Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution by developer, WayForward:
Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution (Nintendo Switch)
Developed by WayForward, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is an platform adventure game that sees the return of everyone’s favourite half-genie hero, which first made its long-awaited debut on April 21, 2025 for the Game Boy Advance, before eventually releasing again on August 19, 2025, for modern platforms, including the Nintendo Switch family of systems, and honestly, it’s about time.
Instead of being a completely new title, taking place after the events of 2019’s Shantae and the Seven Sirens, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is a game that dates back to 2002 and is the true sequel to the first Shantae game. WayForward actively worked on the lost sequel for two years but had to cancel it when they were unable to secure a publisher willing to take on the game, after Shantae’s poor performance on the Game Boy Color.
But thankfully, while the sequel was lost to time, Shantae as a series still had life in it yet and went on to receive four new entries between 2002 and 2019 and then came 2023. WayForward announced work had resumed on the lost title, and now it is finally in our hands, where it belongs. So, without further delay, it’s time to stop dwelling on the past and focus on the present.
Released as the sixth instalment in the Shantae series but chronologically taking place between Shantae and Shantae: Risky’s Revenge, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is a welcome return to Sequin Land. Not long after beating Risky Boots for the first time, together with her friends, Shantae is hard at work constructing anti-pirate defences for Scuttle Town, but Risky Boots is back, and this time, she’s got a groundbreaking plan.
With Shantae set to introduce Sky and Bolo to Rottytops, Risky Boots makes her move, denouncing a desire to claim Sequin Land for herself. Shantae springs into her signature purple hair-whipping action and pursues Risky Boots into a chasm, only to realise she’s fallen victim to Risky Boot’s latest trap. Having learned from her previous defeat, Risky Boots is looking to turn the tables on Shantae and make the earth itself move.
This is only possible due to the expansive subterranean cavern that lurks beneath Sequin Land. By going to the King’s Pillar, a large stone column that quite literally supports the weight of the entire continent, and using a device called a tremor engine, Risky Boots is able to manipulate Sequin Land’s tectonic plates. North becomes South, West is East, and only Shantae must race against time should she wish to move locations back to where they belong.
In short, it’s your typical Shantae plot, with the writing and humour fans have come to love over the years. As for gameplay, it’s more of the same, with a few new mechanics thrown in. Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution maintains its typical metroidvania-style gameplay fans know and love, from its hair-whipping action to six belly-dance transformations, each one turning Shantae into a different animal (crab, elephant, harpy, mermaid, monkey, and spider) and boss battles that only get fiercer. Shantae’s certainly got her hands full, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen her handle before, as she explores crypts, labyrinths, and “scrambled towns” as she tries to put everything back in place. So, whether it’s front yard or back yard hijinks, Shantae is ret-2-go, switching between foreground and background locales, all whilst solving a new variety of puzzles.Â
Something that Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution does that is brand new, is its inclusion of a Battle Mode. With it, up to four players can brawl one another in a bid to prove themselves the true victor. You can’t cause physical harm to one another, but you force the opposing players into spike traps, which do hurt. Just be careful of the arena rotating every 90 seconds or so. Just because there was solid ground beneath you one moment doesn’t mean it will still be there the next. (Don’t say we didn’t warn you.) Now, we’d be lying if we said the Game Boy Advance version of Risky Revolution didn’t include this mode, but where it differs is that Risky Revolution on consoles has more arenas for players to face off in.
Another way the console version of Risky Revolution differs is that, while both games make the most out of expressive 32-bit pixels, resulting in a design reminiscent of Shantae: Risky’s Revenge and Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, Risky Revolution comes with a Modern mode. With this Modern mode, players can experience the full Risky Revolution experience, except this version comes with cinematic images, UI elements, and high-resolution character portraits, resulting in a perfect blend of old and new. Whereas Classic mode is Risky Revolution as it was always meant to be, originally.
Of course, there is a Deluxe Edition of Risky Revolution, which adds three new costumes, Sizzle Armor Costume, Relic Hunter Costume, and High Voltage Costume. Each one changes Shantae’s outfit, and when selecting a new game via Modern mode, each outfit provides a specific boost. Sizzle Armor Costume that increases all Fireball damage, Relic Hunter Costume powers up all Pike Ball attacks, and High Voltage Costume boosts the damage output of all Storm Puff attacks. While some might argue the Deluxe Edition is a little pricey for the sake of three costumes, the way we see it, it’s three more reasons for multiple playthroughs and something to do while waiting on a new HD Shantae game.
Now, despite the many things that Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution gets right, in terms of engaging gameplay across multiple layers, exploration that rewards you every step of the way and multiple chapters to play through, one of its biggest cons is the lack of a map. With new locations becoming accessible by using additional tremor engines, and lots of collectibles to hunt down, it is easy to get lost and forget where you’re going. A map would easily solve this issue and be a useful tool for speed runners, and yet, it is MIA. It’s a shame, but thankfully, it’s not a deal breaker and Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is still highly enjoyable, nonetheless.
While graphically, it might look like a step-down when compared to the gorgeous Shantae and the Seven Sirens, there can be no denying the fact that Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is a true Shantae title. It’s a fantastic blend of old and new, and the perfect bridge between the Shantae games of old and their modern counterparts. It was a daring move for WayForward to go back and revisit one of their lost works, but here’s hoping Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution goes on to attain the level of success it deserves, as we’d love to see them try reviving another lost Shantae game in the form of Shantae: Risky Waters.
Admittedly, Risky Waters was an experimental title being developed for the Nintendo DS that was intended to take advantage of the dual-screen functionality of the handheld device, but if WayForward can release a Game Boy Advance game in 2025, with the right publisher behind them, who’s to say they couldn’t release a DS / Nintendo 3DS game by 2030? Major tweaks would be required to make the game work on modern platforms, but now that they’ve proven they can do it once, who’s to say they can’t or won’t do it again?
Game Specifications:
Developer: WayForward
Publisher: WayForward
Platform: Nintendo Switch (Digital)
Genre: Action, Adventure
No. of Players:Â 1 – 4 (Single System)
Release Date:Â August 19, 2025
Price:Â $24.99
File Size: 570Â MB
Nintendo.com Listing
