The Video Game Franchise Begging To Become Its Own Series
Now that we have finally started seeing some good video game adaptations, like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, there has been a lot of talk about which game should get the treatment next. For me, the game series I think could do well on screen is an indie game about a belly-dancing half-genie with purple hair: the Shantae series!
While I can understand why the most well-known franchises pop into people’s minds first, I think some people focus too much on that immediate recognition rather than thinking about which franchise would really lend itself best to a long-form story. The Shantae series works for the latter.
The Shantae Video Game Series
The Shantae series would be a great video game franchise to be turned into a cartoon series for something like Netflix. It focuses on the titular Shantae who uses her long hair like a whip and makes use of her love of belly dancing to transform into different animals. She uses these different abilities to explore a fantasy world themed after the typical Arabian desert but also with some zombies, pirates, and steampunk vibes thrown in.
A True Hidden Gem
If you have not already played any games in the Shantae series, do yourself a favor and give them a shot! The franchise is absolutely a hidden gem that feels like a Super Nintendo-era Castlevania game.
As the games have progressed, Shantae and her friends’ characterization and humor have only gotten more witty and subversive. The addition of voice-overs and animated cut scenes has only made it clearer how well the franchise would work as a cartoon series.
Many Storylines To Adapt
There are already plenty of storylines from the Shantae series to adapt to a show as well. There is her ongoing rivalry with her nemesis/frenemy the pirate Risky Boots. There is Shantae’s search for more information about what her parents were like.
There is when Shantae loses her genie powers in The Pirate’s Curse and has to become a pirate herself. Most recently, Shantae has to defeat the seven sirens to save her fellow belly dancing genies.
Popular And Has Numerous Crossovers
If you think the Shantae series is not popular enough to garner an audience, you might be underestimating it.
Shantae has already had numerous crossovers with other games, including Super Smash Bros. I think it would be fair to say that Shantae is probably one of the most recognizable mascots for the indie game genre and would have many fans eager to watch a show focusing on her.
A More Realistic Adaptation
Honestly, I think the reason many video game adaptations fail is that they try to convert stories that are too embedded in video game mechanics over to a more realistic style.
I know many people want an adaptation of things like Bioshock, but beyond the cool aesthetic, that game is as cartoonish as any Mario game thanks to the main character being able to shoot fireballs, electricity, and use telekinesis.
A realistic adaptation of that wouldn’t look right. Whereas with the Shantae series, it just naturally lends itself to a cartoon.
Shantae Probably A Longshot
I know the Shantae series getting picked up for a show is a longshot over more gritty action games that will want to capitalize on the success of the adaptation of The Last of Us.
But I think a Shantae cartoon would be the perfect antidote to an oversaturated market. There are no other major video games franchises starting a cartoon right now, so what better time to try something new? This is the perfect chance to show viewers what they have been missing with the belly dancing genie Shantae.
