2022/9/20: Nintendo Switch: Shantae and the Seven Sirens

[VideoGameCritic]

Let's hear your thoughts on my latest Shantae review.

PS: Should probably add a summer icon to this...

[MSR1701]

Let's hear your thoughts on my latest Shantae review.

PS: Should probably add a summer icon to this...

Yes, adding her would be good.

Seven Sirens is...ok. After Half-Genie Hero, the bar was set VERY high for the quality of the game, and Seven Sirens, just didn't feel as good. Not a bad game, and was fun through and through. Just didn't feel as fun.

Also Seven Sirens was a let-down because the music was nowhere near as memorable as previous games (Jake Kaufman didn't do it?).

[jon]

It looks like a pretty cool game. But the long load time icon cracked me up. It's been over 25 years since the PS1 introduced soul crushing load times to the video gaming community. And still there's load times 25 years later. I specifically remember playing the PS1 with its astronomical load times and thinking, I cant wait for the next generation to get rid of these load times. Well, it's unfathomable how this is still happening. What's next, needing 3 cartridges to finish a game? Then there would probably be an add on cartridge to buy separately which gets you to the real ending.

[Robotrek]

It looks like a pretty cool game. But the long load time icon cracked me up. It's been over 25 years since the PS1 introduced soul crushing load times to the video gaming community. And still there's load times 25 years later. I specifically remember playing the PS1 with its astronomical load times and thinking, I cant wait for the next generation to get rid of these load times. Well, it's unfathomable how this is still happening. What's next, needing 3 cartridges to finish a game? Then there would probably be an add on cartridge to buy separately which gets you to the real ending.

You know, back in the day we always thought cartridges' didn't need to have loading times. But nowadays that's changed.

[MSR1701]

It looks like a pretty cool game. But the long load time icon cracked me up. It's been over 25 years since the PS1 introduced soul crushing load times to the video gaming community. And still there's load times 25 years later. I specifically remember playing the PS1 with its astronomical load times and thinking, I cant wait for the next generation to get rid of these load times. Well, it's unfathomable how this is still happening. What's next, needing 3 cartridges to finish a game? Then there would probably be an add on cartridge to buy separately which gets you to the real ending.

You know, back in the day we always thought cartridges' didn't need to have loading times. But nowadays that's changed.

Honestly, I think we were spoiled in hindsight. I've been binge reading Bitmap Books Visual Compendium series, and the C64 and ZX Spectrum books continue to make references to the tape loading, including upwards to 3 minutes of loading (and finger crossing that the program would not crash).

Also, there technically was loading in old cart games,usually the games were optimized to not have it be too noticable. I say usually, for an example of NOT being done right, see Exhibit A - Batman Forever

[ASalvaro]

It looks like a pretty cool game. But the long load time icon cracked me up. It's been over 25 years since the PS1 introduced soul crushing load times to the video gaming community. And still there's load times 25 years later. I specifically remember playing the PS1 with its astronomical load times and thinking, I cant wait for the next generation to get rid of these load times. Well, it's unfathomable how this is still happening. What's next, needing 3 cartridges to finish a game? Then there would probably be an add on cartridge to buy separately which gets you to the real ending.

ever load up a c64 game? lol

[Darrin]

I love all Shantae games. I would rate Seven Sirens a 9/10 and Half Genie Hero an 8 out of 10. I actually think Seven Sirens has a slight edge. Below are my observations!

1. I prefer the hand-drawn 2D graphics of Seven Sirens over the 2.5-D visuals of Half-Genie Hero. This is more of a personal preference. I just find polygon graphics in a 2D game to be jagged and lacking in detail.
2. Seven Sirens didn't require additional patches beyond the physical release. It was pretty much perfect right out of the gate. The physical-edition of Shantae Half-Genie Hero required additional patches to fix glitches (although some of the patches were DLC's like Pajama Mode, which were awesome). It always feels odd when a physical release requires additional patches (ten years from now you are stuck with the unfinished version).
3. I don't complain about games being "too easy" very often, but half-genie hero can be a bit too easy at times (for example, the magical tiara is way too useful). I am super grateful they added a hard-core mode (which has a perfect challenge balance, not too easy or too hard).
4. I also love the full-motion video scenes in Seven Sirens! They remind me of the early 90's CD-rom games like Y's or Mega Man 8.
5. I agree music is better in Half-Genie Hero.
6. I thought Seven Sirens felt a bit more non-linear, and more of a Metroid-vania like Pirate's Curse. The game seems larger in scope, and even has warp areas to traverse from one part of the map to another.
7. I think the bosses are slightly better in Half-Genie Hero (gotta love that Giga-Mermaid).
8. I think the story-lines and funny/snarky dialogue are pretty much just as good in both games (I love when Shantae gets placed into a blister pack in Seven Sirens lol). Or when Shantae calls Risky Boots' ship "Poop Toot."
9. Load times are longer in Seven Sirens (not too much of a problem unless you are running around lost trying to figure out where to go).
10. Being a completionist was a bit harder in Seven Sirens (especially collecting all the gold nuggets). Much like those pesky blue coins in Mario Sunshine, the gold nuggets are not individually numbered, which makes it much more difficult to know which ones you are missing. This is particularly important when getting the 100% speed-run trophy.

But in the end, trying to decide what Shantae game is better is a first-world problem!!!!

Thanks for reading

[CaptainCruch]

I played Shantae: Risky's Revenge and Shantae: Pirate's Curse. I enjoyed both games, they were pretty good. However, after those two games I felt I played enough Shantae.

[jon]

I have to give Nintendo credit for the video game industry’s latest technological breakthrough…….it’s cartridges with lengthy loading times….of course duh.

[MSR1701]

I played Shantae: Risky's Revenge and Shantae: Pirate's Curse. I enjoyed both games, they were pretty good. However, after those two games I felt I played enough Shantae.

I would recommend both Seven Sirens and Half-Genie hero if you do enjoy the format, especially Half-Genie Hero, which is a tribute to the entire series to that point, with tons of cameos and in-jokes.