Risky Revolution

''Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution!'' is a platform video game developed and published by WayForward. It is the sixth game in the ''Shantae'' series, chronologically taking place between the original ''Shantae'' (2002) and '' Shantae: Risky's Revenge'' (2010). The game follows the half-genie Shantae as she explores the world of Sequin Land and attempts to prevent her nemesis Risky Boots from using a subterranean device to terraform the world.

The game began development for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) in 2002, and was planned as the second game in the series, but was cancelled in 2004 due to WayForward being unable to find a publisher for it. In 2023, WayForward announced that development had resumed, and that Limited Run Games would be distributing physical cartridges for the game. The GBA version was released in April 2025, with ports of the game for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S set to be released digitally the same year.

Gameplay

''Shantae Advance'' is a platform-adventure game, in which players play as the eponymous Shantae, a half-genie who must travel across the continent of Sequin Land in order to stop the evil lady pirate Risky Boots. Shantae's default attack involves using her hair like a whip, and she can learn special dances that grant her the ability to transform into different creatures. In addition to the returning monkey, elephant, spider and harpy transformations from the original ''Shantae'', new transformations include a mermaid and a crab.

The game allows Shantae to move between the foreground and background using specific gates, as well as swim. By using Tremor Engine switches placed around the world, Shantae can rotate the environment and alter the layout, allowing access to new areas. Shantae can also travel between different regions by flying on the back of Sky's bird Hatchet. The game also features a multiplayer battle mode for up to four players using a single Game Boy Advance cartridge.

The console versions of the game include the ability to toggle between the original and updated high-resolution character portraits, as well as additional arenas for the battle mode, which can be played locally on a single screen.

Plot

Shortly after defeating Risky Boots, Shantae assists her friends with constructing new anti-pirate defenses for Scuttle Town. As Shantae is introducing Sky and Bolo to new friend Rottytops, Risky arrives, announcing she has a new plan to rule Sequin Land. Shantae pursues and battles Risky before falling into a chasm leading to a massive subterranean cavern spanning all of Sequin Land. There, she and her friends learn that Risky plans to use a device called the Tremor Engine to rotate the King's Pillar, a massive stone column supporting the whole continent, rearranging the surface above and exposing landlocked areas to the coast so her pirate crew can pillage them. Risky demonstrates by forcing Scuttle Town inland, turning it into a desert.

Shantae's uncle Mimic suggests she find three of his fellow members of the Relic Hunter's Guild, believing the four of them will be able to come up with a solution. Learning of this, Risky frees the Muck Lords, three demons who were imprisoned by her former captain the Pirate Master, in exchange for the Relic Hunters' capture. Shantae travels to several different towns that have been displaced, each time using the Tremor Engine's activation switches to move them back where they belong. As she defeats the Muck Lords and retrieves the Relic Hunters, she learns that each time Risky uses the Tremor Engine, it weakens the King's Pillar; should it crumble, the entire surface will collapse into the magma below.

Once all the Relic Hunters have been rescued, they propose triggering an earthquake to make the magma rise, filling the cavern and creating a new foundation under Sequin Land when it cools. Shantae and the Relic Hunters construct a miniature version of the Tremor Engine and return to the King's Pillar to activate it. As the Relic Hunters escape, Risky appears and briefly battles Shantae before revealing that she has been using the Tremor Engine to steal components for the Tinkerworm, a massive drilling machine, intent on attacking towns from below. Shantae destroys the Tinkerworm, and the Muck Lords decide to abandon Risky. As the magma begins erupting, Risky flees pursued by Shantae, who destroys her airship. Shantae is rescued by her friends, and they watch as the magma cools before breaching the surface. The Sultana of Sequin Land thanks Shantae for her heroics, and grants her request to hold a new Relic Hunter Expo. Shantae then reunites with her friends to help them babysit Bolo's baby brother, while Risky swears revenge.

Development

Original demo

''Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution'' began development in 2002, shortly before the release of the original ''Shantae''. A demo of the first world was developed, which WayForward began showing to potential publishers. However, the game failed to find a publisher, largely due to the poor sales of the original game. Not wanting to compromise the game's scope, work on the project was ultimately halted in 2004, and the series would not see a new release until ''Shantae: Risky's Revenge'' in 2010. While the demo was never released to the public, WayForward streamed a full playthrough of it on October 3, 2013, as part of a promotion for the crowdfunding of '' Shantae: Half-Genie Hero'' (2016).

Several graphics and visual assets created for ''Shantae Advance'' would go on to be reused for ''Risky's Revenge'', while some of its planned gameplay and story elements would be integrated into later ''Shantae'' games. Background movement, swimming, and the mermaid transformation were introduced in ''Risky's Revenge'', while flying between areas on a bird and both new transformations were used in ''Half-Genie Hero''.

Revival

On July 12, 2023, it was announced that WayForward had resumed development on ''Shantae Advance'', building on the work done for the original demo to fully complete the game, and would be releasing it on a Game Boy Advance cartridge through Limited Run Games. The music is composed by Maddie Lim, who contributed to the soundtrack of the previous ''Shantae'' game, ''Shantae and the Seven Sirens'' (2019). During a Nintendo Indie World stream, WayForward announced ports for modern consoles, utilizing Limited Run's Carbon Engine and featuring higher-resolution user interface and character portraits, would also be released in 2024. In April 2024, it was announced that the current-generation ports had been delayed to 2025. In June 2024, it was announced that the Game Boy Advance version had also been delayed to 2025.

Release

The Game Boy Advance version of ''Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution'' was released on April 21, 2025. Upon release, several internet users claimed that the cartridges they received appeared to contain recycled chips with visual blemishes, and expressed concern that the cartridges could damage their systems. In response, Limited Run Games explained that this was because Retro-Bit Gaming, which manufactured the cartridges, "had to source a lot of new old stock FRAM chips that are no longer widely manufactured", but that there would be "no issues with the operability or function of the cartridges". Retro-Bit also issued a statement that acknowledged some cartridges had "imperfections found on a small number of boards", but assured customers that the cartridges were safe to use. Ports of the game for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S are set to follow later in the year.

Notes

References

{{Shantae series

2025 video games
Game Boy Advance games
Metroidvania games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Nintendo Switch games
Platformers
PlayStation 4 games
PlayStation 5 games
Shantae
Video games about shapeshifting
Video games developed in the United States
Video games featuring female protagonists
Windows games
Xbox One games
Xbox Series X and Series S games