Shantae: Half-Genie Hero - Ultimate Edition

 Switch
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 95 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 74 out of 95
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 95
  3. Negative: 8 out of 95
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  1. Winko
    May 26, 2018
    6
    Good:
    - Fantastic soundtrack that excels with a variety of genres
    - Great art style and smooth animations - Uses foreground, background, and 3D space very effectively - Runs perfectly on the Switch Mixed: - Switching between forms is tedious, but it does add a lot of gameplay variety to an otherwise straightforward platformer - Boss fights are pretty imaginative, but being able to    Good:
    - Fantastic soundtrack that excels with a variety of genres
    - Great art style and smooth animations
    - Uses foreground, background, and 3D space very effectively
    - Runs perfectly on the Switch

    Mixed:
    - Switching between forms is tedious, but it does add a lot of gameplay variety to an otherwise straightforward platformer
    - Boss fights are pretty imaginative, but being able to heal yourself in the middle of battle mitigates any real challenge
    - The DLC that comes with the Ultimate Edition adds some nice gameplay variation, but it really just boils down to running through the same stages, fighting through the same enemies, and beating the same bosses that are found throughout the campaign

    Bad:
    - Replaying the same levels over and over again to find secrets and progression items gets real old, real fast
    - The currency system is very easily exploitable
    - The story is all over the place; plays out as a series of seperate segments rather than a linear journey
    - The hint system is close to useless
    - Very weak final boss
    XXX    … Expand
  2. JarvisPaker
    Feb 22, 2019
    9
    This is a excellent game for this one who love platform games. Fantastic graphics with good music create an amazing experience. Mechanics are just great. For bad things in my opinion is replaying the same levels too many times. In Ultimate version you have some other stories to discover and and they are also remarkable.
  3. Pakon
    Mar 24, 2019
    9
    A great platformer game with excellent graphics and gameplay. The Ultimate Edition is a bonus since it adds different ways to play the game and extra story. Highly recommended if you are a platformer fan.
  4. Kosama
    May 19, 2018
    9
    La versión fisica es de la mejores que hay en switch.
    El juego es genial y sus DLC hacen super rejugable.
  5. VixenFreya
    May 16, 2018
    6
    Never played and Shantae games but it failed to grab me. Returned the game within a day...
  6. thisisdot
    Jan 29, 2019
    4
    This was my first exposure to the series, I had been recommended it by a few people and had some money to drop, but holy crap what the heck were they thinking? Why make a platformer with the core mechanic being "STOP!!!!!!!" why put such a focus on character writing if you aren't going to make a cohesive story, and after doing some research I also found out that all the extra modes in thisThis was my first exposure to the series, I had been recommended it by a few people and had some money to drop, but holy crap what the heck were they thinking? Why make a platformer with the core mechanic being "STOP!!!!!!!" why put such a focus on character writing if you aren't going to make a cohesive story, and after doing some research I also found out that all the extra modes in this game WEREN'T EVEN AVAILABLE AT LAUNCH AND WERE SEPARATE DLC... this game was already short enough as it is, but holy crap it's unforgivable to release a game like this.

    If I were to identify the biggest problem, it's gotta be the main mechanic, the transformation system is such a mess that I can't believe a series could've existed for nearly 20 years using this mechanic. Such a pace breaking mechanic with so little application that I can't even fathom what the idea was behind it... if that's what the rest of this series is like, I don't see this series deserving a 6 let alone an 84.

    I later tried Pirate's Curse as some Shantae fans said that game is great, but god dang it didn't grab me in, guess this series just isn't for me.    … Expand
  7. wumbo26848
    Dec 26, 2020
    0
    It’s pretty much Super Mario Bros but with unnecessary features that make it a lot less fun. One of the only reasons people play is probably the overdone fan service.
  8. chavaflyfree
    Jun 22, 2018
    7
    I've been a long running fan of the series and I was blown away with the original GBC and had great fun with the DS and 3DS installments. For this game, Wayforward has achieved great visuals, animations, controls and sound but the gameplay feels a bit behind the other games.
    The stages are short and pretty lineal and you can identify the location of most the collectibles pretty easily so    I've been a long running fan of the series and I was blown away with the original GBC and had great fun with the DS and 3DS installments. For this game, Wayforward has achieved great visuals, animations, controls and sound but the gameplay feels a bit behind the other games.
    The stages are short and pretty lineal and you can identify the location of most the collectibles pretty easily so you can get back once you have the required upgrades but the lack of a map and the amount of times you have to revisit each stage can become tedious.
    The added DLC content helps expanding the duration so you can get over 5 hours (maybe up til 10 if you go for 100%), but the stages are the same only with different mechanics.
    The worst thing has to be the spanish translation. It just doesn't makes sense, it's porrly translated and puts you off the (simple) story.
    It's a good game, though.    … Expand
  9. Tortor
    Jun 18, 2022
    8
    Took 9 hours to 100% everything in the base game. That includes getting every collectible and item there is.

