Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

 Xbox One
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse Image
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79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 34 Ratings

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  • Summary: Embark on a brand new adventure which teams Shantae with her arch nemesis, Risky Boots! When a curse falls upon Sequin Land, Risky Boots and Shantae must join forces to battle unimaginable evil. Shantae must give up her job as Scuttle Towns "Guardian Genie" and become a pirate ifEmbark on a brand new adventure which teams Shantae with her arch nemesis, Risky Boots! When a curse falls upon Sequin Land, Risky Boots and Shantae must join forces to battle unimaginable evil. Shantae must give up her job as Scuttle Towns "Guardian Genie" and become a pirate if she hopes to get her magic back and save the day. As a pirate, Shantae gains new weapons and tools to advance her quest and power through monsters!

    * Flintlock Pistol (blast enemies and switches from afar)
    * Pirate Hat (glide on the wind using this enormous headwear)
    * Risky's Boots (run at super speeds! Chain your attacks as you dash through enemies & over lava)
    * Cannon (blast yourself into the air on a belch of black powder)

    Core Gameplay Components:

    * Whipping! Destroy monsters, topple bosses, and solve puzzles with your hair
    * Platforming! Run and jump through deviously designed levels
    * Exploring! Navigate a world of interconnected levels and Labyrinths
    * Belly Dancing! Dance with your Magic Lamp to suck up magic and items
    * Customizing! Earn new abilities, unlock stat-boosting artifacts, magic & costumes
    * Storytelling! Flirtatious characters and wonderfully off-beat humor    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Brash Games
    Mar 18, 2016
    90
    A joy to play. If you are a fan of old school side scrolling platformers like Metroid and even Aladdin, then you will definitely enjoy Shantae. Everything from its graphics to its difficulty is straight from the 90s, but luckily for us brought into the future.
  2. We Got This Covered
    Mar 15, 2016
    90
    If you're looking for a great, retro-styled platformer/Metroidvania game, then you can't go wrong with Shantae and the Pirate's Curse. It stands out above the crowd, thanks to smart and polished gameplay, and is a welcomed addition to the Xbox One's library.
  3. ZTGD
    Mar 16, 2016
    85
    Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a gem of a game that deserves to get more attention on its second time around. Those that have nostalgia for platformers from the 16-bit era owe it to themselves to check out this quirky experience. There is a lot to love about the half-genie, and certainly not enough of these types of games currently available on home consoles.
  4. MondoXbox
    Apr 29, 2016
    80
    A very entertaining and humorous metroidvania platform game, capable of delivering a captivating even if not too innovative experience.
  5. COGconnected
    Apr 1, 2016
    74
    Pirate’s Curse succeeds as a solid sidescroller but doesn’t reach the heights of other classic and modern fusions of the genre like Shovel Knight, although is still a thoroughly enjoyable experience if your looking for a sidescroller.
  6. GameSpew
    Apr 3, 2016
    70
    It’s plain to see that Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a deep and instantly inviting adventure.
  7. XBLA Fans
    Jun 2, 2016
    60
    Shantae and the Pirate's Curse embodies the spirit of classic platformers while furthering its own identity as a franchise. Though there are some missteps throughout the journey, Shantae shows that she ages like a fine bottle of wine and only gets better with time.

See all 8 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 1 out of 5
  1. GBHBL
    Apr 27, 2016
    8
    Initially released on Nintendo consoles, Shantae & the Pirate’s Curse is the third in the series so far. Having not played the other two thereInitially released on Nintendo consoles, Shantae & the Pirate’s Curse is the third in the series so far. Having not played the other two there are elements of the story that passed me by (connections to characters etc.) but it doesn’t make the game any less enjoyable.

    You take the role of Shantae, a half genie who lost her powers in the last game. Waking to the sound of gunfire in Sequin Land, Shantae’s first task is to confront the Ammo Baron who is attempting to take over the town.

    The Ammo Baron is the first boss you’ll face & once he’s defeated it is revealed he owns the town having bought it from the lazy mayor. Shantae is put under lockdown & while having a bath she is confronted by her old nemesis, Risky Boots.

    Risky Boots accuses Shantae of stealing her powers & putting a curse on her henchmen but it is soon revealed to be the work of the Pirate Master so Shantae agrees to help Risky Boots take down the Pirate Master once & for all.

