Lost Game Boy Advance Physical Game Is Available to Pre-Order Now

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is making a comeback on the Game Boy Advance, complete with a limited physical release with a cartridge that is compatible with the original GBA system. Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution was originally announced in November during the Nintendo Indie World showcase, which was a big surprise for fans of Wayforward.

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution was originally slated to release on the Game Boy Advance handheld console and would have been the first sequel to the original Game Boy game. In Risky Revolution, the half-genie heroine is once again on an adventure to protect her friends and family. She uses all manner of magic to transform into various forms, such as a monkey, an elephant, and a spider. While Wayforward shelved the project, and it was left incomplete, the studio is bringing it back on not only the Nintendo Switch, but also the original hardware it was targeting.

Wayforward is teaming up with Limited Run games, a distributor specializing in physical gaming collections, in releasing a Game Boy Advance cartridge version of Risky Revolution that works with Nintendo’s original handheld system. Pre-orders are open on Limited Run Games’s website, with Limited Run accepting orders for Risky Revolution from February 23 to April 7, 2024. There are two editions of Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution available for pre-order; a normal boxed version and a Collector’s Edition.

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution – GBA Pre-Order Trailer

The normal edition is a retro recreation of a gaming instruction manual and GBA box that is a blast from the past for retro gamers. The Collector’s Edition of Risky Revolution has a foil box with a slip cover, a reversible poster, collectible coin, soundtrack CD, and pin. The cartridges themselves are also dependent on the version pre-ordered, with the normal edition having a transparent purple cartridge while the Collector’s Edition is gold. Either of these editions may elicit nostalgia from ardent Game Boy Advance fans.

What’s Available in Each Physical Version of Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution?

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution Normal Edition

• Physical box and instruction manual
• Playable Cartridge (Purple)

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution Collector’s Edition

• Physical box and instruction manual
• Playable cartridge (Gold)
• Embossed Foil Game Box with Gold Cartridge
• Deluxe Foil Box with Foil Slipcover
• Original Soundtrack CD
• Shiny Gold Cartridge with Magnetic Acrylic Display Frame
• Collectible Coin
• 12″ x 16″ Reversible Poster
• Spinning Enamel Pin

This physical version of Risky Revolution will even take advantage of the Game Boy Advance link cable for its multiplayer mode, where players can connect and play with each other locally. In Risky Revolution‘s case, it will feature a 4-player battle mode, where players can duke it out against their friends using characters like Shantae herself, Rottytops, and the villainous Risky Boots. Players will only need one game to play the multiplayer mode, so fans will only need to worry about buying one copy from Limited Run if they wish to take advantage of this feature. With its charming pixel art and retro design, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution might be the nostalgia-inducing game that fans should keep an eye on.

Shantae

Shantae is a series of platform video games developed by WayForward, starring the eponymous half-genie heroine, Shantae. The games feature unique transformation, dance, and hair-whip mechanics and are considered by many to be cult classics. Originally released for the Game Boy Color, several remasters are now available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5.