Are any of the Shantae games worth playing? I want honest opinions based on more than just "muh fapbait"
They're fun.
Don't mind me, just posting better Shantae.
>>3007523
The first is technical wizardry. Huge game world, lots of collectables, but severely limited by the GBC. A little more subtle in terms of dialogue, but it has plenty of charm.
Risky's Revenge is neat, especially with how they tiered the environments, but it's got some obtuse puzzles and isn't really worth its asking price (on DSi anyway, it's cheaper elsewhere).
Pirate's Curse does away with the transformation mechanic and is an infinitely better game because of it. Light Metroidvania-ing, great music, and solid gameplay.
>>3007523
Haven't played much of the original Shantae. The small screen hurts the gameplay and I got confused where to go a little after the first dungeon.
Risky's Revenge is okay. It's really short and feels like an unfinished game. Great if you actually like speedrunning.
The Pirate's Curse is really good. It feels like it has substance, and the difficulty curve feels really nice. The beginning is easy, middle is fair-tough, the final bit is honestly hard and revisits old mechanics.
>>3007535
>technical wizardry
what about it?
>severely limited by the GBC
fuck off
Going through the original for the first time this week, and it's easily one of the most taut platformers I've played. Doesn't hurt that every sprite is packed with as much personality as WF could fit onto the gbc screen.
>>3007541
>I got confused where to go a little after the first dungeon
You go right. The world map's not that difficult
>>3007589
Well I kept going right, hit a dead end and didn't feel like backtracking in that sitting. I haven't felt like playing again since.
>>3007601
the only moment where going right will bite you is the zombie caravan, but the game is pretty direct about where (and how) to find it
>>3007581
I mean, it has this huge game world complete with villages, complex sprites and animations, a day and night cycle, and awesome music all jam-packed into one cartridge.
But the save system is pretty bad, especially when you have such huge swaths of terrain to bypass with enemies that are massive damage sponges.
I guess I shouldn't have said limited by GBC, it's just lacking some polish because of its technical limitations, which it bypasses on numerous occasions in other areas.
>>3007523
It's easily the best looking game on the GBC, but it's slow paced and full of backtracking and farming. If it wasn't for the graphics it would be ignored. The music is good too, but there are many GBC games with good music, so music alone isn't enough for a GBC game to be notable.
>>3007529
Yes
>>3007620
>save system is pretty bad
how so?
>enemies that are massive damage sponges
If only the game gave you options to bypass them
>lacking some polish because of its technical limitations
fuck off, seriously
>>3007630
Farming? Nigger there's a gambling hall as early as the second town and it's right next to the save point. As far as being slow paced, have you ever played a metroidvania before? The genie is on a sprint compared to Alucard.
>>3007630
>It's easily the best looking game on the GBC
no
>slow paced
>backtracking
You're impatient and not paying attention
>farming
see >>3007645
>If it wasn't for the graphics it would be ignored
no
>>3007650
There's more to graphics quality than number of colors on screen at once. If that's all it took then SNES would have better graphics than Genesis.
Shantae has more animation frames, great pixel art that combines the best aspects of Japanese and Western animation without being weeaboo (similar to MLP:FIM), faked multi-layer parallax scrolling, clever palette changing lighting effects, huge sprites, etc. It shows great understanding of the GBC's hardware. The only real problem with the graphics is it has some slowdown. It's up there with SotN and Seiken Densetsu 3 as a great looking 2D game.
>>3007759
>Shantae has
It's a gorgeous game, for sure. I'd not call it a technical marvel though.
>has some slowdown
Where?
>>3007769
There's some slowdown when there's too many sprites on screen.
>>3007784
that's the theory. I don't recall any of it in the game
Shantae is appreciated because it ticks a lot of boxes - colorful graphics, cheeky/funny/sexy characters, great soundtrack - but mostly because it's actually enjoyable to play and control.
Go play some early GB platformer like Castlevania Adventure or Metroid 2, they're so wooden and slow-paced it's almost torturous. Fast forward literally 13 years and developers had figured out how to use the GB hardware better, and the bar for what was considered a playable game was a lot higher.
So Shantae (and Wendy Every Which Way) are late-life games for a long-lived platform. Just like Kirby's Adventure on the NES was technically impressive compared to release titles like Excitebike.
However, also like Kirby's Adventure, Shantae and Wendy are at least above average games in their own right.
I think they're given too much hype, but they are enjoyable and playable platformers unlike a lot of shit in the GB and GBC library.
>>3007816
>early GB platformer
Super Mario Land is much faster and more fun than Shantae (ignoring the boring shmup levels).
>>3007797
just went through the lady's desert, no slowdown
>>3007523
Eh 2bh Pirate's Curse the only one I'd replay. These games can be annoying if you're the impatient type, you die and go back a couple screens a lot in the beginning, ironically it becomes easier as it goes on.
