Johnny vs. Shantae and the Seven Sirens

[@TheSegaKoolaid]

There’s something oddly satisfying about seeing Shantae dancing inside Johnny’s silhouette. Also, goatee Johnny. It’s feels like it’s been a millennia.

[@joshuasalem5022]

The music fits the dancing and silhouette really well

[@JustJohn816]

True anime op

[@jacobmonks3722]

Rockin that goatee like it's the Metal Gear marathon.

[@Ubritoons96]

@j1mjam DUDE, Looking at your profile pic hit me with a truck load of nostalgia. Aleta was my favorite character from Code Lyoko. Such an underrated French cartoon.

[@goldenlightning8842]

Ikr seeing shantae dance in his silhouette is like super cool looking and super nice to look at

[@adriann9919]

It really feels as if the Shantae series is currently in this weird middle ground where it's popular enough that they want to make a high budget game (animated cutscenes, voice acting, etc.) but they don't have enough funds yet to fully realize it.

[@mcnierstenen9017]

I think these games are as mediocre as they are because wayforward realizes that people only like these games because of the sex appeal. People buy these games to jerk off, and there's no nice way of saying that

[@TheHDEpics]

@@mcnierstenen9017 wow a fan53 account, if only the opinions of troglodytes mattered

[@yavuzeken]

@@mcnierstenen9017 wtf dude stop projecting

[@mcnierstenen9017]

@@TheHDEpics Oh yeah, because i should take an anime profile picture seriously

[@TheHDEpics]

@@mcnierstenen9017 haha it even does the classic 2018 fan53 instagram jokes. do another

[@FinallyAlone]

Shantae: "My vacation was ruined by some jerk" Mario: "First a time"

[@Mario9919DX]

Mario: You too?

[@TheTC]

Shantae: You get sold as a living doll to a squid? Mario: I'ma shut up now

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

Mario: At least you don't have a double ganger who shared print all over the island and blames it on you and have to clean it, 'Sigh' My weekend was just painful!

[@ignorantfoolartur9242]

Super Shantae Sunshine

[@Ninjaverse45]

Isle Delfeno can go stuff itself

[@lastlegend9657]

I felt the animated cutscenes were a bit off and I couldn't put my finger on why. Then I realized. With a couple of exceptions, characters don't talk and move at the same time. Either the characters are moving, or their mouths are. Rarely together.

[@ballzcorps5146]

That's Anime for ya. It's much more detailed and cleaner than most other styles of animation. But it's only really fluid in certain scenes. It's not as consistently smooth as other styles.

[@RosieJonesRules]

Like anime then

[@poudink5791]

@@AnonymousGentooman so Ocarina of Time on project64?

[@vasilivros4166]

Some drawings are also just a bit off when it comes to proportions, anatomy and perspective. Not by much, but it's especially visible when compared to the Trigger opening.

[@Kingpinn02]

Idk, I knew they weren’t perfect, but I kinda expected that tbh. It never bothered me, if anything, I found the imperfections very charming since they’re obviously an indie studio doing it in-house.

[@Danominator]

I tell ya, it's a shame Jake Kaufman wasn't available for this one, but the soundtrack is still pretty great! I'm loving the beachy chiptune tracks this game offers.

[@ForrestFox626]

I thought this soundtrack sounded a bit off

[@motorwayt-s628]

I think the soundtrack was still enjoyable but it’s not nearly as good as Kaufman’s work. On a bit of a side not does anyone think it’s weird that they had a remix of Risky’s theme but had a new (and completely inferior) boss theme?

[@CrasherX2000]

It’s decent, but not as good as it could’ve been... Pirate’s Curse is still a better soundtrack for how high energy and intense it is

[@motorwayt-s628]

I think Johnny’s on to something with that world design, while each area has a different theme and aesthetically feels different, hell I felt like I was in a Metroid setting at times, they all play the same and it kinda feels like I’m running through the same area layout with a different coat of paint. It would be cool if areas had more of the background environments incorporated into the areas platforms. For example it would’ve been cool if the ghost harbor area had some ships and cranes to jump around on or you could only explore the above water area until you get the frog power and have the underwater area open to you. Or maybe there’s a unique thing you do in each area that spices the gameplay up, that’s something Pirate’s curse did and it was great. I still think the game’s a fun time, it’s got some good things going for it but Johnny’s right, it could’ve done so much more

[@MadFaceMage]

Yeah I do feel like this is the best way to put it. I definitely enjoyed the game and loved the underwater aesthetic the whole game had, but it did feel a little... slapped together in places. I agree with everything Johnny said but it still felt like a solid experience for me.

[@motorwayt-s628]

Mad Mage agreed, I think they could take some queues from 1/2 genie’s level designs. Everything looked different but also had different elements and mechanics

[@gamerprince-tl5hg]

Agreed

[@dylanscheffer915]

With this, and it's stop-go progression. The game becomes such a boring slog

[@motorwayt-s628]

@@dylanscheffer915 I wonder if part of the issue is that this game was a lab rat for Apple Arcade and was bottlenecked because of that

[@hypermonkeybird4945]

John's probably aware, but I'll just be "that guy" and point out that hurr durr Gurren Lagann isn't actually by studio TRIGGER it's by the Gainax employees who later formed studio TRIGGER now that i've pointed it out no one has to

[@Grizzexploder]

eh, Gurren Lagann is considered an honorary Trigger anime anyway

[@FoxDie77777]

@Tom The Fish Bones did the movie, right?

[@ForrestFox626]

Nerd!

[@BlitzBloom]

seems like that he did it as an equation, at one side Gurren Lagann and at the other Kill La Kill sum up to make what’s in the middle (Promare)

[@SirDanFilmsUnltd]

I like to think of Gurren Lagann as proto-Trigger, in that sense; same thing with Panty n Stocking.

[@shonbera5246]

Me: "Finally, I can start my college essay." Johnny: "No you don't." Me: "No I won't."

