Shantae Kaizoku no Noroi on 3DS, Japanese version of Shantae and the Pirate's Curse. The hair-whipping genie in a pirate adventure with pirate abilities. Original Japanese version of an excellent indie platformer.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player7+
Description
Shantae, the lilac-haired half-genie, sets out to recover her powers stolen by the Pirate Queen across pirate-infested islands in the European version. Published by WayForward, released in Europe in April 2015. 2D exploration with pirate accessories replacing transformation dances, inventive bosses, warm humour. European version in English.
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Pleasant"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Long"
Technical info
💾0,33 GB📅23/10/2014
Published by WayForward
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (3DS) price, value & rarity
The NTSC release of Pirate's Curse shares the same physical scarcity: one of the only Shantae cartridges officially released in box on 3DS in the US, distributed in a limited print by WayForward Limited Run. Desirability rests on the cult status of the indie franchise and on complete copies with intact insert and case becoming scarce as soon as production ended.
Is Shantae and the Pirate's Curse still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2014 on 3DS and known in Japan as Shantae - Kaizoku no Noroi, WayForward's project is an adventure platformer in the metroidvania vein, where the half genie dancer Shantae explores colourful islands by gradually unlocking new abilities. Deprived of her magic, she relies this time on pirate tools, from sabre to cannon, which open the exploration ingeniously. The warm pixel art, the sparkling humour and the spirited pace make for a charming adventure. The backtracking structure divides. An excellent platformer, recommended for fans of metroidvania and of expressive pixel art.
