Wayforward Games released Shantae: Half-Genie Hero to startling acclaim from gamers. The 2.5D platformer landed on the Xbox One, PS4, Wii U, PC and PlayStation Vita. Gamers looking to get a little bit of help making their way through the crowdfunded platformer may be able to get through some of the levels just a bit easier with this here gameplay walkthrough guide.

There’s a multi-video playlist available from YouTuber MegamanNG posted up the video walkthrough that you can check ot below.

MegamanNG offers vocal commentary and visual descriptions throughout the game for the visually impaired.

Once you start the game for the first time you’ll have to play as Shantae. You’ll have to beat the game with the mocha beauty before you can unlock the other character. A third character with a separate story is also available to play but that character and their campaign isn’t available just yet.

The game starts playing as Shantae in her pajamas at night, as she hops down into a cave. There are bats that will come after you but just lead them toward the flames and they’ll get destroyed.

Triangle causes Shantae to dance and Square attacks with Shantae’s hair. That would be ‘Y’ and ‘X’ on the Xbox controller.

Head into the bath house to talk to lady and then head into the item shop to talk to the NPC to get the Magnet and then give it to Shantae’s uncle.

There’s some dialogue and then Shantae will need to head to the hatchery where Wrench will drop off Shantae to Main Street. You can use the bird whistle from the subscreen to call Wrench to drop you off at various stages.

You can use Shantae’s hair to attack enemies and also push objects. Use the hair to push boxes over to platforms to reach some areas that may be hard to reach.

The next stage is the burning town, where you’ll need to dodge flames, wait for the platforms to pop out, and scale around the environments. The burning town is very reminiscent to the old Sega Genesis version of Aladdin.

MegamannNG mentions that you will need to return to various stages after you get upgrades in order to access some of the hidden areas. So it’s a little bit like Metroid in that sense.

The first major boss is against the tut-tut Tinkerslug. You can use the dynamite barrels at the top of the ledge to blow up the ship. Use the bell to ring for a dynamite barrel and attack the slug while waiting for the barrel to arrive.

After defeating the boss you’ll be able to unlock the Monkey Dance to unlock the first transformation for Shantae. The Monkey Dance can be accessed by holding down Triangle (or ‘Y’ on Xbox) and selecting it from the pop-up menu. The Monkey Dance will allow you to climb walls.

A short talking cinematic will follow the boss fight and then you’ll be free to move around and take on missions or buy magic.

You can use L1/left bumper and R1/right bumper to cycle magic, the right trigger to activate magic and left trigger to back-dash.

The next mission in Shantae: Half-Genie Hero takes place in Mermaid Falls, as depicted in the video playthrough below.

At Mermaid Falls you’ll need to find the missing girls.

The music is very reminiscent of the old synthesized themes from the old Sonic The Hedgehog titles. You’ll need to switch back and forth between standard Shantae and the monkey in order to reach the higher platforms.

Continue to follow the platforms to chase down the missing maidens. In the factory, you can use the empty hooks to travel across from one platform to the next.

The alligators patrolling will charge you if they spot you, but you can attack them from behind. You don’t have to kill them unless you really want to. Alternatively you can just dodge them as you move through the level.

You can also use the monkey to latch onto the hooks moving along the conveyor. You’ll need the monkey to reach some of the higher platforms while in the factory.

You can also time the jumps to avoid being spotted by the guards.

You’ll find a special merchant in the stage that allows you to purchase some new dances that you can equip before moving on to the next area.

You’ll need to time your jumps and avoid hitting the barrels while rolling down the factory line.

At the bottom you’ll discover that Techno Baron has been making counterfeit mermaids by attaching fish to cute girls. The boss fight is against the Giga Mermaid.

The mermaid is chained up, and the interesting thing about it is that the boss fight is actually about freeing the boss, not harming her. Attack the chains to free her while avoiding being hit by the giant orb that will follow you around. There are six chains to destroy to free the Giga Mermaid.

During the second part of the boss fight, you can only damage her by attacking the red gem on her head. Dodge her projectiles and tail swipe, and use the projectiles (if you have any) to damage the gem until you defeat her.

After you defeat the boss you’ll unlock the Crab Dance, which will allow Shantae to turn into a crab and travel underwater as a crab.

You can pick up another mission while in town or use the bath house to restore your health and MP. In the next segment, it takes on the mission to find the copper ore for Shantae’s uncle.

In the video above MegamanNG heads back to the Main Street and uses the crab dance to head down into the water at the start of the level, and unlocks a new piece of gear to increase Shantae’s total health.

You can also use the monkey to reach new areas in the Main Street level, as well as travel down into the water to access a secret treasure room that contains a green stone.

During the burning street stage, you can unlock a new ability for the monkey dance by traveling to the top of the stage and accessing the portal that allows you to access a treasure chest to give the monkey a bullet ability to attack from the wall by holding away from the wall while pressing your attack button.

You can also access the health permit by defeating 29 ninjas; give the health permit to the chef and she’ll give you the salted caramel.

When you return, you can give the salted caramel to the girl and she’ll give you bird seed. You can give the bird seed to the guy in the item shop. The guy will give you some copper ore in return.