>>3007826
I don't remember which desert it was, but one of them definitely had major slowdown. And there's occasional slowdown in other places. Slowdown is common in all console games.
>>3007836
>Slowdown is common in all console games.
good games avoid it
I can check the men's desert later, but I'd be surprised, I don't remember any slowdown from the game.
>>3007841
You'd be surprised how much SNES games lag.
>>3007726
anybody have this map in color and high resolution without the annoying labels?
>>3007846
We're talking about a GBC game
>>3007816
>Go play some early GB platformer like Castlevania Adventure or Metroid 2, they're so wooden and slow-paced it's almost torturous. Fast forward literally 13 years and developers had figured out how to use the GB hardware better, and the bar for what was considered a playable game was a lot higher.
This comparison makes no sense regardless of the context as there's been many platformer on the GB that are damn good. Shantae isn't some diamond in the rough you're making it out to be.
>>3008003
My whole post was about how Shantae is not a hidden gem diamond in the rough. Way to selectively quote. You should be a Fox News journalist.
>>3007642
why are you so triggered by people pointing out the GBC has weak hardware?
>>3007523
Only played the first one. Decent game. Certainly worth playing.
>>3007523
Pirate's Curse is one of my favorite games, but that's not /vr/. Most of Shantae isn't /vr/ for that matter, so you might be better off discussing the series in /v/.
>>3008129
I didn't get a single response on /v/.
>>3008628
Shocking, t b h. Shantae is pretty much the goddess of /v/.
>>3007523
Way Forward is a shitty overrated dev. They made one of the worst Contra and Silent Hill games and none of their original games are good.
>>3008669
Nah, their games are good. Not triple A quality, but they're not a triple A company.
>>3007816
>Metroid 2, they're so wooden and slow-paced it's almost torturous
The small screen and space, tight controls, no colors and simple yet ambiental soundtrack makes Metroid 2 one of the scariest and most immersive games on GBC, in my opinion.
>>3007642
he explained himself a lot better than you did fugget
>>3007523
They are Metroidvania-lite-for-kids, think of how FF Mystic Quest compares to FF4.
On the upside they have incredibly good sprite work - even the GBC original had great animation, so good that if it wasn't for the resolution and the bleep bloop sound, you'd not even notice that it is a GBC game. It also has some slightly puzzling platforming challenges, and the characters in the game are all full of charm.
Despite being a family friendly kids game, it also has some subtle innuendo.
I wouldn't consider it a serious or a great title, the gameplay can be annoying and tedious all too often. Not even something I'd pick up and re-play a few months later. But the game has a shit load of charm and you can see the effort and love put into it, plus there is the fap bait like you said. For a $10 game, you can do a lot worse.
Seriously, most Wayforward games are like those, incredibly good art and sprite work, but annoyingly tedious gameplay. My biggest problem is whenever you finish a level or get an upgrade, you'll have to re-explore every damn part of the game and ask every NPC so you can figure out what is the next place to go to.
They are improving in that regard, Pirate's Curse was way less annoying than Risky's Revenge was (but also more linear).
>>3008064
that's not what these people said. They said the game is negatively affected by the platform it's running on, and that its quality is inferior because of the platform it's on. Neither is the case, and dismissing the platform the game is on.
There's also no such thing as weak hardware. There's only ill-fitting programs. Shantae is no such program.
>>3008716
I see no need to explain myself to people that are too impatient to actually deal with a game, and that hate the very platform the game's running on. They can fuck off and go play on a platform of their choice that is not this one.
>>3008735
>even the GBC original
>even
What's with all the fucking GBC hate in here?
>you'd not even notice that it is a GBC game
Fuck off, seriously.
>>3007523
I didn't enjoy the GBA game, but I didn't play it in the original release or even in the same decade of release, so the technical wonders weren't impressive save in hindsight. The design really grates on me with the backtracking and cheap enemies/falls. Most enemies will pop out of nowhere and often right when you are trying to get across the screen quickly. This tax on your health eventually causes a meaningless death which wastes more time.
The dungeons are good, but not amazing. I like the transformation powers as a mechanic too. There is a good game under the problems I had with the gameplay but it is a frustrating game far more often than the enjoyment you get to make it worth playing for certain.
>>3008893
there were no technical wonders in the gba game. Was a bog standard engine
>>3008880
It's not the original model, so the hipsters that wander in here despise it, and on top of that you have the usual idiots here that flat out hate handhelds.
>>3008669
How do you reddit kiddies keep wandering in here?
>>3008064
>MY SYSTEM'S DICK IS BIGGER THAN YOUR SYSTEMS!!!!!!!!!!11one
Please, tell us more about you insecurities and impotency.
>>3008878
so don't
fuck
>>3008871
No, they said the platform was limited in it's capabilities. All hardware has limits. Denying this is to deny reality itself.
