No, I don't actually dream of the character. I think that would come off as a little creepy? But I do adore the character; she's one of the most adorable female video game protagonists in the industry. And because I wanted to make a reference to I Dream of Jeannie... IT WAS A DECENT SHOW, GET OFF MY BACK.
You wouldn't guess it for an instant, but Shantae back on the old Gameboy Color was one of my first video games to not be produced by a large scale AAA developer like Nintendo or Sega. Humbly developed by the precursor team that we now know as WayForward (the amazing people who also brought us some of the best licensed video games in the industry) Shantae was a side scrolling platformer about a half-genie whose only goal was to stop an evil pirate from wreaking havoc on her peaceful home.
Shantae as a character was just as captivating as her game, providing a great deal of joy and challenge to a once much younger me. It was one of the first games I went out of my way to do research on and learn more about in my later years as a I became more internet-savvy. Matt Bozon became somewhat of an inspiration for me in wanting to learn more about game design and business, as well as a driving force in my own artistic direction.
I'm not sure if anyone else was ever so inspired by one video game, let alone this one tiny gem, but it's very difficult to describe just how impacting the first Shantae game was for me. So much so I wound up... selling it. In all my naivete, I never would have guessed that 1) Shantae would become a franchise or 2) that the original would become so friggin' rare. Largely one of the biggest mistakes of my life as a gamer. To put it simply, you are lucky if you can find a copy on eBay for less than $150.
So why this little trip down memory lane? Not only is Shantae receiving a third installment (after its sequel which launched on DSi and made its way to iOS/Android), WayForward FINALLY launched its new Kickstarter campaign and it looks amazing.
http://www.kickstarter.com/...
Hot off the heels of the success of Keiji Inafune's Mighty No. 9, and to my joy (and pleasantly accurate prediction) it is an HD Shantae game made in a similar way to the overall style of Ducktales Remastered HD, with hand drawn characters and 3D environments with a 2.5D gameplay style. They intend to bring it to every major platform that utilizes HD graphics. Stretch goals go all the way up to $1.3 million dollars, with only two revealed thus far (but I suspect at least one of them is being able to play as Shantae's friends and another for full voice acting).
Perhaps this blog comes off very much like an ad, but I would like to see it more as a PSA. If you love gaming, or care at all about anything WayForward has done, fund the heck outta this game. Spread the word and all that jazz. A long overdue HD video game starring this immensely underrated character is finally being made and as a fan, I couldn't just sit by and watch.
Anyway, regardless of what you feel or choose, thank you for your time. What are your thoughts? Any games that significantly impacted you way back when? Any Kickstarter games you hope get funded or have already been funded?
Alan Wake, from Max Payne and Control creator Remedy, is a horror classic, prompting one player to buy 4,000 copies that don’t even work.
Kind of a goody story...
On a serious note, that is why I try activating gift cards asap. It's happened to me where the store didnt scan it right where the card was unusuable. Happened at Wally World.
Usually most of those redemption card have an expiry date on them. If they expired all buyer did was buy recycled paper. And some of those codes are country locked to certain countries. I buy a card from the States I can't use it in Canada.
UKIE published its latest Consumer Market Valuation Report, showing that the UK games market was worth £7.82 billion in 2023, a 4.4% increase compared to 2022's revised total of £7.49 billion.
Final Fantasy is a long running series at this point — it's easily one of the most storied franchises in gaming. But when you're up to the sixteenth mainline entry, you must start wondering whether fresh installments still have the power to pull new players in. Indeed, audience growth will be an important metric for the suits upstairs at Square Enix.
Pretty much. It was barely an rpg. Sorry if I like a little rpg in my final fantasy games.
I really hope this doesn’t mean they are going to continue to streamline the games even more going forward
It didn’t even have element weakness and the like during battles. A game with element based Eikons you use in combat and they didn’t include any elemental strategic tactics
I expected fire to burn grassy enemies. That didn't happen.
I also expected to see a "we have to go there!" moment in a cutscene, and have to travel there myself. FFXVI instead loaded the map to one selectable map marker and the next cutscene loaded to us there.
