Shantae and the Pirate's Curse Reviews

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is ranked in the 83rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
4 / 5.0
Dec 28, 2022

Honestly, Pirate’s Curse refined the franchise the most and gave fans a lot to hope for and look forward to. While I can see an argument that Seven Sirens is the best game of the franchise, for me, that honor belongs to Pirate’s Curse. And this replay on the PlayStation 5 only served to crystalize that fact for me. So, if you haven’t tried it yet, give the best Shantae game a chance and discover why so many people love this underrated franchise.

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9 / 10
Jul 4, 2018

Shantae's arrival to the Nintendo Switch does not happen with an original game but rather with a direct port of Shantae and the Pirate's Curse. Nothing here is new other than the HD Rumble feature...but there is absolutely nothing to complain about, the game is as marvelous as it was and its superb visuals, level design and gameplay mechanics represent some of the very best to be found in the Metroidvania style.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Apr 9, 2018

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is a brilliant platformer that's fun, challenging, humorous, and looks great. If you haven't already checked this out, I highly recommend that you give it a go!

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7.6 / 10.0
Apr 5, 2018

A metroidvania that you will want to explore and collect everything. A game that will make you fight, navigate and laugh from start to finish.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7.9 / 10.0
Apr 5, 2018

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse was a great game on the Game Boy, and its arrival now on the Nintendo Switch makes is worth a try for those of you that missed it.

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80%
Apr 2, 2018

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is platforming done right. From the tight controls, excellent level design, beautiful art style and great sound direction, there is much to like about Shantae's latest Switch adventure. There are many hours to enjoy with this one, and as such I highly recommend Shantae to any platforming game fans.

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9 / 10
Mar 29, 2018

If you enjoyed Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, then chances are that you will take to this with a similar embrace. For those that have never played a Shantae game, it’s easy enough to get to grips with without knowledge of the series. On the whole, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a stylish and fun 2D platformer that fits as well, if not better, than it does on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Some of the backtracking may be a bit tedious for some and the save system in particular is less than desirable. These are only small criticisms in the grand scheme of things though because Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse as a whole is an absolute joy to play.

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8 / 10.0
Mar 23, 2018

When all is said and done, Shantae And The Pirate's Curse is the definitive Shantae experience, and it feels just as fabulous as ever on the Nintendo Switch.

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Renan Fontes
Top Critic
8 / 10
Mar 21, 2018

While Shantae and the Pirate's Curse may fall on the simple side when it comes to Metroidvanias, its simplicity winds up being one of its biggest strengths.

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9 / 10
Mar 21, 2018

We'd give this game a strong recommendation to anybody who hasn't played it yet and would still encourage veterans to consider double dipping.

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78 / 100
Mar 20, 2018

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is the very same game from 2014 (even from the graphical side), with few improvements, like rumble HD. A fast port that Shantae's hardcore fans and newcomers will enjoy, but for all those that already played it on 3DS, Wii U, PC or Xbox One, there are better options out there, like Half-Genie Hero (also on Switch).

Review in Spanish | Read full review

B+
Oct 19, 2016

The best retro throwbacks rise above their influences to become something endearing of their own accord. Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse does just that, with quality and production values that rival many AAA releases.

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9 / 10
Aug 1, 2016

Shantae and The Pirate’s Curse is another brilliant game from WayForward. If you’re a fan of the series, then you’re going to love playing this one as I did for my Shantae and The Pirate’s Curse review! It has a fun story, a new twist on gameplay and lots of content for you to enjoy. As always, the music from Jake “Virt” Kaufman is great, and you’ll definitely find yourself humming a song or two after you’ve finished this one!

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7.3 / 10.0
May 16, 2016

Entertaining character interactions, the inclusion of an enemy respawn mechanic and a retro-facing aesthetic art-style offer enough to save this Metroidvania love-letter from the trappings of repetitive gameplay, an uninteresting plot and predictable enemy movements.

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7.5 / 10.0
May 9, 2016

Shantae and The Pirates Curse is a joyful and surprisingly deep pixelated platformer, and is an indie title that you should consider.

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Justin Celani
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
May 9, 2016

Shantae is a classic game in the right senses. It’s got a decent challenge, it’s fun, and seeing as it’s on almost every console now, there is no excuse not to try it. Players that grew up during the peak of this genre can surely appreciate what Shantae has to offer, and newcomers that have taken a liking to it need to give Shantae a go, it’s one of the better games the genre has to offer in today’s market.

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7 / 10
May 4, 2016

Quibbles aside, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is still a breath of fresh air for the buried concept of sprite-based 2D platformers.

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Az Elias
Top Critic
7 / 10
May 3, 2016

This is a fun, but relatively simple, Metroidvania - beginner-friendly, but a title that can easily satisfy a craving, especially if eager for a solid 2D platformer.

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May 3, 2016

Platforming is tight and varied, and the plot matches the lighthearted tone of the rest of the game. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is a spirited little game, and by far the best 2D platformer on the PlayStation 4 to date.

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6 / 10
May 1, 2016

There are no secrets and nothing cool to find, just a frustrating design mechanic of incessantly backtracking through areas you have already completed

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