[@islandboy9381]

replace Johnny with KZbin in general and you got me

[@conorburke1999]

Some people aren't finished college yet?

[@awsomemodels]

@@islandboy9381 Lol same here ! It's a bit of a problem actually !

[@islandboy9381]

Stonetown3487 Yes That would be me lol

[@thatguywiththegooglyeyes7575]

@@conorburke1999 well yes as it's a little known fact not everybody is the same age and does everything at the same time

[@fodv93]

Johnny: releases new video Me: Studying for exams and sees the new video "Think I'll study later" Johnny: "Please don't neglect your studies" Me: "Y'all hear sumn?"

[@Smellbringer]

Ya know, I'm interested in the Limited Run Games release so this helps.

[@ParmMannREBORN]

Same, I can actually go off more than a trailer to see if this game is worth it

[@toooydoeur]

Sameee I preordered but it wont come for like 2 to 3 months

[@millabasset1710]

I got it digital on PS4 for trophies and purchased the special LE Switch version.

[@djsercy5879]

You have until Sunday to get it from Limited Run

[@cryguy0000]

Limited Run Games?

[@TheLonelyGoomba]

The only review that matters. edit: your review basically confirmed my fears with the game. I'll probably give it a miss unless they update it with more difficulty settings.

[@MrFanboy24]

Bruh just pirate and buy if you like it.

[@TheLonelyGoomba]

@@MrFanboy24 pirating indie games is pretty scummy

[@MrFanboy24]

I pirated it, liked it, and bought it. A happier ending than just giving it a miss.

[@jasonoflegend2208]

Shantae 06

[@Rafeku1]

Guess what? Update time. Look for a trailer

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

0:27 OMG Johnny shaved his beard.. I haven't seen his bread shaved since his original Sonic Mania review.

[@CrasherX2000]

NOT THE BEARD THE SOURCE OF HIS POWER IS GONE

[@arkspine]

I miss it already, he was like a warm coffee drinking bear with it.

[@fodv93]

Mmm shaved bread *ahhhhhhhh* *drools loudly*

[@ArthurMCross]

So that's what it was, I noticed a difference but couldn't put my finger on what it was.

[@Da_ComputerMonster]

THE SACRED *BEARD!*

[@jp5394]

Ever since "Pirate's Curse" Wayfoward seem to be taking two steps foward and one step back since then. Hopefully this will be a bit more complete and improved upon with DLC.

[@PepsiGolem]

I think the problem is that you can't easily just plaster the mechanics from Pirate's Curse into a new game because she only had the abilities due to the story of the game. So they want to keep Shantae's defining feature of dancing, but can't quite figure out how to make it work in a similar style to the pirate items.

[@TheSegaKoolaid]

I haven’t played Pirates Curse myself but it’s a shame they used the formula for that game so quickly because it’s very obvious that they aren’t sure how to evolve the series gameplay beyond that.

[@millabasset1710]

There is no DLC planned

[@movingtonewchannel.8360]

@@PepsiGolem I'd say the problem is that WayForward probably never believed Shantae would get this massive. We're talking about a game series that originally only saw 25,000 copies sold globally on its first release. Now, it hit a milestone of over 3 million units. Which, yes, is a massive landmark for any Indie series. Pirate's Curse isn't held to a golden standard just because of the power-ups ― pacing, exploration, worthwhile challenge, fun bosses, snappy moment-to-moment action ― that all played a role in making that game so memorable. Just my humble opinion.

[@JohnnyYeTaecanUktena]

@@millabasset1710 i am sure costumes are planed at some point as cosmetic DLC's are always a thing in games like these

[@Bboy10110]

I feel like whenever Wayforward looks at criticism they end up over correcting in the opposite direction.

[@pocketxyco2317]

When the game release date was announced my twitter feed exploaded in hype & I was there too. I doubled dipped on getting the PC & Switch version via limated games...ok and the Shantae plush. This game I see it as for poeple who never tried a metroidvania but wanna give it a shot. Funny how this came out around the same week of WF looking interested into remading the original And how we are most likely getting more Shantae via anime & other ganeras like Comics [please let there be Shantae Comics] Its a fun time to be a Shantae fan

[@JohnnyYeTaecanUktena]

oh there are comics alright just not the kind you are expecting

[@vidyogamenurd]

johnny elkins Considering his profile pic I think those are the exact comics he’s looking for

[@AVdE10000]

Okay but off topic, how is area loading on the switch compared to pc?

[@motorwayt-s628]

AV dE it’s a little on the long side but it doesn’t really chug or lag

[@pocketxyco2317]

@@AVdE10000 I will let you know when I get it

[@Noelfriday]

Those cutscenes, I can see why people like Shantae

[@Gnidel]

Even ignoring that, she's a likeable character.

[@raze2012_]

@@kingofnothing1871 No U

[@FreakinSweet1987]

My reason for wanting her in Smash.

[@Soup3dBlast]

Yea the gameplay is amazing have you tried pirate's curse

[@austinstewart7601]

Yeah, they knew exactly what they were doing when making those cutscenes.

[@JJ_R]

10:00 I love that idea. Fusion dances you can actively control sounds fantastic!

[@CrasherX2000]

Oh I’d KILL to play that form she takes for the Quake Dance

[@MANOFGOD9000]

All this talk about monster cards and not one "Dorah Monstah Caadoh" line. You sadden me Johnny. Good review.

[@technothehedgehog203]

I know why he didn't do it, it was because in this game the cards have so little physical effect that it is honestly EXTREMELY easy to forget you have certain cards equipped until you feel an irksome feeling as to why you feel so slow sometimes when traveling

[@TiltCntrlz]

IF YOU LOSE THE DUEL, YOU LOSE YOUR SOUL!!

[@christianlopez707]

3:37 "Johnny looking at Mario Sunshine."

