Developed and Published By: Wayforward
Date of Release: May 8, 2018
Price: $29.99
Hey everyone! Our favorite half-genie is back! From the time that the original Shantae launched back on the Game Boy Color up until the last release, Shantae and The Pirate's Curse, this series has been known for awesome metroidvania gameplay, an amazing soundtrack, bouncy beauties, and a familiar pixelated charm. However with Shantae: Half-Genie Hero things have majorly changed on the latter front, pixels are out and gorgeous hand drawn HD sprites are in! Thankfully all the series other hallmarks are still there (including Jake Kaufman's signature jams), all that has changed is the visual aesthetic.
From the first level of the game (which features an AMAZING vocal number by Shantae's voice actress, Christina Vee.) where you face off with the Part Omni-Organic, Partially Titanic, Ocean-Optional Tinkerslug (don't call it P.O.O.P. T.O.O.T.!) it's clear that the team at Wayforward have not lost their touch, and that Half-Genie hero is definitely not Half-Baked. The game runs at a smooth 60fps, and scales nicely all the way up to 4k. On top of that the controls are tight with zero discernible input lag. All the good stuff is still here in full form, and the new visuals just add a nice feel to the whole experience. Also, giant-ass mermaids are freakin' awesome!
Of course it wouldn't be an Ultimate Edition without a shipload of extras, and this edition delivers the booty! All of the original DLC is included, and a whole raft of extras like concept art and formerly backer-exclusive content is there. The game is majorly extended by all the new game modes that have been added, I've already sunk about 30 hours extra into everything after clearing the main scenario. Now, I have the digital release but if you spring for a physical edition you get an awesome artbook and the game's soundtrack on CD. It's a damn good haul whether you spring for digital or physical.
My only complaint about the Ultimate Edition is that it feels a bit overwhelming at first. You've got a damn lengthy main game, a remixed version where you play the villain, a hardcore mode, and three costumes to mix things up. The added costumes even have their own playstyle and rulesets that pretty much change the game completely. There's a helluva lot of stuff there, and my complaints really aren't a negative. So if you love platformers, metroidvanias, bouncy babes with bodacious bods, and counterfeit mermaids, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is the game for you.
