When it comes to platformers, it seems as if nobody is more experienced than WayForward. Originally founded in 1990, the studio has crafted such excellent platformer titles such as the Mighty Switch Force series, A Boy and His Blob, and Contra 4, as well as a couple of decisive duds like Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze, and Ducktales Remastered. But if anything there’s always been a recurring trend that the more original titles coming out of the studio, tend to be the better ones. And with a developing icon as recognizable as Shantae, here’s our case if the good side of Way Forward has continued to proceed accordingly.
Gameplay:
In Shantae and The Pirate’s Curse, you’ll get the typical elements of what you’d expect coming out of a platformer game, yet they are all a lot more fleshed out, combined with a sense of originality and nostalgia. The latter is something I’ve always seen at the heart of WayForwards best properties, and it rings true here. The game doesn’t hold your hand through any particular section, something impressive for a platformer releasing in the year 2016. And better yet, a lot of the enemies are bright like a bulb with personality, lending more characteristic cadence to some levels.
Story/ Design:
Something that can make or break a platformer is how sparingly powerups and heath pickups are placed throughout a level. Too many, and the game will feel like a breeze, but in a more tedious manner. And with too little, you’re likely to have a more frustrating experience on your hands. With Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, this is streamlined into serving not only hardcore platforming fans, but also casuals. Great finishing touches like these are present in a lot more of Shantae’s design, although I think it’s something that’s better to experience on your own. Leave it to the guys and gals with over twenty years of expertise to make the platformer genre all right yet again.
Presentation/ Visuals & Audio:
Another nostalgic factor present in Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is the pixelated graphics, but these never feel too overbearing or tropey. Rather they fit the game quite well, and offer a nice balance between the soundtrack and the animated slide cutscenes. I don’t necessarily think the font went the same way, but that’s a tiny flaw in a list of many non-grievances I have with not only this game’s presentation, visuals and audio, but also it’s other remaining factors as well.
Conclusion:
Shantae and The Pirate’s Curse is one of the best platformer’s I’ve played this year, simply because it’s fundamentals are so damn well executed. Other games have problems with jumps being too floaty or design aspects being too repetitive, but Shantae has none of this. Yet it makes sense why, this game has heart and passion poured into it, while some other games face a not so lucky ordeal.
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse gets a 8/10 (Very Good)
We’d like to thank WayForward for sending us a code!
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