[@shujinkoMK]

Christian Lopez all for a f***ing postcard

[@christianlopez707]

@@shujinkoMK I mean it was a really nice postcard.

[@HyperSonicX]

Shame you didn't like this one that much, John, I personally adored it and I think it needs to simmer for a bit but it might be my favorite. I felt the game still had charm in spades in spite of the flaws you have shown me it has, and is a hell of a blast to play through. I played Magic Mode all the way through and yeah by the end you don't notice the difference much anymore. But I still love it to pieces.

[@Gnidel]

It's my favorite too.

[@funnysonicman]

KZbin: New Johnny Vs. video Me: *DROP EVERYTHING WATCH IT NOW*

[@OrangeLightning86]

And everyone else.

[@ShibuNub3305]

*Same*

[@DonGEX]

Me playing Seven Sirens Johnny uploads Seven Sirens review. *I'll sacrifice playing Seven Sirens to watch someone play Seven Sirens*

[@YamiChase]

Yes

[@12majixajinxixcolorchartdi25]

Well your not called " GAMING MOTION " for nothing am I right?

[@evilcrash8683]

Still wanting a Shatnae TV Series by now and let me tell ya I will NEVER get tried of listening to the new theme song of her and keep In mind I actually got a chance to meet her last year at Fan Expo, who also still voices Ladybug of Miraculous! *Dances Through The Danger combined with Miraculous' Theme Song Intestines*

[@littlekuribohimposte]

That song is such a total bop.

[@Zakanuva]

Christina Vee does get around, doesn't she?

[@evilcrash8683]

@@Zakanuva She sure does!

[@UnrealNeoBat]

I'm still waiting for that Spider-Man games marathon.

[@goldmemberpb]

Even though this game is very easy, I will consider this my second favorite after Pirate's curse. I really like the presentation and the mobility is the closest they have come to pirate's curse. I definitely agree that there should have been a warp dance or a item to return you to the main town because those loads times are pretty atrocious for a game like this. This game definitely needs a hard mode or maybe something like a master mode where the entire world is changed with harder dungeons and enemy placements.

[@TheOneTrueOtaku1]

So Pirates Curse remains the exception not the rule, shame really. I personally enjoy SS, more than HG, but I do understand a fair bit of the complaints.

[@dcscruz2970]

I liked more HG than seven sirens. I was quick to finish the game in a day while with half genie it took more time. Though seven sirens has more quality and I like the new characters. If they had made the stages more pretty like in HG it would've been cool

[@janegrean5888]

I think HGH is the best Shantae game

[@dcscruz2970]

@@janegrean5888 Pirate is fun but after the power ups is too easy while in half genie you gotta still go through obstacles.

[@janegrean5888]

@@dcscruz2970 I'm not a fan of the pirate gear and I didn't care for the story and the soundtrack wasn't as good as HGH

[@yourfairyking]

@@janegrean5888 The soundtrack in PC is the best in the series, honestly. HGH is fine, but PC has one of the best soundtracks of any game, period.

[@theSuper1Player]

Johnny: I have a whole list of problems with the Shantae series. Listener: Oh, so you're not a Shantae fan? Johnny: I never said that. *Edit: to be clear, I’m not criticizing Johnny. I’m the same way with shows and games I like.

[@motorwayt-s628]

You can still like a video game series while admitting that got its problems and flaws

[@djsercy5879]

I feel like Johnny's the most qualified KZbinr on the platform when it comes to reviewing Shantae games

[@randomduck8679]

@Tom The Fish Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't he only like Pirate's Curse?

[@Duskool]

@@motorwayt-s628 Yeah, i mean this dude's a fan of the Sonic Series, it's obvious he can tolerate a few, or a lot (depending on what game), of flaws and still be a fan of something most of the time!

[@motorwayt-s628]

Duskool same for me as a star fox fan, I really enjoy those games but most if not all of them have flaws

[@pforgottonsoul]

it should be known that most of the problems wouldn't have existed if it weren't for the fact that it was made for Apple Arcade.

[@vasilivros4166]

Any source on that one m8?

[@korralations]

@@AnonymousGentooman It was not really released episode by episode on apple arcade. Just a demo, and then the full release. Also, most Shantae games have an episodic feel.

[@gamerprince-tl5hg]

I played part 1 of apple arcade version and the game was already easier. you don't have to bend down to hit small enemies

[@Retrogamershaun]

development started before apple arcade existed

[@toonzach2870]

9:33 WHAT TH--I didn't even know that was how you were supposed to get that heart squid! I had to wait until I got the octopus transformation!

[@Deoxys_Used_Mimic]

I can do ya another: I didn’t know you could whip the spike platforms too rotate them, so I used Newt to cling to the sides.

[@anoriginalusername1088]

I feel like the collectibles are hidden too well at points. Sure a majority of Heart Squids are out in the open but a large majority of Nuggets are buried in the ground or occasionally the ceiling that you need to dig up with the turtle or quake dance, at least on the ground there is the indicator of some Tinkerbats digging indicating the there is something there but if it's in the ceiling your going to have to spam the seer dance to find it. Also I wish cards would drop more instead of the over abundance of food.

[@Ksawarrior]

Also, I found myself spamming the electric and earthquake dances because they actually do damage enemies and bosses.

[@elijahlawson7013]

That Shantae dancing fit way too well with the intro lol

[@KamyKam]

As far as I know. It's like this for the Consoles too, minus the constant stuttering. For me i was playing the Switch version and I cannot stand the load times. And weirdly it even had a few instances of random slowdown as well for me. Basically the game doesn't seem that well optimized, probably something they can fix with a patch so it's no biggie.

[@saucierslinky3548]

I don't know. I'm on the Xbox One S and, besides the long-ish loading times, I've had a rather pleasant time. No show down, stuttering, or anything of that nature.

[@AquaLeaderJesse]

My load times (Switch) were kinda long, and I've had 1 or 2 cases of slowdown, but my console didnt whir up like Johnny's PC apparently did.