>>3009117
Project your tiny dick inadequacy elsewhere.
>>3009143
Nice limp rebuttal, next time spend the 20 calories and think of something original.
Concerning the original topic, anyone got screens or interviews where it showed the snes Shantae in development?
>>3008669
More like they made the best Contra game ever.
>>3007759
>There's more to graphics quality than number of colors on screen at once. If that's all it took then SNES would have better graphics than Genesis.
Are you saying Genesis has better graphics than SNES?
If so, OPINION DISCARDED!
>>3008880
>What's with all the fucking GBC hate in here?
Well maybe you are just retarded, cause I was actually praising the game.
>>3009664
>Are you saying Genesis has better graphics than SNES?
SNES only wins in the colour department, and it can fit more stuff in the cart due to using compressed samples. Genesis can do everything else the SNES can do other than that, as long as the programmer is clever enough.
>>3009139
>they said the platform was limited in it's capabilities
Let's review
>lacking some polish because of its technical limitations
>severely limited by the GBC
Nope, both comments give the game negative attributes for their platform, as if it somehow could have been better, more polished or whatever, when running on something less "limited", whatever that means.
>All hardware has limits
So it's a worthless throwaway statement and you're wasting everyone's time, and insulting devs while you're at it.
>>3009670
>I was actually praising the game
I said GBC hate, not Shantae hate. You said "even the GBC original" had great animation, as if the platform is actively working against this feature. You're saying the game is good despite the platform it's on. So you're basically shitting on the platform.
>>3007650
sauce for those games?
the one that is in the middle is alone in the dark isn´t?
>>3009096
>original model
The GBC is a new system, just highly compatible to a previous one. The comparison drawn earlier, between DMG:GBC and GCN:Wii is spot on.
I like Wayforward. They make a quality game. And I can respect wanting more powerful females characters.
That said, why does every female in their games dress like there's a severe fabric shortage in their world. It borders on unsettling. Like seriously there's this stigma for females being over sexualised, and the here's Wayforward with a girl in a string bikini for no solid reason.
I dunno, I just don't get it.
>>3010121
>I just don't get it
agreed, you don't
>>3010051
Fish Files (point & click adventure)
Alone in the Dark
Tyrannosaurus Tex (unreleased multiplayer-capable FPS)
>>3010121
>Like seriously there's this stigma for females being over sexualised, and the here's Wayforward with a girl in a string bikini for no solid reason.
Yes, let's just ignore any scantily-clad male characters or the fact that Sequin Land is tropical.
>>3010160
>Sequin Land is tropical
Bolo wears a shirt, the old dudes wear cloaks
>>3010160
>Let's ignore the fact there are plently of reasonable males that aren't sexualised, like Bolo
>Let's also ignore the fact he was referring to all WayForward games and not just the Shantae series
>>3010250
>>Let's also ignore the fact he was referring to all WayForward games and not just the Shantae series
>what is Wendy: Every Witch Way
>>3010170
>old dudes wear cloaks
Because they're old?
>>3010259
So they didn't sexualise at eight year old. That's just common decency.
Or are you arguing "What other games?"
>The Scorpion King: Sword of Osiris
>Mighty Flip Champs!
>Mighty Milky Way
>Mighty Flip Champs! DX
>BloodRayne: Betrayal
>Mighty Switch Force!
>Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!
(Water nymphs despite being sub-sub-characters that exist for one joke are featured prominently at save points)
>Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition
>Mighty Switch Force! 2
>Mighty Switch Force! Hose It Down!
That's just the obvious ones.
>>3010170
He's in shorts and a tank top.
Also all old characters tend to wear more clothing, including women. Not unusual in real life warm climates either as they tend to not labor in the sun anymore.
>>3010289
I am guessing they know it sells. Shantae's incredible dancing animation probably wouldn't be nearly as charming if she didn't look about as hot as you can get for a GBC sprite.
The Mighty series has a lot of skin. Maybe I'm a pervert, but I kind of like it.
ITT:
>scantily clad unequivocally means overtly sexualized
Such prudes.
>>3009857
>I said GBC hate, not Shantae hate. You said "even the GBC original" had great animation, as if the platform is actively working against this feature. You're saying the game is good despite the platform it's on. So you're basically shitting on the platform.
I'm sorry but when exactly did this stupid trend start, where admitting the shortcomings of a thing or a person is now considered the same as insulting the thing/person in question?
Every piece of hardware has technical limitations. The GBC has technical limitations. Admitting this is not taking a shit on the platform. It is an admittance of a fact. Shantae pushes those limits, or gets around them, to achieve a great and ambitious game, that features things you'd expect on more powerful hardware.
>>3011480
>The Mighty series has a lot of skin. Maybe I'm a pervert, but I kind of like it.
