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Shantae (GBC, 2002)

Shantae (GBC, 2002)

Subgenre: Monster World/Zelda-like (animal transformations, towns w/ NPCs and shops (sub weapons/items, new combat moves via gear) connecting to two maze-like sub areas each - these connect to dungeons), Rhythm element (transforming and warping, one mini-game)


Perspective: Streamlined TP/behind the shoulder view in town
Movement Mechanics: Tapping-based flight, Climbing and wall jumping


​Other: Mini-games (optional besides one on foot race), Auto-scrolling escape segment, Optional collectathon quest (12 fireflies lets you gain a healing dance) and rescue missions (4 baby warp squids per town), Overworld and dungeons split

  • Linear structure in terms of the dungeons (can backtrack for optional upgrades including for warp squid babies placed in beaten dungeons with later transformations, bandit town (pre-dungeon 4) is locked until you've beaten dungeon 3, can get semi-stuck and have to die once if you go west of oasis town too soon, several temporary dead ends early on since you can only take one path to progress)

  • Save point and healing point/bath house in towns (one slot per game) plus mid-area save points, Lives system w/ fairly frequent checkpoints

  • Day/night cycle with an effect on gameplay (some enemies are stronger during nighttime and some events only take place during day or night, can only find one of the towns at night - Simon's Quest), No wait or speed up time feature (fireflies can only be found at night for example)

  • Minor sequence breaking possibilities at a couple of points (can sometimes use float muffins (consumables that save you from pits) or the tiara's twirl move instead of a transformation to reach an item)

  • No sub area maps or world map (there's a vague world map in the manual but it's not helpful, at one point you actually get the wrong directions from NPCs on where to go next), The world loops around (as long as you didn't hit an ability or key gate) - however this only works going right to left until you have the harpy form found in the late game

  • Can teleport to visited towns but only once you've found at least four warp squid babies (the game makes you use later transformations to reach some inside dungeons which drags this out, need to find 4 for a mom to allow teleporting to the town she's in however it is possible to mix baby squids from different moms to create warp points to some places sooner as they apparently can't tell them apart), Exit candy lets you teleport out of a dungeon, A few shortcuts though you have to open them from both sides to use them

  • Ammo-based sub weapons/inventory items

  • Some puzzles and platforming puzzles/gimmicks

  • Frequently respawning enemies in various segments - in dungeons they don't respawn until re-entering

  • Enemies keep dropping items that you already have a full stock of, Item drops disappear after about 5 seconds and if you move away until one is off screen then it disappears

  • Unskippable cutscenes but they are few

  • Some invisible walls where you'd expect there to be room exits


Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review



Influenced by: Zelda series, Monster World IV, possibly Ufouria, Parappa the Rapper or DDR, Aladdin, Magical Pop'n


Influenced: Possibly Momodora series

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