Interview: WayForward on Shantae Advance’s unbelievable journey from GBA cancellation to Switch release
WayForward debuted their Shantae IP with a Game Boy Color game that released all the way back in 2002. The title was met with tons of praise from the gaming press at the time, and that energy was matched by the audience that picked the game up. Unfortunately, Shantae launched well after the GBA had made a name for itself in the market, so interest in new GBC games was pretty much non-existent. This lackluster response at retail meant a very tough road was ahead for Shantae.
Fans of Shantae had to wait 8 long years to see follow-up, which came in the form of Shantae: Risky’s Revenge. This game released for the DSi through DSiWare, and it finally got the franchise the attention it deserved. While dedicated gamers knew of Shantae’s greatness from the GBC days, Risky’s Revenge firmly put Shantae on the map, paving the way for multiple sequels that continue to this day.
Had Shantae’s GBC title sold well, the history of the franchise could have been very different. WayForward had actually put in considerable work on a Shantae sequel for the GBA, but it ended up being scrapped due to a lack of publisher interest. While many thought the title to be completely dead, WayForward announced in 2023 that Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution would finally see release on actual GBA cartridges through a partnership with Limited Run Games.
Fast-forward to 2025 and Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution has been in the hands of GBA fans for a couple of months now. That’s all well and good for the GBA/clone hardware owners out there, but what about those who want to enjoy Shantae’s long-lost adventure on modern hardware? There’s great news on that front as well, as Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is coming to Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on Aug. 19th, 2025. (and yes, the Switch version will work just fine on Switch 2!)
With mere hours left until Shantae’s forgotten GBA title makes its Switch debut, we chatted with WayForward’s Matt Bozon (director on Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution) to get all the details about the genie’s long and arduous journey that was literally 25+ years in the making.
GoNintendo: How does it feel getting Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution out the door on GBA and (almost) on modern platforms?
Matt Bozon: Tuesday is launch day for the modern console version! It’s hard to believe that after more than 20 years stuck in development, this game will finally be available to fans all over the world! Preproduction began in 2000, so I think this might be the most delayed video game of all time! But I’m happy that we finally made it happen!
GoNintendo: How has the reception been to that physical GBA release?
Matt Bozon: Fans have loved it so far. When I watch streams or playthroughs, there are some good chuckles happening at the right gags, aha moments as the puzzles click. So far, so good! I’ve also noticed that fans who ordered the GBA-style cartridge haven’t been posting a lot of the more spoiler-y moments of the game, so I’m very grateful for that! Now that everyone has a chance to play, I’m guessing we’ll see more of that showing up in social media.
GoNintendo: Did that GBA project end up being more or less work than you thought? Were there any surprising stumbling blocks?
Matt Bozon: It was much more work than anticipated. Programmer Michael Stragey and I had our work cut out for us. The original game set up a lot of ideas that needed to be properly followed through with. But it also set up ideas that had been already transplanted into Shantae sequels, like Risky’s Revenge and Pirate’s Curse. There were gaps that needed to be filled. For example, Shantae’s friend, Sky, rides a giant bird for the first time in Shantae Advance. But we ended up reusing that idea in Half-Genie Hero many years later. Now that we were resurrecting the old game, riding the giant bird didn’t make sense anymore. We needed a creative solution. There are countless situations like this. We made it our goal to always be true to the original vision, and introduce fresh ideas into the blank spaces. The result is a game that lives in its own bizarre pocket dimension. It’s not really a delayed 2004 release, and it’s not exactly a 2025 modern indie game. But then, it sort of is both of those things! What can I say? It’s one of a kind!
GoNintendo: Was it always the plan to release Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution on GBA first and then modern platforms?
Matt Bozon: Yes. Once we’d finished the GBA game, I considered the mission complete. We knew that we’d port it eventually, somehow.
GoNintendo: How did the team decide what to do/not do for the modern ports of Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution? Were there things that popped up during work on the GBA version that you kept in mind for the modern release?
Matt Bozon: Since we were working in our own tools and codebase from the early 2000s, it was too great a feat to even consider how we’d eventually port the game. Whether using an emulator, or rewriting it from scratch was a future problem. Once we got there, our approach to the console version was to pretend that the (now completed) GBA game was a 20-year-old time-honored classic, and give it a proper port.
GoNintendo: In terms of specs and presentation, what can Switch players expect from Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution over the GBA version?
Matt Bozon: So, we treated it very much like we did for Pirate’s Curse — preserving the pixel art, and showing the hand drawn HUD, portraits, and other hand drawn illustrations in the highest possible fidelity. And for players who want to keep it old school, we also included the GBA version, and a variety of screen scaling options. We also made improvements to Battle Mode!
GoNintendo: What would you say is the best new feature or quality of life addition with Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution on Switch?
Matt Bozon: The GBA game features a Battle Mode for 2-4 players, which uses a Link Cable to connect and play. But on console, this has been rewritten from scratch for up to four players to enjoy locally, and it’s a great addition! It’s kind of like Bomberman… quick matches, total chaos, and lots of fun! This time around there are multiple arenas, too!
GoNintendo: Are there any features of Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution on Switch, besides the HD artwork and improved framerate/resolution, that were simply impossible to achieve on GBA?
Matt Bozon: There’s a notable feature that you’ll only find in the Deluxe Edition, which is three exclusive costumes for Shantae to wear! These costumes change Shantae’s sprite art and character illustrations, and also boost various magical attacks. The GBA version does have a secret unlockable that I won’t spoil here (also found in the console version), but that was the extent of what we could accomplish at the time. While porting the game to consoles, we had the idea to add additional outfits, and space wasn’t an issue. We hope fans will enjoy playing with them!
GoNintendo: Did working on Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution for GBA give you any insight or fresh perspectives for working on the Switch version?
Matt Bozon: If there’s a double-edged sword, it’s the fact that there were no updates or patches back in the day. The GBA version, once shipped, is locked in forever. As a result, the GBA version’s QA cycle was much longer and more complex than expected. Our testers had to learn or re-learn testing methods and hardware that haven’t been around for decades, buying various third-party link cables off eBay, checking compatibility with Game Boy Player on GameCube, Game Boy Micro, Nintendo DS’s GBA slot, etc. Then also checking for more recent third-party hardware that might be in players’ hands, such as Analogue Pocket. Online support is non-existent. So there’s a ton of pressure to get it right, because after you submit that ROM, the die is cast! Nintendo Switch, by contrast, is part of the studio’s day-to-day business, and it can be patched or updated. Honestly, I think there are benefits to both.
GoNintendo: Can we expect to see any other retro or retro-styled Shantae adventures in the future?
Matt Bozon: We really did enjoy turning back the clock, and making a game with a tiny team, just like in the old days. I’d love to do it again sometime!
