Shakedown Hawaii

 Switch
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
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  1. GameSpace
    May 7, 2019
    85
    Shakedown Hawaii one-ups Retro City Rampage in almost every way, and is most certainly a must-play on the Nintendo Switch.
  2. Gamer.nl
    Jun 20, 2019
    80
    Not every part of Shakedown Hawaii gets the same amount of love, but as satire and classic GTA game, it is very convincing. The extreme high tempo and the big number of jokes make this game great from start to end.
  3. Switch Player
    May 20, 2019
    80
    Shakedown: Hawaii is one-part GTA and one-part capitalism simulator. Yet this combination provides an interesting power trip that also manages to act as a somewhat successful critique of the woes of contemporary business practices.
  5. Nintenderos
    May 20, 2019
    80
    Shakedown: Hawaii is an incredible open world game that has a great story. Its gameplay is absolutely amazing too. Last but not least, the soundtrack and graphics are outstanding and fit perfectly with the 80s 90s style of the game. A great title in general that fans of GTA will love.
  6. 3DJuegos
    May 14, 2019
    80
    Excellent GTA-style 2D action adventure game totally recreated in a 16 bit "look and feel". Fun main missions, absolutely crazy minigames and arcade sections and awesome chiptune music.
  7. 4P.de
    May 13, 2019
    77
    Thoroughly entertaining top-down-action reminiscent of the early GTAs. While the economy and industry elements are a welcome addition they stay superficial and could be connected to the core mechanics in a more coherent or more meaningful way.
  8. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Feb 27, 2020
    75
    Overall, there's enough charm here in Shakedown: Hawaii to wring out a number of hours of enjoyment. [Issue #40 – July/August 2019, p. 28]
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  9. PLAY! Zine
    Jul 8, 2019
    75
    A worthy successor to the Retro City Rampage, this is a 16-bit pack full of action and explosions that destroy even the fourth wall and jump right into your heart. If you loved GTA and the 16-bit era, you will love this game.
  10. Pure Nintendo
    Jun 17, 2019
    75
    Regardless of how “intense” it is (or isn’t) Shakedown: Hawaii is still a fun, beautiful game, and I enjoyed my overall experience with it.
  11. FNintendo
    Jun 28, 2019
    70
    Shakedown: Hawaii brings forth a fun, well-humoured and visually satisfying 16-bit inspired world to a game that despite its good intentions, does not fully tick all the necessary boxes to achieve its entire potential. Mostly because the game feels like it ends too quickly, even though there is still plenty to do but the overall feeling of repetitiveness and a certain lack of challenge make it less compelling and involving than it could be. All that said, this is still a good effort that will keep players enjoyed.
  12. NintendoWorldReport
    May 7, 2019
    65
    I'm not mad at Shakedown: Hawaii, just disappointed. Vblank demonstrated a deep understanding of mechanics-based story cohesion in its last release, but that seems to be forgotten here. The disconnect between plot and play in Shakedown leave both shallow and underwhelming.
  13. Nintendo Life
    May 8, 2019
    60
    VBlank Entertainment’s second GTA parody isn’t the close-to-perfect sequel we expected, but it’s still a decent game. Despite all of its numerous shortcomings, there’s still some fun to be had when you’re not toiling through menus, but it's hard not be disappointed when you consider VBlank's previous work; hopefully, like Retro City Rampage, we’ll see a better DX version in the future. As it stands, Shakedown: Hawaii is full of potential, but it’s overshadowed by monotony.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Polygon
    May 20, 2019
    I’m left with a sense of unfulfilled ambition. Shakedown: Hawaii presents itself as a unique real estate-centric twist on open-world action, but it seems satisfied to stick with a cheap rental.

Awards & Rankings

91
#91 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019
68
#68 Most Shared Switch Game of 2019

User Reviews

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User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 45
  3. Negative: 9 out of 45
  1. stsherma
    May 8, 2019
    9
    Shakedown Hawaii is a mesmerizing ode to something akin to a genesis game back in the 90s. The game plays a lot like the original Retro CityShakedown Hawaii is a mesmerizing ode to something akin to a genesis game back in the 90s. The game plays a lot like the original Retro City Rampage, and while some people may have hoped for improvements in some areas, the game is far from bad. In fact, I find it to be a great game.

