Dcubed Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 (edited) Well, that was a bit quicker than the last wait between sequels! (The cliffhanger ending of Risky's Revenge did kind of make it obvious that a sequel was in the works mind you :p ) Plane switching in S3D (ALA Mutant Mudds) please! Edited January 21, 2015 by Retro_Link
Lens of Truth Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 I was secretly rather sad at the thought that they might be skipping over the 3DS after the Shantae WiiU announcement. Wonderful, wonderful news!! Shantae is begging for the 3D treatment!
Grazza Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 Oh, my... Shantae, Dragon Quest... I must have been well-behaved recently!!!
Dcubed Posted November 6, 2012 Author Posted November 6, 2012 (edited) I was secretly rather sad at the thought that they might be skipping over the 3DS after the Shantae WiiU announcement. Wonderful, wonderful news!! Shantae is begging for the 3D treatment! Well that wasn't really an announcement. They've made Shantae demos on every single Nintendo console released since the GBC (including the famous Shantae Advance demo, a 3D platformer for the GCN and a Wii demo of some sort). That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if it did eventually get a HD version for Wii U like what Mighty Switch Force is getting (but given that the DSi game made such a big deal about plane switching - I'd assume that the 3DS sequel would follow suit, making it the ideal platform for such a game anyway) Either way, can't wait! (Funnily enough, I was just thinking about them the other day and that they seemed like they were due for an announcement ) Edited November 6, 2012 by Dcubed
Lens of Truth Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 Well that wasn't really an announcement. They've made Shantae demos on every single Nintendo console released since the GBC (including the famous Shantae Advance demo, a 3D platformer for the GCN and a Wii demo of some sort). Oh really? I thought they said "expect to see it on the WiiU", which I took to mean something more concrete than a demo. Maybe you're right and it will just be an HD version.. Am I the only one that finds these HD eshop upmixes a bit pointless?? It'd be great if Shantae got a parallel console series on the go with different gameplay/storylines.
Fused King Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 (edited) FUCK. YEAH! Still, this serie begs for a grand adventure not a small eShop game. Edited November 6, 2012 by Fused King
Dcubed Posted November 6, 2012 Author Posted November 6, 2012 More details via GoNintendo from the Nintendo Power article... - 3DS eShop exclusive - direct sequel to Shantae: Risky's Revenge - picks up where the last game ended - Shantae is trying to adjust to no longer being a genie - she's also trying to defend Scuttle Town from attacks by the Ammo Baron - Risky Boots shows up on her door step looking for help - Shantae's genie magic had split into 30 parts and bonded with Risky's tinkerbat minions - the minions quickly mutinied and overthrew Risky - the minions set out to resurrect Risky's mentor The Pirate Master - the Pirate Master is a lot worse/a lot more evil than Risky - Risky and Shantae must team up to stop the tinkerbat's from unleashing the evil of the Pirate Master - regain all of Shantae's genie power by destroying the 30 evil tinkerbats - Special Pirate Gear for Shantae to collect in order to reach new areas (Grappling hook, guns, knives, swords, etc.) - Each piece of pirate gear will serve 2 purposes ( enhance mobility and act as a weapon for example a flintlock pistol can be used to kill enemies and hit out of reach switches) - Each piece of pirate gear will be upgradeable at in game shops - New and old locations throughout Sequin Land will appear - The game will supposedly be twice as large as Risky's Revenge and go everywhere even the underworld and the heavens. - A new/more Metroid style map system - Alternate/hidden paths for those who are want to stay off the beaten path - it will be in Stereoscopic 3D, with 3D effects similar to Mighty Switch Force - Series composer Jake Kaufman is back composing the score for the game - Familiar characters like Rollytops, Uncle Mimic, Sky, and Bolo will appear - Will see a 2013 release date on the Nintendo e-shop I love the idea of each item serving two purposes. Comes across as a bit Zeldaish
Grazza Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 Oh really? I thought they said "expect to see it on the WiiU", which I took to mean something more concrete than a demo. Maybe you're right and it will just be an HD version.. Am I the only one that finds these HD eshop upmixes a bit pointless?? It'd be great if Shantae got a parallel console series on the go with different gameplay/storylines. I got the same impression as you, but I think they said something like "We're thinking... Wii U". Still, I'm glad the series is staying on handheld. As for HD versions, I'm all for them. My theory is they design the game perfectly with sprites, but the quickest and easiest way to translate that to 1080p is to make it hand-drawn. These HD versions could widen the audience. Plus, if you're a huge fan of any particular game it can be appealing to see the hand-drawn version. Still, this serie begs for a grand adventure not a small eShop game. But then again, doesn't the eShop have far less restrictions on file size (if any) than DSiWare had? If this had, say, six dungeons and bosses, I'd consider it as full a game as entries in the old "Wonder Boy in Monster World" series (which it's a spiritual sequel to). - Shantae is trying to adjust to no longer being a genie- she's also trying to defend Scuttle Town from attacks by the Ammo Baron - Risky Boots shows up on her door step looking for help - Shantae's genie magic had split into 30 parts and bonded with Risky's tinkerbat minions - regain all of Shantae's genie power by destroying the 30 evil tinkerbats So I take it animal transformations will not form part of the wider game? Shantae could still use magic though (like Fireball, Storm Puff etc), so I wonder if that will be present. - Special Pirate Gear for Shantae to collect in order to reach new areas (Grappling hook, guns, knives, swords, etc.)- Each piece of pirate gear will serve 2 purposes ( enhance mobility and act as a weapon for example a flintlock pistol can be used to kill enemies and hit out of reach switches) - Each piece of pirate gear will be upgradeable at in game shops Oh, this sounds so good. - The game will supposedly be twice as large as Risky's Revenge and go everywhere even the underworld and the heavens.- A new/more Metroid style map system - Alternate/hidden paths for those who are want to stay off the beaten path - Series composer Jake Kaufman is back composing the score for the game Twice as large and with a good map system is basically perfecting the formula. And another potential masterpiece by Jake Kaufman? Yes!!
