Pirate's Curse has overall great visuals and cute funny characters, but I didn't expect the quality of the action platforming. Shantae's mobility is smooth and predictable, which is something that is vital in an entertaining platformer. Even in the early levels, Shantae cannot recklessly jump into a horde of enemies and expect an effortless win; Shantae needs timing and positioning to attack and dodge most of the enemies even after getting powerups. Shantae's health is initially too low to let her ignore damage but is high enough to not feel frail. Shantae's enemies also become stronger later in the game, so getting more hearts is not the same as expecting Shantae to become invincible throughout the entire game.
The items in the game are difficult to stockpile unless you invest a lot of time into the game, which would make you less dependent on the items to begin with as a result of the experience gained as a result. The bosses are also genuinely difficult due to their power and speed, so it is probably best to keep some items anyways. I never felt that any item was absurdly overpowered to the point where it made the game too easy.
The powerups are all important in their own ways and assist Shantae's options to attack and maneuver. It was a case of quality over quantity.
The game's soundtrack is great in terms of being fresh, upbeat, and fitting for the settings. The desert theme warrants a mention since it still has sounds and instruments that sound like they are from traditional Islamic music, except the execution of the theme is modernized and compliments the action-adventure of traveling across a hostile yet beautiful desert. Other themes include a goofy theme for the goofy boss, a hyperactive dash for the running level, and an intimidating and menacing theme for the demonic slime-bog.
The biggest issue to me was lengthy backtracking, especially since most islands had no form of checkpoints. Even after getting multiple mobility powerups, I had to repeat some platforming that required precision which--- when done multiple times--- became more like a chore than a challenge.
And I will mention that not all the obstacles or platforming felt fairly laid out or were accurately placed, resulting in Shantae being unable to jump high enough to get over a few pixels of height. The story normally gives me good hints as to where to go next; but, whenever I am lost, I end up wasting a lot of time redoing old platforming to try to find what I needed. The game was still a great experience and a fresh dive into modern 2D platforming games.
Shantae has been getting the attention that she deserves as more people discover her quality platforming games, especially this one.
This game gets a rating of (sexy scorpion / 10)