[@gamerprince-tl5hg]

I'm playing on Switch and only ran into slow downs in 2 areas. Game never crashed for me too

[@Kapodaco]

Went back to Pirate's Curse after completing this game. Yep, still the queen. Great review!

[@WiiDude83]

Johnny: *Says game is bellow Pirates Curse and Half Genie Hero* Me: Okay I can see that. Johnny: *Says game is bellow Riskys revenge* Me: Now hold up.

[@sherrdreamz7232]

It would depend on if you prefer a slightly challenging game vs one with better graphical fidelity. Overall it seems Pirate's Curse is still the best platforming experience.

[@WiiDude83]

Sherry Florio Like for me it’s pirates curse Then probably tie with half genie hero and seven sirens. And then honestly tied at bottom for Shantae 1 and Risky’s revenge. Shnatae can be really frustrating to play but RR is still easily the most boring game in the series for me.

[@hheecckk526]

Pirates curse was my first shantae game so I cant speak for 1 and 2 but pirates curse is by far the best one compared to half genie and seven sirens

[@clutchgodchris7252]

Where’s fate at hands sir ?

[@dylanscheffer915]

Yeah. My list from best to worst is 1. Half Genie Hero 2. Pirate's Curse 3. Shantae GBC 4. Seven Sirens 5. Risky's Revenge

[@thegreatBarbossa]

A nice tidbit I found while looking through the games files, out of boredom, is that the Newt, Tortus and Squid are titled as "Monkey", "Elephant" and "Harpy". Also the sprites with the battle armor are saved as "Anime_Armor"

[@Sebastian-tm6hk]

This game really is the closest we'll get to a Shantae anime.

[@totan3992]

They're making a TV show tho

[@JohnnyYeTaecanUktena]

@Ryan Fanstone ok do you know any that is a actual show with a plot thats not just fucking? If not then we need one hell Senran Kagura has one and that is just straight up softcore Porn but boy the games are addicting to play. You can turn off cloths tear and jiggles physics in the games and just play them as a hack and slash fighting games for the most part varies game by game on what Genre the game is in as they have a Sports one and a really weird creepy one called Reflexions that if you seen someone playing you would tell them go to the side of the street to pick up a hooker and get laid as clearly they need it. But anyways as i was saying we need one where the plot is just not Sex as that is a pretty boring show as you fap once and move on and never look back and hope you deleted your internet history otherwise people are going to question your art tastes

[@TheTC]

Wayforward is pursuing an animated series so a cartoon by Trigger is very possible. Tho it all depends. I mean that intro just SCREAMS "cartoon pilot"

[@jammitylam]

@Ryan Fanstone No, it really doesn't.

[@janegrean5888]

I want a cartoon than an anime

[@jonasprilla610]

Johnny, you’re genuinely one of the coolest dudes on this platform.

[@ChillStreamsLive]

Debatable.

[@dragonflarefrog1424]

@@ChillStreamsLive No it’s not.

[@Need_RnR]

_Yes._

[@JackmoveJohnny901]

Pirate's Curse was peak Shantae. Has regressed since then imo.

[@ForrestFox626]

Maybe, but even at it worst a Shantae is still a solid 7.

[@furyberserk]

It's the only one I haven't played, but watched and can understand entirely. Lots of lore bg, perfect end to the series with high tier threatening boss, boss matters to Shantae and the abilities work perfectly well while also having synergy and more streamlined than the dancing.

[@goldenheart9503]

Personally disagree. I feel Half-Genie Hero is the best game and Seven Sirens is just as good as Pirate's Curse. I also feel this game has potential for future installments given the increased lore and worldbuilding. It answered many questions we had since the first game, after all.

[@JoakimOtamaa]

@@goldenheart9503 HGH would work better with couple more levels and less backtracking, like Mega Man X. Still love the game, especially the OST.

[@MadDragonify]

That Trigger artsyle though I remember when I watched Gurren Lagann and couldn't help thinking "This is just Getter Robo." And then the ending was literally Getter Robo but worse

[@Whatthetrash]

I absolutely LOVED this game. So much fun to play and the music is so good! Great to hear your take on it. :)

[@MonSuper21]

Shantae: Phatom Lamp Shantae: Risky Tendency Shantae: Pirate Crusaders Shantae: Half Genie Hero Unbreakable Shantae: Siren Wind

[@PIKACHUxSNEASEL64]

Shantae goes to prison in Shantae 6 confirmed!

[@sketchbookonline2040]

EMOLGAxSNEASEL64 Shantae: Sequin Ocean

[@mannydani9180]

Haven't played the game, but from what I've heard from reviews, it sounds like this was to get new players introduced to Shante and test out some new gameplay formulas to see what people like

[@BeeLy1011]

2:55 I have to agree, but at least it's a lot closer to fully voiced than HGH.

[@ScrilboBaggins]

Can we al agree that Shantae has a nice pair of....shoes?

[@MasterPringles]

Been playing the PS4 version just now, and there are still a lot of loading screens, but haven't seen any lag. Enjoying it so far and the soundtrack is growing on me, but I can see why it left you a bit hollow, Johnny.

[@greenhillmario]

Johnny’s wish for the genie transformations is literally just mega man zx

[@wolfox7776]

yup. can't blame him for that tbh, that mechanic is grand

[@giygas_9577]

Need Johnny vs. Mega Man Zero and ZX yesterday.

[@CrasherX2000]

It was rad when ZX did it and I’d love for Shantae to try that idea too

[@CrasherX2000]

@@giygas_9577 I feel like he’d have both a ball and a frustrating time with ZX

[@mushplush9665]

There's a podcast I listen to, and the way they described this game is "filler arc" in that it has some big information dropped out of nowhere, does nothing with it, and the main character is for some reason a lot dumber. I don't know how true that is since I haven't played the game, but from what I've seen others say that seems accurate

[@mushplush9665]

@Quinn McDonnell Sorry for the late reply, it's called Big Think Dimension

[@mushplush9665]

Quinn McDonnell yeah, they talk about games and other stuff like what spam meals they’ve been having, but it’s most game stuff

[@Legoranger-1]

@@mushplush9665 What exact episode did they talk about this game?