    Short experience but there is some replayability with extra DLC modes that re-use the same maps. The re-use of the same maps though does get some changes with enemies, different characters/abilities and sometimes layout changes but overall the general feel is the same. Once doing    Took 9 hours to 100% everything in the base game. That includes getting every collectible and item there is.

    Short experience but there is some replayability with extra DLC modes that re-use the same maps. The re-use of the same maps though does get some changes with enemies, different characters/abilities and sometimes layout changes but overall the general feel is the same. Once doing the main campaign though I felt comfortably done-done. You already revisit this small list of maps enough in the main campaign, i was getting tired of seeing the same areas so the drive to revisit these yet again for the DLC just to milk some extra play, gets old and doesn't terribly feel like it adds too much more. Its a short experience but a good one. I'm not good at platformer and loved how accessible this felt but still challenging when it needed to be. Very good use of map design and feeling of perpetual growth. It does feel a little fast however to see everything there is to see. There just isn't a lot of maps and once you finish it once youre expected to zoom through it like 5 times each to get every collectible after every major skill upgrade. The small price tag on this though made the short run time feel appropriate so definitely not holding thst against this game, just wish it was longer because I was just really loving this art style and good map design.    … Expand
  10. Marmeg
    Aug 20, 2018
    5
    This game has gorgeous visuals and soundtrack but sadly that's about it. The gameplay is slow due to so many transformations that are pretty useless except for the monkey and elephant (seriously who thought about the fish transformation?) Don't even get me started at the difficulty level, it's a joke
  11. Emmett601
    Oct 23, 2018
    6
    Everything is just too simple in this game, it just can't compare to the other platforming giants on the system like Shovel Knight, Dead Cells, Sonic Mania, and Hollow Knight. It sure does look and sound nice though.
  12. 10bitrevolt
    Jun 29, 2018
    8
    This game is a good jump n run with great visuals, good controls and nice soundtrack.
    The main campain is pretty short but combined with the other modes you will get a solid play time for this.
    But if you played Shantae Pirate's Curse then you will realize that they made some steps backward, for example exploration here is more like super mario, Pirate's Curse was more like Metroid in    This game is a good jump n run with great visuals, good controls and nice soundtrack.
    The main campain is pretty short but combined with the other modes you will get a solid play time for this.
    But if you played Shantae Pirate's Curse then you will realize that they made some steps backward, for example exploration here is more like super mario, Pirate's Curse was more like Metroid in exploration. Also the character interaction were better in Pirate's Curse.
    But overall it is a good game and worth your time.    … Expand
  13. Sunshadow87
    Jul 21, 2018
    9
    Pese a no ser el mejor de la saga, es un juego con gran rejugabilidad que te hara exprimir las horas mejorando para tratar de desbloquear los bonus de tiempo y complecionista. Sin embargo solo recomiendo la version ultimate con todos los dlcs (jugar con risky, con la dificultad endiablada de los trajes especiales, etc), ya que es donde realmente el juego brilla, ya que jugar con la shantaePese a no ser el mejor de la saga, es un juego con gran rejugabilidad que te hara exprimir las horas mejorando para tratar de desbloquear los bonus de tiempo y complecionista. Sin embargo solo recomiendo la version ultimate con todos los dlcs (jugar con risky, con la dificultad endiablada de los trajes especiales, etc), ya que es donde realmente el juego brilla, ya que jugar con la shantae basica es pateticamente facil y no aporta ningun desafio… Expand
  14. NoregardMax
    Sep 5, 2018
    8
    God how I love these games. Shantae have something in her that keeps me hanging around :) Graphics, animations, gameplay, story - game have it all really well done. I can recommend the game to anyone
  15. greninjaX
    Dec 1, 2018
    9
    even if you haven't played the other shantae games, anyone who enjoys platformers should pick this up. also shantae is hot
  16. KSidonio
    Jan 22, 2019
    9
    I don't usually take the time to review games but this game stood out to me. Let me start by saying the soundtrack is captivating and the game is well worth the price. There are so many different collectibles and abilities that it allows you to fully immerse yourself into the game and spend hours trying to 100% it. The game finds a good balance in not being too easy and not being tooI don't usually take the time to review games but this game stood out to me. Let me start by saying the soundtrack is captivating and the game is well worth the price. There are so many different collectibles and abilities that it allows you to fully immerse yourself into the game and spend hours trying to 100% it. The game finds a good balance in not being too easy and not being too challenging. The icing on the cake has to be the visuals. This game is vibrant and colorful and runs so smoothly on the system. The only issue I had with this game is that the story is basic. Not that it's bad, there just isn't any plot twists or dynamic endings that I seem to enjoy. But that could just be narrowed down to personal preference. Other than that the game is solid and is definitely worth the price!

    Solid 9/10    … Expand
  17. TheFacelessLich
    Aug 6, 2019
    5
    Why more isn't always good!

    I recently discovered the series and fell in love with the characters and world. I ended up playing through Risky's Revenge, The Pirate's Curse and this game within the span of a week and honestly, now that I am done with all three... Half-Genie Hero feels like a step DOWN for the series to me. Yes there is MORE stuff in it, but it just makes it feel flabby.    Why more isn't always good!

