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Shantae: Risky's Revenge (Nintendo DSiWare) discussion [game]
 
Shantae: Risky's Revenge on the DS
8.77/10 from 19 user ratings

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Shantae: Risky's Revenge (Nintendo DSiWare) Review (10.0)  by  
The music, the colors, the controls, this game is amazing!

I never played the GBC game so I wasn't sure what to expect but this is hands down one of the best 2-D games on the DS, and I'm only an hour in, it's simply amazing.

Seeing all the gorgeous pixel art created by the geniuses at Wayforward really makes me sad that we never got a proper 2-D Metroid game on the DS. Still, Shantae is the next best thing, it's right up there with the excellent Castlevania games from Iga-San.

BTW, played the Lords of Shadow demo last night, that game is NOT Castlevania, it has no vania flavor, they just slapped the name on, as expected. Still sad.

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10/06/10, 16:25    Edited: 09/17/12, 01:37
 
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Yeah, so did I. And if it wasn't for this reminder, I probably never would've picked it up again.

Where did you stop? I think there are five worlds, in total. Did you get to any auto-scrolling levels? Those are pretty cool. In general, I enjoy the smaller, shorter levels over the longer, seven-page ones. Those are neat from a design perspective, but quite unwieldy.
10/07/10, 22:38   
Put on your raincoats people. I'm about to make kind of a mess here.

Shantae: Risky's Revenge is what all games should be.

Ok, so I was, like, all guarded, and stuff? Because I thought this franchise might be, you know, overhyped by a cultish fanbase due to rarity and (lack of) popularity (like BG&E)? Even though Contra 4 was kind of amazing? But it has totally blown me away. This game is scratching itches that I didn't even remember I had. I'm am just digging the shit out of it.

...that's an unfortunate phrase.

Still, it's awesome. The multi-planar level system is fairly novel, but the game still plays like an old, dear friend. Risky's Revenge is just pure 2D goodness, with rock-solid mechanics. The combat is fun and well-balanced, the pacing is excellent, the secrets are well-hidden (and the rewards for finding them are truly rewarding, due to the solid game economy), the writing is clever and sharp, the level design is clever and sharp, the graphics and music are top-notch, and there's actually platforming! WayForward has kind of put Iga to shame here, people. (Poor Iga!) They've kind of put a lot of companies to shame (Twisted Pixel!) with the balance and polish of their little downloadable game. You know how you play most games and say, "That game was great, except for X, Y, and Z..." Risky's Revenge somehow avoids all of those common pitfalls. So far, at least (just beat the first boss).

I am beyond impressed, for realz. I had a smile on my face for my entire play session. Read it and weep, DSi holdouts. WEEP!

(Watch Shantae get totally ignored by the media in favor of Limbo or Super Meat Boy, or whatever else is on XBLA.)
10/11/10, 18:51   
Edited: 10/11/10, 21:16
Eh, DSi is just a 3DS without 3D. And also without the ability to play most of the new games coming out from March on.
10/11/10, 20:29   
@Zero
Can't believe you're still playing on a DS Fat.
10/11/10, 20:30   
Sorry Mr. Moneybags, not all of us have bags of money laying around on top of other bags of money such that people start calling us Mr. Moneybags because of all of the bags of money we have.

In reality though I'm probably never going to buy a console/handheld redesign. I'd rather spend my money on games. DSi was tempting since it opens up downloadable games I can't play on fattie, but since 3DS will have access to those games as well, I can wait.
10/11/10, 21:02   
Edited: 10/11/10, 21:03
@Zero
The DSi will be replaced by the 3DS, but the digital controls will still be superior on the DSi, and the DSiXL will remain the Cadillac of DS-family machines.

...you still have a phat?

Handhelds lend themselves to upgrades, anyway, since you're basically wearing the system out as you play it. It's not like you can just swap in a new controller.

I am on pins and needles for the 3DSXL.
10/11/10, 21:14   
What do you not like about WayForward? I know you weren't big on A Boy and His Blob but what about Contra IV? Honestly I'd say it is the best Contra since the original (though needing two DS and two carts to play co-op is kind of annoying...)

@anandxxx What's wrong with the digital pad on the 3DS? Other than the awkward placing. Hmm. As terrible as the N64 controller is, it seems like one of the few attempts to deal with the whole problem of whether you put the analog or the digital control in the prominent spot... the N64 controller attempting to create two equally prominent spots.