[@inkayy79]

I feel like with the exception of pirates curse, the shantea series is the one Johnnys the most picky with

[@toamatoro570]

I'd say Sonic, actually. He loves the blue guy to death when he's done right but he's criticized more Sonic games than praised, I find. That's not to say games like 06 and Secret Rings don't deserve said criticism.

[@un-inkpressivevideos9541]

ill admit I'm a fan of the series though he does bring up some legitimate issues like warping and the easy drops of food and money and the large locations, I still like the game but either you love a game or not their is still something to criticize from everyone, its usually down to different viewpoints

[@oguzhangungor9117]

To be fair, with the exception of PC, all of them are kinda meh. They have a lot of problems people are willing to overlook because the character is cute and the games are super easy.

[@inkayy79]

@@meikaishi oh definitely, im just pointing out that for every positive he gives with these games there always seems to be something else that counters it

[@TheTC]

People have opinions. I feel like people blow the hatred of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Gates to Infinity, Sonic Lost World, Shantae half-genie hero, Sonic Forces, Super Mario Sunshine, Smash Bros. Brawl and Paper Mario Color Splash WAY out of proportion, but I mean you like what you like and hate what you don't Honestly as long as you'll explain yourself, I'll listen, but if you're just like "Wow you really dislike Sonic Mania" and refuse to do anything but spam memes to defend your point just get out of my face.

[@johnrildo2325]

The Shantae series is becoming more like Sonic! There's so much potential, but they just can't make a game that seems like all it could be.

[@ForrestFox626]

I still think most Shantae games are solid compared to Sonic catalog.

[@somerandomuser7804]

Lol at least shantae games always been consistently good compare to sonic lol not try hate here lol

[@rodrigomorales563]

Don't you EVER compare this series to sonic. Do you even know the full on mess of that series?

[@jasonoflegend2208]

Sadly the new game is not worth buying

[@justinstewart1057]

That's a poor comparison, since the recent Shantae games are fun to play but lack the full potential. The modern Sonic games are a failure in writing and design.

[@alexgamer2169]

hey Jhon, can you do a Donkey kong country marathon with the original trilogy plus dk 64 and jungle beat????

[@kimaster5893]

He really should do a dkc marathon

[@victorvalles4283]

Questions like these are usually answered with an "eventually" so don't loose hope yet.

[@No0neat]

No.

[@MelancholyJoker19]

I'm on board! DKC Marathon! It can include the originals, the Land versions, the GBA ports, and of course DK64

[@motorwayt-s628]

I’d love to see him do conker’s bad fur day

[@JoSephGD]

2:44 I can confirm that it is better on Apple Arcade, at least on an iPhone X. That does support an MFi, PS4, or Xbox One/Series X/S controller.

[@jarmelatodyssechutminds126]

The Animated cutscenes. Feels like a Shantae: The Animerican Series.

[@DarkshadowXD63]

And faster than the speed of light we all stop what were doing to check out Johnny's videos 😂

[@pyroicarus1203]

You have to imagine that the seven sirens would be more difficult with tablet controls.

[@devilcraft4281]

Oh yeah I completely forgot this game just came out

[@sterlingmuse5808]

Me too... In the time since last review where he said this is what he was reviewing this week, even.

[@devilcraft4281]

@@sterlingmuse5808 Yeah and I didn't even know a mobile version existed either! It's really strange...

[@retrokonami9042]

Same, I simply saw the Apple Arcade version and asked where the other version were...

[@enidesouzabarros8852]

And i completely forgot that this franchise existed :-P

[@castaform6355]

Im really hoping more modes come later on down the line, or at least other characters because the opening cutscene totally lead me to believe they were gonna play more of a role. At the very least wayford have apparently said they want to make more Shantae games, possibly in other genres to help expand the gameverse so hopefully that means more lore soon. I feel like we always end on some important genie fact without much of an answer

[@Kevin_T.]

4:50 That gave me a chuckle.

[@DJAB87]

Me too. Holly's more of a memory vampire/ghost than a half genie.

[@SentyPurr]

I'm wondering when you'll finally cover the DS Castlevania games. You keep mentioning it quite a lot recently, and I sure love to hear your thoughts about it.

[@atijohn8135]

Don't forget the GBA ones! Well... Actually Circle of the Moon is better to be forgotten... Harmony of Dissonance too to be honest... Just don't forget Aria of Sorrow

[@MrMrFreddy]

@@atijohn8135 neither Circle nor Harmony deserve to be forgotten. Circle is satisfyingly challenging, while Harmony has a phenomenal horror-like atmosphere. They're not the best in the series but they can still give lessons to a lot of the bland, cookie-cutter metroidvanias coming out recently.

[@atijohn8135]

