You’ve likely heard of the Mystery Dungeon series before, but that’s probably because you’ve seen one of the many Pokémon or Final Fantasy spin-offs. Though the spin-offs have taken on a life of their own, they owe their origins to the Shiren the Wanderer games, which stretch back as far as the SNES. Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate stands as the fifth numbered entry in that series, and it originally saw a Japan-only release on the Nintendo DS back in 2010. Five years later, it made its way to the west via an enhanced port for the PlayStation Vita, and now it has received a further enhanced port for the Switch. Though the core gameplay remains as divisive as ever, Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate nonetheless proves to be solidly built roguelike that provides challenge and enjoyment in equal measure.
Shiren the Wanderer 5 (let's call it that from now on, for brevity's sake) maintains a rather basic narrative premise, one that revolves almost entirely around a simple search and rescue mission. The events begin when the titular hero and his talking ferret, Koppa, first come across a mortally sick girl named Oyu who lives in a village at the base of the mysterious Tower of Fate. Her friend, Jirokichi, is unwilling to accept her impending demise, however, so he sets off to attempt to find the Dice of Fate and to climb the tower to reach the God of Destiny at its top.
It’s a dangerous journey to make, and Jirokichi certainly isn’t prepared for it, so Shiren and Koppa decide to go after the boy to try helping him in his quest. Sure, it’s not much of a story, but a game as intensely repetitive and gameplay focused as Shiren the Wanderer 5 wouldn’t be served all too well by lengthy dialogue and cutscene interruptions. What’s here fulfils its role well and doesn’t get in the way of the endless dungeon crawling.
The bulk of your experience will be spent meandering your way through the randomly-generated dungeons, which are all laid out similarly. Though the exact shapes are different every time, each floor of each dungeon is essentially just a series of rectangular rooms connected to each other by hallways. To progress, you have to find the stairs somewhere, but it’s usually a good idea to poke around even if you stumble upon them early. Each floor usually has quite a few useful items to pick up which can help make your run easier, and sometimes you’ll find NPCs that’ll join you or pop up shops to spend some cash at.
Each floor is usually crawling with enemies, too, and this is where the series’ unique turn-based combat comes into play. Time remains frozen as long as Shiren remains still, and every step you take across the grid-based floor moves time forward by one tick. It’s a simple concept to grasp, but you’ll very quickly learn that you need to exploit the edges of this time-gated system if you want to survive. Sometimes it’s best to let an enemy come to you so they can fall into a trap you’ve set up. Sometimes it’s better to run and try to create some distance so you can give yourself more options. You primarily attack by a simple button press, but the real meat of combat comes in through the cavalcade of random items you find along the way.
You can find new weapons and armour to replace your older, weaker versions, but you can also find goodies like magic scrolls that grant you powerful spells. Objects can be thrown, too, so that scroll that randomly teleports you to somewhere else on the floor can also be used to teleport your enemy instead. A lot of items synergize well with each other, and though many of them only seem to have vague and situational uses, we rather liked how Shiren the Wanderer 5 is always subtly prodding you to experiment around with the things you find.
Experimentation is all but required, too, as Shiren the Wanderer 5 is not shy about beating you over the head with its difficulty. It can take quite a while to clear every floor some of these dungeons, and they don’t get any easier as you make your ascent. Sometimes you find yourself in a monster house, where you’re bum-rushed by half a dozen strong foes that block your escape. Sometimes you step on an invisible trap, and suddenly half your health is gone.
It’s expected that you prepare for such contingencies in advance. And if you don’t – whether because of ignorance or overconfidence – death comes for you swiftly, meaning your inventory gets empty and you get booted all the way back to square one. There is a small mercy in the Wanderer Rescue system, which allows other players to come save your bacon via the miracles of online play, but this is hardly something that can always be relied on.
Frankly, this uncompromising difficulty is likely what will make or break Shiren the Wanderer 5 for most people. On one hand, it can be thrilling to know that there are real stakes to every move you make, which gives every decision and combat encounter a real sense of weight. On the other hand, watching thirty minutes of progress go up in smoke because of bad luck is outright discouraging no matter how you slice it. If you’re the sort of player who doesn’t like to take that kind of risk in a game, we’d certainly suggest that you think twice before taking the plunge.
This technically being the third time Shiren the Wanderer 5 has released, Spike Chunsoft saw fit to include some additional content to help make the package a little more appealing. The headlining new feature is the inclusion of three new dungeons which each have unique rulesets to change up the way you play, such as having to clear every floor without using any weapons. Aside from the dungeons, there’s also a new sound check feature which lets you pick the music you can listen to, and there’s also a “Live Display Mode” to help out those of you who want to stream gameplay live on something like Twitch. All of this is to say, there isn’t enough here to justify double-dipping if you’ve already played this release before, but newcomers can rest assured that this is the most content-rich version yet.
