Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is a colorful action platformer in which the half-genie Shantae loses her magical powers and has to make do with equipment looted from pirates. That's the central idea of the whole game: instead of transforming into animals, the player collects a pirate hat for gliding through the air, a scimitar for a downward strike, a pistol for hitting distant switches, boots for fast running, and a cannon for a high jump. Each item retroactively opens previously inaccessible spots on already-visited islands, so the game works as a lighter, more straightforward variant of the structure known from metroidvanias.

Progress leads across several islands, traveled between by ship, and each has its own town with merchants, its own theme, and its own maze capped off by a boss. Combat rests on the hair-whip attack the whole series is built around, and on the smart use of gathered gear; the difficulty is welcoming, but collectibles and hidden nooks give more experienced players a reason to explore every screen. On the PS Vita the game looks excellent, the hand-drawn animations and rich palette look even sharper on the smaller screen, and it runs completely smoothly without a hitch. Alongside the main line there's also a range of side quests, dance abilities, and items that extend stamina or attack power, so it's worth talking to town residents and returning to places where something was previously out of reach. The game thus keeps a pleasant pace between action, exploration, and calmer moments in towns.

The music ranks among the best the series has to offer, catchy melodies with an oriental flavor and striking loops that stay in your head long after the console is switched off. Critics considered this installment the moment the series finally found its ideal form, and the game became the best-received title of the entire brand. Today it stands as a textbook example of a well-measured platformer, long enough to be worth it and brisk enough not to start dragging before the player reaches the final battle.