@@MrMrFreddy Circle of the Moon has a good amount of challenge - that's good, however I feel like the boss fights are extremely slow in comparsion to those from Aria, or even Harmony (despite Harmony being probably the easiest portable castlevania). Moveset in Circle is lacking, there's no backdash, no divekick, and of course there's the terrible decision to bind the ability to run to a 2x(direction) combination. Visually it's the worst one, the castle looks very samey, which was something SotN already solved masterfully. Most of the soundtrack is just remixes from previous games (and why they had to put the same music in 5 areas, it gets old very quickly). DSS cards are very unbalanced and they are based on RNG, but not like the souls in Aria. You simply cannot finish the game with at least 20 of them, while in Circle of the Moon I usually have 5-6 cards at the end of a playthrough, because the drop rates are so horribly low. Harmony of Dissonance in 2002 maybe was a little bit scary and the music was helping to build that emotion, but nowadays the music is just annoying to listen. This is because most of the tracks in the game are a "dissonance", which is simply not pleasant to the human ear. Besides, what is a horror game if there's no threat? Since Harmony of Dissonance is probably the second easiest castlevania there is, some might even say it's easier than SotN. It doesn't help that the game doesn't have much character customization. There are plenty of spellbooks and subweapons, but without the challenge, you might as well ignore them or stick to only one of them. Potions are too plentiful, since there's no limit on them and they are cheap. Then there's the biggest advantage and at the same time disadvantage of Harmony - level design. In your first playthrough, Harmony is just a chore to go through. At the beginning of the game (castle A - entrance)) there's some sort of rock blocking your path. In the next part of the game (castle B - treasury) you come to the other side, and there's another rock blocking your path. It indicates that it may be something important, since they put two entrances to the same place, something Castlevania didn't do before. In the next part of the game (castle A - chapel) there's a similar rock in a corner of the map. That rock doesn't feel that important - you could think that it leads to just a life up or some book, especially since there's the other path blocked by it that seems far more important. You then get the ability to warp between the two castles, and with it you get the ability to break those rocks. What most players would probably do, is to get back to the two rocks blocking the passage. Turns out, there's absolutely nothing in there besides some items that are rather useless because of the game's difficulty. The entire trip, which takes around 20 minutes, is completely wasted. This is something that is just ridiculous to me. And that's something that happens more than once in the game - you go somewhere and suddenly you cannot progress, because you need the abiltiy that was in the area that was the other path in the forkroad. It's literally dependant on your own luck if you will have to waste 40 minutes, just because you picked the wrong path, which had no indication that it is the wrong path. *However* this aspect of the game is also something that makes it strangely gratifying to plot your way through the castle, now that you know the layout. But I think it's still better to have a level design present in all of the other games (aside from maybe the ultra linear first 3 quarters of Order of Ecclesia). Two of those games are probably better than the object of this video. But those games are also quite old, and well, if I had to pick which portable CVs would make it into the video, I'd probably pick Aria of Sorrow.

[@MrMrFreddy]

@@atijohn8135 yeah I understand most of your points (I don't share all of them but I think they're fair) and I also think Aria to be the superior game in the GBA trilogy. Still, I really like them. Circle is weird but really engaging to me, too bad for the randomness of the DSS because it's a system I really like. Harmony I always feel the urge to defend it because in my personal opinion it's really unfairly treated. I really love its OST and even the raw sound quality, I listen to a lot of dissonant music so that soundtrack really clicked with me and sounds really unsettling, I think the compositions are quite sophisticated. To me they corroborate a (sort of) horror atmosphere because the game is almost completely devoid of friendly characters (Maxim is mad, Lydie is missing until the very late game, Merchant is... well, the Merchant) and the castle is really enigmatic in nature, seeing as it appears halfway through Dracula's typical resurrection century. The combination of this setting and the unnerving music makes me feel like I am exploring a spectral, rotting carcass of the castle. Maybe I overthink it, but when it comes to raw atmosphere, Harmony is one of my all time favorite 'vanias, it makes me really enthusiast haha

[@ForrestFox626]

Maybe this will be the year.

[@tobiasrenner2797]

I totally felt the same emptiness after completing this one. Something like Monster Boy completely upstages Seven Sirens. But as always, there is the awesome art and unique energy to keep you engaged. Map completion sucked for me too and I was contempt with my 85% rate in the end. Maybe if they add some DLC I might go back. Kinda sad to see this franchise always being held back in some way from true greatness. Still a good experience overall. Great review Johnny and yeah, give us battle armor Shantae and Sky to play as!

[@GigaMan91]

Shantae only had one dancing animation in Half-Genie Hero too. Surprised he didn't notice that, but I guess I'm one of the few who really cares about Shantae's dances. lol

[@TheDaemonDD]

I miss the dance variety too

[@Kiolu100]

I think what you're suggesting for the fusion forms is comparable to the forms in Mega Man ZX and ZX Advent, different forms with different playstyles.

[@rabbidyoshi2454]

I wasn't expecting a review of this game so soon!?😕😌

[@DrBepis-jo7qt]

Well this sure is a nice thing to watch after I JUST graduated, thanks for quality content as always Johnny

[@toamatoro570]

Congrats managing to graduate despite the COVID-19 shit.

[@Sinistar1983]

At least they didn't hold us back because we weren't in school

[@zackitachi1]

Congrats!!

[@soliddragon2041]

Congratulations!!! I'm sorry it wasn't a real graduation like you would have wanted :(

[@boop0122]

@@toamatoro570it’s not over lol.

[@yuurou7927]

Rather than marking collectibles on map, I prefer the player can manually mark the map with stickers for back tracking, more engaging. A list of collectibles of each area is good enough, like 3 heart squid per labyrinth but arealy marked.

[@danielj8085]

So kind of like A link between worlds?

[@yuurou7927]

@@danielj8085 A lot of Metroidvanias have this feature.

[@danielj8085]

@@yuurou7927 Gotta be honest: Haven't played that many Metroidvanias. XD

[@Gale_Storm_]

This. There doesn't need to be a checklist like previous games, but that feature for the map would be appreciated. For first time playthroughs anyway.

[@wirlogx]

You just summarized what I felt with this game. I just stopped wondering, did I met the seven sirens? did I missed one? I felt the story way too rushed but the highlight was Squid Baron and his man cave... no doubt!

[@peateargryfin844]

I would argue Squid Baron is the highlight of the series. I laughed so hard when I finished that one squid siren fight,and he 's outside yelling at you for ripping off the final boss from his video game idea.

[@AdventurerAlm]

Man, I completely feel you on the load times. Even on console, the load times take about 15 - 25 seconds (depending on the area loaded); and makes the system scream bloody murder. My guess, is that they didn't change the optimization for the game to work 100% properly with other OS or hardware; other than the Apple handhelds.

