Apple Arcade: 10 great games you need to play right now

Shantae and the Seven Sirens

Developed by Wayforward

Shantae is weird platforming royalty. Having her first game back in 2002, she’s gone on to have platformers for almost every system since. At the same time, it’s perfectly understandable if you do not know who this character is. Shantae is a belly-dancing half-genie in a world where more than half of the characters are barely dressed women who are somehow magically devoid of spinal issues despite ridiculous breast sizes.

When you get past the ridiculous body proportions, however, what you’re left with is a fantastic platforming game.

Beyond using her hair as a whip, Shantae also has the ability to change into animals with different abilities, like a newt that can climb walls and dash and a crustacean that can use its shell as a drill to dig through sand.

You don’t start off with any transformations however. You unlock them slowly over time as you face off against the various sirens and these abilities help you dig deeper into the massive Metroidvania style world.