WayForward has released an update on Kickstarter that addresses many questions people may have about Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, the latest entry in the Shantae series headed to the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One, and PC. The most important bit is the part regarding the release date. The developer is targeting Q4 2016, as the game is still in testing and hasn’t been submitted to Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony. After testing is complete and it is submitted, a reliable release date will be announced.
However, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is far enough along that WayForward has begun talking about some of the extra features people will find in the gme. To start, there will be a New Game Plus, with the developer referring to speedrunners getting “some kind of treat for completing the game quickly.” Shantae is going to have 10 forms in the game, 11 including Tinkerbat, instead of one transformation for each of the five chapters. Her magical attacks, like Bubble Shield, Fireball, Pike Ball, and Storm Puff, can all be upgraded. Fast travel options will be available, via calling Giga Wrench with a bird whistle or using the Warp Dance to go between a world’s stages. Finally, the Scuttle Town Art Gallery will have over 100 pieces of artwork you can unlock, with a reward for collecting them all, instead of the over 50 images originally sent in by Kickstarter backers.
The Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Kickstarter launched back on September 4, 2013, and 18,558 backers contributed $776,084 to help WayForward reach its goal to create the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One, and PC game. While Shantae: Half-Genie Hero still doesn’t have a release date, people interested in the series will be able to physical copies of the PlayStation 4 versions of Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse and Shantae: Risky’s Revenge at 10am ET/8am PT on October 28, 2016 at Limited Run Games.
