As its name implies, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition is the quintessential version of this indie treasure. In addition to the main game, you get:
– Two harder difficulty modes for the main game
– Pirate Queen’s Quest (Risky Boots DLC Mode)
– Friends To The End (Bolo, Rottytops, etc DLC Mode)
– Shantae’s Costume Pack DLC (Ninja Shantae, Beach Mode, and Officer Shantae Modes)
– Alternate Costumes for Shantae and Risky Boots for many of the various modes
– Previously Kickstarter-backer-exclusive Tinkerbat DLC (an additional transformation for Shantae)
– An exclusive Art Gallery featuring loads of Shantae fan art
In other words, on top of whipping your hair, transforming into animal forms, and fighting Risky Boots to save the world—you know, the standard Half-Genie Hero stuff—you’ll have every piece of previously-released DLC at your fingertips, and you’ll pay less than you would buying the base game and DLC packs individually! With this Ultimate Edition, you get the best version of the game at the best price. But is it a Nintendeal? Let’s take a look!
If you’re not familiar with Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, you should know that the main mechanic lets you transform into various animal forms, providing unique abilities and handy access to areas Shantae cannot reach by herself. As you play, you’ll unlock more transformation options and gain access to a greater scope of the game’s world. Often, crucial items are placed in areas that require a transformation for access, so there’s a good deal of Metroidvania-style backtracking in this game. (If you get stuck trying to find one of these hidden items, you can get a hint at the game’s Bath House!)
Shantae rewards players who know the series with plenty of callbacks, and if you’re a newbie, these little gems will go right over your head. But you can always go back and check out Shantae’s three previous installments; there’s plenty to enjoy and we recommend them all, and if you’re interested, you can even check out our review for Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, recently released on Switch.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is the series’ fourth installment and first HD effort, and we must say the developers really nailed it. The crisp, vibrant, and colorful graphics are fit for a high-quality animated film, and Shantae has never looked so good. But don’t think HD is limited to graphics; the game’s HD rumble is precise and immersive, and it pulls you into the experience in ways you might not expect. And the cherry on top of it all is the game’s soundtrack, packed with infectious and lively music that’s bound to get stuck in your head (in a good way!).
So is this Ultimate Edition a Nintendeal? We say it is! For this massive amount of high-quality content, you’ll pay just $27 for the digital download (the physical version is $40). If you’re a Shantae fan, you’ll more than likely love this game, and if you’ve never played a Shantae title before, it may be time for you to give this series a chance—and Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition is an excellent place to start!
Platform – Nintendo Switch eShop Download, physical on Amazon
Publisher – WayForward
Developer – WayForward
Price – $27.00
Genre – Platformer, Action, Adventure
Size –2.7GB
Nick and Sarah are the ultimate gaming couple. Nick introduced Sarah to the world of Nintendo games. Nick’s favorites are platformers tough as nails, like Super Meat Boy, Celeste, and The End is Nigh. Sarah prefers titles with more exploration and simulation, like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and Skyrim. But Nick and Sarah both agree that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the best games of all time!