In the video game world, Shantae is an indie darling. She's a darling in the sense that in spite of her rocky beginnings, her games have been well-received for over 15 years and also because she's just so darn cute! In that span of time, there were four games produced. The latest game, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, was successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter and was released in 2016 on many platforms. Throughout 2017 and early 2018, WayForward has released downloadable content in the form of extra modes for Half-Genie Hero. And now WayForward has released the “ultimate” package with the base game and all the DLC put together.
 Is Shantae: Half-Genie Hero – Ultimate Edition worth playing? And if you have already played Half-Genie Hero, is the Ultimate Edition worth a double dip?

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero stars the eponymous Shantae, a spunky half-human, half-genie teenage girl who can use her long purple hair as a bullwhip and can transform into multiple forms through the mystic art of...bellydancing! She is the guardian genie of Scuttle Town, a port town in the whimsical Sequin Land. Unfortunately, the latest attack from the notorious(ly sexy) pirate Risky Boots puts Shantae out of work and a new genie has been hired to take her place. 

Half-Genie Hero is a 2D platformer, which isn't new for the Shantae series, but in this case, the action is more arcade-like than its predecessors. Rather than traversing through one large map with dungeons in between, Half-Genie Hero is divided into stages that are played through by going from point A to point B. The plot is composed of a series of episodes, where each stage plays out a story during the first playthrough. Eventually, Shantae will find her way to Risky's lair and hopefully give Risky the boot. 

There are consequences to this episodic structure, though. One, it makes the game very linear. And second, it gets kinda repetitive. Half-Genie Hero can be cleared in a few hours, and much of that time is spent backtracking through the same five levels looking for key items to get the story going. 

Thankfully, there is a warp dance and a bird whistle to go in and out of a stage, reducing time spent in the game. Backtracking aside, the game is fun. The controls are tight and responsive, the graphics are nicely drawn, with vibrant and well-animated character sprites and lush backgrounds, the tone is lighthearted, silly and cute without it being saccharine, and the music is always a treat for the ears. Frankly, I think Shantae would be an excellent anime or cartoon. 

What separates the original release of Half-Genie Hero to its Ultimate Edition is the inclusion of all of the paid downloadable content of the former into the latter. If you've bought Half-Genie Hero and picked up all of the DLC, then skip the Ultimate Edition; it's the same game in a new package. There are no changes aside from a revised main menu and a Tinkerbat transformation that was originally exclusive to certain backers on Kickstarter. If you've never played Half-Genie Hero, then this is the version to get. And if you own a Nintendo Switch, then this is definitely the version to get; this game is brand new to the Switch. 

The DLC is comprised of a series of alternate modes that add to the base game. There is Hero mode (the main game with all dances unlocked from the start, which is perfect for speedrunning) Hardcore mode (the main game but with Nintendo Hard™ difficulty), Pirate Queen's Quest (an alternate take on the main story starring Risky Boots, with her own moveset), Friends to the End (another take on the main story starring Shantae's friends Sky, Bolo, and Rottytops, with all three characters being playable by alternating them when needed, kinda like Castlevania III), and the Costume Pack (a series of scenarios using the same stages as before with three separate play styles based on ninjas, bikini beach babes, and mighty switch officers). 

Aside from the Hero, Hardcore and Risky modes, the DLC isn't going to blow your mind. The Friends to the End and Costume Pack modes are very linear, with the same stages and their scenarios do not require any backtracking. Friends to the End feels clumsy with the character change, killing what little momentum is needed to move through the stage, and the Costume Pack is slightly better overall except for the Beach mode. The sunscreen mechanic is just not fun at all. With all that said, it's cool to find all of the DLC included in one package, but considering all of the DLC was a result of stretch goals being met on Kickstarter, some of these modes feel a bit tacked on.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero – Ultimate Edition is a fun game but it's a very short one. It's designed to be played through more than once to unlock different ending illustrations once certain conditions are met, such as 100% item completion or finishing the game in under 2 hours...or both! And the DLC modes have their own ending illustrations too, so it's worth playing through them if you're down to try out new flavors of the same dish. 

If you like this game, these manga may interest you: Black Clover, COWA!, Dr. Slump , élDLIVE , Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan , One Piece, Rosario+Vampire . 

by Ray n.