Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is one of those games that can quickly put a smile on the player's face. Perhaps the reason for this is because it reminds us of some of the reasons that led - and still do - many of us to love videogames. Addictive gameplay, incredible soundtrack and charismatic characters. Yes, he is inspired by The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, Castelvania and Metroid, but has his own charisma and charm and is very competent in what he proposes to do.

On the whole, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a stylish and fun 2D platformer that fits as well, if not better, than it does on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Some of the backtracking may be a bit tedious for some and the save system in particular is less than desirable. These are only small criticisms in the grand scheme of things though because Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse as a whole is an absolute joy to play.

Shantae is the type of retro platformer that uses every inch of potential that modern platformers provide, almost as if it was just as scarce as space on an NES cartridge. Aside from the remarkable artistry used to produce Pirate’s Curse, it is just incredible fun to sit down and play.

The Switch version has excellent HD Rumble support. I think WayForward is one of the few developers to nail this in each release. Shantae looks and runs brilliantly on the Switch across both modes as well. It is a near perfect port as far as I’m concerned and the only thing I would’ve wanted more than the current release is a co-op mode with single Joy-Con support.

Tight gameplay, detailed visuals, and charming writing combine to make this a Metroidvania that is a must play for any fans of this genre. We’d give this game a strong recommendation to anybody who hasn’t played it yet and would still encourage veterans to consider double dipping. Though there’s nothing groundbreaking about this re-release, it’s still the same great game that it was before, and the few minor additions are a nice bonus.

If you haven’t gotten around to it by now, this is certainly the best way to play Shantae And The Pirate’s Curse. Tight gameplay, detailed visuals, and charming writing combine to make this a Metroidvania that is a must play for any fans of this genre. We’d give this game a strong recommendation to anybody who hasn’t played it yet and would still encourage veterans to consider double dipping. Though there’s nothing groundbreaking about this re-release, it’s still the same great game that it was before, and the few minor additions are a nice bonus.

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a great platform game, resembling the metroidvania style and standing out for its great artistic design. The story is simple but fun, its charismatic characters and its sense of humor make it an essential within the genre.

This is the same Pirate’s Curse we’ve been playing since 2014. Back then, I called it one of my favorite 3DS games and I maintain that opinion today. Get it in whatever form is most convenient for you (but seriously the 3D effect is ridiculous).

While Shantae and the Pirate's Curse may fall on the simple side when it comes to Metroidvanias, its simplicity winds up being one of its biggest strengths. With little-to-no padding, and a constant feeling of progression, the main adventure flies by at an incredibly comfortable pace. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is creative, charming, and one of the most cleverly designed Metroidvanias on the market.