[@kyokuslaps2411]

Me playing san Andreas *sees johnny upload* This is my life now

[@Zitsanrael1117]

Not surprised Johnny had the same reaction to this one that I did. Great game, but still below Pirate's Curse and 1/2 Genie Hero

[@gamerprince-tl5hg]

I'd say its equal to pirates curse and HGH is above both

[@Zitsanrael1117]

@@gamerprince-tl5hg wow, another Shantae fan that doesn't rank Pirate's Curse at #1. Though for me it's a tie for #1 with HGH. I just can't pick which one I like better, there are things I prefer from each over the other

[@michaelrhett4958]

Watching my brother play BoTW while also watching this. He’s in the lost woods now.

[@shunderomonamero3533]

Where is he now

[@raphaelhemery152]

I finally finished the DLC a week ago, glad to see people are still playing it.

[@michaelrhett4958]

King Nothing Sorry, just wanted to share what kind of a day I’m having

[@michaelrhett4958]

Raphaël Hemery me too

[@michaelrhett4958]

Shundero Monamero he’s at the master sword

[@XDarkEcho]

Next big Shantae project should REALLY just go all out with everything. I feel like WayForward is holding back, almost too afraid to really give it their all; they should be aiming for their next Shantae game to be the Super Mario Oddessy of Mario games, or Breath of the Wild of Zelda games. After playing 1/2 Genie Hero, I really felt their next game was going to go somewhere big and daring with how much they changed from their previous game.

[@roskiart8750]

While they should strive to do better instead of just playing it safe, that's an unnafordable bar for WayForward to reach. They're an indie developer, BotW and Mario Odyssey were polished to such a massive degree not only because of talent but because of financial security and high budgets behind the games.

[@JD260A9]

@@roskiart8750 Money talks, but there have been enough indie exceptions to show that you can make extremely competent games with indie budgets That aside, financial support certainly would help Wayforwards situation.

[@XDarkEcho]

@Jamar XD Probably, but who knows when that would be? I mean, I say, make every game like it'll be your last one; especially if you're an Indie Dev. Because, the last game you make could potentially be the one that you didn't expect to be your last, and thus the quality isn't as great as it could've been. I really feel this Shantae game kind of dipped in quality, compared to it's previous title. And looking over all the previous games as well, they always seemed to try something different that enhanced their respective title and pushed their gameplay while still staying true to it's core mechanics.

[@Dat1snivy]

Way forward: made the shantae games, and mighty switch force Also Way forward: Made the SpongeBob movie game on GBA.

[@JackHolleworth]

With the best portrayal of David Hasselhoff, no less.

[@Iamdja9]

1: I like to think the Intro is gonna be like a reoccurring thing for the franchise moving forward, almost like an anime series. 2: I find Half-Genie Hero to be a better game than 7 Sirens. Sirens was a good game, but it could've been so much better.

[@kylecampbell565]

Please do a round 2 On Tereria and Shovel Knight they’ve both had their final expansions

[@duffman18]

Yeah the King Knight thing for Shovel Knight is god damn enourmous. It's bigger than the other 3 Shovel Knight games _combined_ and is way way more difficult, to me anyway. I keep on getting stuck on certain levels and I could still advance because of how the world map is laid out, you can skip levels and still progress, but I'm a completionist so I have to beat every level. Like I do in Mario 3, I play every single level. Eventually I'll learn how to play King Knight but yeah I don't know why it's so much more difficult. It's like how the New Super Mario Bros series of games is WAY harder than the original NES and SNES mario games, even harder than the Lost Levels. Because I keep accidentally wall jumping and stuff. King Knight is the same, I keep accidentally doing moves without meaning to and falling down pits

[@dylanscheffer915]

When you fight Risky for the 5th time: "HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO TEACH YOU THIS LESSON OLD LADY!?!?"

[@tannerprice2018]

The fact that Shantae doesn’t have a cartoon show by this point is pretty much crazy by this point.

[@3ndg4m3]

Don’t know if anyone else has said this already, but... I thought the implication was that the graphics that show up during the fusion dances were the half-genies’ mothers. They passed down their powers to their daughters, and so their images show up when you use those powers. Slight spoilers, but if you compare the ghost genie to the quake dance, you can definitely see the resemblance, despite the different outfit.

[@DonGEX]

Shantae is still dancing her way through the danger. Why isn't she in Smash yet?

[@GXShade]

In the Nintendo Switch version, the audio moves faster than the video for the animated cutscenes.

[@ripleyandweeds1288]

"its got half baked voice acting, some lines of dialogue are voiced and some aren't." -oh man then you're gonna have the same complaint for danganronpa if you ever review one of the games in that franchise-

[@MozillaVulpix]

I can’t imagine Johnny reviewing a VN, somehow. It’s not really as much of a ‘game’.

[@Kingdom850]

The way Danganronpa does it isn't jarring though. It's consistent. The only real voice acting are featured in the trials and very plot important scenes. Everything else is just text. From what it sounds like, 7 Sirens text boxes flip flop from voiced to not voiced randomly.

[@marshallseldon4200]

He'll definitely say this too if he ever reviews any of the Hyperdimension Neptunia games. (Provided he sticks with the English dub since All cut scenes have Japanese dub).

[@Ethan-nl2wg]

To be fair a lot of games do this especially visual novels or games that have lots of story

[@colleenglanville8293]

*"Look At This. Got A Highly Energetic Intro Going On Here, Animated By Studio Trigger No Less."* Ah!! A company well known for there animation in anime... I just love their art style! 👌😆👍

[@plzsaythebento]

Thank you for your solidarity. I greatly respect you using your platform to speak for equality. One love ✊🏽 - the Black Ness cosplayer from MAGfest 2016

[@Gnidel]

I like the way he apealed to both ALM and BLM.

[@boop0122]

This hasn’t aged well.