Shiren the Wanderer 5 also suffers from the same issue with repetition that plagues all Mystery Dungeon games. Simply put, the actual process of exploring and clearing floors never changes throughout the experience, and it doesn’t take too long for a sense of monotony to set in as you do the same basic tasks. Sure, the enemy variety can change up and the floor layouts are always varied, but it feels like there’s an extra X-factor missing from the core Mystery Dungeon formula that keeps it from becoming truly addictive.
Maybe it’s the lack of overarching character progression. Maybe it’s the lack of puzzles in the dungeons. Maybe it’s the uninteresting layout of the dungeons. Whatever it is, it can be quite easy to grow tired of Shiren the Wanderer 5 in extended play sessions; this is certainly a title that lends itself well to bite-sized handheld sessions.
As for its presentation, Shiren the Wanderer 5 demonstrates a commanding mastery of the 16-bit visual style, making for a title that’s consistently lovely to look at. In many ways, it feels like this is a SNES title that was lost to the ages, and we mean that in the best of ways. Environments and sprites are exquisitely detailed and rife with colour, and while there’s nothing here that truly pushes the boundaries of pixel art, it’s clear that a lot of effort was put into getting all these sprites just right. This is all backed by a chiptune soundtrack that admittedly doesn’t stand out too much, though it does a great job of setting the mood where it needs to.
Conclusion
Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is one of those releases that could really go either way. If you don’t mind repetition and you’re not afraid of some tough difficulty spikes, there’s a lot of depth and content here to keep you busy for quite some time. If those caveats do raise concerns for you, there are a couple of other Mystery Dungeon titles on Switch that may offer a more palatable experience. Wherever you may fall, Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is certainly worth your time, and we’d encourage you to give it a look.
Comments 51
I'm very happy to see more mystery dungeon games, but when you've been releasing the same game for 10 years... that's a bit much. That's almost Skyrim-level of re-releases.
Never heard of this, but more Mystery Dungeon is always good. Might need to check it out
@neufel At least Skyrim doesn't pretend to be a different game every time though
Huh. Didn't even know that mystery dungeon games were spin offs of something.
As far as mystery dungeon games go. This game is the absolute cream of the crop. They don't get better than this. If you have any interest in the genre, give it a shot.
If this game looks even remotely interesting to you, go and pick it up. This Shiren represents the absolute pinnacle of mystery dungeon games, and it hasn't aged one bit since its last release on Vita.
The main story itself can take a sizable amount of time for a newcomer, there's a huge amount of optional tutorials to show you the ropes, items have many different ways of using them, and the difficulty level is appropriately harsh and cruel to encourage learning about the many possibilities you can use to survive long enough to reach the next floor. The post-game dungeons and additional challenges up the play time by a whole lot, and take things way further than the basic run through the story. Basically, if you are the patient type and want to actually feel the satisfaction of outsmarting a game with its own mechanics, Shiren is an incredible pick. It's a wonderful game to get even if you just want a game that's made with love and integrity. It's incredibly unforgiving, but immensely rewarding when you succeed.
And now it's even sold for half the price it was used to be sold a few years ago, something some companies aren't exactly willing to do. So that's another plus for this one in the current market.
Been waiting on this since the Switch came out. Will import the Japanese version, but I can finally retire my PSVita now.
Seems like this series never evolve, still had that same overhead bird's eyes view gameplay since its debut in the Super Famicom/N64 days. Even on Wii U it still remain the same, I'll probably pass on this for now but may reconsider it again if it ever goes for cheap during a sale.
I'll get it eventually but I already have other Mystery Dungeon titles I haven't even started yet.
Anyone know if there's a physical release?
@neufel I think it's a good thing! We gamers complain all the time about video game companies not re-releasing their back catalogue. So I'm very happy that Shiren the Wanderer has gotten the amount of love it has and the number of ports it's received! It's these obscure little one-offs that we should be asking to get ported as these are the games more likely to be forgotten over time.
@eltomo
Limited Run Games announced a month ago that they'll be partnering with Spike Chunsoft to release the game physically in the West.
https://twitter.com/limitedrungames/status/1326239898723098624
It's not clear that's as a Limited Run Games edition release, or simply a distribution release available for sale through their website.
Okay... That Live Display Mode is actually really cool and is a feature that all RPGs should implement.
Finally. A real roguelike. It will sit nicely next to DragonFangZ and Quest of Dungeons.
@Ryu_Niiyama Is it English text in the Japanese release?
i liked the others but this looks like a 3ds game
>Difficulty spikes
>Repetitive gameplay
Sounds good to me considering it's a roguelike.
@Anguspuss
It's actually a 2010 DS game that's been ported forward to multiple systems, the 5th in the Shiren the Wander series.
The DS release did not get released internationally most likely due to poor reception of the fourth entry, also released on the DS.
And then Pokémon Mystery Dungeon kicked off.
This game and series is absolutely bar-none the best actual roguelike for consoles. Not just having roguelike elements, this is a roguelike!
@Quarth No clue. I hadn’t bothered to check honestly. I will be playing in Japanese.
I think limited run is doing a western edition.
