town to town. You can also collect fireflies along the way, though I'm not sure what they do once you get them all. 

Like any good game, Shantae taunts you with areas which you can see, but cannot get to. Once you get a certain power-up, you will be able to go back to these areas and get whatever was there, whether that be a warp squid, a firefly, a heart to increase your health bar, or simply treasure. Shantae is not a linear, by-the-numbers kind of game. In fact, for a GBC game, Shantae is quite expansive. 

The controls in the game are spot-on. The level design is fantastic, with plenty of platforms and trees for Shatae to jump on. Shantae's jump handles very well. When treking between towns, you really have to stay on your toes. Enemies will appear out of nowhere; some jump up from the ground; others come in from the tall grass behind you; later on, zombies pop up from their graves. Sometimes short enemies caught me off-guard, but it takes too long to have Shantae duck and attack. This was the most frustrating part of the game for me. When Shantae is hit, she freezes and makes an "I'm in pain" motion, which is annoying (I suppose they were going for the old school thing). 

The dungeons in the game are called labryinths, and for good reason, they're big and maze-like. It's obvious that WayForward took a page form Metroid, as Shantae will be jumping up long vertical corridors on small ledges, looking for keys to unlock certain areas. Once again, the level design is great, including some good puzzles. There was one time when I literally gasped and said, "Oh, I know what to do!" I was really impressed by some of the puzzles in the game. 

There are four labryinths, and in each one you will find a dancing girl that is locked up. She will teach you a dance, which you can perform by doing simple button presses. Shanta will swing her hips back and forth, grinning at you, then transform into something. There are four transformations in the game: monkey, elephant, spider, and some kind of flying creature. Each one can do something unique. For instance, the monkey can jump really high and jump off walls; the elephant can break through rocks and cavernous stalactites; the spider can climb on webs; and the flying creature can. . . what else? fly. These transformations open up new paths for Shantae to explore, not only in the labryinths, but also in the sections between towns. 

As mentioned above, Shantae is a sexy game. Besides Shantae and Risky, there are several other sexy characters, including Shantae's friend Sky, a zombie girl named Rottytops, and many of the enemies too. You will find yourself fighting snake girls, scorpion girls, arrow-shooting girls, all with their prominent sex appeal. Plus, in towns, you can go into the "bath house" in order to heal yourself, and there's usually a sexy girl sitting there at the front. If you have a Game Over, they give you a panning up shot of Risky glaring at you in all her sexy glory. This sex appeal is a WayForward trademark; many of their original games include such sexiness. Sigma Star Saga for GBA had sexy characters, and Mighty Switch Force has the same. In Contra 4, you can unlock two very sexy female soldiers to play as. 

The music for this game is fantastic, and no wonder, Jake Kaufman was the composer! The tunes are very exciting, and there's plenty of variation to keep things interesting. Kaufman successfully makes the music sound Arabian, all the while maintaining a great 8-bit feel. Check below for a couple of my favorite songs from the game. Shantae also has great graphics and very good colors. They definitely pushed the hardware as much as they could. 

Final Verdict--4 Stars: Recommended

Overall, Shantae is a very creative game that offers a lot. It's amazing that Shantae is not a blatant rip-off of anything; it stands on its own. It has character, great level design, sexiness, exploration, tight controls, a fun cast of characters, and great music. If you have a 3DS, you can buy this game for just a few bucks. It is completely worth it! Shantae was an overlooked game when it was released, being overshadowed by the GBA. We can now give it the love it deserves. I can honestly say that Shantae is one of the best platformers I've ever played, especially for a handheld. If nothing else, you have to get it just to see Shantae dance. Impressive!

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