Shantae: Risky Revolution is back in development - Spanky Joe's grand debut!

Coolio55

Coolio55

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https://wayforward.com/wayforward-announces-shantae-advance/ (https://archive.ph/ZCJoS)

The lost GBA game will be the last GBA game!​



Shantae is back in a Game Boy Advance game 20 years in the making! We, alongside the folks at Limited Run Games, are thrilled to announce that Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution — the long-lost sequel to the original Shantae — is back in development after being put on the shelf for nearly two decades. Building off the original game code from the early 2000s, this once-canceled title will be completed and released physically on a Game Boy Advance-compatible game cartridge. A new behind-the-scenes video, as revealed at the LRG3 digital event, can be seen here!

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution reunites the design team of Shantae creator Erin Bozon, series director Matt Bozon, and programmer Michael Stragey, who are using GBA-era development tools to authentically complete the handheld experience that was planned so many years ago. Previously existing only in unfinished demo form, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution will be released as a full game with all of the hair-whipping, belly-dancing action that Shantae fans have come to expect, along with multiple chapters, numerous towns and labyrinths, six creature transformations, fierce bosses, and a soundtrack by acclaimed composer Maddie Lim, plus a 4-player battle mode.

“Restoring the lost Shantae sequel has been an incredible adventure!” says Matt Bozon, Shantae series director. “After reuniting as a team, we restored the original game demo, and now are working hard to complete the full game on original hardware! This isn’t a demake or a new retro-style game, but an actual GBA-era title that was lost to time. We paused development in 2004, and now we’re back at it nearly 20 years later with the same tools, hardware, and Link Cables that we were using back then. It’s crazy, it feels impossible, but it’s happening! We’re on a time-travel mission to save Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, and finally bring it to the fans!”

Filling in the gaps between the original Shantae (2002) and Shantae: Risky’s Revenge (2010), Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution sees Shantae protecting Sequin Land from a twisted new plot orchestrated by her nemesis, the pirate Risky Boots. Using a secret subterranean device, Risky is able to rotate and rearrange the continent, plunging it into chaos and giving her more coastal cities to plunder. Fortunately, by harnessing this technology and the knowledge of the Relic Hunters, players will be able to turn the tables on Risky, giving Shantae new paths through environments and a chance to thwart the villain’s scheme.

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution will be released as a physical Game Boy Advance-compatible game cartridge published by Limited Run Games with an estimated release date of early 2024. Additional information, including dates for the game’s preorder window, will be announced in the future. For the latest news, please visit follow @wayforward and @limitedrungames on social media, and be sure to check out limitedrungames.com and the rest of wayforward.com for other info!
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UPSCALE_2023_SS01_House.pngUPSCALE_2023_SS02_Labyrinth.pngUPSCALE_2023_SS03_Forest.pngUPSCALE_2023_SS04_Monkey.pngUPSCALE_2023_SS05_BattleModeA.pngUPSCALE_2023_SS06_BattleModeB.png

Yes. That's right. They're continuing development of a 2 decade old GBA game. I've never been happier.
The development of the second Shantae game is a long story with many cursed what-if scenarios like a multiplayer mode, a 3D game on the DS, Risky's Revenge originally being multiple episodic games. I could go on...
The GBA engine eventually ended up as a licenced game based off of "The Scorpion King".
(You can even see a - now non copyright infringing - version of one of the sky backgrounds used in the demo)

I hope that Jake Kaufman is returning for the music but I'm too happy to get too upset if he doesn't.

As for Spanky Joe? Well, I'll leave this here.
Enjoy Matt Bozon crossing the line...
 
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The Last Stand said:
What's wrong with Limited Run?
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They use FOMO to sell games with limited physical copies that often come in horrible quality, requiring patches, or take so much time to ship that it'll be out for cheaper at other places. On top of the low quality of service, the founders and employees of the company have defended censorship and removal of content from games they've released in their Limited Run series, which goes against their whole motto of helping game preservation.

Since this Shantae game is releasing on a GBA cartridge, I'd rather wait for someone to dump the rom or for a digital release on modern consoles/PC.
 
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Becomemysoulreaver12 said:
Ngl, the Shantae games are pretty mediocre imo, I fell like this games are loved purely because of the designs.
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The first 3 games really don't have any replayability factor once you beat them. Also the story isn't really anything to write home about.

1/2 Genie Hero, however, is where the series really shines. The music is kicked up to 11, and it gives you a fuck-ton of modes to dick around with, including a Mighty Switch Force mode and a mode where you play different characters. Story is still meh though.
 
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BrunoMattei said:
I thought Shantae really sucked.
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  • The first game (Shantae) is pretty good.
  • The second game (Risky's Revenge) is great.
  • Third game (Pirate's Curse) is good.
  • I liked the fourth game (Half-Genie Hero) but they changed the gameplay up so it is different.
  • Couldn't tell you about the fifth game (Seven Sirens) I never played it.
Overall Shantae represents a very good B-tier game. It is a good "not Mario" platformer and offers a fun adventure.

Coolio55 said:
Well, I always assumed she was popular for reasons like that.
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Risky Boots.
 
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Dam Dhara said:
They use FOMO to sell games with limited physical copies that often come in horrible quality, requiring patches, or take so much time to ship that it'll be out for cheaper at other places. On top of the low quality of service, the founders and employees of the company have defended censorship and removal of content from games they've released in their Limited Run series, which goes against their whole motto of helping game preservation.

Since this Shantae game is releasing on a GBA cartridge, I'd rather wait for someone to dump the rom or for a digital release on modern consoles/PC.
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Limited run aren't even the only option out there for devs looking to release a small batch of physical copies so I really do not understand why devs keep going for them. Another thing to add they have straight up manufactured 'rare' games with their own employees having developed their own shitty titles that they hype then try to rake in the $$.
 
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If anyone's wondering why they're going with Limited Run: It's because they're funding development.
Another one of those weird modern Wayforward decisions (they could clearly afford it themselves) but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

TheDarknessGrows said:
  • The second game (Risky's Revenge) is great.
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Imo it's my favorite of the series. The multi layered gameplay really differentiated it from everything else and I feel that it was sorely missed in later titles. Rooms were now these deep canvases that were fun to explore.
Scuttle Town felt like an actual town. That jungle was amazing. I haven't seen that sort of mechanic used in many games.
 
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TheDarknessGrows said:
Limited Run Games?

Oh... ...pass.
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Eh, either Wayfoward will eventually release the game on Steam or the rom will be leaked on the Internet, so i can't say i'm complaining, i'm always in the mood for a platformer/metroidvania, and most Shantae games are at the very least descent.
 
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Not only is Limited Run a massive red flag, but is there even anyone decent still working at Wayforward? I thought all the talent went on to Yacht Club, and then dispersed from there when they did nothing but developed fuckin' Shovel Knight for like eight years.
 
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The popularity in Shantae comes from the original GBC game, released at the tail end of that system. As such not many copies were printed, even less bought. If you wanted to play it you had to splurge some hoarder on ebay (yes even back then it was expensive) so when those games came over to steam interested peaked.
With that in mind, this shit with Limited Run is such bitter irony.
 
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