Dcubed Posted November 6, 2012 Author Posted November 6, 2012 (edited) Nintendo Power posted part of the article on their site (PICTURES!!!) Once again, 2013 is the real 2012. GIMME! Edited November 6, 2012 by Dcubed
Lens of Truth Posted November 7, 2012 Posted November 7, 2012 Those screenshots look sumptuous! They're clearly using the greater colour depth of the 3DS to full advantage. Look how carefully nuanced and shaded the backgrounds are - I'm reminded of the great unsung Astal on the Saturn! No sign of different planes to the stages yet though. Also echoing Grazza's comments on Wonderboy and Jake Kaufman.. I wanted to play Monster World IV for years and lapped it up on the Wii VC. Asha must have been an inspiration for the WayForward designers. On the soundtrack front, I'd love to hear JK take Shantae's themes in a more symphonic/filmic direction- less of the hard beat stuff (which he did brilliantly in Switch Force). Don't get me wrong, I don't mean in the sense of dreadful CoD faux-orchestral pounding, but it would be nice to hear a more varied palette. Jake's sense of development is always strong. One of my favs of his are the variations he did for the Wii's Batman: Brave and the Bold; really strong, multi-layered stuff!
Dcubed Posted November 7, 2012 Author Posted November 7, 2012 (edited) I'm surprised that there isn't much going on in the background. Are they not doing any plane switching this time round I wonder? Also echoing Grazza's comments on Wonderboy and Jake Kaufman.. I wanted to play Monster World IV for years and lapped it up on the Wii VC. Asha must have been an inspiration for the WayForward designers. You wouldn't believe it if I told you, but supposedly Matt Bozon (Shantae's Director who created the character) supposedly never played those games until after he made the original! http://www.1up.com/features/shantae "Zelda II and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest were direct inspirations," concedes Bozon. "People always ask if Alex Kidd in Monster World was a main inspiration, but I'd never played it until recently. It's similar in a lot of ways [an open quest and a transforming hero], but wasn't an influence. I know! It's crazy to think that he hadn't played them, especially when the Shantae and Monster World 4 are so similar at a conceptual level! Edited November 7, 2012 by Dcubed
solfan Posted November 7, 2012 Posted November 7, 2012 Awesome. Now I need to finish the DSi one. I still need to buy it.
Lens of Truth Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 You wouldn't believe it if I told you, but supposedly Matt Bozon (Shantae's Director who created the character) supposedly never played those games until after he made the original! http://www.1up.com/features/shantae Nice read, thanks! I've only had a short abortive play of the original through unofficial channels. I'd love it if they put it out it on the eshop so we can complete it before Pirate's Curse.
