Shantae from WayForward is a port of the original 2002 Game Boy Color game now on PlayStation 5. Do you love Shantae and want to see how it all started? Then check our Shantae review to find out!

 

The original Shantae adventure returns! First released in 2002, Shantae is the classic action-adventure-platformer that introduced players to the fan-favorite Half-Genie heroine. In her debut title, Shantae hair-whips, dances, and transforms as she seeks out four elemental stones hidden throughout Sequin Land to put a stop to the nefarious lady pirate, Risky Boots. During her quest, she’ll explore treacherous labyrinths, gain amazing new powers, conquer mini-games, and meet up with friends such as Bolo, Sky, and Rottytops! This version of the game includes both the standard GBC mode and the GBA-enhanced mode!

The very first Shantae was released on the Game Boy Color way back in 2002, more than twenty years ago! This was the start of a game franchise because since then, there have been a handful of new Shantae games released for a variety of consoles, and so far, we’ve reviewed every single one of them! We’ve enjoyed our time with Shantae: Risky’s Revenge, sequel Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, the Kickstarter supported Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (2016) and the excellentShantae and the Seven Sirens (2019) which is still, to this day, one of the best 2D Metroidvania action-platformer I’ve played in the recent years.

 

As you start your retro journey with Shantae on the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5, you’ll be presented with two modes: Shantae Original, which, as you can guess, is the port of the original GameBoy Color game, or Shantae Extended which has some enhanced features that were added for when you played the game back in the day on a Game Boy Advance. You can play one or the other since they each offer mostly the same content, but do know that saves are not compatible between the two versions. You can also check the Extras section, where you can view some original drawings of the game.

If you’ve already played a Shantae game, then you know what to expect in this classic platformer. You’ll use the left analog stick or the D-Pad to move and the face buttons to attack. The most recent Shantae game I played before this one was the Seven Sirens, and, in comparison, the controls do feel a bit stiff, so you definitely need to get used to them. There’s a delay between when you play the attack button, and the animation is completed, so you’ll need to time your attacks.

The level design is more simple when you compare it with what we got to see in the latest Shantae game, which is to be expected for a game from over 20 years ago. But since this one is a Metroidvania, you will need to obtain new abilities to explore every nook and cranny. I was really impressed by how much the original world still holds up in more recent games like Half-Genie Hero and the Seven Sirens since the locations, characters, and enemies are all recognizable. The game’s presentation is definitively retro, considering it’s a port of a Game Boy Color game with its 160×144 pixels resolution. As you can imagine, the game is pixelated but in a charming way. The chiptune soundtrack is also recognizable from most recent releases and is still great to listen to.

With this port come some quality-of-life improvements with Load and Save states, allowing you to save in front of some of the harder platforming segments or save your progress right before a boss battle. There are also a few visual modes that can be toggled to affect the game’s look, between original, LCD, which shows the separation of pixels, or zoomed, which makes the image fit the screen. I enjoyed the LCD option the most.

Since the game is now on PlayStation, it features trophies, but surprisingly no Platinum trophy. The list is a simple one, with 9 Bronze trophies, 3 Silver trophies, and a single Gold trophy. They are unlocked as you progress through the game and find the dances to transform in either original or enhanced mode. Since the game is Cross-Buy between the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions, you can double the amount of trophies obtained.

I love the Shantae franchise, and I liked playing the game that launched this beloved series. I’ve said many times that Shantae and the Seven Sirens is one of the best 2D Metroidvania action-platformer I have played in recent years, and while the original Shantae does not steal this title, it’s still a great 2D game that stands the test of time since it introduced the main gameplay mechanics, locations, and characters we all know and love. Shantae is available as a Cross-Buy title, so your $9.99 purchase will allow you to download both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of the game at no extra cost.

Disclaimer
This Shantae review is based on a PlayStation copy provided by WayForward Games.