Shantae (2002)
Shantae, a Game Boy Color game developed by WayFoward, features a half-genie named Shantae, and her battle against the villainous Risky Boots. It was one of the only games from the Game Boy Color era to have additional functionality when played on the Game Boy Advance.
First released
Jun 4, 2002
Franchises
Shantae
Developed by
WayForward Technologies
Published by
Capcom, Limited Run Games
Platforms
Game Boy Color, Nintendo 3DS eShop, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5
Genres
Action, Platformer
Rating
ESRB: E
Releases
- 3DSE - Shantae United States
- 3DSE - Shantae Australia
- 3DSE - Shantae United Kingdom
- GBC - Shantae United States
- NSW - Shantae United States
Community reviews
The first Shantae
Game: Shantae
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Wayforward
Publisher: Limited Run Games
System: Nintendo Switch (NS) via Switch OLED (NS)
Year of Release: 2021
Date of Completion: August 15th 2025
Length of Playthrough: 11 Hours
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Total Score: 76/100
Value Score: 7.6/10
• Story: 7/10
• Characters: 8/10
• GamePlay: 8/10
• Graphics: 7/10
• Sound: 7/10
• Music: 7/10
• Length: 7/10
• Replay Value: 7/10
• Player Value: 8/10
Pros
+Choice of playing original GBC version or GBA version - GBA version has brighter colors and tinkerbat transformation
+Save state capability
+4 dungeons/levels with a connected world
+Items and skills which you can buy along with transformations you receive during the main game, a lot of variety in gameplay
Cons
-No tutorials for moves or item usage which can be confusing
-A lot of back tracking
-Difficulty is higher than most other platformers
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Score wise comparison...
Shantae (NS): 76
Shantae: Risky's Revenge Director's Cut (PC): 81
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (PC): 87
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Wayforward
Publisher: Limited Run Games
System: Nintendo Switch (NS) via Switch OLED (NS)
Year of Release: 2021
Date of Completion: August 15th 2025
Length of Playthrough: 11 Hours
---
Total Score: 76/100
Value Score: 7.6/10
• Story: 7/10
• Characters: 8/10
• GamePlay: 8/10
• Graphics: 7/10
• Sound: 7/10
• Music: 7/10
• Length: 7/10
• Replay Value: 7/10
• Player Value: 8/10
Pros
+Choice of playing original GBC version or GBA version - GBA version has brighter colors and tinkerbat transformation
+Save state capability
+4 dungeons/levels with a connected world
+Items and skills which you can buy along with transformations you receive during the main game, a lot of variety in gameplay
Cons
-No tutorials for moves or item usage which can be confusing
-A lot of back tracking
-Difficulty is higher than most other platformers
-----
Score wise comparison...
Shantae (NS): 76
Shantae: Risky's Revenge Director's Cut (PC): 81
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (PC): 87