Quick Look: Shantae: Risky's Revenge

Live demo folks.

Not ONE reference to this?! Deeply, deeply disappointed.

I couldn't agree more! Really loving Dan as an addition to the site - especially teamed up with Jeff. He just get's such pure enjoyment out of even the shittiest of games and sounds so genuinely excited about dumb nostalgic moments.

Definitely want to jump in on more Dan Praise, agree with you folks, he's so enthusiastic, but at the same time he knows his shit. like i very much look forward to quick looks again now that Dan is on board.

In case Dan makes his way over to these comments, I too would like to say that his enthusiasm and cries of despair whenever he dies are a delight.

might as well take this lovefest all the way and tag the guy @danryckert

@jaqen_hghar: I'd recommend the Strider game that came out earlier in the year. It is way better than it was made out to be. Honestly, It's probably one of my favorite games I've played this year. The mechanics are solid, the progression is smooth and I actually thought the aesthetic looked pretty nice if not a tad bit generic. Definitely have a go at that if you're looking for another Shadow Complex esque game.

@themanwithnoplan: Huh, will have to remember that! Didn't think it was that kind of game.

I definitely agree with the sentiment that the menus really clash with the pixel art of the game itself; at the very least they need to use a pixel-based typeface. It's the reason a lot of classic remasters and reboots in a pixel art style falter, they don't commit all the way.

Shovel Knight is the only one I know of that's properly dedicated to its classic style, and it looks all the better for it.

It's clearly because of the new kickstarted Shantae game that they went back and put this on Steam. Kinda odd they didn't know about that.

I haven't played shantae for years so this is great.

Great Quick Look. I really like the Dan/Jeff combo, too. :)

The hi-rez art in menus and text really throws me off compared to the game.

@danryckert said:

@mrfluke said:

@humanity said:

@mrfluke said:

@konig2540 said:

@shaanyboi said:

I really appreciate Dan's attitude towards games. Even if he isn't crazy about something, he doesn't feel... I dunno, jaded? Dismissive? Can't really put my finger on the word I'm looking for.

Or rather when he's playing something, he really does seem like tries to have fun engaging with it. He gets into it.

I couldn't agree more! Really loving Dan as an addition to the site - especially teamed up with Jeff. He just get's such pure enjoyment out of even the shittiest of games and sounds so genuinely excited about dumb nostalgic moments.

Definitely want to jump in on more Dan Praise, agree with you folks, he's so enthusiastic, but at the same time he knows his shit. like i very much look forward to quick looks again now that Dan is on board.

In case Dan makes his way over to these comments, I too would like to say that his enthusiasm and cries of despair whenever he dies are a delight.

might as well take this lovefest all the way and tag the guy @danryckert

I LIKE DAN RYCKERT. HE IS MUCH BETTER THAN CATS. I AM GOING TO LIKE HIM AGAIN AND AGAIN.

I mean this with all of the love in the world, but I think we might have witnessed someone that sucks at games worse than Brad.

That's the positive attitude that Game Informer instilled with all of their videos that they've done for the past five years, which is why I put them on par with what Giant Bomb has done because it's such a breath of fresh air. Even the games they know are bad are at least given a fair shake. If you like what Dan so far, definitely check out their Replay, Test Chamber, and Super Replay shows.

@homelessbird: if that's true, then you'll love this three video set of Dan trying to beat Tyson in Punch out: http://youtu.be/P9F2fDNfNC0

What is Warp Squid a pun of?

No love for Sindel tho? T_T

I'm glad this quick look exists. Thanks Dan and Jeff for the laughs.

Brad may have a challenger for worst potty mouth in the office...

Also, the Double Dragon Neon Quick Look was totally worth going back to watch.

LET'S GO @danryckert YOU'RE THE BEST QUICK LOOKER IN THE WORLD YOU'RE WAY BETTER AT GAMES THAN BRAD

Yo? Yo.

Surprised neither Jeff or Dan remembered Skullgirls given how both of them enjoy fighting games (Although I know Jeff wasn't a fan of it).

Yeah, both the pixel art and the vector menu/portrait graphics look fine on their own, but they don't work together at all.

@chippy180 said:

Yo? Yo.

Surprised neither Jeff or Dan remembered Skullgirls given how both of them enjoy fighting games (Although I know Jeff wasn't a fan of it).

Yup, was just about to mention that too.

The pixel art in this is really nice, and the game looks like it could be fun.

The character art and high-res text really looks out of place though, and that writing—especially towards the end of the Quick Look—really puts me off the game.

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I canʼt agree with Symphony of the Night being a better game than Super Metroid though.

Iʼve been on a bit of a retro kick after the recent live shows, so I have just very recently played through SotN to completion, and a number of SNES and Genesis games.

