Genieus.
Immediately upon seeing the title screen and hearing the game's main theme, you know that is another step forward for this series. Back in 2002, made her debut on the Game Boy Color to rave reviews but disappointing sales — hardly a shock when you take into account the GBC was on its last legs — but the purple-haired half-genie has persevered through the years and slowly built for herself a loyal fanbase. With each new release, it seems that WayForward has further distilled the essence of this series' gameplay and found new ways to improve and tighten it, and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero — the first game to be developed primarily with home consoles in mind — continues this trend; it's quite evident that WayForward pulled out all the stops in the making of this game. It won't do much to sway those who weren't interested in the previous releases, but it definitely stands as the best Shantae game yet and it's one that no fan will want to miss.
The story opens with Shantae having a dream in which a mysterious presence from the Genie Realm warns her of the coming of an evil force which will threaten both realms. As expected, the story never amounts to anything particularly memorable, but the writing and humour depicted throughout make up for it. The whole cast of memorable Shantae characters make an appearance here, and they keep the pace going at a decent clip. Instances such as Sky kicking a protesting Shantae off of her bird with a firm "Get!" or an attractive woman mistaking a drooling Bolo for a decorative statue help keep an upbeat, lighthearted tone, and lend the game a lot of charm that engages you in the narrative in a way that few other games replicate.
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