A master of the twist and shake, the purple haired one can enter dance mode at any time with a press of Select. Luckily, Shantae knows a few moves to get out of any situation. Each is capped by a boss, though these are generally a doddle compared to actually working your way around the caverns. They're labyrinthine, occasionally tough to navigate and all the better for it. Whereas platforming through the overworld is fairly open, with lots of sky above, dungeons are exactly as they sound – dense series of rooms filled with puzzles, locked doors, secret passageways and enemies. The most challenging sections are the dungeons, each of which contains a powerful stone that must be recovered before Risky puts the boot in. Here you can recover energy hearts by taking a relaxing bath, stock up on items and play mini-games to earn gems, such as a dancing aside which takes a page out of the book of Dance Dance Revolution you have to hit buttons in time to the music. These are presented in an interesting circular view, with the camera placed behind Shantae and spinning around to look at the different shops when you tap left and right on the D-Pad. There are several towns dotted about, which afford you a break from all the leaping around. It changes seamlessly between light and dark, which is quite impressive for a Game Boy Color title. There's a simplistic day and night cycle as well – some locations are only available at night, so you might have to jump around a little while before you can do or get something that you need. Collectable fireflies provide more incentive to explore slightly off the beaten path. Certain parts of the map are inaccessible until you've gained the relevant skills, however, so you can't wander right up to the final area from the outset – the world gradually unlocks, giving a solid sense of progression. The whole world is one big stage, with no level distinctions to separate any of it – you simply stroll and jump through all sorts of environments and explore. By snatching up enough gems from vases or deceased enemies, you can also buy new special moves or items that give some much-needed help for a limited time, such as projectile attacks or storm clouds that send lightning crashing down on your foes. She can jump with the best of them and throws a mean ponytail at anybody in her way she attacks by whipping her purple hair at enemies. Though she's not a full-fledged genie, Shantae's not entirely powerless.
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