Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (Nintendo Switch) Impressions

Over 20 years ago, Shantae came out on the Game Boy Color. I didn’t get a Game Boy Color until very late on, so I missed the game entirely. My local library had Shantae Half-Genie Hero for Nintendo Switch so I decided to get it.

I was wondering if this game was a remake of the original on Game Boy Color. Because the opening does seem to focus on Shantae a lot, almost like an origin story.

But this is apparently a true sequel, but the first game in the series to be made for high-definition consoles.

I wasn’t very shocked to see it plays very much like a traditional 2D platformer. You can run and jump around, and Shantae mainly attacks with her hair.

Shantae also has some magic powers in addition to her regular moves. The only one I saw was a monkey transformation where she could jump and climb on walls.

It became obvious to me that Shantae is a very unforgiving game. Low health bars and instant deaths become a common occurrence.

My patience grew tiresome, so I decided to return the game to the library.