Shantae 2

Shantae 2 is a game released for the Alive console. 
Despite being the fifth game in the Shantae series, the game serves as a midquel, chronologically taking place after the original Shantae and before Shantae: Risky‘s Revenge.
The game is developed by BiggestKirbyFanEver1994 and published by WayForward Technologies.
== Plot ==
Sometime after the events of the first game, Shantae (and a Rebel Tinkerbat) is relaxing on the roof of her lighthouse when she receives an invitation from Risky Boots. In the invitation, Risky claims she is deeply sorry for trying to take over the world and wants to invite her for a special “Let‘s Be Friends!” party. Shantae is suspicious, at first, but she decides to humor her and show up to the party anyway.
However, she realizes the party is a trap and is placed inside a mysterious machine. Risky Boots appears and pulls a lever, expelling a nasty-smelling gas. When the pungent fog lifts, Shantae discovers she is made out of rubber and is unable to control her movement. Risky Boots says she has made a deal with the Techno Baron to help her exact her revenge, and build a steam engine more powerful than the ine she attempted to steal, but first had to give Shantae a dose of the deadly rubber band fever disease in gas form. Risky pulls another lever and ejects Shantae (and Rebel Tinkerba) out to sea.
Shantae, who lands safely onto the ocean floor below, sets out to stop Risky before she suceeds in taking over the world. Techno Baron shows up from time to time, impeding Shantae’s progress and attempting to stop with his amazing mechs. The rubber band fever disease slowly weakens Shantae and makes her more rubbery, but Shantae manages to collect enough keys to access Risky Boots’ Top-Secret Lair and defeats Risky Boots’ giant steam engine. During the battle, however, the Techno Baron shows up and turns against Risky, saying the steam engine was HIS creation and that HE should rule the world, not her. He literally fires Risky, and attempts to battle Shantae on his own. Shantae, of course, prevails and successfully destroys the steam engine, and cures herself of rubber band fever.
A post credits scene reveals where Risky Boots ends up. She discovers a cave mural of Uncle Mimic holding a magic lamp, which foreshadows the events of the next game.
== Gameplay ==
Shantae 2 is a Metroidvania platfotmer in which players assume the role of Shantae, a half-genie who must explore various areas in order to stop her nemesis, Risky Boots. Shantae's main form of attack is using her hair as a whip. She can also acquire transformation spells that act as an extension of Shantae’s moveset, rather then just “power-ups” like in previous Shantae games.
=== New Features ===
One of the game’s major new gimmicks is Shantae’s ability to stretch herself like rubber. Using the controller’s Touch Center, players can squash and contort her body to solve puzzles, bypass obstacles or defeat enemies. This is done by swiping, rubbing, and circling gestures performed with the player’s finger.
For the first time in the Shantae series, there is a two player Co-Op mode. In this mode, Player 1 controls Shantae, while Player 2 controls a new character named Rebel Tinkerbat. Unlike most other Tinkerbats, he is friendly and uses Pirate Gear (the polar opposite of Shantae’s transformation spells) to help Player 1. He cannot stretch like rubber, however. When playing the game with this mode, Rebel Tinkerbat appears in every cutscene next to Shantae, though it is never really revealed why.
=== Three Day Cycle ===
Unlike most other platform games, Shantae 2 imposes a strict time limit of three days (72 hours) in game time,[which is about 54 minutes in real time. An on-screen clock tracks the day and time. The reason behind this time limit is the rubber band fever disease that Risky Boots injects Shantae with. This deadly disease makes Shantae elastic, but at the cost of slowly turning the insides of her body (including organs and blood) into pure rubber, which makes her feel extremely weak.
The main objective is to collect Skeleton Keys, which are needed to access Risky Boots’ Top Secret Lair. If the player does not accomplish this task before the 72 hours expire, Shantae will succumb to the rubber band fever and perish, becoming nothing more than a rubbery skin suit.
== Characters ==
=== Playable ===
Character	Description
 	The half genie protector of Scuttle Town. She is suffering from rubber band fever, but she can use this to her advantage order to stop Risky Boots.
 	He may look like any other Tinkerbat on the outside, but he has a heart of gold and the same hatred of pirates as Shantae.
=== Non-Playable ===
==== Bosses ====
Character	Description
 	She has returned for her revenge. Using the deadly rubber band fever disease on Shantae as well as Techno Baron’s incredible technology, she hopes to conquer the world.
 	He is Risky’s right hand man and is loaning her some of his inventions as part of her revenge plan. He’s also spawning Techno Grunts to put Shantae in her place.
 	Risky and Techno are promising her a lifetime supply of brains in exchange for serving them by carrying out their dirty deeds. She is the mid-boss in every world that Shantae explores.
== Abilities ==
=== Transformations ===
NOTE: These are exclusive to Shantae. 
Transformation	Description
 	Shantae‘s default form. She can use her hair to whip enemies and bosses as well as stretch her rubbery body in many different ways:
* Performing circle motions on the Touch Center curls Shantae into a ball which can be used to bounce against walls and squeeze through pipes.
* Swipping down on the Touch Center flattens Shantae like a pancake. This can be used to squeeze under tight gaps and make Shantae invisible to enemies.
* The player can make Shantae carry objects by having her standing next to the desired object and gently tapping on the Touch Center. She cannot throw them, however, unless the player stretches her like a slingshot (this is highly reminiscent of the Angry Birds mobile games).
 	Players can press and hold the SR button to have Shantae transform into a bat. Shantae can use her wings to descend slowly over hazards. Gusts of wind can propel her upwards.
 	By pressing and holding the Y button while walking, players can have Shantae turn into a frilled lizard that can run fast and across water.
 	Pressing SL while in mid air turns Shantae into an elephant, which is heavy enough to perform a ground pound that can push giant buttons.
 	By pressing the jump button in midair, players can make Shantae assume the form of a harpy to launch herself higher in the air. This can only be done three times.
 	Pressing and holding Y allows players to turn Shantae into a tiger. This form works the same as the frilled lizard, except it cannot allow Shantae to run across water. Instead, she is now able to run up walls and ceilings.
== Trivia ==
* The tiger, bat and frilled lizard forms were originally proposed for Shantae: 1/2 Genie Hero.
* This is the first time in the Shantae series in which Rottytops appears as a boss.
* The game was originally going to be a remake of the cancelled GBA game Shantae Advance.
== Gallery ==
Category:Shantae (series)
Category:Shantae Games
Category:Sequels
Category:Alive Games
Category:Indie Games