The thing which really stood out to me was that the lack of a levelling system or collecting loot is what makes those old games just as fun to play today as they were 20 years ago.

As soon as you add levelling or loot—both of which are in SotN—it just kills the replay value for me.

I understand that it extends the length of your game, and it can be fun the first time through, but when you revisit a game like that after a number of years, it just becomes a chore.

Super Metroid doesnʼt have either of those mechanics, and is a better game for it.

I think that adding these mechanics to the majority of games these days is a big mistake, and one of the reasons that people arenʼt going to look back fondly at most of the previous or current generation of games, the way they do with 8-bit or 16-bit games.

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With all the discussion around Jeffʼs hatred of Yoshi recently, and Dan putting Yoshiʼs Island in his top 10 games of all time, Iʼm playing through it for the first time right now.

Searching the levels to collect all thirty stars, twenty red coins, and five flowers, is just sucking all the fun out of the game. Iʼd be having a much better time if none of that was there.

When I went back to Super Mario World to compare, I was completely drawn into the game, and ended up completing it 100% in a couple of nights. Iʼve yet to finish Yoshiʼs Island, and have honestly been putting it off due to the way you have to scour each level for hidden items.

The item collection is not the only reason that it isnʼt as fun as Super Mario World, but it plays a big part.

‌

Iʼd love to see a new big budget Castlevania game on the scale of SotN, but not if all the levelling and loot is in it.

We have enough of those games with SotN along with all the GBA and DS titles.

Yeah, that's pretty much my issue with multiplayer FPS games these days. While most don't straight up have loot (though the lockboxes in Battlefield 4, Team Fortress 2, Mass Effect 3, Dead Space 3 etc. are pretty much that), I think unlock systems pretty much kill the replay value, if you even enjoy grinding through that shit the first time.

Doom, Quake, Unreal Tournament, Descent etc. are timeless multiplayer classics because they have that even playfield, with everybody having access to the same stuff from the start, and getting decent at those games is to learn how to use the items on the map, instead of grinding your way to the most powerful gear - which gives you a straight up numbers advantage beyond that you've learned the game mechanics better than a newcomer.

iOS gets way better exclusives than Android, which is why my next phone with be an Apple.

Dixie Kong also uses her hair.

Dig the look of this game if not necessarily the gameplay. Made a new avatar from this QL, though! :D

Kabuki Quantum Fighter on NES was a game where he used his hair as a whip and your only attack

@danryckert: Mcmahon is not your spirit animal, Dan. You are too good for that. Please be too good for that.

I really want to watch Dan play Super Meat Boy.

@chippy180 said:

Yo? Yo.

Surprised neither Jeff or Dan remembered Skullgirls given how both of them enjoy fighting games (Although I know Jeff wasn't a fan of it).

I reviewed Skullgirls back at Game Informer, and the HD art from Shantae actually reminded me a lot of it. Didn't remember the hair-punches though.

Man... talking of hair attacks, mentioning MK3, yet no Sindel? What have you become, Jeff? Next you'll say you discourage throwing!

shantae is best

Is Dan being hazed by Jeff with the QLs he's being assigned? :)

Now I want to play Shadow Complex again.

I always welcome G.G. Allin conversation.

@razielcuts: freaking mesmerizing

Is...is Dan trying to play a 2D platformer with the analog stick?

Game looks cool. I'll pick it up sometime.

:D Yay, Fantastic pixel art.

Also, someone should make a GG Allin hidden object game a la REO Speedwagon.

I agree that the Strider game is pretty good but somehow doesn't capture the fun of Shadow Complex. Which is not to say that it is not fun itself because it definitely has it's moments. Just the way it is made kind of feels shallow at times? It's a really weird feeling game thats for sure.

I'm sure there are a ton of metroidvania style games on PC, but off the top of my head i can't think of a single one that's up there with Shadow Complex. Why don't you just play the PC version of Shadow Complex?

there is no pc version?

Hah. Jeff totally "should" be into that HD Double Dragon game. It's right up his alley. He just can't separate himself from his expectations of a more "respectable" Double Dragon game. Like he said, he's slowly warming up to it, though.

Never heard of this game. Looks kinda... good? Also that new high-res art looks like trash. Doesn't work with the pixel-art.

Just played Guacamelee earlier this year, and that is one AMAZING Metroid-vania game, almost right up there with Super Metroid. I should try to find the time to play Shadow Complex and Symphony of the Night, the guys talk it up so much.

I've heard some good things about La-Mulana too, but its supposedly one of the hardest games ever made.

Man, I haven't seen this game in such a long time. I also wonder why they wold bring a Remastered version out now. But I definitely have no complaints.

Always meant to pick this up on 3DS. I definitely will now!