Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Reviews
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is an easy recommendation to any fan of the genre with its lush visuals, memorable soundtrack and varied environments, making it one of the best 2D platformers of recent times.
Half-Genie Hero is a smooth platformer with a great sense of humor that recalls old-school platforming challenges
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a highly familiar, yet fresh take on 2D platforming, and the results are a game I can easily imagine scaled down to 16-bit on a Sega Genesis. A nostalgia hound for the 90s will find a lot to love with this game, from the gameplay down to the look, feel, and story it presents. Far from perfect, but charming beyond its expectations, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is wonderfully fun.
Channeling its Metroidvania roots, Shantae offers newcomers and genre aficionados alike a taste of what made the genre so great back when it was new and uncharted while offering plenty of upgrades to keep the journey feeling progressive.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a great metroidvania financed by Kickstarter, with a solid gameplay, a stunning art design and also exciting platform sequences.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero has an amazing presentation and precise platforming that will make gamers of all ages smile. If only the game stuck to its guns instead of devolving into a tedious collectathon that shatters the game's pacing.
Shantae: Half Genie Hero is a fun platformer with a lot to love. Shantae continues to prove her worth as an important character in gaming, eager to stand alongside characters like Mario or Mega Man. It’s definitely a game that will stand the test of time, many years from now as a classic.
On a whole Shantae Half-Genie Hero clocked in around the five hour mark for the first play-through with about seventy-five percent of the collectable items and the good ending. This leaves more time for completionists, speed running challenges, the new mode that opens up thereafter, and those wonderful platinum trophies that the more elite covet. With lovable and detestable characters alike making their return for the latest adventure there's no reason not to explore Sequin Land with our Half-Genie Hero Shantae.
Overall and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero has all the qualities to become of gaming’s best platformers. With its enjoyable gameplay and classic characters, as well as a fantastic story and exceptional soundtrack, this is no doubt a must play title for anyone who enjoys the platforming genre.
Plenty more than just your average genie in a bottle!
WayForward proved its considerable talent at creating fun, colorful, retro-inspired platformers long ago and each Shantae title has simply reinforced that reputation. It should come as little surprise that Half-Genie Hero continues that tradition. While some longtime fans might be somewhat turned off by the more contemporary visuals and streamlined level design, others will undoubtedly enjoy these changes.
Half-Genie Hero does not reinvent the wheel but it brings a series of new elements that are more than welcome to rejuvenate Shantae. The new visual interface is an appetizer that shows there is more to Shantae than just the style and the game's structure and level design further add to make Half-Genie Hero a title that should be in the choices of every platform fan.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero provides the same great sidescrolling action and charm of previous entries, though it also retains the series' awkward progression mechanics and suffers from a short length.
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.
WayForward Technologies Shantae: Half-Genie Hero's experience remains this fresh platforming adventure that will not disappoint you, full of comedy and fun characters, topped by an exemplary design.
This is the most polished Shantae game yet, and we can't wait to see where the Half-Genie Hero goes from here.
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.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is an enjoyable experience and although Shantae doesn’t necessarily bring anything brand new to the table you can see the respect, love and polish the developers have for the genre that led them to create a game like this in the first place. With strong platformers already on the Switch such as Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, Blaster Master Zero and Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero stands strong and proudly amongst them.