[@Landmasters]

@@boop0122 Ain't that the truth... Despite humoring this radical mob, they wound up just being another laundering scheme and racial attacks skyrocketed against Asians and Jews on top of general crime

[@Crazycolors1248]

I felt the same way. My biggest gripe is that Rusty did not need to be in the game at all and the Seven Sirens all felt like an afterthought.

[@noriscereal9919]

those cutscenes make me wanna buy this game

[@KyuubiNaruto41]

Surprised you didn't point out the reusing of the animation that Shantae does when meeting one of the Sirens. Jogs in looks right, left, forward.

[@DopestDope24]

I love it man, didn’t ignore the issue but you were simple and to the point.

[@stinky1895]

Studio Trigger: "have you ever watched something and wished it was presented as a slideshow of desktop wallpapers?"

[@Asteroidpine]

Jhonny, do one last sonic marathon. you still have sonic battle, sonic shuffle, sonic the fighters, sonic X Leapster, rereview of sonic black night.

[@mightbeanerd]

And segasonic the hedgehog, and that sonic popcorn machine, and sonic for the ngage

[@JMotion]

Your concept for the fusion forms being alternate playable forms is practically the exact same thing as the Double Soul/Soul Unison concept from the Megaman Battle Network series. Where Megaman can practically fuse with other characters for combat, gaining that character's elemental perks/weaknesses and powered up buster attacks. But yes, absolutely, that kinda feature would be awesome. And would give them some great promo material to hype the game with.

[@Gale_Storm_]

Hey, someone else made a Battle Network connection to that. Nice.

[@ultimablackmage]

It chugs a little on Switch. It's just not very optimized there & it even crashed twice on me. Doesn't help that this game isn't exactly worth it's asking price. I blame Apple Arcade for all the problems.

[@HyperSonicX]

Only in specific areas, and it never crashed on me after some 15 hours.

[@SoupCanMafia]

@@HyperSonicX My major problem was with the sound and video being off-sync. It threw me off-point a couple times. While a pause and unpause solves the issue, it's weird because the video and controls work exactly as they do, but then the sound goes wacko.

[@MagillanicaLouM]

@@SoupCanMafia on switch? Im on pc but never exp that. Only slow load screens and cutscenes not playing visually (that one is just my laptop being shit). Though yeah the Apple arcade thing may have led to most of the game's complaints and its just weird in general. Hope the next one isnt limited by that

[@Vvonter]

I beat it two times, and never crashed. I can't tell if loading times are shorter elsewhere. It does chug like a Super Nintendo game when there's a lot of enemies on-screen, but the game is too easy, it doesn't affect gameplay IMO.

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

CRASHED?! How?

[@CamelliaSinensis]

I literally just rewatched round two of 1/2 genie hero's and as soon as I finish this video is out XD

[@colleenglanville8293]

*"It's Still Really F*cking Hard To Die."* That's a blessing in my eyes! 🤷‍♀️

[@AJMurdoc]

There is a “Process Priority” setting that is Above Normal by default. Set it to Normal or Low and see if that helps your load times/performance.

[@UDPlaythroughs1990]

So this game it's really good and I've had a good time with it.

[@aliasmask8365]

The dances can also be like the medallions form a link to the past where they affect the entire screen of enemies in different ways. Examplw: Fire is just damage while electric stuns them

[@xm1808]

About that pc screaming part: Game is probably running at a uncapped framerate during the loading screens, which means, since its a black screen, its running in the thousand frames per second. A framerate cap will remove this :) Edit: checked the game out (had it on my SSD), no issues like that on my part. Running it at 4k

[@colleenglanville8293]

*"Time For A Much Needed Vacation, But This Is A Video Game And Vacations Are Almost Always Bad News."* You can say that again... I can always tell something bad is about to happen when the main characters of a video game shout out "VACATION!!" lol! 😂😂😂

[@Beledal]

I vehemently disagree about the music. He has good points overall but the music in this game is bangin'!

[@Hilijix]

What I didn't know you could do that at 14:07! There's so many polished little secrets about this game! Personally I liked it a lot, and having all those cards made me feel powerful! I didn't mind the easier difficulty, in fact I probably needed a breezy game considering all that's going on.

[@falloutlover5443]

I'm probably the only one who actually likes the 'half baked voice acting.' Part of the charm if you ask me.

[@Indomavel2112]

I think Pirate's Curse did it the best: very quick, short lines of dialogue to give Shantae's dialogue a bit more flair, but having all other text isolated. It's not intrusive and gives the protagonist a bit more charm.

[@NoahInfinity]

I played Pirates Curse and Seven Sirens pretty much back to back, both on Switch, and I'll agree with Johnny on this, Pirates Curse is better. Not to say that Seven Sirens didn't try (it sure as hell tried and was fun as heck), but once I finished both games, Pirates Curse left me more satisfied (and more in pain, due to me trying to cheese the final climb with a glitch, hurting my hands). Once I defeated the Pirate Master, I was giddy and proud of myself, whereas when I defeated the Empress Siren, I just went "Oh wait, that's it?". And, that sums it all really, "That's it?". It's the perfect beginner game for players wanting to get into the franchise, but for someone interested in Shantae since Johnny's original video on the franchise back when it was a trilogy and who had just played Pirates Curse beforehand, I felt nothing from beating the game. I'd say pick it up on sale or when price drops if you haven't played a Shantae game before, otherwise, best just got back to the previous games. Something I will disagree with Johnny on though, the OST. It's not Jake Kaufman levels of good, but it's good nonetheless. Maybe because I'm just a fan of chiptune in general, but I had my head nodding to many tracks in this game. Arena Town, Tree Town, Laboratory, Coral Mine, Sea Reef Lab, all amazing tracks to me. The boss theme was something different this time, and I honestly like it! Instead of pure energy from Pirates Curse, it's more suspenseful and dramatic. Definitely hit me hard with those, especially during the part where you have 5 minutes to get through 6 enemy gauntlets.