    A 2-D platformer in the style of old SNES games, it’s bright & colourful visuals are very pleasing to the eye. The game is divided into islands that each house an Evil Den, making your way through the dungeon & defeating the boss inside will gain you a map which unlocks the next island.

    Shantae is very versatile attacking enemies with her hair. Upgrades bought with gems can improve her attacks as well as gift her new abilities. To progress through the game Shantae will need to find a number of pirate upgrades. Things like a pistol to shoot far away switches or a cannon that allows Shantae to do a triple jump. Each of these unlock new areas in previously explored maps so back-tracking is necessary.

    Shantae receives quests from many of the games lively characters in a system that reminded me of an old Playstation classic called Tomba (or Tombi) but with less depth. Meet a character, they’ll drop hints & some time later you’ll find the item they need. Remembering who needed it & where they are is quite important which brings me to my major complaint…it can be difficult to know where to go next.

    Several times I just didn’t know how to progress. There are no clear directions & the fast travel system can be a bit frustrating (if you’re in a dungeon you’ll have to leave first). Once you do work it out how to progress it is ever so satisfying.

    There is a lot of variety in enemy types & the boss bottles can be a lot of fun. The final boss (Pirate Master) is disappointing though being quite uninspired & a bit too easy. Initially the ending might seem disappointing but if you collect all 20 bits of dark magic you’ll unlock the best ending.

    The game can last anywhere between 5-8 hours depending on your skill level. Beating the game once unlocks a number of bonuses in particular Pirate Mode which sees Shantae starting with all the pirate upgrades from the start.

    The game’s humour can be a bit hit & miss, it’s the sort of stuff that will either bring a wry smile to your face or groans as the not so subtle adult jokes are dropped. You’ll find yourself raising an eyebrow when conversations take place as some of the outfits for the female cast are quite…skimpy.

    Ultimately Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is an old school romp with hours of entertainment. It looks lovely & has a great soundtrack, a few tweaks here & there (less back-tracking/better fast travel system) and we’d be talking about one of the best platformers of the last few years.    … Expand
  2. vipera1bianca
    Jul 11, 2023
    8
    Excellent entry of the Shantae's Saga, the Pirate's Curse adds and fixes the formula of their own version of platforming metroidvania. TheExcellent entry of the Shantae's Saga, the Pirate's Curse adds and fixes the formula of their own version of platforming metroidvania. The narration is easy to follow, characters are well defined even if their backstory is a bit forgotten in the previous chapters. Technically is a vell rounded pixel art game experience where rarely you'll miss a platform or an enemy out of your gaming skills, and the flow is kept relaxed with lots of savepoints and safe respawn. Follow Shantae, the Genie of Scuttle Town dive into another big adventure, led by the skilled crew of WayForward devs.… Expand
  4. HSuke
    Jun 1, 2020
    8
    A somewhat casual and cute Metroidvania-like game. Awesome characters and a quirky sense of humor. Difficulty is on the easy side until thatA somewhat casual and cute Metroidvania-like game. Awesome characters and a quirky sense of humor. Difficulty is on the easy side until that final dungeon. F that dungeon. The platforming difficulty came out of nowhere.… Expand
  5. VaaskyVeldt
    Jun 28, 2022
    8
    This game has a lot of charm. It pixel art is beautiful to look at, the environments are varied and the characters do have a very video gameThis game has a lot of charm. It pixel art is beautiful to look at, the environments are varied and the characters do have a very video game charm to them. The structure is simple. You go to an island, find a dungeon, find a new item that'll aid you in your adventure, defeat a boss that'll test your understanding of the new item and you'll continue to the next island with the occasional forced backtracking.
    The game itself is very easy. You need to be very inattentive to get killed. If you have some skill you rarely have to heal yourself, while your overloaded with healing items. Especially later in game the difficulty gets turned to eleven by making foes annoying by showing up at the last second and putting death traps everywhere that you'll just have to know they're there. Especially the last dungeon is guilty of this.
    The creativity of this game does hold up though. It's always fun to experiment with the new items gained from the dungeons, to pretty much break all the platform challenges. Definitely recommend when you like cute but flawed platformers.    … Expand
  6. neomoonsevin
    May 21, 2023
    1
    Another garbage game that looks like it stepped off a Gameboy advanced hand-held with shert 1980s graphics

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Best Xbox One Game of 2016