Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

 PlayStation Vita
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 36 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 36
  3. Negative: 5 out of 36
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  1. Yanarchy
    Dec 21, 2016
    4
    Gaming at 7 FPS has never been less fun. I am a huge Shantae fan, having played every game in the series multiple times and I love every one. I was looking forward to this one for it's HD graphics, but I can confidently say I would rather have the pixel art any day if performance is the price I have to pay. I can only speak for the Vita release, but this game plays like crap! I haveGaming at 7 FPS has never been less fun. I am a huge Shantae fan, having played every game in the series multiple times and I love every one. I was looking forward to this one for it's HD graphics, but I can confidently say I would rather have the pixel art any day if performance is the price I have to pay. I can only speak for the Vita release, but this game plays like crap! I have experienced massive frame drops at even the most non-intensive sections of the game. It might be great on other platforms, and feel free to try this game on them, but don't even bother here. In regards to the gameplay itself, it behaves like classic Shantae: whip, jump, and transform your way through the various levels of the game. Unfortunately, the game decided to totally ditch the exploration element of it's Metroidvania style that made it so much fun to play. Rather than exploring levels room by room, you play through straight-forward left to right platforming levels with practically no exploration whatsoever. You can go back to levels to get new stuff with your new abilities and transformations, but since there is no segmented map to rely on this task becomes tedious and confusing, often requiring you to play an entire level again just for a measly health container or other non-essential power up. In summary, although Shantae has never looked better, this version of the game suffers from massive framerate issues, and the game itself is shallow and tedious. I can't recommend this game, but I might recommend other versions to only the most die-hard of Shantae fans.… Expand
  2. SuperkenGaming
    Dec 20, 2016
    6
    Shantae Half Genie Hero
    Shampoo simulator.
    The game starts with a cryptic message from the genie realm. There’s a dark force wanting to use the genie magic for evil. And naturally it’s up to you, Shantae to save the day. This is a metroidvania styled 2d platformer… But unfortunately the emphasis is on the metroidvania part and not the platforming this was my first Shantae game and    Shantae Half Genie Hero
    Shampoo simulator.
    The game starts with a cryptic message from the genie realm.
    There’s a dark force wanting to use the genie magic for evil.
    And naturally it’s up to you, Shantae to save the day.
    This is a metroidvania styled 2d platformer…
    But unfortunately the emphasis is on the metroidvania part and not the platforming
    this was my first Shantae game and it immediately made a great impression…
    The game doesn’t take itself seriously it all…
    It’s hilarious...
    I was laughing throughout my journey
    You’re first tasked with going to save this village being attacked by pirates and it’s a fairly enjoyable experience.. A great tutorial level...
    Learning your willow smith styled combat whipping your hair back and forth, collecting gems along your way to spend at shops for new attacks like fireballs... and taking out your first boss…
    Then you get back to town with the stolen blueprints.. Your uncle works on this machine to stop this dark force and in the meantime you go help the town’s people…
    Don’t let the colorful, happy first level fool you…
    This is when the game really starts...
    This is a fetch quest trade Item a for item b and then item b for item c and item c for item you get the point…
    You trade items for other items you need to progress through the story and build this machine…
    The search for these items will take you to different levels in the world…
    and sadly there are only 6.. yet reaching the end is going to take you around 7 hours…
    Because this game forces a rinse and repeat gameplay loop…
    There’s an insane difficulty spike from level one to level 2.. Its brutal…
    Explore these levels for new upgrades and new magic forms to reach new areas of the other levels…
    The game relies on this to offer any bit of substance…
    It wants the player to revisit each of the 6 levels numerous times and it isn’t as simple as waiting until you hit a hard boss or level and going to explore for something to help you…
    No, the items requested in these trade deals are in a level you already beat in an area previously inaccessible… but is now accessible thanks to your new transformation
    its basically get ability in level 1 to reach an ability in level 2
    Use level 2s ability to reach an ability in level 1 to get to an ability in level 3 that you need to get to an item in level 2…
    Its constant back and forth between the same 4 levels.
    None of which are fun to re explore…
    And only 1 being fun the first time... that being level 1 with the pirates…
    That isn’t to take away from the gameplay though... its fun…
    There’s a variety of forms shantae can switch into like a monkey to climb walls, and a mermaid to swim under water…. And there are a handful of moments where you have to switch through these forms platforming and attacking…
    These are the best moments in the game…
    But getting from checkpoint to checkpoint isn’t so fun….
    the checkpoints are extremely inconsistent and frustrating…
    Their placements make 0 sense.
    There are very challenging moments in this game with no checkpoints in sight that if you slip up once you’re going to have to redo.. While the simplest and shortest platforming sections will be sandwiched in between 2…
    I’d much rather have a shovel knight system where the checkpoint is placed randomly in level rather than when you exit an area…
    Especially in the volcano level
    there’s an extremely cheap spot in that level that will definitely test your patience as it seems illogical to the games mechanics and feels like something you’ll need to get lucky with to pass
    Shantae the half Genie heroes is a charming game, it’s an addictive and fun game…
    But it’s a shallow experience padded with forced replays.
    I Give Shantae Half Genie Hero
    a 6.5/10    … Expand
  3. TheAdjuster
    Jan 25, 2017
    5
    I was really excited for this game. REALLY excited. Pirate's Curse was one of the best games I've ever played and the prospect of playing similar in HD had me pre-ordering (something I usually don't do). Boy was I disappointed. Btw, I still 100%ed the game in order to give this a fair review.

