By Kickstarter standards, the two-year delay of Shantae: Half-Genie Hero isn’t too bad. Or it’s not unheard of at least, but it does make Mighty No. 9’s release seem pretty timely in comparison. In any case, WayForward have set a release date of the 27th September with a simultaneous release for PC, Wii U, PS4, Vita and Xbox One. Whether or not a company with 25 years’ worth of experience needed to rely on Kickstarter is up for debate. But Josh already covered that issue a few months ago, so let’s move on.
Half-Genie Hero looks gorgeous in action. I mean, just look at the E3 trailer. It’s a huge step up from The Pirate’s Curse that released last year, with sprites and assets crafted from the ground up in HD. In fact, Shantae’s upgraded visuals remind me of Wario Land’s transition to the Wii. The game has the vibe of a Saturday morning cartoon down to a T, which isn’t a bad thing.
On top of a release date, WayForward also announced physical copies for Shantae: Half-Genie Hero. Thanks to publisher Xseed Games, boxed copies are coming to the Wii U, PS4 and Vita – but only in the US for now – and come bundled with the game’s soundtrack. A new animator’s been added to the team as well, to help in the final push towards that September release date.
Based on what we’ve seen so far, I’m optimistic for Shantae: Half-Genie Hero. I was a big fan of Pirate’s Curse, so here’s hoping the sequel delivers more of the same.
