Shantae is hard and it hurt my feelings

Shantae is one of if not the most enraging and challenging games I have ever played. Even turning it on takes willpower. The level design and enemies of Shantae can be infuriatingly difficult, but at the same time, the mechanics can be fun and engaging. And although I don’t think the story of a game is all too important in most titles, Shantae has one that’s interesting and fun.
Shantae is known for being incredibly difficult. While I’m not sure if that was the developers’ intent, this game is just oozing with enemies that take hit after hit to kill, spikes that bring you down a life instantly, projectiles that hit you because you were paying attention to something else, and pits you unknowingly leap into blind. There is no such thing as a casual playthrough of Shantae because this game requires your undivided attention and focus at all times. Every time I started this game to play it for just a few minutes or to wind down, I either shut it off quicker than I had planned or spent more time on it than intended. That isn’t to say that Shantae is a bad game. When I had undivided attention to give it I was having a blast running through the labyrinths and whaling down on enemies. So it isn’t that Shantae is bad, just really really hard.
It’s the unique mechanics of these types of games that keep us from losing our minds. Shantae follows a formula similar to The Legend of Zelda series. To progress through the game you must traverse what seems to be an open-world landscape, but you will soon find obstacles you have no way of conquering with your current abilities. So you must locate and traverse different labyrinths, collecting magic items along the way. More importantly, you must also find different items that will widen your mobility. These items allow you to overcome obstacles you couldn’t before, which in turn leads you to the next labyrinth. Repeat until credits roll.
The most charming aspect of Shantae is the story. Shantae is the guardian genie of Scuttle Town, except she isn’t actually a genie. Shantae is a half-genie, born with a magic ponytail that she uses to attack enemies. The game opens with Scuttle Town getting pelted with cannonballs, and as Shantae, you must stop this attack. You soon discover that a pirate named Risky Boots is the woman behind the slaughter. You drive off Risky but not before she steals Mimic’s steam engine, which Mimic says she could use to take over the world. You then have to go collecting four different tablets that can make the steam engine even more powerful before Risky does.
Shantae may be extremely difficult and nerve-racking at times, but its charming story and fun mechanics make it stand out enough to warrant playing. Shantae is still very difficult, but if you have the focus required it is extremely fun and satisfying to conquer the different challenges it throws at you.

Gameplay ★★★★☆
Story ★★★☆☆
Visuals ★★★★★
Soundtrack ★★★★☆

Oh yeah, and it’s probably worth mentioning it costs upwards of over $600, making it the most expensive Gameboy Color game ever.