[Shantae](https://youtu.be/7OOzKIU6vCQ) is an indie franchise that pretty much every Switch owner has at least heard about in some capacity. And it’s the de facto flagship series of illustrious American developer WayForward Technologies, who have worked on other beloved IPs like Contra and Advance Wars. The series is primarily associated with Nintendo’s consoles and the titular character has seen guest appearances in titles like [Blaster Master Zero](https://youtu.be/VCKtO0HTgAk) and [Super Smash Bros. Ultimate](https://youtu.be/mTrROtf9zdg), so I’d say it’s about on par with Shovel Knight in the grand pantheon of indies.
A series acclaimed for its fantastic music, likable cast of characters, tight platforming/Metroidvania gameplay, sharp writing, and unbridled sense of fun, the Shantae series has cemented itself in the gaming conscious as a frequent fan favorite for the past 20 years. As of this writing, every game in the series is on the Nintendo Switch, [and they are all currently on sale in the eShop until June 16th to celebrate the 20th anniversary](https://twitter.com/wayforward/status/1532414288412950528?s=21&t=VdW5ddIymzwfsydwOk9smQ). So with all of that out of the way, I thought I’d take some time to reflect on the series as of now and give you a general overview of what you can expect:
**1. Shantae GBC:** The debut title for the series was published by Capcom for the Game Boy Color in 2002… a year or so after the release of the Game Boy Advance. As you might expect the game sold like crap, and physical copies these days now cost about as much as a Switch OLED and a few first party games. Our story sees our titular protagonist protecting the beach town of Scuttle Town from the invading forces of series antagonist Risky Boots and her gang of pirates. She does this with hair whips and her signature animal transformations. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but if you’re gonna try the first game nowadays, it’s on the Switch eShop for less than you’d ever have to pay for an original physical copy.
**2. Shantae: Risky’s Revenge:** 7-8 years after her acclaimed dud of a debut, WayForward would obtain and revisit the IP with a sequel for the DSiWare shop. Risky is back and steals a magic lamp of unknown power, so Shantae has to zip around the world collecting a bunch of things to progress and ultimately stop her. The DSiWare version is still for sale, much like the 3DS VC version of the original game, but the definitive version is the Director’s Cut that you can play on all the boxes. It includes an alternative Magic mode playstyle for those interested, but the game is overall pretty short given its DSiWare origins.
**3. Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse:** Now we’re getting to the good shit. Co-developed by WayForward and the pixel art luminaries at Inti Creates, Pirate’s Curse is where the series really hit its stride. Turns out that magic lamp from the last game can actually steal Shantae’s genie powers, and thus she is now rendered fully human. One day Risky suddenly barges in and requests Shantae’s help to stop the return of someone called the Pirate Master. To do this she must use Risky’s scattered pirate equipment to Metroid her way to the end. A great game all around and considered one of the best Metroidvanias of all time, complete with a banger soundtrack by series composer Jake Kaufman.
**4. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero:** This is actually a soft reboot of the series, returning to the animal transformations of prior games and now sporting a beautiful hand-drawn art style. Born from a successful Kickstarter campaign, Half-Genie Hero was pretty sparse on content at launch. But over time, the other modes made were added via DLC and made the overall package more worthwhile. The best way to experience this game nowadays is with the Ultimate Edition (the one with the yellow banner), as it has all the content from the base game and DLC plus more, including a mode that’s basically an homage to another WayForward IP, Mighty Switch Force.
**5. Shantae and the Seven Sirens:** The fifth and latest entry in the series finally came to consoles in 2020 right as everyone was forced to stay inside their homes for the foreseeable future. With a bigger production budget and an anime as hell intro courtesy of Studio Trigger, Seven Sirens looked to be the most ambitious Shantae game yet. I don’t know much about this game other than that, but I’m sure it’ll be a great time regardless!