SHANTAE is a Fantastic Port to Bring the Entire Series to the Switch — GeekTyrant

Whether you’re a long time fan of Shantae or a new fan, this port has a lot to offer. First, it has both the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance versions of the game. The GBA version has a bonus Tinkerbat transformation and a brighter color palette. Both versions have three different filters that can be applied with my personal favorite being LCD as that mimics the original screens. You can also use save states to make saving a breeze.

In terms of gameplay, this plays like old platformers. It doesn’t feel as nice as some more modern games, but many of those old games don’t. It’s just the way that it works. I personally found it very challenging, but not impossible.

The sound and music is really good like other Shantae titles and I have no complaints. The visuals are what you’d expect from a GBC title. In menus and cutscenes, the art is gorgeous, but then during gameplay a lot of detail is lost. It is what it is.

Overall, if you like old platformers or are a fan of Shantae, I would recommend grabbing this port. It’s very faithful to the original with a few modern conveniences. This is a great way to see how the adventure started.