This prolific American indie studio has been making games since their debut in the 90s. From that time and up until the early 2000s they mainly worked on licensed games from TV show networks like Disney and Nickelodeon, but they’ve really risen to prominence in the 2010s with more original IPs and more ambitious collaborations. So with their most recent effort, [Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp](https://youtu.be/95dbXS1tPbI), finally out in the hands of the gaming public, let’s go over what else they have to offer on the Nintendo Switch:
**1. The Shantae series:** This is their most well known series and basically their flagship. It’s a series of 2D action platformers starring a belly-dancing genie with the power to transform into a variety of animals. The first 3 games were rendered in pixel art, whereas the most recent installments featured a fluid anime-esque handdrawn art style that’s become something of a staple for WayForward. You may also recognize Shantae as that purple-haired Mii costume from Smash.
**2. Mighty Switch Force Collection:** Originally debuting on the 3DS, this is a series of puzzle platformers starring an officer lady who can shift blocks around to catch a group of blonde haired hooligans. This collection features the 3DS original, its enhanced HD remaster with handdrawn graphics and more levels, the sequel, and the perspective-shifting fourth game Mighty Switch Force Academy. If you’re a fan of puzzle platformers, this is an easy recommendation from me. If nothing else please listen to the soundtrack whenever you can.
**3. A Boy and His Blob:** Now this was something I didn’t know until researching for this post. I knew that A Boy and His Blob, the NES game, got a reboot on the Wii with a lovely Studio Ghibli-esque artstyle. But what I didn’t know until now was that WayForward made it! And I also didn’t know that it came out on the Switch back in November 2021, when were probably tearing it up in Smash as Terry Bogard and apprehensively looking forward to the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes. Well that’s in the past, and I’m gonna put the spotlight on it here. So here you go!
**4. The Mummy Demastered:** Isn’t it hilarious when a licensed tie-in game turns out better than the big feature it was trying to advertise? Well that’s what happened when Universal partnered up with WayForward to bring The Mummy to video games in 2017. This is a Metroidvania, kinda like Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, so if for some reason you haven’t played or heard of this one, I suggest checking it out if you’re a Metroidvania buff. At least it’ll be more worth your time and money than the Tom Cruise movie.
**5. The River City Girls series:** River City is a longrunning series of sidescrolling beatemups that first got its start in 1986. Yeah it’s as old as Metroid and Zelda. River City Girls is an offshoot of that series developed primarily by WayForward and offers a pixel art style for those hungry for it. I haven’t played these myself, but I did try out the free game trial of the first one and enjoyed it.
**6. Vitamin Connection:** What if Dr. Mario was a shmup? And you rode around inside a giant floating Joy-Con controller? And there was two player co-op? No I refuse to elaborate further, but what I will say is that WayForward did indeed make this and that it is a Switch exclusive.
by Asad_Farooqui
26 Comments
They made Shantae and River City Girls, I will trust them implicitly until they give me a reason not to.
I don’t have much experience with them outside of River City Girls, but that was great. Always heard good things about Shantae and I keep meaning to check it out but getting distracted by other games.
Not having 4-player online multiplayer in Advance Wars is a pretty big unforced error from my perspective, though. I may still get it at some point but if I can’t go back and revisit the games with the friends I used to play the GBA originals with (who are now all over the country), I’m in no rush.
I think Nintendo should let Wayforward do a spinoff of Mario, Kirby, or Metroid, like Nintendo let a smaller company do Cadence of Hyrule. Wayforward did a great job with that Contra DS game years ago. It would sort of be like that Dead Cells Castlevania thing, where Wayforward does it in their own style.
I have fond memories of them even from before Switch, courtesy of stuff like Hotel Transylvania (a tie-in metroidvania, too) and Sigma Star Saga. They have one heck of a portfolio even if Shantae is always the first thing to come to mind therein, and their new releases tend to be good news to me even if I lack interest in the tie-in source adapted. A part of me has even fantasized about them helping out with a new Project X Zone in case Monolith Soft themselves are too busy for one these days, and if anything, the Advance Wars gig seems to have just made it that much less of a pipe dream.
Shantae is a fun platformer, and the Mighty Switch Force games were fun as well. I’m digging the work they did on Advance Wars, so they’re A-OK in my book.
They’re good devs. I don’t put them on a pedestal like some hardcore Nintendo fans, but more content for the platform from anybody and everybody is always a good thing.
I like how we’re just glossing over the Bakugan game.
I don’t think I’ve played anything by them aside from a Jake Long game on the GBA.