You can then give the copper ore to Shantae’s uncle.

After giving Shantae’s uncle the ore, Shantae will have to solve a case of the people suffering from amnesia. Tassel Town will be made available. However, in the video he heads back to Mermaid Falls where some enemies have received an upgrade and some areas can be accessed by turning into a crab. However, the next mission will take Shantae to Tassel Town to solve the Scuttle Town amnesia case.

Shantae will encounter Holly at Tassel Town, who was sent to the place to investigate why people have been losing their memories. The enemies in the stage will fire off spikes, so be sure to dodge them.

Use the crab form to head underwater. You’ll need to head underwater to avoid the sandstorms, which will push Shantae back across the area. Standing behind platforms will prevent Shantae from being pushed back. You can also use Shantae’s hair to push some of the boxes over and avoid being forced back.

You’ll need to proceed into the tower where a giant sand monster will chase down Shantae. You’ll to scale up the tower quickly. Use normal Shantae to hit the boxes and pave a way to continue to move up the tower. The monkey will be one of the more reliable transformers for getting through the area. You’ll get to a part where there are spikes aligned alongside the walls on both the left and right side. There’s an exit to the right that you can move through to get to the next stage. Also, if you have the bat transformation there’s a chest on a platform just near the start of the next screen that you can acquire; inside the chest is a gallery key.

You’ll also find a lamia monster girl merchant in a pot later into the stage in case you were in need of special transformation. You’ll end up at the end of the stage where you’ll face off against the worm boss.

Shantae will find out that Holly isn’t a half-genie hero at all but she’s a “memory”. Holly feeds the memories of the towns people to Wilbur, the devourer of memories. Players will need to run around the platform and knock the rock into the holes with the cannons and it will shoot and damage the worm.

Wilbur will fire off several shots and then shoot out molten rocks; one of the rocks will stay. Knock the rock into the cannon to shoot Wilbur.

Wilbur’s eye then fire out and you’ll need to attack the eye repeatedly until it goes away. Keep rinsing and repeating the process until you defeat the worm.

The boss will unlock the Elephant Dance for Shantae. The Elephant will allow Shantae to break through certain block walls.

The next mission will include Shantae having to acquire a Dark Shard for her Uncle. You’ll also need to pick up two tickets in order to get something nice. In order to acquire the items you’ll need to backtrack through the previous levels to unlock and access the new areas thanks to Shantae’s new elephant powers.

Head back to Mermaid Falls and head to the portal where there’s a block in the way. Use the elephant to break the block and grab the Mermaid Dance in the chest. You can use the new mermaid to head back into the water and unlock the chest where you’ll find a gallery key.

Head to the factory portion of the level and on the bottom level to the far right side, there’s a block that can be destroyed with the elephant. Turn into a monkey and cling onto the wall and then bullet across to the blobfish on the platform. She’ll give you the Crab Claw for the crab dance so you can fight while underwater, if you choose to help her.

Find all the blobfish kids and return them to their mother. She’ll give you one of the race tickets in return.

Head to Tassel Town and proceed to the portal where there’s a sandstorm inside. Turn into an elephant so you can get through the sandstorm and you’ll unlock the Spider Dance, which will allow you to crawl on the walls and ceilings.

Proceed into the tomb and talk to the zombie; he’ll give you a stomp for the elephant dance.

Proceed up the tower and use the elephant stomp on the flowers to unearth the scrap metal. You’ll also find a gallery key beyond a block halfway up the tower.

Head back to Main Street and use the mermaid in the water before you get to the burning town, and you’ll find a tunnel where you can head inside and talk to the Adventure Man to earn a Vorpal Blade.

Head back to Mermaid Falls and go to the factory and defeat the patrolling alligator guards to get gator steaks. Give the steaks to the girls and you’ll get the second race ticket. Give the race tickets to Rotty and get the Dark Shard — give the shard to Shantae’s uncle to complete the mission.

You’ll need to proceed to Cape Crustacean to stop the heist, as outlined in the video below.

The carpet race isn’t quite what you might be expecting. You can’t just stay on your carpet. You’ll need to knock the opponents off their carpets and platform to each new carpet. Also , use the balloons with the rings on them to get through the level.

Twitch and Vinegar will be the bosses you’ll face off at the end of the run. Use the three rotating carpets to dodge their bombs and gunfire and attack both Twitch and Vinegar until you destroy their vehicles.

You can get another gallery key from up on the air fortress. Drop into the airship rooms to unlock the chests.

Continue through the airship fortress. Be sure to dodge the lasers because they can kill you in one hit.

If you move one of the blocks out of the way using the elephant, it’ll open up a room for you with moving blocks over spikes; you’ll need to use the monkey’s bullet dash ability to blast from one platform to the next and you’ll unlock a new heart holder.

Continue through the level until you reach the engine on the top floor, where you will need to destroy the ship. Ammo Baron will pop out and you’ll have to fight him and his men. You’ll need to dwindle down his forces being used as a shield in order to damage him.

After defeating the Ammo Baron you’ll unlock the Mouse Dance for Shantae. You can then traverse through the maze-like bricks to unlock new areas of old levels.

The next level will require finding a Light Shard. That’s covered in the video below.