Disappointing as an RPG. Disappointing as even being "open area". I'll maintain that this game would've been best served as a more linear DMC-style experience than what we got, because the core of the combat and story were so great.
Foxtrot
I can't imagine they'd try and go back to a turn based game to see if younger fans would like it. They've really never even tried though. Hell my 13 year old loves turn based jrpgs
I'll always play them because I've played every one, but if 17 goes in the same direction I'm not excited any more. It just wasn't a Final Fantasy game, just a decent action RPG. Thankfully Rebirth had everything that was missing in it.
I'm an old fan who's played literally every FF game (excluding 2) and I *loved* FF16.
I genuinely struggle to understand the mindset of people are who get weird and territorial over JRPG franchises. I think as a whole we should be encouraging developers to try new things. We're the old guard - what we want to see in a game is going to become increasingly irrelevant with time so we gotta change the way we think about this stuff.
Classic franchises thrive on their familiarity. While they can introduce new ideas, it's crucial that these innovations stay true to the essence of the franchise. Otherwise, it might be more appropriate to develop a new franchise or spinoff.
And that's where FFXVI sort of drops the ball for many. It doesn't offer much to old Final Fantasy fans. Honestly, I loved the game, but I feel it might have worked better as a spinoff, a new franchise, or even a reimagination of another classic series like Musashi or Dewprism.
I agree. FF games have always been about evolving when it comes to the gameplay mechanics. Big budget FF games like FFXVI with realistic graphics just won't sit too well with turnbase gameplay. The ones complaining are the old fans that are stuck in a rut or still stuck in the 90s style of gameplay.
It didn't feel rpgish at all. It's not a territorial issue with everyone.
Elda
As much as I like turn based and would prefer that. If that's my only issue with ff16 then why am I loving rebirth, and remake. Truth is to me 16 just blew. Dark, dull, missing so much actual ff stuff, elemental damage non existence. It lacked to much of anything rpg like.
I get innovation but ff16 really didn't innovate anything. They just gave us a mainline title of a straight action game with lite rpg builds.
Sounds exactly what Tales did with Arise. I enjoyed FF16 more than FF13 and FF15 personally. I just hope the next mainline entry Yoshida makes is more party RPG based.
I enjoyed the game but I would like them to try making a turn based FF. It’s been too long. Even if it was a spin-off that would be fine.
For me the Bravely Default series is more Final Fantasy than current Final Fantasy. Since it started its development as a FF spinoff, it even keeps some FF stuff like magic names (Fire/Fira/Firaga etc.).
Unfortunately it doesn't sell that well and we can't be sure Square will keep making them, but I hope they do.
I wish they'd at least take the chance. It'll sell off name alone. Hell at this point try and add both and let it be an option.
"This doesn’t mean that all future Final Fantasy games will take a similar direction to Final Fantasy 16,"
Here is a quote from the article to keep the XVI haters easy .
I enjoyed the game for what it was. What the team wanted to make. And i hadn't enjoyed a mainline FF game like i did XVI since X. Not counting Remake. People say it isn't an JRPG but it's pretty much Kingdom Hearts gameplay wise.
I decided to play some Arcade mode in XVI to get ready for the DLC after 220 hours of Rebirth and i still love the gameplay.
Can't wait for the DLC to hit in less than a week and see how crazy the Leviathan fight will be.
Dude I was just about to send a PM about making a blog about the game, and here you already made it. Good lord man that was FAST!
I really dig the rayman origin-esque artstyle.
I really don't know what Way Forward is thinking with this franchise, why announce a kickstarter for your niche 2D franchise 3 days after the maker of Mega Man makes a kickstarter for its spiritual successor, which not only is Mega Man one of the biggest names in 2D platforming but the fanbase has been all but abandoned by Capcom? They should have delayed it a month, or at least a week to have some of the hype die down. It's gonna get drowned and forgotten by the race to $2.2 million that Mighty No 9 is going for.
It's not the first time, the first Shantae game came out for the Gameboy Color after the Gameboy Advance was released. I'm confident the game will reach it's goal and get made, but it probably would have made another stretch goal or two if it Way Forward would stop choosing to live in the shadows of bigger items.