I’ve listened to some OSTs though. After being impressed by the soundtrack of Scurge Hive, a different GBA game, I found out the guy responsible, Jake Kaufman, has actually made a pretty good name for himself with WayForward through Shantae, Mighty Switch Force, and Double Dragon Neon. He also did Shovel Knight and Crypt of the Necrodancer. I like his work.
Genuinely curious, why is this a post?
Do you work for the studio?
Like, the average consumer doesn’t care about studio, they care about the quality of an individual game. Unless the studio has such a stellar reputation that they can do no wrong, which is incredibly rare.
They’re fine, but points deducted for going the LRG route after Half Genie Hero.
I didn’t like having to import the Seven Sirens because they didn’t want to make an EU physical.
Their good games are pretty good but their overall output is meh very quantity over quality. They Also haven’t done anything really outstanding in the indie space, just some solid games overall with shantae and river city girls. I hope they can someday create a new ip that breaks into mainstream indie space some day.
River City Girls is great, Mummy Demastered is far better than it has any right to be. I loved the DuckTales remake and wish it wasn’t stuck in Wii U jail. Bloodrayne Betrayal was a fun but not groundbreaking little diversion. Shantae…has been slipping since Pirate’s Curse.
I know they flubbed the River City Girls 2 launch with the locked 30fps on all platforms debacle, for which we’re *still* waiting on the patch. Last word was what feels like a month ago now that they were close to submitting it to cert. Though it remains to be seen whether the Switch version will get the 60fps or be stuck with 30.
I actually dont like them much, because the translations they used for most of their Shantae games were absolutely atrocious. Not just because it was very badly translated, it was because there were formatting errors everywhere.
I actually didnt get their other games ( besides Advance wars ) because of this, after buying 3 shantae games and seeing that slap in my face I said nope, sorry. Also, I felt every Shantae games was worse than the one before. Shorter, less detail on things, etc
BUT, I love the designs of Shantae games and the cartoon animations, and I like it a lot in Advance wars
I’m a fan of them through Shantae and Mighty Switch Force, I don’t believe I’ve played their other series. I loved Shante Pirate’s Curse, Half Genie Hero was okay. I haven’t played any of their stuff since the 3DS/Wii U admittedly. I like the look of what they did for Advance Wars. I’m all for Nintendo continuing to reach out to devs like this to make new, or remake game franchises they aren’t working on.
There’s also Arrowfell too. Only time I’ve seen Arc System Works and WayForward work together
I just want them to remaster Aliens Infestation for Switch
Man, you forgot ~~Shovel Knight~~, [Double Dragon Neon](https://virt.bandcamp.com/album/double-dragon-neon), and Duck Tales Remastered. All great games as well with one major thing in common as well. AMAZING soundtracks from Jake Kaufman/Virt. ESPECIALLY for Double Dragon Neon. That soundtrack was AMAZING, and still think it’s one of his best works besides [Shovel Knight Dig](https://virt.bandcamp.com/album/shovel-knight-dig-ost).
Edit: I stupidly forgot Shovel Knight is Yacht Club games because of Jake Kaufman’s soundtrack. I edited it, but did strike though for comments below to have proper context.
Edit 2: I keep forgetting to add obligatory music links to Virt’s/Kaufman’s Bandcamp where you can listen and download these soundtracks, and many more for free, or name your price for them! Enjoy!
I think last time I legitimately enjoyed a game from them was Shantae and the Pirates Curse. Half-genie Hero was alright and Rover City Girls I thought was pretty basic even as far as beat’em ups and the writing was pretty bad. I don’t see myself buying anything else from them
I know a game is gonna be decent when I see their name on said game.
River city girls 1 and 2 have a killer soundtrack!
I think they have the potential to be a good second party studio, although it’ll be largely based on how well Advance Wars sells. If it does well, maybe they’ll get the greenlight for their own entry in the franchise, much like how MercurySteam was given Metroid Dread after Samus Returns was well received.
I don’t think it’ll get to the point where WF will exclusively produce for Nintendo consoles, or stop making licensed games, but who really knows. Only time will tell.
Love Wayforward. They did Ducktales for Capcom too.
Their art style is horrendous
I’d say they feel compatible with the Nintendo mindset when you see what they did in their history so the cooperation on Advance Wars just makes sense and I hope there will be more 🙂
I don’t have the Advance Wars game for now (I will get it someday) but I enjoyed Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse ^^
Just don’t use the Unity Engine again on the switch.