    Style: Shakedown Hawaii is a GTA clone set in (where else?) Hawaii. In the game you'll do missions of a lot of going from point A to point B, but the missions are now more advanced than what they were in RCR. There are GTA-style rampages, tons of cars to collect, respray, and destroy. There are a multitude of guns to use, and a big city to explore. A big point of the game will be owning the ENTIRE island. The game is about making oodles of money, and having the biggest, baddest empire around, a lot like a game of monopoly.

    Story:
    The story of Shakedown Hawaii involves you running an empire. In the story, you're constantly borrowing from ideas that your CEO sees on screen and executing them, but then also being hindered by how technology has advanced. There's an interesting dynamic in the story because not only do the characters cater to consumers (trying to be a slimy as possible), they too are consumers and have to deal with the fallback of a greedy, capitalist society. However, the story isn't quite as fleshed out as RCR. Generally it feels like the missions fall a bit short because in kind of feels like the whole game is just one big mission, and not really divided up into many different missions. The missions don't seem to really have much viable conclusion like they did in RCR. Also, the missions follow a general pattern which may not appeal to some people. Despite this, the missions work. And they are as fun as they ever were. If you liked RCR, you'll like the missions. In my opinion, the humor is improved too.

    Graphics: This is where the game really shines. The amount of detail put into this game is really top-notch. It really feels like a 16 bit genesis game. The palm trees sway like in a game such as Streets of Rage, and the world just has a motion to it as the people walk around taking selfies, dancing and doing all sorts of other activities. One of the most amazing features is how everything in the game is destructible. The amount of detail here can't be stressed more.

    Gameplay: What can I say about the gameplay? Well, it's RCR. The car mechanics are roughly the same, though I found it easier to drive. However, there is still the problem of cops being around every corner, and when you're driving you'll often bump into them. The roads, just like in RCR, are somewhat tiny, and only one car can fit per lane, so it makes it a little annoying always having to squeeze through cars. In that case, a lot of times I'd rather walk. The guns are much improved now, and you can even shoot out a window with any gun (Yay!). There were some problems with the lock-on system. Sometimes I'd be trying to aim for someone, and my character would, for some reason, be shooting a palm tree instead of a guy. However, I must say that the auto-aim is improved for the guns. Most of the time, they work. The slaughter-spree/GTA-style rampage modes are also more balanced this time around, akin to RCR:DX. I'm not fully through the game yet, but I have had problems with there being no map markers for things like gun stores, hat stores, shoe stores, and ect.

    Sound: Wow, the sound is improved since RCR. The 16-bit music is just so great, and I always find myself tapping to the songs that I hear in the game. Some people may be turned off by the 16-bit sounds (what?! 16-bit?!). Yes, it's 16-bit, so don't expect the most advanced sounds to come out of a pedestrian when you blow him away with a pistol. However, these sounds work. The music really works, and you can tell that this is one area that is vastly improved from RCR, especially in terms of the music.

    Overall: In summation, Shakedown Hawaii is VASTLY, VASTLY improved from RCR. The sound, graphics, style, and gameplay are top-notch. For the price-tag of $20, you can do much worse. Really, I don't see why anyone would have a problem with this game. It may not have every feature imaginable in the game that everyone (especially critics) may have wanted, things such as map markers, a greater variety of side things to do, and a different gameplay scheme, but these things are completely ceded by just how great of an experience the game really is.    … Full Review »
  2. JCG
    May 10, 2019
    10
    A captivating, smart, and fun game with plenty of hours of entertainment value. Everyone that plays this game will enjoy the many pop cultureA captivating, smart, and fun game with plenty of hours of entertainment value. Everyone that plays this game will enjoy the many pop culture references weaved cleverly in the game. Vblank hit it out of the park with this one! I give this game my highest recommendation. This game won't disappoint you!… Full Review »
  3. EmuGamer
    May 9, 2019
    10
    The vibrant GTA-style game with some strategy elements. Absolutely love it!
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