Shantae

Shantae is a series of platform video games developed by WayForward Technologies, with the first title having originally been distributed by Capcom. The main character of the series, a half-genie named Shantae, was created by Erin Bozon, while the games themselves were created from this character by her husband Matt Bozon. The series consists of four games: Shantae (2002), Shantae: Risky's Revenge (2010), Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (2014) and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (2016). Set in the fictional world of Sequin Land, the series follows Shantae as she tries to protect her hometown Scuttle and more generally Sequin Land as a whole, from various threats, which generally involve to some extent her nemesis, the lady pirate Risky Boots. The setting, despite various fantasy, dark fantasy and steampunk elements, mostly displays oriental-inspired aesthetics. All games involve collecting new powers and items, which vary from game to game, to strengthen Shantae and unlock access to new areas. Although releasing to strong reviews, the first game sunk into obscurity, its poor sales generally being attributed to its late release on the Game Boy Color, which at the time had already been replaced by the Game Boy Advance. The series resurfaced in 2010 with Risky's Revenge, and has since enjoyed more commercial success and a growth in popularity. The series has been met with strong critical reception, and is considered the flagship series of WayForward Technologies.