WayForward's mascot Shantae is an indie character inextricably linked with Nintendo history. The original Shantae was a late Game Boy Color release in 2002, one so acclaimed that it was a big deal when WayForward and Limited Run Games announced a physical re-release last year. Its sequel, Risky's Revenge, was originally a DSiWare game, and Pirate's Curse was released for 3DS and Wii U. After that, the Kickstarter-funded title Half-Genie Hero was a multi-platform release, and the latest entry Shantae and the Seven Sirens only moved further from these roots.
After releasing in segments as an Apple Arcade exclusive, Shantae and the Seven Sirens went multi-platform in May 2020. Though Shantae herself is still something of a Nintendo icon, joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a Mii Fighter costume alongside a music track this year, her games are their own beasts. Over two years after it first dropped on Apple Arcade, Seven Sirens just received its "Spectacular Superstars" update on November 30. While this update includes a lot of stellar additions for fans and newcomers alike, many - particularly those making the game more accessible — would have been more impactful at launch.
What Shantae and the Seven Sirens' Spectacular Superstar Update Entails
Shantae and the Seven Sirens moves away from the linear, stage-based structure of its predecessor Half-Genie Hero and presents players with an interconnected metroidvania. In terms of gameplay it's a lot closer to Pirate's Curse, which got rid of Shantae's animal transformations in favor of tools that extend her platforming abilities — like a hat for gliding. Seven Sirens introduces "fusion magic" that lets animal forms augment Shantae's abilities like dashing, and its map naturally weaves together like Hollow Knight as opposed to Pirates' Curse's separate islands.
However, many Shantae fans seemed split on its basic execution of these ideas that was simultaneously easier than past entries while also being more annoying to backtrack due to momentum-breaking dances with utility like revealing hidden objects one screen at a time. The free Spectacular Superstar update seems to address these concerns and more with four added game modes on top of a "Legacy Mode" for the original experience.
"Definitive Mode" is a harder take on Shantae and the Seven Sirens, "rebalanced" alongside newly added dialogue and more. A "Beginner Mode" focuses on letting players see the story with unlimited health, boosted attack strength, and more hints. From there fun modes have been added revolving around the Monster Card system, which lets Shantae equip passive abilities based on enemies she defeats. "Full Deck Mode" opens up all 50 cards from the start of a Definitive run, meanwhile "Rule Breaker Mode" does the same but without locking players to using three cards at a time. Every mode can also utilize optional features such as map markers for the aforementioned dances.
Shantae and the Seven Sirens Could Have Stood Out From the Start
As nice as additions in this Spectacular Superstar update are, it's strange that the Beginner mode with accessibility options in particular wasn't available from the beginning. Half-Genie Hero released paid DLC post-launch, but this included two completely new campaigns starring different characters as well as a handful of remixed main campaigns featuring Shantae with outfits that granted unique arcade-y mechanics.
If WayForward wanted to do similar bonus modes for Shantae and the Seven Sirens, such as Rule Breaker, having updates as late as two years after the game first releases makes sense. It's also great to see those arrive as free content for fans rather than paid DLC. However, Definitive and Beginner modes feel like something that should have been planned from the beginning — and may have been given additions like dialogue prior to fights with the titular Sirens.
Whether or not plans for this content were originally in the cards but delayed due to something like WayForward's exclusivity plans or COVID-19, it's a good example of why something like accessibility options are better to incorporate in advance. Nintendo has been slow to adopt ways that everyone can play its games, and if Seven Sirens had come out the gate with a more story-focused romp and difficult New Game+ type experience, it likely would have attracted the indie star much more of an audience.
Shantae and the Seven Sirens is available now on Apple Arcade, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.