Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a two-dimensional platformer, part of the series started in 2002 on Game Boy Color console. It has been developed by WayForward studio, the same team which created all of the previous games from the series.

Plot

The story of Shantae: Half-Genie Hero for PC, SWITCH and etc. takes place in fairy-tale land, inspired by the the tales of One Thousand and One Nights. Title heroine is a half-genie and half-human, and her long hair is tough enough to serve a whip during fights. She can also transform into a few types of magical beasts by performing specific sequences of belly dance. The game starts at one night, when Shantae wakes up after a strange premonition. Following her intuition, she reaches a mysterious fountain. After touching water she is taken to a dimension filled with djinns. Unfortunately, her journey results in the release of the ancient evil, that the heroine will have to defeat. Campaign has been divided into chapters, each introducing new plots, and additional types of enemies, concluded by a battle with a powerful boss.

Gameplay

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero for PC, SWITCH and etc. is a classic 2D platformer inspired by Castelvania and Metroid series. This means that each level has an open structure, giving us freedom in deciding how we wish to explore each fragment of the world. Character development is also an important feature, as she collects experience points that can be spent on new dancing moves, or unlocking new beasts to transform into. Many places are initially out of heroine’s reach and only after acquiring new abilities we can return and gain access. Gameplay is also varied by clever puzzles.

Technicalities

A strong point of Shantae: Half-Genie Hero for PC, SWITCH and etc. is the quality of its technical side. Visuals combine three-dimensional surroundings with smoothly animated 2D characters. The game is set in an eye-catching cartoonish style.

Last updated on 15 June 2021