A Legendary Quest: Shantae and the Pirate's Curse Finds a New Home on Switch

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is a popular video game that was originally released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2014. The game is part of the Shantae series, which follows the adventures of a half-genie named Shantae. In Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, Shantae loses her genie powers and must team up with her former archenemy, Risky Boots, to save Sequin Land from an evil curse. The game combines platforming and action-adventure gameplay, as players navigate through various levels, defeat enemies, and solve puzzles. One of the key features of Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is its unique transformation mechanic. Throughout the game, Shantae can acquire different pirate-themed abilities, such as a pirate hat that allows her to glide and a pistol for ranged attacks.

The game was announced in the November 2012 edition of Nintendo Power, and was in full development since the beginning of that year, [7] but was already planned by the end of 2011, as Inti Creates were hired at that time to work on new artwork for the title. [8] The game was followed by Shantae: Half-Genie Hero.

One day, however, Shantae is approached by her old nemesis, Risky Boots, who informs her that a curse is rapidly overtaking the land in preparation for the return of The Pirate Master, spelling doom for all of Sequin Land. You will get a sword for some different attacks, a cannon which you can use to propel Shantae, and a pirate hat that works as a sort of hang glider, and many more fun techniques.

Throughout the game, Shantae can acquire different pirate-themed abilities, such as a pirate hat that allows her to glide and a pistol for ranged attacks. These abilities are essential for progressing through the game and defeating powerful bosses. The Switch version of Shantae and the Pirate's Curse was released in 2018 and includes all the content from the original game, as well as some additional features.

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse Switch Review

Shantae awakens to the town she protects being attacked! Upon investigating what is happening, she finds out that the mayor has traded away the town to the Ammo Baron for some chocolates, and the new owner is here to turn the town into a fortress. Despite having her powers stripped, she still decides to face the Ammo Baron and his forces to try and protect Scuttle Town. After defeating the Ammo Baron, the Royal Guard of Sequin Land Palace arrive to place Shantae under house arrest for attacking the rightful land owner, and inform her that she may be punished by removing her weapon, which is her beautiful hair.

It is then that she is attacked by Risky Boots as part of a misunderstanding and finds out that the Pirate King is trying to be resurrected. As Risky Boots wants to rule the seas herself, the Pirate King being resurrected is something she does not want to allow to happen. Shantae also feels this threat sounds menacing enough to warrant stopping, so the unlikely pair team up and the adventure begins.

I found the story to be a lot of fun. The characters were very likeable, and the humour laced throughout the dialogue is hilarious. As far as the story is concerned, it was good enough to make me want to see this one through to the end, and kept me intrigued as to what would happen next, and who we will meet along the way.

The music in Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is amazing. Every track is exquisite and varied. Each towns theme suits the look and feel, and each environment has a musical number that fits the area perfectly. Different situations also have music that suits that situation, which is especially noticeable in the fierce boss battles or the more laid back and relaxed tunes in the towns.

As far as the sound goes, it is also done to an extremely high level. Each attack has a satisfying whack to it. The few words here and there you hear spoken are quite cute, though can be a little off putting as there isn’t any voice acting besides the odd word.

The art style in Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is superb. Unlike 1/2 Genie Hero, this Shantae game has a pixel art style that is reminiscent of many indie games at the moment. This isn’t just another one of those though, as the level of detail and quality is great. The character models are beautiful, environments are gorgeous, and the towns look lively. Each island you travel to has its own look and feel, but it always fits within the Shantae universe they have created. No area looks out of place, which speaks to the coherent design they have achieved with this one.

In terms of performance, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is very smooth. At no point was I ever hampered by slow downs or bugs of any kind. The amount of polish is very high.

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a traditional 2d platformer at its heart. You travel to each level, complete a set of objectives, rinse and repeat. The difference with this game is that each level is kind of a world in and of itself. It feels like you are exploring a new island location, rather than just going from level to level. There is a metroidvania vibe, without going too far in that backtracking direction.

As far as the platforming goes, it is of the highest quality. The controls are extremely solid, which allows for precise platforming. The act of controlling Shantae is a pure joy, which makes the entire game enjoyable.

You begin the game with a basic jump, attack, and the ability to use a magic lamp to suck up clouds of dark magic among other things. As you progress, you gain access to different weapons and abilities. You will get a sword for some different attacks, a cannon which you can use to propel Shantae, and a pirate hat that works as a sort of hang glider, and many more fun techniques.

The objectives you must complete in each level vary enough to keep things from getting stale. The way you get these missions are generally through conversations with other characters. They give you hints as to what you need to do through what they are saying, and it is up to you to work out how to achieve those goals. Thankfully these goals are never too hard to work out, so you won’t get stuck trying to work out what needs to be done. One problem is that it is difficult to remember exactly what needs to be done as you don’t have a quest log to keep track of these, but you are generally only doing one at a time anyway so it doesn’t tend to get in the way too much.

Is Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse worth your hard earned cash? The price point places it at the higher end of eShop indie prices, but I feel the level of polish and design that has gone into this game makes it well worth the asking price. Not only that, but you will get a good 9 hours plus out of the main game. You also get multiple endings and some additional modes and features that makes this a worthy addition to your Switch library.

Pros

Tight, precise platforming feels great

Supported Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish

The Switch version features HD visuals and enhanced graphics, making the game even more visually appealing. Another notable feature of the Switch version is the improved controls. The game's controls have been optimized for the Switch's Joy-Con controllers, offering players a seamless and more enjoyable gameplay experience. Additionally, the Switch version also includes a new HD Rumble feature, which adds tactile feedback to certain in-game actions. Overall, Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is a highly acclaimed game that has received positive reviews from both critics and players alike. Its charming characters, colorful visuals, and challenging gameplay make it a must-play for fans of the series and platforming games in general. With its release on the Switch, the game has reached an even larger audience, allowing more players to enjoy the exciting and magical world of Shantae..

Reviews for "A Switching Success: Why Shantae and the Pirate's Curse Shines on Nintendo Switch"

- Jake - 2 stars - I was really excited to play "Shantae and the Pirate's Curse" on my Switch, but I have to say I was disappointed. The controls felt clunky and unresponsive, making it difficult to navigate through the levels. The graphics also looked outdated, with pixelated images that were hard to make out. Overall, I found the game to be lackluster and not worth the price.

- Emily - 2 stars - As a fan of the Shantae series, I was excited to try "Shantae and the Pirate's Curse" on my Switch. However, I found the gameplay to be repetitive and monotonous. The quest objectives felt very repetitive with little variation, and the dialogue was overly cheesy. Additionally, the difficulty level was unbalanced, with some sections being too easy while others were frustratingly difficult. Overall, I didn't find this game to be as enjoyable as previous installments in the series.

- Brian - 1 star - I really didn't like "Shantae and the Pirate's Curse" on the Switch. The controls were clunky and unresponsive, making it difficult to perform even basic actions. The level design was confusing and frustrating, with puzzles that seemed unnecessarily complicated. Furthermore, I found the story to be uninteresting and the characters lacked depth. Overall, this game was a major disappointment and I wouldn't recommend it to others.

Exploring Shantae's World: A Look at the Environments in the Switch Version of Pirate's Curse