Dcubed Posted November 8, 2012 Author Posted November 8, 2012 Nice read, thanks! I've only had a short abortive play of the original through unofficial channels. I'd love it if they put it out it on the eshop so we can complete it before Pirate's Curse. They're looking to do that now. It has an ESRB rating and has already been submitted to Nintendo so it should be coming out in the US shortly. Of course we still have to wait for our rating though... (Oh and we already have an import GB game on our VC service, Sword of Hope 2, so that's not a problem at least )
Grazza Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 Those screenshots look sumptuous! They're clearly using the greater colour depth of the 3DS to full advantage. Look how carefully nuanced and shaded the backgrounds are - I'm reminded of the great unsung Astal on the Saturn! No sign of different planes to the stages yet though. Indeed. Speaking of the 3DS's capabilities, how do you think they will use its extra resolution over the DSi? From those screenshots, I can't tell if Shantae has any extra pixels to her, or they've used the extra pixels to zoom out and show more scenery. On the soundtrack front, I'd love to hear JK take Shantae's themes in a more symphonic/filmic direction- less of the hard beat stuff (which he did brilliantly in Switch Force). Don't get me wrong, I don't mean in the sense of dreadful CoD faux-orchestral pounding, but it would be nice to hear a more varied palette. Jake's sense of development is always strong. One of my favs of his are the variations he did for the Wii's Batman: Brave and the Bold; really strong, multi-layered stuff! Personally, I adore the Arabian Nights/Aladdin vibe that was used in Risky's Revenge. All those cymbal clashes and wind instruments conjuring up images of Eastern magic and belly-dancing. I'm surprised that there isn't much going on in the background. Are they not doing any plane switching this time round I wonder? I wonder if it doesn't work in 3D as well as one might think? I say this because Mutant Mudds actually scales the character sprite when he jumps planes. Shantae: Risky's Revenge doesn't scale Shantae, or even the backgrounds really. They just sort of fade away when you change to another one. But still, it's only part of the design when the map changes depth, which is not all that often. Perhaps this game is more "vertical", like Metroid. I do like the 'busty' artwork In an age where the human body is increasingly considered "rude", it's refreshing to see an art style that celebrates beauty. Anyway, since this was announced, I've replayed Risky's Revenge! Not as short as it's made out to be, in my opinion. This was my 3rd playthrough and it still took me 5-6 hours. OK, I got all the items, but how could you resist going in all those nooks and crannies?!! I must have spent about 18 hours on it now - brilliant value! I love Risky's Revenge. The graphics, music and controls are all perfect, as is the pace at which you get your upgrades. It just sends endorphins into my brain like crazy! Not only did my 3rd playthrough confirm the game is absolute genius, it also confirmed what I thought about the story: Shantae only loses her genie power, which is what lets her change into different animals. The Storm Puff, Fireball and Pike Ball are not actually "magic"; they're items that anyone can use (in theory). ...Even so, it sounds like the pirate gear will replace Storm Puff, Fireball etc, but that's great. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse sounds like it has just enough of the old, but also plenty of new aspects to really make this 3rd game in the series feel distinguished. Maybe there will be a 4th game full of animal transformations? Either way, I can't wait!
Magnus Posted November 9, 2012 Posted November 9, 2012 God knows there aren't enough sexy women in video games. Thank God for brave developers like WayForward.
Lens of Truth Posted November 11, 2012 Posted November 11, 2012 Indeed. Speaking of the 3DS's capabilities, how do you think they will use its extra resolution over the DSi? From those screenshots, I can't tell if Shantae has any extra pixels to her, or they've used the extra pixels to zoom out and show more scenery. Looks to me like they have redrawn Shantae with a few more pixels. She looks ever so slightly smoother and more detailed, but she's also smaller relative to the background, so it's a bit of both really. Good point about the background layers as well vis Mutant Mudds; hadn't thought of it like that. Personally, I adore the Arabian Nights/Aladdin vibe that was used in Risky's Revenge. All those cymbal clashes and wind instruments conjuring up images of Eastern magic and belly-dancing. Yes! That's exactly what I meant actually, just vary up the palette a bit. Something like this mixed with Jake's infectious sense of rhythm would be amazing
Grazza Posted November 11, 2012 Posted November 11, 2012 Looks to me like they have redrawn Shantae with a few more pixels. She looks ever so slightly smoother and more detailed, but she's also smaller relative to the background, so it's a bit of both really. Ah, yes, I think you're right. Yes! That's exactly what I meant actually, just vary up the palette a bit. Something like this mixed with Jake's infectious sense of rhythm would be amazing (Has a listen) Yes, that's great; that's exactly the style. Another thing is that, considering this has a pirate theme, I wonder if there are going to be sea shanties? The sea is one of my favourite themes - I can't resist sea shanties done on the accordian and fiddle. One thing I keep forgetting to mention: does anyone else think this sounds similar to Metroid II? Seeking-out 30 Tinkerbats reminds me of finding 40 Metroids.
Lens of Truth Posted November 11, 2012 Posted November 11, 2012 I'm ashamed to say I haven't played Metroid II Haven't managed to get to that, Pinball and Zero Mission yet!
Grazza Posted November 11, 2012 Posted November 11, 2012 Zero Mission is the best of the three, and I actually really like Metroid Prime Pinball! Just like the title it's based on, it's satisfying when you beat the Metroid Prime!
Dcubed Posted November 11, 2012 Author Posted November 11, 2012 One thing I keep forgetting to mention: does anyone else think this sounds similar to Metroid II? Seeking-out 30 Tinkerbats reminds me of finding 40 Metroids. Heh, you're right actually! I never even noticed that one :p It does seem eerily similar Zero Mission is the best of the three, and I actually really like Metroid Prime Pinball! Just like the title it's based on, it's satisfying when you beat the Metroid Prime! Also this is spot on (and Metroid Prime Pinball is criminally underrated!)
Recommended Posts