Retro platformer Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is getting the deluxe treatment. The Ultimate Day One Edition released this week as a special physical version exclusive for Nintendo Switch. It’s published by XSEED Games and available at most retailers for $39.99.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Day One Edition includes a 30-song soundtrack on CD, a 100-page art book, and all previously released DLC digital content. The Pirate Queen’s Quest lets you play as the villainous pirate Risky Boots in her own spin-off story. Friends to the End is another spin-off story DLC. It stars Shantae’s three allies as they try to rescue her during the final act of the main story. The Costume Pack adds three new outfits for the titular hero. They don’t just change her look but add new abilities and gameplay levels.
The Ultimate Day One Edition also features an extra Hard Core mode. This mode rebalances enemies, healing, and magic items to provide a much more challenging experience.
Developed by WayForward Technologies, Shante: Half-Genie Hero is the fourth game in the series. The series originally began on the Game Boy Color back in 2002. Half-Genie Hero is the first game to make the jump to home consoles, bolstered by a successful crowdfunding campaign via Kickstarter in 2013. Half-Genie Hero launched in late 2016 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Wii U before coming to Nintendo Switch last summer.
A digital version of the Ultimate Edition is also available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch for $29.99. It includes the DLC but obviously not the physical art book or soundtrack CD.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero has been rated T for Teen with Cartoon Violence and Suggestive Themes.
