Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer

Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer

Developer(s) Chunsoft (SNES & DS)
Aquamarine (Game Boy)
Publisher(s) ChunSoft (SNES & Game Boy)
Sega (DS)
Composer(s) Koichi Sugiyama
Hayato Matsuo
Platform(s) Super Famicom, Game Boy, Nintendo DS, Virtual Console
Release date(s) SNES
  • JP December 1, 1995
Game Boy
  • JP November 22, 1996
Nintendo DS
  • JP December 14, 2006
  • NA March 4, 2008
  • AUS March 20, 2008
  • EU March 20, 2008
Genre(s) Roguelike

Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer (不思議のダンジョン２　風来のシレン Fushigi no Dungeon 2: Fūrai no Shiren) is a graphical roguelike by Chunsoft. It is the second videogame in the Mystery Dungeon series, and the first game in the series to feature all original characters. It was originally released for the Super Famicom in 1995, and has subsequently been ported to the Game Boy and Nintendo DS.

In September 2007 Sega announced that they would release the DS version in North America.[1] It was then released March 4, 2008.

Although "Shiren" is the name of the primary character, the Japanese title is a pun; while "Shiren the Wanderer" is the official English title for the game, "風来のシレン" can also translate as "The Wanderer's Ordeals".[2]

Gameplay

As in other roguelikes, the player moves in a turn-based manner through a number of dungeons. While most roguelikes generate dungeons completely randomly, Shiren the Wanderer randomly chooses from a set of static dungeons. Although the player can save the game in various locations, dying resets Shiren's level to 1, sends him back to the first town, and all items not saved in warehouses are lost. The game's dungeons include a variety of settings, like caves and forests, and are randomly filled with monsters, traps, and items.

In the DS version, if Shiren falls, a rescue request can be made through wireless networks or passwords. Another player can then go to the same area that the first player fell at and revive them. The rescuer receives a random item and, once revived, the rescued player can send a "thank-you letter" that may include a reward from the rescued player's own inventory for the rescuer. Once rescued, Shiren will still have his levels and items, and the floor will be clear of enemies, although others will appear as normal as he journeys. Shiren can be rescued up to three times; if he falls a fourth time, he will be reset as usual.

Plot

The game takes place in a fantasy version of feudal Japan, and stars a rōnin named Shiren and his companion, a talking weasel named Koppa, on a quest for the Land of the Golden Condor. Eventually he finds the abandoned land, frees the condor from an ancient insect-like creature, and rides away on the condor. As it flies across the towns he had traveled through on his way there, the townspeople look up at the condor and make a wish. Eventually the condor lands, and lets Shiren and Koppa jump off; the condor flies away again, and Shiren and Koppa walk away into the night.

Sequels

In 2000, a direct sequel Fushigi no Dungeon: Fūrai no Shiren 2: Oni Shūrai! Shiren-jō! (不思議のダンジョン　風来のシレン2 鬼襲来シレン城! lit. "(Shiren the Wanderer) 2: Oni Invasion! Shiren Castle!"), was released in Japan for the Nintendo 64.

In 2001, a sequel to the Game Boy port of this game was released in Japan as Fushigi no Dungeon: Fūrai no Shiren GB2: Sabaku no Majou (不思議のダンジョン　風来のシレンGB2 砂漠の魔城 lit. "(Shiren the Wanderer) GB2: Evil Castle of the Desert") for the Game Boy Color and was ported to the Nintendo DS in 2008 as Fūrai no Shiren DS2 in Japan.

In 2002, a spinoff was released in Japan for the Dreamcast and Windows called Fushigi no Dungeon: Furai no Shiren Gaiden "Onna Kenshi Asuka Kenzan!" (不思議のダンジョン　風来のシレン外伝　女剣士アスカ見参! lit. "(Shiren the Wanderer) Gaiden: Swordswoman Asuka Arrives").

In 2008, Shiren 3 was released in Japan for Wii which would later be released in the US (the first and only of the sequels to be released outside of Japan thus far) and ported to the PlayStation Portable in Japan.

In 2010, two sequels were released for the DS in Japan: Fushigi no Dungeon: Fuurai no Shiren 4 - Kami no Hitomi to Akuma no Heso (不思議のダンジョン　風来のシレン4 神の眼と悪魔のヘソ lit. "(Shiren the Wanderer) 4: The Eye of God and the Devil's Navel") (which was ported to the PSP) and 15th anniversary title Fushigi no Dungeon: Fuurai no Shiren 5 - Fortune Tower to Unmei no Dice (不思議のダンジョン　風来のシレン5 フォーチュンタワーと運命のダイス lit. "(Shiren the Wanderer) 5: Fortune Tower and the Dice of Fate").

In addition, a 2004 spinoff soccer game was released for the Game Boy Advance in Japan called Shiren Monsters: Netsal which featured monsters from the series as playable characters.

Audio

Fushigi no Dungeon 2 Fūrai no Shiren Special Arrange Version (不思議のダンジョン2 - 風来のシレン スペシャル・アレンジ・バージョン) is an arranged soundtrack composed by Koichi Sugiyama and Hayato Matsuo. It was released on December 20, 1995 by Kitty Records.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Shiren Wanders Into America from IGN
  2. ↑ "Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer for Nintendo DS (2006)". MobyGames. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
  3. ↑ http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/mysterydungeon2/index.html

External links