Shantae

"Representing the GBC!"

Intro

After various reviews, I've finally decided to buy this game for myself. They were right! This game does kick @$$! this package defines and defies all the capabilities of the Game Boy Color. Read on and find out why.

Story- ?

Not really a capability, but still a feature. Have you ever heard of Sequin Land? It was once a magical place, protected from monsters and mishaps by beautiful Gaurdian Genies. During long years of peace, many of the Genies fell in love with mortal men and half-genies were born.
Saldy, as the ages passed, large numbers of the original Genies began disapear, until one day there were no more. Some folks imagined that they had been captured inside bottles, while others believed that the Genies had returned to their own realm.
Without the protection of the Gaurdian Genies, the daughters of the Genies with their limited powers made a decision to stand against evil by themselves. Though they were few and far between, these half-Genies traveled the world, each choosing a different kingdom to gaurd until peace could be won again.
Genie-girl Shantse has the job of protecting a small fishing village named Scuttle Town. She lives in an old lighthouse where she keeps on the lookout for danger. To her surprise, an opportunity for heroism is about to present itself. Uncle Mimic, a widely respected Relic Hunter, has unearthed a mysterious device called a Steam Engine. When he declares that this machine will change the world, news of his discovery sweeps across the seven seas.
When the nefarious lady-pirate Risky Boots hears of this treasure, she launches an attack on Scuttle Town. Now It's up to Shantae to save the day.
I can't figure out what to give the story, but it is related to the gameplay as the story progresses as you play.

Graphics- 11/10

THE best graphics on GBC PERIOD! The sprites are animated sweet as hell, and just about never recycled! There is a large color pallatte here! There is even paralax! Something never used on GBC before(Zelda: Agea & Seasons don't count 'cause those were the intro movies)! Even the GBA works! They've finally found a way to clear up the dark screen by using an enhanced color mode! The graphics are so good, I had to strain my eyes just to see them!

Sound- 9/10

Great for the GBC! 8-bit chaos that reminds me of Aladdin on the Genesis! What I love most about it is the bass! I've played this game on GBC and GBA and have noticed an extended lenght with a certain sound. The GBA also has more bass than the GBC so I play this on GBA alot. The sounds are good but not as good as the music. It's also a little glitchy but still good.

Control- 9/10

Like many half-Genies, Shantae has a few magical quirks. Although she had to teach herself how to dance, she was born with the ability to whip her magical hair. This amazing ability gives her a handy advantage when the finds herself in danger.
Press Up+B on the D-pad to use Items, Left or Right to walk, Down to duck or w/Left or Right to crawl in that direction. Press A to jump. Press B to attack or to speak to other characters. Select to dance away, and Start to pause as in most games. My only complaints are using items which dosen't alwasy work and the Shoulder Dash which could accidentaly lead to your suicide if you hold B for 2 secs. The shoulder Dash is obtained once you buy the Fighter's Cuff, one of the 4 different Fighter's Gear. When bought, each one provides Shantae with a new attack other than her hair whip.

Gameplay- 10/10

I was to include the Fighter's Gear in this area of the review but I was forced not to do so in order to explain one of the control faults. It still counts as gameplay, though. Shantae is a super-tough Action/Adventure with lots of puzzle elements. Like most Action/Adventures, you talk to people to get useful info. Shantae has to travel to 4 different Labyrinth mazes in order to track down the 4 legendary relics. These remind me alot of the dungeons in the Zelda games, but are much more fun. As toy free the Gaurdian Genies who are trapped inside the dungeons, you will earn magical dances than perform various tasks. There are transformations which turns Shantae into a number of different animals who have individual advantages. There are warp dances, which warps Shantae back to any town. There is also a secret dance that you can obtain if you're a good explorer. Last, but not least is the Advance Dance, but I'm not gonna' spoil it for you. There are talismans which gain you the ability to attack as the animals, there are consumable items and weapons to help tou in battle. There are also a number of characters who help you on your quest, but not like ''joining your party''. This game is hard and took me a while to beat. If your a gaming expert, you'll do fine. Even if you have t guess your way through the game. Overall challenging, but fun!

Overall- 10/10

Shantae is hot, but the game's even hotter! Even the GBA works. Don't worry about the light. They fixed that prob in this game. I recently found out that there's going to be a sequel to this already-perfect game! If Shantae was good, the Shantae Advance is gonna' be the hottest of them all! We all owe a big round of applause to Capcom and WayFroward for this wonderful GBC finale. This was not, however, the last game for GBC. There were others as well such as Hamtaro. Buy this as fast as you can before they're all sold out!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 09/28/03