Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Reviews

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is ranked in the 83rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Dec 17, 2016

After nearly three years of anticipation following the success of it's Kickstarter, Shantae: Half-Genie shows us why it was worth the wait.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
9 / 10
Jun 28, 2017

Playing as a genie has never been more fun. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a wonder to behold, and can be enjoyed by players of all ages.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
8 / 10
Dec 12, 2016

This is a superb entry in what has become a remarkable platforming saga. The lush visuals are impressive to behold, and Jake "virt" Kaufman has outdone himself with yet another phenomenal soundtrack. The game itself finely balances both the action and adventure elements. With the amount of abilities involved, there could have been a little more creativity in how they're employed. Still, it's a mild complaint considering the amount of care that went into everything else. The pacing is efficiently handled. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero doesn't benefit from having checkpoints that must be repeated dozens of times, or thousands of shiny objects to collect. Everything has a purpose, and nothing wears out its welcome. All in all, this is a can't-miss title of the holiday season.

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9 / 10.0
Jun 27, 2017

Some of the meta-humor in Half-Genie Hero had to be explained, since this happened to be my first Shantae game. It definitely won't be the last – I've got all four now on various Nintendo systems, and I'll definitely dive into the ones I've missed. But you never forget your first, and I'm definitely "RET-2-GO" if WayForward brings it back.

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Cubed3
Eric
Top Critic
5 / 10
Jul 8, 2017

If it was not for the music and the superior graphics, Half-Genie Hero would be viewed even less favourably for the simple fact it is not fun. Much of the goofy charm of the series has long been extinguished, and the main character is grating at this point. The platforming, despite having previous in the series that was great, is shockingly bad. Pretty graphics cannot hide the fact that after one too many trips to the bottom of the endless towers they climb, this game is simply not good, especially when the company, and the genre as a whole, offers so many better options.

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Adam Riley
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jun 18, 2017

Whilst it starts off somewhat slow, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero quickly kicks into top gear and stays there right until the end, making for one of the most engrossing 2D platform adventures of recent times.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jan 3, 2017

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a visually striking platformer with top notch production values.

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8 / 10
Dec 27, 2016

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero brings the series to the best place it has ever been, thanks to some fantastic visuals, a catchy soundtrack and a loveable cast of characters.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
7 / 10
May 5, 2017

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is an orchestra for the sense, yet a bully to the mind. While it's a delight to look at and listen to, much of the gameplay feels like it should have been left in the path. Fortunately, clever boss fights that manage to fuse simplicity with depth save this from being an otherwise tiresome affair. If difficulty is a turn-off, though, steer clear. Other than that one could do a lot worse than this little game.

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8 / 10.0
Dec 28, 2016

All in all, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a solid and polished, if not overly risky, addition to the franchise. In some ways, it feels like a soft reboot that goes back to the franchise's core mechanics and refines them. That makes it a strong introduction to the series for newcomers and a great game for existing fans . The only really flaws include some unnecessary padding and backtracking and its short length, neither of which is enough to be more than a minor blemish. If you're a fan of old-school platformers, Half-Genie Hero is a game for you.

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100%
Jan 2, 2017

WayForward clearly took their time to complete this one, but in the end, the wait was worth it. The game is fantastic, and a lot of fun. The graphics are colorful, charming and vibrant, showcasing a very high level of polish. You feel like you’re playing a cartoon! Something else worth mentioning is that the music from composer Jake “Virt” Kaufman is excellent, as always, perfectly complementing the action on the screen. I highly recommend that you get this one today. I had an absolute blast playing it for my Shante: Half-Genie Hero review and I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time with the game from the moment you play the opening sequence!

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8 / 10.0
Dec 18, 2016

Unfortunately, Half-Genie Hero isn't Shantae's finest moment but that doesn't mean that it isn't a great game.

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9 / 10.0
May 8, 2018

Oddly up until this year I'd only consistently heard good things about Shantae but I'd never had the chance to indulge for myself...

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Unscored
Jul 11, 2019

Say that I loved the game and with this edition you have at least 15 hours of fun for lovers of collectibles, in addition to the art book and the BSO that it brings, which is why I recommend it to lovers of old school platforms.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Dec 20, 2016

Although no Shantae game is really known for its deep plot, I felt that the plot in Half-Genie Hero was a bit haphazard compared to Pirate’s Curse, at least until the twist at the end of the game. I can’t explain why without going into spoilers, but I just felt it would have helped players to have a bit more backstory to push things forward. That said, I definitely enjoyed my time with Shantae Half-Genie Hero. I managed to beat the game in five and a half hours with 84% completion (though I did manage to get the good ending). There is some replay value for completionists, and there are also art pieces to unlock, Hero-Mode and even playing through the game as Risky Boots herself! Half-Genie Hero mostly made good on all of my vast expectations, though I do hope that the next game in the series is more like Pirate’s Curse. That said, if you’re a fan of Shantae, you can’t go wrong with Half-Genie Hero for $19.99, and I’m very happy to have finally been able to play this gorgeous HD game on my Wii U. Until next time, Tinkerbackers! And keep up the good work, WayForward!

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4.5 / 5.0
May 15, 2018

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition returns with a massive amount of content that’ll bring in new and returning players. The platforming is smooth, the character designs and the world are incredibly detailed, and the gameplay is a blast. Without a doubt, this ultimate edition will leave everyone smiling and shaking those hips.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jun 27, 2018

Shantae is visually pleasing and fun game, but it makes you repeat levels over and over again, especially when it comes to DLCs.

Review in Polish | Read full review

Unscored
Jan 1, 2017

Now, reviews generally exist to answer the question of whether something is good or not, but the answer to that question is a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no in this case. In fact, if my notes are any indication, the answer is “yes, then kind of, then yes again, then no no no no why is this happening, then ehhh, then yes again,” which is a roundabout way of saying that the game is worth it overall despite having some pretty glaring issues.

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7.5 / 10.0
Feb 5, 2017

Plenty more than just your average genie in a bottle!

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Evan Norris
Top Critic
7 / 10
May 7, 2018

Where some re-releases and remasters are content to add a single extra mode or a graphical face-lift, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition aspires to more.

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