“I’m just here for the fan service.”

-Bolo, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution

When Pirate Queen Risky Boots gets her hands on ancient terraforming technology to better plunder the towns of Sequin Land, it’s up to Guardian (Half) Genie Shantae to put a stop to her evil schemes and set the world right again. Originally conceived in 2002, Shantae Advance canonically takes place between the first game and Risky’s Revenge. WayForward was unable to find a publisher for Shantae Advance due to the first game’s poor sales and ultimately shelved the game in 2004. Nearly 20 years later, with some successful titles under their belt, WayForward announced that Shantae Advance would get a revival, building up from a demo of the first chapter that was conceived back in the early 2000s. Elements that would have been introduced in Shantae Advance would end up being utilized in Risky’s Revenge, Pirate’s Curse, and Half-Genie Hero. 

A Hip-Shaking, Monster-Whipping Sassypants Returns

Shantae’s moveset remains virtually unchanged throughout her many adventures- she can whip her hair at her enemies, jump, crouch and crawl. Holding the RB button enters Dance Mode. In Dance Mode, she can transform into various creatures by pressing a direction on the D-Pad once that transformation has been obtained. Shantae can transform into the same forms as her first adventure – Monkey, Elephant, Spider and Harpy – along with some new additions like Mermaid and Crab.

Shantae employs the use of spells and magical items to help on her quest. Each spell uses up Magic, which can be replenished by collecting Magic Jars. The Deluxe Edition includes three alternate outfits that each boost the power of a particular spell, which helps in the replayability department. Items like Health or Magic Vials or Exit Candy are consumables – you’ll have to purchase more from Shantae’s zombified friend, Rottytops. The game also includes a handy item shortcut button; just press and hold the LB button to cycle through your current inventory and then tap LB again to use it.

A major improvement I like is the fact that you can find shops within dungeons now – no need to trek back to town with your hard-earned gems. I thought that was a nice touch when compared to her very first adventure.

The World’s All Switched Up!

Altered locations and topography is the name of the game in Shantae Advance. Players can switch between the foreground and background (called Front Yard and Back Yard respectively) to either bypass blocked paths, find new secrets and access entryways to caverns and dungeons. Furthermore, you can shift and mix up the landscape by stepping on Tremor Switches, thereby opening up more areas to explore. Towns also have Tremor Switches that need to be fixed and switched on in order to advance the plot.

On the subject of traveling to towns and areas, Shantae Advance utilizes the same system employed in Half-Genie Hero; namely, you’ll have to talk to Skye and have her fly you to your next destination. You unlock new areas by handing over maps that you get from other NPCs.

Shantae Advance contains two types of dungeons: complex labyrinths and smaller crypts. Regardless of the type, dungeons operate the same as they do in other Shantae games: find keys, find transformation magic, find hidden goodies and defeat the dungeon boss. Transformation magic is earned by finding a Wish Gem and tossing it into a fountain. The dungeon puzzles are not too complicated to figure out, but they could catch some younger players off guard. 

A Metroidvania With a Funny Bone

A key element that sets Shantae apart from other Metroidvanias is its use of puns, parodies and humor, and Shantae Advance is chock-full of all those things. From wolves who are looking for rare video game carts that are hidden in labyrinths, to witty puns, to the game making fun of you for stealing from a baby, Shantae Advance really brings it in the hilarity department.

The Sights and Sounds of Sequin Land

Visually speaking, the spritework and colour pallets look very similar to the ones used in Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse – a good thing since that game was gorgeous. The PC and console versions of Shantae Advance allows players to play in both Modern and Retro modes. The only difference between the two is that Modern Mode contains enhanced, HD character portraits and HUD elements, while Retro mode is more authentic to the GBA experience.

Maddie Lim composed the soundtrack to the game and it is very similar to the sounds produced by Jake Kaufman, who was responsible for the music of the first four games. That’s not to say that she’s put her own spin on things – the soundtrack veers from high energy house beats on fields such as Orc Orchard and Naga Cliffs to the more mysterious and looming labyrinth theme. 

Final Thoughts

Clocking in at less than 8 hours, Shantae Advance is a nice, bite-sized title that’s fun and full of the trademark elements that have made this franchise well-regarded through the last 20+ years. Throw in multiple outfit choices that affect gameplay, Modern and Retro Mode and a multiplayer battle mode and you’ll be occupied for a good, long while. I highly enjoyed my time with it.

Thank you to WayForward for supplying us with a copy of the Deluxe Edition of Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution for this critique.