Shantae Critic Reviews

The original Shantae is a lovely little game that too few people were able to experience, so I’m thrilled that it’s available for mass consumption on the eShop. Franchise fans should, of course, jump on this as soon as humanly possible, but folks curious about the series or who just want some GBC nostalgia will enjoy it too.

I know I've said this at least a dozen times now, but I do think Shantae deserves better than the platformer genre. She's just too good of a character to waste on a genre that doesn't really do narrative. Give her an RPG or something, WayForward. In the meantime, though, while this might not be the biggest release of the year, it's certainly a worthwhile celebration of one of the most niche - but loved - platformer heroes out there.

This conversion job can only be described as excellent and the improvements made do a great job in updating some of the game's aspects without distorting its original formula, thus making this something that's fit for both veterans of the series and newcomers. With the original's re-release, the Shantae series on the Nintendo Switch is now complete.

After 19 years, Shantae is still a good action platformer and just as fun and entertaining as the first day. Also, the new content in this version is great. Recommended for all fans of the franchise and new players as well.

With the latest re-release of Shantae, the entire series is now readily available on Nintendo Switch. It’s a delightful franchise that’s gone from strength to strength over the past 20 years, and to have the game that started it all easily accessible, with the convenience of save states to help work around some of its more dated elements, is a true joy.

As a port, Shantae delivers. Minor issues like button remapping aside, once you get over a few things like the lack of a map and a more brutal life system, you'll find this to be a classic platformer that shows off just how good WayForward and this series was from the beginning. Fans of both the series and of old-school gaming would do well to add this title to their Switch libraries.

Shantae has been kind of the guinea pig for a new emulation initiative. It isn't as in-depth as a Shantae re-release could have been, but the base game itself is still so charming that it's worth a look on Switch even without extra bells and whistles.

It's been a long time since Shantae debuted and it did so on very limited console hardware so it's impressive how well it has held up even though its sequels are certainly much more enjoyable. Oh, and this Switch release acts as a lovely time capsule for fans, too.

As a $9.99 download, the Switch re-release of Shantae is a great look at the half-genie’s debut for those who want to check her out. It might be dated compared to the rest of the series, but it’s a nice look back at the classic series we know and love.

Shantae is a product of its time, which can be both a good and a bad thing. On one hand, this old Game Boy Color game displays an ambition and quality that outpaced many other games of its time and it easily stands as one of the best releases for that retro platform. On the other hand, it is still a game from 2002, and showcases many of the game design shortcomings one would expect from that time. It’s not a bad game by any means, then, but this is easily a game that we can only really recommend to longtime fans who are curious where Shantae got her start. If you don’t fall into that camp, we’d recommend you pick up one of the later releases and maybe come back to this one later on.

Shantae was released in 2002, and it’s a little less than perfect, especially compared to its many sequels. Despite being one of the most beloved Metroidvania series, this GBC cult classic may be a little too clunky for modern gaming palettes. If you’re looking for a Metroidvania fix, I would look elsewhere. However, it’s a definite must-have for all Shantae completionists looking to see where the magic all started.

After 19 years, Shantae remains an enjoyable adventure, and it's fun to see how the series has progressed. For current fans of the series that never played the original, I absolutely recommend buying it on Switch. However, those that have never played an entry in the series have four other games that will do a much better job showcasing Shantae's strengths. Check those out first and come back to this one.