Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is an easy recommendation to any fan of the genre with its lush visuals, memorable soundtrack and varied environments, making it one of the best 2D platformers of recent times.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is WayForward’s finest entry in the series yet. Platformer enthusiasts and people who can’t get enough of collecting virtual trinkets will undoubtedly find something to get lost in here.
I'm a big fan of the Shantae series. Got this on launch day and was not disappointed. Gameplay wise, It plays the best out of all the game in my opinion. The transformations are smooth and cool, and the classic hair-whipping is still there, and it's still satisfying. This game plays more like a traditional platformer as opposed to other games, which may be a positive or negative for some. This does make backtracking a little boring at times, but the game isn't long enough to the point that it would be much of a hassle. Overall, great game.
The last masterpiece of 2D action games in 2016.
Improved music and sound, graphics, stage design and character animation are all excellent.
Simple difficulty is rather an advantage of the game.
I hope the series will continue to come.
Wayforward's heroine has come a long way from her GameBoy beginnings, and she's still got some great adventures in her yet. The gameplay is on point, and the visuals are top notch. The experience is a little on the short side, but fun throughout.
Considering the efforts passionate fans went through to see this franchise have another entry, it comes off as surprising and unfortunate that Wayforward did not decide to take more risks by adding new characters and mechanics. By taking the product as what it is and not what it should be, however, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero ends up as one of this year’s strongest platformers, packed to the brim with secrets, clever writing and a stellar soundtrack.
A very solid Metroidvania-esque platformer that caters to fans old and new. Everything that is loved about this series remains, while a brand new art style and a simple story put the barrier to entry very low.
If there were one word to describe Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, it would be magical. The atmosphere this game creates backs that statement up. If you are unfamiliar with the Shantae series, they fall under the Metroidvania genre; a 2D, exploration based puzzle platformer. The controls are tight, the music is fun, the graphics are gorgeous, and the story is charming as heck; this all makes for a masterpiece ****. I want to touch up on the graphics a bit; simply put, this is one the most beautiful games I have ever played. On par with the games made with the Ubi Art engine (Rayman Legends, Child of Light), the style breaths life into the game. Backgrounds and platforms are beautifully hand drawn and shaded in a vector / watercolor style. Character models are drawn similarly, but with an extra dimension added to make them come alive. The game performs very well, with little slowdowns. Unfortunately it is not locked at 60 frames per second, as I encountered a few frame rate drops here and there during hectic sequences, but nothing that detracted from my experience.
For $20 bucks and a 6-12 hour story with plenty of replayability, buy this game. It is a masterpiece, and any gamer will be doing themselves a disservice by not giving it a try.
I liked it. I think it is a bit over-hyped. Pros: beautiful colorful graphics, catchy music and tight controls. Basic metriodvania goodness if you like backtracking....which leads me to the cons. 6 levels...4 of them you will be visiting a dozen **** be aware of it. I think the dance option selection is unnecessarily tedious. I bought everything in the store 3 levels into the game....which seemed kind of lame. It is easy to max your gems at 999 and not be able to spend it on anything. Some frustrating parts in a few levels that made me want to chuck the **** non-the-less i finish it in 8 hours with 97% completion. I recommend you download it when it is on sale...otherwise there are better games to be played. Game on!
First taste of the series here and I can say: it feels like a Capcom game from the 90s, and the art style and presentation are pretty nice. It's an OK challenge, and I did like it enough to finish it. I thought I'd like the transformations more, but it wasn't winning me over. Still, it's fun if you like these sorts of 2d platformers.
SummaryShantae: Half-Genie Hero is a belly dancing, hair-whipping HD adventure from WayForward, makers of Ducktales Remastered, Adventure Time, and Contra 4.