Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse Review

No genie powers? No problem!

The first two Shantae games originally came out on the Game Boy Color and DSiWare, not the most illustrious platforms. Nevertheless, fans latched on to the series for its cheerful personality and well-executed Metroidvania design. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, the newest entry in the series, channels that same energy and adds a layer of polish to help elevate the series. Shantae touts a cult following, but The Pirate's Curse proves the series deserves a larger audience.

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse picks up where Risky's Revenge left off, though it tells a simple enough story to follow along without prior knowledge. The half-genie Shantae acclimates to life without her genie powers following the conclusion of the previous game, until she's confronted by her nemesis Risky Boots. The two form an unlikely alliance to defeat a new evil, the Pirate Master. The actual narrative arc is paper-thin—it's the characters and the world that contributes to Shantae's charm. The titular protagonist's bubbly personality becomes infectious throughout the course of the game, and she has plenty of similarly charismatic companions who show up from previous games. It's an imaginative and detailed world that leaves the player wanting more.

Sadly, Pirate's Curse features few narrative interludes. The mechanics of the game dominate much of the experience, which is mostly fine due to the game's excellent level design. But developer WayForward presents a wonderful world full of likeable characters and then sparingly uses it. By the time I finished the game, I wanted to learn more about the cast of colorful personalities and their time between games. Pirate's Curse doesn't strike that perfect balance, though it compensates in gameplay.

Metroidvania design still works today because it creates a powerful incentive to discover new powers and utilize them in old locations. That one ledge I can't reach haunts me for hours on end until I find the double-jump ability. Then I find it and rejoice in my ability to achieve new heights. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse understands the push/pull mentality of this brand of game design and excels because of it. New powers and abilities come at a steady pace but don't feel overwhelming. Environments can be thoroughly explored, though there are always a few hidden areas to return to later in the game. It creates that powerful incentive, not frustration.

The game also incorporates upgrades and items to help Shantae defeat the Pirate Master. Players collect gems and use them to increase Shantae's health, hair damage, pistol damage, and various other abilities. The Pirate's Curse provides a decent challenge in the face of numerous upgrades. Items, on the other hand, trivialize the difficulty and emphasize one of the game's biggest flaws.

Players touch the bottom screen of the 3DS to use a number of items, from milk that increases Shantae's attack power to auto-potions that revive the protagonist when she dies. Gems aren't hard to come by, which provides plenty of opportunities to stock up on items. It's possible to ignore the bottom screen, but I find it hard to resist the temptation when items are just sitting there in the inventory. Thus, the game becomes far too easy, especially during otherwise enjoyable boss fights. The only time I found myself on the verge of death was my attempt to traverse a nasty platforming section near the end of the game. Other than that, I had little trouble.

The lack of meaningful obstacles lessens the overall experience a bit, but Shantae and the Pirate's Curse still stands as an excellent addition to a series with a devoted fan base. The Pirate's Curse adheres to the Metroidvania formula from previous games, but everything here feels bigger and better. I imagine the devoted fan base will only grow after more people play it.