Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

I love Shantae games, and Half Genie hero is no exception. Explore beautiful new, vibrant worlds in HD while playing on your TV or on the go. While there are a few small downsides like easy enemies and short story length, the gameplay and boss fights make up for it and I highly recommend checking it out!

Some of the meta-humor in Half-Genie Hero had to be explained, since this happened to be my first Shantae game. It definitely won’t be the last – I’ve got all four now on various Nintendo systems, and I’ll definitely dive into the ones I’ve missed. But you never forget your first, and I’m definitely “RET-2-GO” if WayForward brings it back.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is an enjoyable experience and although Shantae doesn’t necessarily bring anything brand new to the table you can see the respect, love and polish the developers have for the genre that led them to create a game like this in the first place. With strong platformers already on the Switch such as Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, Blaster Master Zero and Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero stands strong and proudly amongst them.

All told, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero has never been better; the enhanced versatility of the Switch lends the game a new sort of appeal and convenience that wasn’t there before, and the first DLC expansion is due out this summer. This is a charming, colourful, and sometimes challenging Metroidvania that will no doubt prove to be a memorable addition to your collection.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a beautiful, fun platformer that is a welcome addition to the Switch’s library. A little on the short side, the game does suffer from being too easy in its “normal” game mode. Still, if 2D platformers are your thing, you can’t go wrong with Half-Genie Hero, the titular belly-dancer will certainly have you tapping your feet to the beat – just make sure you play in Hard Core Mode if you like a challenge!

A few unnecessary special abilities may have been tacked on, but the balance for the essential ones is spot on. Also, it may suffer from being too easy on the standard difficulty setting, but there is a harder setting for veterans to tackle, as well as plenty of reasons to revisit the different levels included, with a Metroid-esque feel to proceedings at times.

A bright, sharp 2D platformer that's brimming with diversions and exciting set pieces.

A primeira incursão de Shantae no mundo da alta definição é bem-sucedida, sendo a apresentação audiovisual a componente mais forte do jogo. Já o cerne do jogo tem imenso potencial, boas ideias e qualidade em termos gerais mas precisava daquele toque e polimento que destaca as obras primas dos bons jogos. Talvez numa futura sequela Shantae se possa tornar num marco dos indies.