Games Like Shantae

Rare's audacious, boundary-pushing platformer used the deceptively cute character of Conker the squirrel as a vehicle for adult humor, cinematic parodies, and surprisingly emotional moments. One of the N64's most technically impressive games and its most unexpectedly mature.

Delphine Software's 1992 cinematic action-adventure masterpiece — Flashback: The Quest for Identity follows Conrad B. Hart, an agent who wakes with no memory in 2142, using rotoscoped animation and Prince-of-Persia-style fluid platforming to navigate a conspiracy involving shapeshifting aliens infiltrating human society. One of the most cinematic games of the 16-bit era.

Jordan Mechner's 1989 Apple II classic on SNES — Prince of Persia follows an unnamed prisoner escaping the Grand Vizier Jaffar's dungeons to save the Princess in 60 minutes of game time, with rotoscoped animation creating realistic human movement and sword combat demanding careful guard engagement. One of the defining games of the early 1990s.

Insomniac Games' gem-collecting adventure placed players in the wings of a young purple dragon exploring vast, colorful worlds. Spyro the Dragon's open, exploratory design and warm personality made it an instant PlayStation classic and launched one of gaming's most beloved franchises.

Whoopee Camp's overlooked 1998 PS1 platformer that blends action-adventure with mission-based exploration — Tomba! is one of gaming's most beloved hidden gems and one of the rarest and most expensive PS1 games in the secondary market. A feral boy rescuing pigs from Evil Pigs through connected world exploration that predates the 'Metroidvania' vocabulary.

The portable Mega Man X experience for Game Boy Color, adapting stages from the first two SNES Mega Man X games. Mega Man Xtreme's compact level selection, Zero as an unlockable playable character, and Challenge mode made it the best Mega Man portable experience available before the GBA era.

The most mechanically inventive Wario Land — Wario is completely invulnerable, and enemies transform him into states (zombie, invisible, tiny, flaming) that unlock new paths across the fully revisitable world.

The ActRaiser sequel that removed the city-building simulation to focus on pure action. The wing mechanics, divine magic system, and technically polished platforming make it an excellent action game in isolation — though the loss of the original's unique hybrid design disappointed players expecting ActRaiser's complete formula.

Hudson Soft's 1987 NES platformer — Adventure Island follows Master Higgins across tropical island worlds rescuing Princess Tina, with a stamina meter that depletes as you walk (requiring constant fruit collection to survive), skateboard power-ups, and eight worlds of side-scrolling platformer action. The franchise origin that spawned multiple NES and SNES sequels.

The Genesis Aladdin — animated by the actual Disney animators who worked on the film, featuring fluid hand-drawn sprites, a throwing mechanic, and the Disney quality that made it the definitive console version over the SNES edition.

Capcom's 1993 SNES action-platformer based on the Disney film — the SNES Aladdin is a completely different game from the acclaimed Genesis version, featuring Capcom's precise platformer design with a scimitar sword and apple-throwing combat, six stages following the film's narrative, and Capcom's signature control polish.

Sega's original console mascot before Sonic arrived. Alex Kidd in Miracle World was built into the Sega Master System's ROM and became millions of players' first SMS experience — its janken boss battles, wide-ranging level designs, and power-up motorcycle made it the flagship showcase for Sega's 8-bit hardware.