Funnily enough the pixel version of the sprite even looks sexier than the HD version. Possibly because it leaves more to the imagination, but personally I think because it uses slightly different colour shading for the bare flesh parts. (comparing the pixel and hd sprites for the Steam game)
>>3011717
>admitting the shortcomings
There you go again with this nonsense
And again, the issue is that people BLAMED the platform, as if the game is good despite being on it. THAT is the bullshit.
>The GBC has technical limitations
So does every other thing on this planet, it's a useless statement
>Admitting this is not taking a shit on the platform
first, there's nothing to admit, and second, the platform is not working against the game
>gets around them
you're funny
>that features things you'd expect on more powerful hardware
speak for yourself
>>3011731
well dude the point of the gameboy was to have affordable, low battery consuming hardware, you're probably too young to understand why more battery life was preferable over better graphics
>>3011731
>And again, the issue is that people BLAMED the platform, as if the game is good despite being on it. THAT is the bullshit.
It's 100% truth. Shantae is designed in a style usually seen on stronger hardware. It's an impressive achievement getting it running on a GBC. The whole reason Shantae is notable is because it looks so good despite being a GBC game. This is not an insult to the GBC.
>>3011757
then read what the people said, dammit.
>severely limited by the GBC
>even the GBC original had great animation
>you'd not even notice that it is a GBC game
In other words, people were expecting shit from the GBC, and surprised when it wasn't shit. Shantae's animation is not technically impressive. It's just good craftmanship
>it looks so good despite being a GBC game
Ah, you're one of the same shitsters, that explains it.
>This is not an insult to the GBC
Saying you expect shit from a platform, and being surprised when a reasonable looking game comes out is shitting on the damn platform, whether you like it or not.
>>3011876
>8 times the power of an nes
NES has far higher IPC than the GBC. It's 3 times faster at best.
>>3011876
>resorting to strawman arguments
Yes. Highly recommend.
>>3012017
Not even. I didn't even get a single reply. No lewds dumped, no "Here's your (You)" posted, nothing.
>>3011769
>In other words, people were expecting shit from the GBC, and surprised when it wasn't shit.
No you imbecile. We were expecting an average GBC game and was surprised because it is way the fuck more detailed than your average GBC game. Shantae has what, 32x32 sprites with six colours? And you can still see everything in detail from her eyelashes to her jiggling boobs, and with animation that puts 16bit console sprites to shame.
It's like as if I played Conker on the N64 and expected a generic n64 platformer graphically on par with Mario 64, and then getting pleasantly surprised because it looks a game on a PS2, held back in details like screen resolution due to being on the N64.
>>3012139
I thought Shantae was like, a really late GBC game. At least that's what I assumed given its scope and graphics.
>>3012238
It was. Came out in 2002, a couple years after the GBA happened.
That's why original carts are so hard to find.
>>3012139
>held back
fuck off, there's no way to save your bullshit
>>3012139
>Shantae has what, 32x32 sprites with six colours?
you think I posted Rayman for shits and giggles? Her sprite is really well done, but not a technical marvel
So I am confused, are people angry at saying that the GBC isn't exactly the most technically advanced piece of hardware way back when the GBA had already come out?
Huh? I thought GBC deliberately had weaker hardware compared to all the other portable offerings at the time because it actually had a battery life.
>>3012260
no, I'm angry because people are saying the game is limited by, negatively affected by, crippled by, damaged by, and otherwise reduced in quality by the platform it's running on
>>3012263
You don't think Shantae would've been better had they released it on the GBA?
At the very least, having the screen be a bit bigger would have made Shantae not take up so much screen real estate. That's one thing that is a bit bothersome about the original game.
>>3012268
>You don't think Shantae would've been better had they released it on the GBA?
correct
>having the screen be a bit bigger would have made Shantae not take up so much screen real estate
her sprite size is fine
>>3010121
I agree, she should dress more like this:
>>3012238
Don't quote me on this but I believe it was the last game released for the GBC.
>>3012319
Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! (excellent game, by the way) saw its North America release in October 2002. Shantae got released in June.
Outside of North America you can find stuff like Dragon Ball Z: Legendary Super Warriors released in Europe in November 2002.
Shantae was not "exceptional" in its release date.
>>3012297Rule 34 of her?
>>3012336
Loved this game
is shantianai suppost to be a ragtop or something
>>3012336
>tfw i have that game
>>3012440
there's no shame in having good games
>>3012438
That's Indians, Shantae is half-genie, making her Arabian.
>>3012461
Wow. So clueless.
>>3008003
Read the last sentence of that post:
>I think they're given too much hype, but they are enjoyable and playable platformers unlike a lot of shit in the GB and GBC library.
Boy, it sure is hard to keep your attention and read a post till the final words, isn't it? I sincerely hope you are not a journalist or teacher.
>>3008701
>metroid 2 one of the best games on gbc.
>on gbc....
