Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is the third entry in the series about the half-genie belly dancer; it arrived on Wii U as a downloadable eShop title after previously appearing on handhelds. Unlike earlier entries it drops the RPG elements and returns to pure platforming action with an emphasis on exploring an interconnected world in the metroidvania tradition. The main novelty is the absence of animal transformations, replaced by a set of pirate items - a hook enabling swinging and wall climbing, a cannonball functioning as both a double jump and a weapon, boots for fast running, or a parrot allowing a brief glide - which the player gradually uses to unlock new areas of the map.

The level design rewards returning to previously visited locations with new gear, boss fights require memorizing attack patterns and precise dodge timing, with Shantae attacking with her signature hair whip and supplementary magic spells. The graphical style, with hand-drawn sprites, vibrant colors, and fluid animation, ranks among the most beautiful WayForward has ever produced, and on Wii U the game ran smoothly even in HD resolution on the TV screen, which stood out especially on the detailed hand-drawn backgrounds of each island. The music was handled by the studio's usual team of collaborators, who continued the catchy, synth-driven style of earlier entries and gave it an energetic, Caribbean-flavored feel.

At release the game was praised especially for returning to tighter, clearer action compared to the more sprawling predecessor Risky's Revenge, while keeping the humor and distinctive characters that have accompanied the series from the start. For the metroidvania genre it stood as further proof of how to combine the lightness of old-school platforming with a modern feel for movement and gradual ability unlocking. Today Pirate's Curse is considered one of the high points of the series and a pleasant, compact choice for anyone who enjoys stylized 2D action with striking visuals.

Why play it: For returning to tighter, clearer action compared to its predecessor and the humor with distinctive characters that make Pirate's Curse one of the series' high points and a great compact choice for fans of stylized 2D action.