Shantae: Risky’s Revenge

When I got the Humble Friends of Nintendo Bundle, I mentioned my interest in Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, and that I already had another Shantae game.

When I tried Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, I enjoyed what I played so much, I decided to do things properly and play Shantae: Risky’s Revenge first.

Risky’s Revenge (which is available on many different systems, but I had the PC Director’s Cut from an earlier Humble Bundle) is the second game in the series. It’s a 2D platformer about a half-genie named Shantae who must stop the evil pirate Risky Boots from unleashing the powers of a sinister lamp.

I’m not a huge fan of 2D platformers, but Risky’s Revenge is one of the few I really enjoyed. It has a good sense of humor, there are some Metroidvania elements along with some aspects that reminded me of the Legend of Zelda games, and overall it was just fun.

Shantae attacks enemies by whipping her hair forward, and she can cast magic after purchasing spells at the shop. As she tracks down the magic seals to prevent Risky from getting them, she also gains the ability to transform into other forms by dancing to access new areas.

It isn’t particularly story-heavy, but the dialogue tends to be pretty funny. It entertained me enough to make me interested in the characters and world.

Also, it has fantastic music!

The soundtrack made me feel like dancing myself.

Overall, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge was a lot of fun, and I’m happy I gave it a chance. However, Pirate’s Curse felt like a better game, so I’m excited to return to it… and maybe even finish it in time for the next game in the series, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero.

Buy Shantae: Risky’s Revenge from Steam
Buy Shantae: Risky’s Revenge from GOG
Buy Shantae: Risky’s Revenge (Wii U) from the Nintendo eShop
Buy Shantae: Risky’s Revenge (DS/3DS) from the Nintendo eShop