    But first, The Good: -clean visuals -epic and sexy Giga Mermaid battle -very thoughtful    I was really excited for this game. REALLY excited. Pirate's Curse was one of the best games I've ever played and the prospect of playing similar in HD had me pre-ordering (something I usually don't do). Boy was I disappointed. Btw, I still 100%ed the game in order to give this a fair review.

    But first, The Good:
    -clean visuals
    -epic and sexy Giga Mermaid battle
    -very thoughtful use of transformations, especially the mouse one
    -the first couple of music tracks are amazing. Kaufman did a great job. But after that, the music goes downhill.

    Then, The Bad:
    -I glitched out twice and had to restart the game (in one of the powerup rooms, and as the mouse my camera got stuck zoomed in).
    -the circular Scuttle town is disorienting

    And finally, The Ugly:
    -the character models are very childish
    -the enemy models are very childish
    -the warp dance does not take you to the end of the world, but only to the last section which you gave to grind over and over again if you're trying to just get back to town after looking for another item with your new powerup/transformation.

    The game is still worth it on sale, but otherwise support the developer by buying Pirate's Curse instead.    … Expand
  4. onenaghi
    Jul 29, 2018
    9
    One of the best platformers on the Vita, Shantae plays and looks great. The production level quality is brilliantly demonstrated in the visuals, music, and audio.

    The gameplay is well balanced, including both easy and difficult sections. The game also gives you plenty of opportunities to make use of her various form transformation dances and magic. The game can be be done in less than    One of the best platformers on the Vita, Shantae plays and looks great. The production level quality is brilliantly demonstrated in the visuals, music, and audio.

    The gameplay is well balanced, including both easy and difficult sections. The game also gives you plenty of opportunities to make use of her various form transformation dances and magic. The game can be be done in less than 10 hours, but if you want to collect all the items or look for "clues" for a better ending, it will definitely take longer. Finding secret areas and hidden items is rewarding but going back to find them can sometimes feel repetitive. The level designs are very well done, but it's quality over quantity since there is only a handful of areas to enjoy. Thankfully there are also more modes and characters to explore.

    Overall, I'm very happy to come across this game. If you're looking for a great platform game, this game has plenty of fun. It plays as good as it looks.    … Expand
  5. LuckOfTheFryish
    May 30, 2018
    10
    Easily the best game on the vita, beautiful and frustrating (in a good way)
  6. Tomoncio
    Aug 27, 2021
    9
    ¡Es imprescindible tener este gran plataformas en PSVita! Shantae: Half-Genie Hero tiene una jugabilidad muy buena. No sólo se trata de saltar y derribar enemigos: también tienes que aprender transformaciones (mono, sirena, águila, etc.) y sacar provecho de ellos. Por este motivo, aunque el juego tenga pocas zonas, invita revisitarlas con frecuencia tras adquirir nuevas transformaciones¡Es imprescindible tener este gran plataformas en PSVita! Shantae: Half-Genie Hero tiene una jugabilidad muy buena. No sólo se trata de saltar y derribar enemigos: también tienes que aprender transformaciones (mono, sirena, águila, etc.) y sacar provecho de ellos. Por este motivo, aunque el juego tenga pocas zonas, invita revisitarlas con frecuencia tras adquirir nuevas transformaciones para desbloquear secretos y nuevos poderes. En cuanto a la historia es fácil de entender, si bien la traducción al castellano es bastante mala. Gráficamente se ve genial, aunque en áreas con muchos enemigos pueden haber caídas de FPS (normalmente se mantiene a 60 fps y si baja nunca es por debajo de 40 fps). Y la banda sonora es muy pero que muy motivadora. Aparte del modo de juego principal, mediante DLC puedes desbloquear otros modos donde incluso puedes jugar con otros personajes o cambiar los poderes de Shantae. ¡Sin duda alguna es un imprescindible!… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. The Vita Lounge
    Jan 11, 2017
    90
    A charming action, puzzle, platformer that's competent in almost everything it sets out to accomplish. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a hilarious and tight experience with a very likable cast and excellent visuals, writing, dialogue, and voice-over. If there's one complaint to be had, it's that it's a little too easy.
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  2. Game Informer
    Jan 9, 2017
    78
    Shantae’s reliance on revisiting levels holds Half-Genie hero back, but the excellent platforming, myriad transformation abilities, and characters elevate it to an experience worth pursuing. The world of Sequin Land is a fun place to visit and I enjoyed my time there, even if I was forced to keep seeing the same sights.
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  3. Wccftech
    Jan 8, 2017
    90
    A true blast to play, thanks to a beautiful presentation, great writing and an excellent, varied gameplay experience that never feels stale, with plenty of optional content that makes everything even better.
    Read full review
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