Basic Shantae Any% Guide

Shantae Basic Any% Route (Xsczo's Version)

Note: This is merely a barebones guide which describes the basic path for Shantae Any%. It does not provide details on specific strats or on labyrinths.

1. Get to Risky I; defeat Risky I, phase 1.

2a. !! Optional Risky strat !! - At start of phase 2, fall into water 4 times or until lives counter reaches 0

2. Defeat Risky I, phase 2.

3a. If health is not full or nearly full, refill at bath house - especially if step 2a was used.

3.Leave Scuttle Town and go east/right till you reach a save in Spider Forest (first forest). Save.

4. Continue to Water Town. Talk to Bolo (right of town gate). Leave town. DO NOT ENTER SAVE HOUSE!

5. Game over warp to Spider Forest save. Go right to Dribble Fountain entrance.

6. Go through Dribble Fountain, collecting four warp squids and at least 60 gems.

7. Go west through Naga Wasteland. Using ladder near western end, perform invuln glitch. Do not pick up hearts.

8. Continue through cave and (west) to oasis town. Go right to:
    - Warp Squid Hut; give warp squids, get oasis town warp dance
    - Item Shop; Buy 3 Exit Candies
    - Sky's Hatchery
   DO NOT ENTER SAVE HOUSE!

9. Go east back to cave, up to Naga Wasteland, then continue west to Golem Mine.

10. Go through Golem Mine to elephant, collecting 20 gems (from a large pot not far from the entrance) along the way. (If lives count is 0, get an extra life). Use Exit Candy.

11. Go through Golem Mine to boss. Before stalactites are knocked down, jump into lava to disable invuln glitch and repeat if necessary till lives counter is 0. Proceed to and defeat boss.

12. Kill yourself on cactus left of Golem Mine to game over warp to Spider Forest.

13. Go east to Zombie Caravan (which only appears at night, and will be between Ghost and Archer Forests).

13a. !! OPTONAL !! Save in Zombie Wasteland (near Cackle Mound) for a convenient safety save/game over warp combo.

13b. If it is day, and step 13a was used, fall down hole in archer forest till lives counter is 0 while waiting for night. Reduce health to 1/2 heart using swaglogs in Ghost Forest. If it is night, and lives counter is not 0, ignore this step. Else see step 14, then game over warp using swaglog or Archer Forest hole - whichever is faster.

14. Visit Zombie Caravan. Go:
     - Left to Rotty's Wagon (Keep Out!!); win race
     - Right to Item Shop; buy 2 fballs (fireballs)
    If step 13a was used, do not visit Save Wagon (though unlike before, doing this is not quite a run ender)

15. Go west to Cackle Mound, game over warping via swaglog if applicable (i.e. steps 13a and 13b were followed)

16. Go through Cackle Mound till first key. Use exit candy.

17. Go through Cackle Mound till spider. Either:
     A - Use exit candy and get key from room somewhere above first key's room
     B - Get key from a nearby (not next) room to the right of the previous room. Use exit candy.
    Proceed to and defeat boss.

18. Warp to Oasis town. Go west through Mud Bog and Eagle Wasteland to Bandit Town in lower left corner of Eagle Wasteland. RESIST URGE TO VISIT SKY; SHE WILL GIVE YOU BAD DIRECTIONS!

19. Enter Bandit Town. Go right to Rusty Gullet, talk to the "guardian genie".

20. Go back to Eagle Wasteland; exit through top left. Continue (west) to Twinkle Palace. DO NOT FALL DOWN WESTERN SLOPE, ESPECIALLY IF LIVES COUNT IS 0! IF YOU DO FALL, DO NOT SAVE! DEATH WARP BACK TO EASTERN ENTRANCE OR TWINKLE PALACE ENTRANCE IF APPLICABLE.

21. Go through Twinkle Palace to harpy. Get key from a nearby room to the right, then go OoB from previous room to fly to room before boss. !! GAME CRASH AND POSSIBLE SAVE DATA LOSS WARNING !! FOLLOW THE WALLS! DO NOT GET LOST! DO NOT FLY TOO HIGH, FAR, OR FALL TOO LOW! DO NOT TOUCH GARBAGE/MEMORY TILES! Proceed to and defeat boss.

23. Warp to Oasis Town. Go right to Ladies' Desert and fly up+right to Spy Scope.

24. Go through Tinkerbat factory to Risky.

25. Destroy Tinkertank, using fireballs to speed up the process.

26. Defeat Risky II using remaining fireballs.

27. Escape erupting volcano; hug right wall.

28. Win the game! \o/ Timer stops when "escaped" jingle ends.