I don't dispute the rating or the review, this game isn't for everybody but just want to say that if you're a "certain type" you will love this game. If you like old school roguelikes, like nethack, angband, dungeon craw stone soup, etc, you already know about this game probably, but there's a really good podcast episode about a previous game that has a lot that applies to this game: http://www.roguelikeradio.com/2011/11/episode-13-mystery-dungeon-2-shiren_23.html
I was waiting for a review of this game and this will do for me nicely
@Ryu_Niiyama LRG takes a long time, so was thinking that the Japanese release might be a better (and maybe cheaper) option. Will check Play-Asia.
Edit: Seems there is:
https://www.play-asia.com/shiren-the-wanderer-the-tower-of-fortune-and-the-dice-of-fate-mu/13/70del1
@Quarth
LRG should be cheaper if you live in the US, but for Europe it's not especially cheap and it may not be exclusive to them either.
https://www.play-asia.com/shiren-the-wanderer-the-tower-of-fortune-and-the-dice-of-fate-mu/13/70del1
Play-asia ship from Hong Kong so you're likely have to deal with expensive shipping charges.
There is also always the chance it could get an EU physical release in some form, though it doesn't seem likely, they are sometimes announced later than US or JP region releases because distribution has to be arranged with different publishers in different territories.
This is the one I've been waiting for. As close to Nethack as we're likely to get on the Switch. A definite buy, but I'll wait for physical.
Interesting. This reminds me of my days playing Azure Dreams on the Game Boy Color (never got to play the PSX version). It was a slog, but I enjoyed that game to no end back then.
@boatie PREACH BROTHER!!!!
This is actually a really quite good game. Still think the best true traditional roguelike is Tales of Maj’Eyal though, anyone with even a potato PC should check that out.
@RupeeClock Yeah, European here, so it will be expensive either way. But some Swedish online retailers sometimes import both LRG and Asian titles, so I might just play the waiting game instead. It's not like I don't have any games to play, lol. I'm expecting my physical copies of both Ori games to arrive today, for example.
@calbeau Ahhh Azure Dreams. Now there is a Day 1 buy for me if it ever gets rereleased on Switch.
I love mystery dungeon games, repetitive and hard and all that. Currently playing Pokemon Rescue Team DX.
I will get this one for sure
I'm sure this game will be fun on its own, but I already have Touhou Genso Wanderer Reloaded, which is good enough for my Mystery Dungeon needs.
I bought it on Vita. Tried it, didn't like it. Two years later gave it another go. Brilliant game. It's like Lord of the Rings. Get past a dull beginning and it pulls you in.
@Tuulenpoika I have it on the Vita. I adore this game. So f*cking rewarding.
I'll be more happier when I get my JPN version and load and play it after getting to all my backlogs.
@boatie "You should have skipped that one and got this..."
And why is that, if I may ask?
...and, no answer.
The first Mystery Dungeon game was Torneko's Great Adventure, a spin-off of the Dragon Quest series. The second game was Shiren the Wanderer. Mystery Dungeon is a series of Rogue-likes which are more user-friendly - and more fun, for that matter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_Dungeon#Games
@TheWingedAvenger I would dispute the "more fun" part. Full on roguelikes are more obtuse, but usually have a lot of things to discover within them. I love ADOM and Swords of the Stars: The Pit, while Mystery Dungeon games quickly bore me.
Might get it for the Wanderer rescue. In the 50/60hrs I have played on the Vita I have seen no sign of anther player online.
@Daniel36 I'd like this as well, but alas, Konami seems to be content with loaning its IP's out to pachinko companies and driving away its great minds nowadays.
@PhilKenSebben I’m buying this right now, I’ve been on the fence but if you’re vouching I’m in.🙌🏻
@GhostGeneration It's a fantastic og roguelike. It, Tangledeep, and Alchemic Dungeons DX are the best on the system.
@PhilKenSebben I’ve had a hard time getting into these before but this one has had me intrigued for a while now, we’ll see if it sticks!
Well, good luck friend! I'd suggest Alchemic for a cheap, ease into the genre tho. Shiren is fantastic, not exactly a newbie deal.
@PhilKenSebben I’m doing the training house right now and I dig it, it’s more fluid than some of the others and it’s gorgeous. Plus, I like to dive into the real *****- trial by fire!
@GhostGeneration if you really get into it, hmu. I'm a dictionary of og and modern rogues.
@PhilKenSebben Absolutely! I’m pretty well-versed in the modern stuff but I’ve avoided the OG ones for some reason. I just completed the first dungeon and I think I’m really gonna like this.
@PhilKenSebben Whoa man- sooooo I’m completely hooked! I fear for all other games in my backlog cause I think I’m stuck in here for a WHILE.
@GhostGeneration Been stuck in this genre since the 90s. Welcome.
@PhilKenSebben Kicks you on the pants when you lose a run, but the getting a little better every time rules.
They're my comfort food. They can be quick or long played. Always different, but familiar, hard as balls, but so rewarding when you finally get a good run. Man, I love rogues so much.
Tap here to load 51 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...