    I recently discovered the series and fell in love with the characters and world. I ended up playing through Risky's Revenge, The Pirate's Curse and this game within the span of a week and honestly, now that I am done with all three... Half-Genie Hero feels like a step DOWN for the series to me. Yes there is MORE stuff in it, but it just makes it feel flabby. In previous games every transformation and power was given time to develop and be useful consistently. This time, there are so many transformations they feel less special and more gimmicky than anything else.

    The gameplay also felt more clunky than previous titles. Maybe that's because of the 10 odd forms you could take necessitating constant switching, or just the game itself is slower in its animations and reactions. Also late game the only thing that will give you a challenge is platforming unless you turn off specific items.

    A few platforming sequences also reminded me unpleasantly of that final dungeon section in Pirate's Curse and the time it took to get them right kind of undermined the whole 'climactic tension'. There were a few point at which I was tempted to just watch the ending on YouTube, but persevered.

    I also didn't enjoy the way it's so... Mario-esque, with the whole stage clear animations and perspective switches. It made the world feel smaller somehow.

    On to the good points!

    I still like the story; the weird inhabitants of the world make it fun and you never know who or what you might need next that requires a specific item that you found by accident, is always amusing and can surprise you.

    The new style is also nice visually; very crisp and the animation was fluid and amusing at times, especially people's idle animations. You can tell these are characters that are enjoying themselves.

    The soundtrack is also brilliant! Arguably my favourite part of the game.

    Those are my thoughts though. It's possible my relative inexperience with platforming games is what kept me from truly enjoying the game, but it can't be the only reason, since I did enjoy the previous entries in the series.    … Expand
  18. Gloomy64
    Jul 18, 2020
    9
    Shantae is a fun collect-a-thon platformer, with beautiful visual style, smooth game play and is an absolute joy to play.
    As a long term fan of the series I would recommend Half Genie hero as a jumping off point into the series as it captures what Shantae is as a series.
    Great fan service, fun story and game play with beautiful visual style. Highly recommend a purchase for new fans to    Shantae is a fun collect-a-thon platformer, with beautiful visual style, smooth game play and is an absolute joy to play.
    As a long term fan of the series I would recommend Half Genie hero as a jumping off point into the series as it captures what Shantae is as a series.
    Great fan service, fun story and game play with beautiful visual style.
    Highly recommend a purchase for new fans to the series.    … Expand
  19. ValkyriaDG
    Nov 7, 2020
    9
    La versión fisica es de la mejores que hay en switch, es muy buena y si te gustan los juegos de Plataformas es imprescindible
    El juego es genial dentro del mundo de las Plataformas y sus DLC lo hacen más Extenso y rejugable.
  20. HildaSimp5
    Apr 18, 2022
    7
    So this is my first Shantae game and i gotta say, not bad, not bad at all. First and foremost, its a fun game. Thats the most important factor for me.
    The visiuals are gorgeous, the music is fun and catchy, art is wonderful and the animations are very smooth and expressive.
    The story is so-so however, but still fun. Levels are great too and the dancing to transform is so much fun.    So this is my first Shantae game and i gotta say, not bad, not bad at all. First and foremost, its a fun game. Thats the most important factor for me.
    The visiuals are gorgeous, the music is fun and catchy, art is wonderful and the animations are very smooth and expressive.
    The story is so-so however, but still fun. Levels are great too and the dancing to transform is so much fun. Shantae herself is super adorable and the Platforming is exactly as fun as i want from a platformer. Giga Mermaid is WOW    … Expand
  21. waddle_dee
    Jun 10, 2023
    10
    This is definitely one of Shantae's best outings yet. The art style is cartoony and charming, This game got rid of the more metroid-vania style of adventuring, although adds more interesting platforming that couldn't exist if it were still going metroid-vania style. This game also has plenty ending screens, making you want to try the game in many ways. One of my favorite platformers ever.
  22. ColdGamer
    Jul 21, 2022
    10
    Love this game! Love everything about it! One of my 10 favorite games of all time
  23. Dyl_lionaire
    Feb 10, 2023
    7
    The colourful and vibrant characters/levels were very cool to experience, I found the gameplay lacking however with weird controls and at points annoying level designs. other than that I had fun with it.

Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Best Switch Game of 2018
71
#71 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Sep 5, 2018
    80
    A treasure trove of tantalizing trials for players of every possible persuasion. [Issue #34 – July/August 2018, p.72]
  2. Nintenderos
    Sep 4, 2018
    86
    Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition offers an extensive menu of DLC. In some cases, these new contents change the plot. Other contents are focused on the gameplay. However, the player will find the same worlds that the original story offers, but all of them are free in this Ultimate version. It is a version that will not disappoint anyone.
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  3. Worth Playing
    Aug 15, 2018
    80
    As a whole, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition is literally the complete package for fans of the series and genre enthusiasts. It's not the best platformer around, but it is a fun journey, especially with the additional DLC characters. I wish the developer would've embraced the Metroidvania aspects more, gotten more creative with some platforming segments, and included a few more environments for the DLC, but there is not much else I can hold against this truly fun platformer.
    Read full review
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