Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer

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Mystery Dungeon Shiren the Wanderer has been around since the Super Nintendo days. Of course, like many Mystery Dungeon titles, it never saw the light of day here, which is a shame because it's such a nice little game. But thanks to the fine group at Sega, we now have the opportunity to play Mystery Dungeon Shiren the Wanderer anywhere on the best handheld ever. But be warned though because this game will not only break you, but it will also inspire you to keep playing until you beat that challenging dungeon. And believe me, this game is CHALLENGING.

Shiren the Wanderer is part of a series in Japan called Mystery Dungeon made by Chunsoft. The series is based on an old computer game called Rogue, though the games are still called dungeon crawlers or action RPGs. There have been several Mystery Dungeon games released, with Pokemon Mystery Dungeon being a notable one to mention since it too was made by Chunsoft. The objective in a Mystery Dungeon game is to go through various randomized dungeons and defeat monsters while gaining a lot of items and money. The catch: the games can be very VERY hard to some gamers expecting a regular RPG.

As I said up above, the gameplay in Shiren the Wanderer is very VERY challenging. You are not going to get a handout in Shiren nor are you going to be pacified in the game. If you die, you lose EVERYTHING you have on you including your money and you're reduced back to level one. The thing about Shiren the Wanderer's battle system is that it is semi turn-based and semi real-time. Every action you do in the dungeons equates a turn. If you use a basic attack, it's considered a turn. If you use an item, it's considered a turn. The same goes for monsters and non playable characters(NPCs) in the dungeons. To some, this may seem awkward, but you'll get used to it. It adds in a lot of opportunities for strategies and tactical planning. The main part in this game is the difficulty. Shiren the Wanderer is not an easy game. Anytime you die in a dungeon, you are booted out and sent back to the first town at level one with all of your items and gitan(currency in the game) gone. It will be frustrating a first, but the more times you die, the more you began to learn about the enemies' attack patterns and their various weakness. Before long, the same dungeon that gave you hell in the first round will become child's play. Shiren's gameplay may be brutal, but it can be conquered with a little strategy and planning. The game gives you a bonus tutorial dungeon in the beginning of the game, which will allow you to gather enough items and such to get started on your difficult quest. So in part, dying is not as terrible as you think in the game especially if you learn from your mistakes.

Shiren's gameplay takes place in randomized dungeons. Yes, every time you go into a dungeon, it will change its appearance meaning no one will have the same experience. The enemies you find will still be the same. Some range from archers that tend to pelt you with arrows from a distance to that annoying pickpocket monster that tends to steal most of your gitan and teleports away with it. Not only do you have the wide variety of monsters on hand, but they too can level up and evolve increasing the difficulty of the game. And speaking of monsters, you see a nice room filled with lots of treasure and cash. This can lead to the insidious monster house where monsters of various levels pop out and attack you. And no Mystery Dungeon game is complete without dungeon traps. Some traps can be deadly, but then again, some can be very helpful. There's a good amount of depth to Shiren the Wander for it to be a Mystery Dungeon game an all.

The game does utilize a rescue feature. If you have been defeated in a dungeon and require rescuing, the game allows you to send an SOS via Nintendo Wifi Connection or through long, tedious passwords. It's a nice feature to have because you never know when you'll have an item and you are about to lose it because you have just been defeated. Thanks to the SOS, you can send for help. Sometimes you can get rare items via this method.

The gameplay may seem steep, but it can be very rewarding.

The sound isn't that bad in the game. The songs have a distinct Japanese feel to them, but it totally fits the mood. Some of the songs can be a little catchy though, such as the action themed monster house tune. All in all, you won't find anything epic like in Dragon Quest, but then again, the sound is not a big turn off. There's a few sound effects in the game such as when you strike a monster or when you're fighting a boss.

The graphics, while weak compared to some DS games, are actually pretty great. They retain the Super Nintendo old school graphics that are common for old school role playing games, and this game isn't any different. Each area has its own little graphical touch up that makes it unique. Some of the dungeons are bland looking though, but they aren't that bad. Sometimes you'll get woody areas with lots of greenish for trees and suck up to rocky like setting that depict mountains. There's some variety to be found, and some nice detailed areas for Shiren the Wanderer.

Replayability. Lets face it, you WILL die a lot in this game. It's inevitable. So you aren't going to finish Shiren the Wanderer in a few hours. I'd say the main game can last a player for at least 15-20 hours(not including the numerous times you'll die), but the games does hold some bonus dungeons and a nice training dungeon in the first town.

Overall, I think you should "buy" this game and enjoy it for what it is. Yes, you will be broken and beaten in this game, but you will learn how to overcome the challenge that is Shiren the Wanderer.

+Very engaging gameplay
+Steep challenge
+Nice depth

-Can be very frustrating later on
-Lack of a decent save function

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/14/08, Updated 12/17/08

Game Release: Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer (US, 03/04/08)