The original entry in the beloved series is ready for you on PlayStation 5. Come check out our Shantae review!
This summer has been incredible so far, with nice warm sunny days and very little rain, which is kinda unusual in the UK, but I am most definitely not complaining! This is the perfect time to jump into some classic gaming, which is why I went back in time to play the original Shantae from WayForward, which has finally landed on PlayStation! That’s right, you can now play the original game in the long-running, beloved series on your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5. I reviewed the game on my PlayStation 5, and I have to say the game definitely stands the test of time, and it’s a fun game that plays great.
Shantae was originally released for the Game Boy Color way back in 2002, and it was published by Capcom since, you know, back then, we used to get all of our games on cartridges or discs. The game also had some enhancements for when you played the cartridge on a Game Boy Advance, such as brightening the colors due to the portable’s original version featuring a very dark screen, as well as offering a bonus transformation. It’s now 2023, and we’re getting a remastered edition on PlayStation 5 with all the bells and whistles you’d expect, as well as full trophy support – more on this below.
You play as the titular Shantae, a purple-haired half-human half-genie whose job is to be the guardian of Scuttle Town. When bombs start dropping outside her home, you’ll be immediately thrown into your first taste of the game’s platforming action. Once she is in Scuttle Town, she warns the inhabitants about the evil Risky Boots and her crew. Risky Boots and her dastardly crew end up stealing an experimental engine that can allow her to rule the high seas, which is not good! The good news is that Shantae has the power to stop her, so she goes on a mission to find the four elemental stones that are needed to power the experimental steam engine before Risky Boots finds them.
As well as being a platformer, Shantae is also a Metroidvania.
If you’re new to the genre, that means you’ll be traveling back and forth between different locations as you gain new abilities thanks to the different transformations that you can obtain as you defeat bosses and dance to transform into, say, a monkey or an elephant. Transform into the monkey, and you’ll be able to run at a fast pace, climb up walls, as well as travel through narrow paths. Transform into a mighty elephant, and you’ll get a chance to charge at some objects that are obstructing your way.
Since this one is an older entry in the series, it’s not getting a Platinum trophy. The list it gets includes 9 Bronze trophies, 3 Silver trophies, and one Gold trophy. The trophies will unlock as you play through this adventure and collect the special stones, find all baby squids before turning them in, unlock the different dances that Shantae can use to transform into animals to gain their abilities, and defeat Risky Boots. There’s even a healing dance for you to find! You can also obtain extra heart containers that will boost your overall health.
This Shantae game is the one that started it all way back in 2002, and it’s one that you should definitely check out. You have the dance transformations, platforming, the combat, they are all now classic staples that have evolved over the years as the Shantae series continued to grow and grow, and they are still present in the latest versions. It was fun to play the original Game Boy Color game on PlayStation 5 while working on adding some new trophies to my collection. Shantae is available as a Cross-Buy title, so your $9.99 purchase will give you access to both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of the game at no extra cost.
Disclaimer
This Shantae review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by WayForward.
