

The original game and Risky’s Revenge were so well-received WayForward actually ended up working on three separate Shantae-related projects simultaneously at one point: a sequel to Risky’s Revenge called Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, a Kickstarter-funded fourth installment with high-definition traditionally animated graphics rather than pixel art called Shantae: 1/2 Genie Hero, and a Director’s Cut release of Risky’s Revenge for Windows PC and, subsequently, PlayStation 4 and Wii U. It was ported to iOS a year later but trust me, you really don’t want to play this game with a touchscreen. The game was initially released as a downloadable game for Nintendo’s DSi hardware revision of its dual-screen DS handheld platform, and quickly came to be regarded as a showcase title for both the service and the system. Early screenshots seem to suggest we may have lost out on a few areas in the process - most notably a snowy, mountainous area akin to the original game’s Mount Pointy - but they’re not really missed, to be perfectly honest. It was originally designed as an episodic game with Castlevania-style RPG elements including visible damage numbers - a minor element that would actually show up in the third game Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse - but ultimately WayForward decided the best thing to do would be to put out a single game rather than breaking it into bits.
#Shantae sprites bar series
Originally released in 2010, Risky’s Revenge is a direct follow-up to Shantae in which, as the name suggests, recurring series antagonist Risky Boots is back and up to no good once again. And it explores this concept with a clear knowledge and understanding of not only the classic 16-bit consoles, but also the earlier 16-bit home computers. Risky’s Revenge, which we’re concerned with today, very much has its sights set on the 16-bit era. While the first game, being released in the twilight years of the 8-bit Game Boy Color, represented the diminutive handheld being pushed to its absolute limits, the two subsequent installments in particular made a specific effort to be “modern retro” titles - games that emulated experiences from systems of the past while providing modern-day conveniences. This article is one chapter of a multi-part Cover Game feature!Īn interesting aspect of the Shantae series is how its presentation and execution has evolved over time.
