Shantae and the Pirate's Curse Image
Metascore
  1. First Review
  2. Second Review
  3. Third Review
  4. Fourth Review

No score yet - based on 2 Critic Reviews Awaiting 2 more reviews What's this?

User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 55 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
Rate this:
  • 10
  • 9
  • 8
  • 7
  • 6
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • Summary: Embark on a brand new adventure which teams Shantae with her arch nemesis, Risky Boots. When a curse falls upon Sequin Land, Risky Boots and Shantae must join forces to battle unimaginable evil.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. May 15, 2015
    82
    Shantae is high spirits in gaming form. While you can see the 3DS source within the rough visuals the mechanics are as enchanting as ever – a beautiful open MetroidVania platform adventure.
  2. May 5, 2015
    80
    Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is a very good arcade adventure game, with a beautiful sense of style and good level design.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. Mar 27, 2020
    10
    best game in the Shantae series. the soundtrack absolutely slaps as well. No transformations but the pirate gear is just as good
  2. Sep 9, 2017
    10
    Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, the third installment of the series, is NEAR PERFECT of a game. Definitely improves functionality wise,Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, the third installment of the series, is NEAR PERFECT of a game. Definitely improves functionality wise, graphic wise, and so so much more!!

    My first shot at the series was the original GBC game, and then Risky's Revenge. These two games are charming in terms of characters and soundtrack, yet the slow controls and too-close sprites against the screen made it a bit difficult to enjoy at times.

    HOWEVER! Pirate's Curse is such a great balance of a game, oh my god.

    Story: 10/10. Possibly my favorite out of all the games! I think this game has the strongest plot; it really drives the gameplay and Shantae's role.

    Characters: 9/10. Similarly to the story, I think the characters are REALLY interesting in this game out of all of the series. Almost all the characters play a memorable role for a portion of the game, and the dialogue is witty and cute. I love it.

    Graphics: 9/10. The pixel art is similar to that of Risky's Revenge, but come on, Shantae has had outstanding pixel art since it's first game! Very animated, intricate, and the color schemes are beautifui.

    Difficulty: 8/10. This game, I think, is not so much difficult when it comes to bosses, but can be when it comes to the levels. A select amount of the levels can be very, "tricky". But the backtracking in the game is tolerable! In fact it's fun discovering new items when you go back with new abilities. Speaking of which...

    Mechanics: 9/10. ...the abilities in this specific game is so much fun! I could understand how many fans prefer the mechanics in this game out of all the series, but I played GBC, RR, HGH, and then Pirate's Curse. Half Genie Hero really improves the dancing abilities which made the mechanics really fun, but Pirate's Curse's abilities--which is Risky's Pirate powers, is charming as well! I would say that this game is the most fast paced of the series, and what's really cool is being able to perform the power ups at almost any given time.

    Soundtrack: 10/10. I LOVEE the music of all the games. All composed by Jake Kaufman. Catchy, upbeat, fun. Enough said.

    I wouldn't miss out on this game! You can tell there's so much heart put into making Pirate's Curse. The story is strong, the characters are entertaining, and the mechanics are rhythmic! The second game I've ever 100%ed, next to Half Genie Hero! Shantae is just a great series in general. Just play it!
    Expand
  3. Sep 3, 2021
    10
    Shantae and The Pirate's Curse is a pretty unique take on the series. Shantae loses her powers and the end of the last game. it's up to her toShantae and The Pirate's Curse is a pretty unique take on the series. Shantae loses her powers and the end of the last game. it's up to her to get back her powers and despite losing her powers, the gameplay is still good. Expand
  4. Sep 16, 2015
    9
    Awesome game, very good and detailed pixilated animation, sometimes it looks so adorable, perfect soundtrack, nice story and characters,Awesome game, very good and detailed pixilated animation, sometimes it looks so adorable, perfect soundtrack, nice story and characters, decent and responsible controls for a gamepad, but not for a keybord. Expand
  5. Jun 22, 2016
    9
    Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is the third and most refined entry of the series thus far, forming what is now called the “sprite trilogy”. InShantae and the Pirate’s Curse is the third and most refined entry of the series thus far, forming what is now called the “sprite trilogy”. In this installment, Shantae teams up with longtime series antagonist Risky Boots on a quest to tame an ancient curse that threatens all of Sequin Land. Bereft of her genie magic, Shantae must instead make use of powerful pirate items: Risky’s pistol, hat, boots, scimitar and cannon, to traverse the world. The overworld and warp points of the earlier games are replaced with a free-roaming stage select, where Risky’s ship takes you to each of the levels, and she can be talked to at almost any time to leave your current island and travel elsewhere, up to the very end of the game. Easily twice the length of Risky’s Revenge, Pirate’s Curse retains most of the advances made in that game and also brings back a number of elements not seen since the original GBC game, most notably, the bathhouse in Scuttle Town that lets your recover health for free. Also, reloading a save will refill Shantae’s health. Pike balls are once again consumables as in the original, and the storm puffs and fireballs are gone, but Risky’s Pistol provides unlimited ranged attacks and can be upgraded, like Shantae’s hair, for more damage. Shantae can use the hat to glide, the scimitar to pogo-jump enemies a la Shovel Knight, the boots to do a Super Metroid-style boost run, and the cannon to do up to three additional jumps, altogether making Shantae her most maneuverable self yet. The same great sprites seen in Risky’s Revenge are augmented with new character art, new music, and a variety of new environments and enemies that revisit those seen in Shantae 1. Other new editions include consumable items that boost Shantae’s attack damage, food items that drop off enemies and restore various amounts of health, and “pirate flares” that allow you to return to Risky at any time, so long as you are outdoors. Overall, Pirate’s Curse is considerably more challenging then Risky’s Revenge but not to the point of frustration- falling into a death pit or touching the spikes merely removes a single hit point and returns you to the entrance of the current room, and you can have a total of forty, and carry enough health items to render an actual game over a near-impossibility- thanks to the addition of auto-potions that trigger automatically upon losing all your health. It is not however, anywhere near as cheap as the first game, and for that I am thankful. If you liked the previous Shantae titles, Metrodivanias or platformers of any kind, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a treat for your eyes, ears and fingers that should not be missed. Expand
  6. Jan 15, 2022
    7
    Ох, сложно дать этой игре оценку. С одной стороны она мне понравилась, но с другой...
    Моя жопа сгорела на хрен! Я её раз 7 чуть не удалил!
    Ох, сложно дать этой игре оценку. С одной стороны она мне понравилась, но с другой...
    Моя жопа сгорела на хрен! Я её раз 7 чуть не удалил!
    Часто непонятно, что нужно делать и приходится бегать вслепую по всем локам.
    Тайминги периодически неадекватные, и это при том, что игра сама по себе не сложная.
    Короче, альт+ф4, мат и гайды на ютубе будут с вами до конца игры.
    Впрочем, я не исключаю возможности, что я тупой рак.)
    Expand
  7. Aug 14, 2015
    0
    could be a decent game, but the lack of keyboard binding options makes it absolutely unplayable. the lack of rebinding options is absolutelycould be a decent game, but the lack of keyboard binding options makes it absolutely unplayable. the lack of rebinding options is absolutely lazy and something that is not to be tolerated in this time and age Expand

See all 10 User Reviews