And yeah, especially with DS and my semi-broken touch screen and my sound starting to give out it is definitely something that needs to be replaced but... I can hold out until the 3DS.
10/12/10, 00:58   
@Simbabbad
I still haven't played Boy and his Blob, but WayForward has different teams, different leads, and so forth.

Anyway, I was so-so on them until I played Contra IV, which I thought was a fantastic, content-rich throwback that felt truly old-school and Japanese. Much better than the typical hackjob updates Western companies like Backbone did for Capcom.

Shantae: Risky's Revenge has boosted them even further in my esteem. It's a masterclass in 2D game design. Not a straight clone of the best of the old days, but a polished, imaginative refinement. I now see them as one of the most capable Western developers, PERIOD. Maybe not the whole studio, but whatever team worked on Shantae. Anything they release will have my attention from now on. I play a lot of games, and Shantae is one of the few that has really elevated itself above the pack. Although our tastes are pretty different, I think you'd like it. It's kind of a mazy game, in some ways (although still fairly compact).

And you might actually like Mighty Flip Champs more than I did, since it is a pretty tough puzzler with strict rules.

@Zero
Yeah, I've always found that aspect of the N64 controller interesting, too. Nintendo was thinking about the problem even then, and most people still don't seem to acknowledge that it exists (DUAL SHOCK THREE). I also found it interesting how many people swear by the N64 controller in it's asymmetrical analog position. That might be just habit, although it IS kind of cozy...

Did any game ever use the D-Pad + analog stick variation?
10/12/10, 01:52   
Edited: 10/12/10, 01:53
anandxxx said:
Did any game ever use the D-Pad + analog stick variation?
Pretty sure it's an option in Sin & Punishment.
10/12/10, 01:56   
Oh, yeah... I think that's the one I use on the Wii with the Gamecube controller.
10/12/10, 02:16   
@anandxxx No one acknowledges it exists because 2D is considered dead on consoles by everyone but Nintendo. Doesn't Sony still limited the types of 2D that can exist on their consoles? The Wii remote was an interesting solution as well, nunchuck attachment for analog, turn the controller sideways for digital. Can't really do that with a handheld though. So we end up with awkward button placement.
10/12/10, 02:37   
Yeah, but the Dual Shock is the controller that actually has a digital pad in the primary spot.

The Wii Remote is a good solution. Outside the box.

Speaking of awkward button placement... why Diamond??? WHYYYYY?
10/12/10, 03:23   
@Simbabbad
Shantae is way way better than a Boy and His Blob (which is a very good game in it's own right, just not on the same level as Shantae).

@anandxxx
I don't know about this "puts Iga to shame" business. All 3 DS Vania's are pretty damn good.
10/12/10, 06:22   
Edited: 10/12/10, 06:24
Zero said:
Sorry Mr. Moneybags, not all of us have bags of money laying around on top of other bags of money such that people start calling us Mr. Moneybags because of all of the bags of money we have.

They call me Moneybags. (NSFW!)
10/12/10, 06:41   
deathly_hallows said:
I don't know about this "puts Iga to shame" business. All 3 DS Vania's are pretty damn good.
Haha, I actually have a weak spot for Castlevania, so I still enjoy them, but Iga's kind of spinning his wheels. And most of his games feel pretty unbalanced and grindy. I really like the in-game economy of Shantae. How you can't just grind cash to get the good moves. You have to actively explore. I feel like most of Iga's games encourage unfun play in some way. (Plus, barely any platforming!)

I still haven't opened Ecclesia, but my favorite recent handheld Castlevanias have been Circle of the Moon and Aria of Sorrow.
10/12/10, 18:58   
So I need to get DSi for this game alone it seems.
10/12/10, 20:04   
No, there's actually a lot of great DSiWare.

...and you will be able to download it on the 3DS (with an off-position D-Pad!).
10/12/10, 21:47   
I just ordered some 6000 Nintendo Points from Amazon.ca ($17.99 cards for the win!) and will be downloading Shantae any day now. Can't wait.
10/12/10, 23:09   
@anon_mastermind
Oh, crap, wish I had known about it earlier, before I recently bought points through my credit card on both the Wii and DSi.
10/12/10, 23:28   
Pandareus said:
@anon_mastermind
Oh, crap, wish I had known about it earlier, before I recently bought points through my credit card on both the Wii and DSi.
Darn! I hate buying with a credit card, always seems like I'm paying a few bucks more than I should be.
10/12/10, 23:30   
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