Anyone with a slight interest in the platform genre has probably heard of the Shantaeseries. The long-haired lady started her adventure once on the Game Boy Color, and while it is one of the best games for that console, it never really turned out to be a huge success. This was mainly due to the fact that the Game Boy Advance was already on the market and most gamers ignored the Game Boy Color. Luckily for us, the developers didn’t give up and came up with it ten years ago Shantae: Risky’s Revenge for Nintendo DS. There is a chance that you missed that game, because it was not a physical game but so-called DSi Ware. Thankfully, WayForward is now bringing the game to the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in the form of Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut.
The story begins with Shantae’s uncle showing a lamp he found during the Relics Hunters Expo. Shortly after, evil pirate Risky Boots appears and steals the new lamp. Of course that is not possible and Shantae is sent on an adventure to retrieve Uncle Mimic’s lost lamp. To do this, she will first have to collect three hidden magical seals and only then can she battle Risky Boots. Will Shantae be able to complete the adventure? We don’t like spoilers at all, but of course Shantae succeeds because otherwise it would be a stupid story. The story is therefore not the most important of this game. It is unlike Shantae and the Seven Sirens a lot more difficult to follow, because it is packed with dialogues that you will have to read yourself. The last game contained incredibly beautiful cutscenes and that makes following a story much more attractive.
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For anyone who has never played a Shantae game, Shantae is a so-called half-genius and her primary form of attack is hitting with her long hair. Like all other games in this franchise, this is also a typical Metroidvania. There is a huge map that shows you where you can go. In the beginning you cannot reach some parts because you have not yet acquired certain skills. To obtain these you will have to complete various dungeons and other assignments. The skills in Shantae: Risky’s Revenge come in the form of transformations. For example, as a monkey you can jump much further than normal and as a mermaid you can swim under water. It is actually fairly standard for the series and you do not expect any innovations.
No real adjustments have been made in the graphics area either. The menus have received a little refurbishment, but the game itself is just as pixel-like as on the Nintendo DS. That is not directly a negative thing, but just like with the story, we are of course a bit spoiled by the more recent games. You can also choose whether you want to play in the original format, in 4: 3 with borders or in widescreen. The latter is not really a serious option, because the image is completely stretched and that is not very pleasant. The music does sound a lot better than the original. The cheerful tunes are generally simple, but never get boring.
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No real adjustments have been made to the gameplay. The fast travel has been tackled and now it’s a lot easier and faster to get from one part of Sequin Land to another. This does make it a lot more fun to play, because you will of course have to go back to areas where you have already been. There is also a new mode in which you play the same game, but have a lot more magical powers. As a result, enemies do more damage in an attack. This means you will have to take a slightly different approach. They are nice additions, but don’t make the game much better.
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Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut is a fun re-release of a ten year old game. Although the game still plays quite fine, you will notice that it is an older game. Especially in the graphics area we have been spoiled in recent years and the storytelling is also much better in the newer parts. The two most important innovations cannot change that much either. Still, as a Shantae fan you cannot skip this game and fans of Metroidvania games will also get their money’s worth. In any case, you do not have to resist the price, because for less than € 10, you are the proud owner of this platformer.
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