Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

 Wii U
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. FNintendo
    Mar 1, 2015
    90
    Shantae and the Pirate's Curse ticks all the right boxes as far as fun and entertaining adventures are concerned. It may not be the toughest or most challenging experience, but it's another reason to appreciate the Shantae series, especially for those who seek some old-school style gameplay with a beautiful graphical background.
  2. Impulsegamer
    Feb 15, 2015
    90
    A light-hearted platformer with plenty of action. A swashbuckling journey awaits you!
  3. Gamestyle
    Feb 6, 2015
    90
    If you love your retro inspired platformers then you really need to own this.
  5. Hardcore Gamer
    Jan 2, 2015
    90
    Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse works just as well on a console as it did on a handheld.
  6. IGN Italia
    Feb 11, 2015
    85
    A very good arcade adventure game, with a beautiful sense of style and some very good level design. It's also a good sequel, even though it feels less ambitious and complex than the previous games in the series.
  7. Vandal
    Feb 9, 2015
    85
    This is a great platformer, particularly for those who have been playing for a long time now.
  8. Nintendo Enthusiast
    Feb 6, 2015
    85
    The game runs at a smooth 60FPS, and the sprite work and character art are all very well done. Faces are animated, movements are fluid, and everything just has a high level of detail.
  9. Metro GameCentral
    Feb 11, 2015
    80
    Some of the best 2D sprite work ever seen in a video game, and all used to support an impressively varied and imaginative Metroidvania.
  10. Digitally Downloaded
    Feb 6, 2015
    80
    What impressed me most about Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is its sense of humour.
  11. Cubed3
    Jan 20, 2015
    80
    Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is at times frustrating, but is mostly a fun, light-hearted, and immediately and consistently enjoyable videogame.

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best Wii U Game of 2014
16
#16 Most Discussed Wii U Game of 2014
13
#13 Most Shared Wii U Game of 2014

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 104 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 92 out of 104
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 104
  3. Negative: 6 out of 104
  1. Godlygamer
    Dec 28, 2014
    10
    This game is one of the best games I've played this year! (Next to Tomadachi Life and Smash bros. Wii U, of course.) The puzzles are great,This game is one of the best games I've played this year! (Next to Tomadachi Life and Smash bros. Wii U, of course.) The puzzles are great, not to challenging, but they ramp up in difficulty just a little. The plot, which I won't spoil, Involves Risky Boots asking for Shantae's help to defeat this guy named the pirate master, before he destroys all of sequin land! That didn't spoil it, right? Anyways, you basically become a pirate! And you have a move set like a pirate! Pirate things happen. So yeah. It depends what version you want to get, though. 3DS version because it 's portable? Wii U version because it's HD? I got the Wii U version. So buy this game now!… Full Review »
  2. ricklongo
    Feb 4, 2015
    8
    WayForward’s Shantae is one of those series I’ve heard a lot of good things about over the years, but never actually got to play until now.WayForward’s Shantae is one of those series I’ve heard a lot of good things about over the years, but never actually got to play until now. Luckily for me, it seems Pirate’s Curse is the most ambitious game in the franchise so far, with a vast archipelago of quasi-seamless, differently-themed islands to explore. It’s one of those games that manage to strike the elusive balance between tight platforming, exciting exploration, and a very fair difficulty curve.

    The title chatracter is a half-genie (the offspring of a genie and a human) who lost her magical powers at some point in the franchise’s storyline. To combat the rise of the undead Pirate King, she has to team up with Risky Boots, a pirate who lost her crew and weapons, and who happens to be Shantae’s original arch-nemesis.

    As you start the game, Shantae only has her hair whip attack to defend herself against the hordes of monsters you’ll encounter, but, true to the game’s metroidvania aspirations, each island you explore holds one of Risky Boots’ lost weapons inside a dungeon, which Shantae can use to help her in the quest. Each weapon is assigned to a different button, meaning you don’t ever need to switch between them. All the while, the gamepad functions as a sort of backpack, holding expendable items (available to use by touching), a quest and collectibles log, and a map of each section of the world.

    The storyline is nothing to write home about, but manages to entertain with its self-aware, silly humor. The characterization of each island is top-notch, and the platforming is very rewarding, mixing action and puzzles in a way that feels just right. Everything is in its right place, with the level design providing many of the “a-ha” moments that tend to be so enjoyable in exploration-heavy titles.

    Another point of note is the soundtrack, which was written by indie darling Jake Kaufmann. From the arab touches on Shantae’s home island of Scuttle Town to moodier compositions in darker parts of the world, your ears are in for a treat. It doesn’t soar quite as high as his impeccable work on Shovel Knight, but then again not much does.

    It’s hard to find any significant problems with Shantae’s third adventure, making it a very easy recommendation for platforming fans. It’s not the most innovative game around, but it distills its metroidvania sensibilities is such a flawless way that it’s going to keep you entertained for a significant amount of time (I spent over 11 hours to get 100% without outside assistance). Add the goofy characters and clever writing and you have a title that’s quite easy to fall in love with.

    Rating: 8.5    … Full Review »
  3. MEJO86
    Mar 30, 2015
    7
    A Metroidvania type of game with nice controls and a colourful main character. The game is somewhat immature and sexist at times with allA Metroidvania type of game with nice controls and a colourful main character. The game is somewhat immature and sexist at times with all young female characters having over developed breasts and revealing cloths. The game could have been longer but I like the atmosphere and the music (especially We love Burning Town). Shantae is a really promising character and the game series seems nice. I get that she's supposed to be a belly dancer and therefore supposed to look a bit sexy but it's a little too much for my taste.… Full Review »
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