Gameplay is grid-like and highly strategic. You have the illusion of walking around freely, but in effect each step you take and each action you make constitutes one turn. Baddies and townspeople will only move when you move, meaning you can take as long as you need to think out your strategy for each situation you find yourself in- you are never rushed, and you play at your own pace. You may be put off by the prospect of the randomly generated dungeon floors, but when you get into the adventure, it’s this very feature that keeps things fresh. No two play-throughs are the same, meaning you never get settled into a gameplay rhythm and you always have to think out your approach to clearing each floor as its never the same as last time.

Graphically, Shiren the Wanderer is nothing special if you are expecting modern day visuals. However the graphics are charming and do the job adequately, harking back to the 16-bit days of gaming. Locations are all varied, with towns, forests, cliff sides and caves helping to differentiate between each section of the journey. Where Shiren the Wanderer is found lacking is in the special effects department. When you use items and staves, there is a small animation but no flamboyant effects that we are accustomed to in other RPGs. On the other hand this doesn’t hurt the gameplay, and means the action isn’t broken up as you wait for Shiren to swing a stave or read a scroll. The dual screens of the DS are put to good use, giving you the option to customise what each screen displays- using one screen for displaying gameplay and the other for the map is the set up of choice.

The music is by Koichi Sugiyama and whilst some would argue that the music is a weak point in Shiren the Wanderer, they are wrong because when you listen to it and get into the game, everything blends together seamlessly. The music isn’t in your face or overpowering but it complements the eastern themed atmosphere of Shiren’s adventure perfectly and so it’s difficult to criticise it.

An unexpected aspect to Shiren the Wanderer is that it encourages players to join together and help each other out. On a play through, you are allowed to be revived three times, and all kinds of options are available so as to give you the best opportunity possible of being rescued. You can send or receive your rescue request via local DS communication, via Nintendo WFC where friends or random adventurers can rescue you and failing that, you can have a password generated that you can give to others so they can come and revive you. This community aspect is greatly encouraged, and makes you realise you are not alone in the quest to reach the Golden Condor.

All in all, do not allow yourself to be put off by Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderers harsh exterior. You are going to die, so accept it and open yourself to this alternative style of play because when you get into it, Shiren provides one of the best experiences available on DS. There are workarounds to the setback of losing all your items upon dying- you can store your gear at various warehouses along the way meaning you can leave things to pick up on subsequent play-throughs. There is a lot more to this adventure than the main dungeon that will lead you to the Golden Condor. After completing the main quest you will open up new dungeons to test yourself in. As well as this there are side quests to get involved in, sidekicks to befriend and recruit and if you so decide you can take the time to upgrade your weapon and shield- but don’t get too attached, because its certain you will die and lose them sooner or later.

There is a lot to sink your teeth into with Shiren the Wanderer, so cast off your doubts and preconceptions about how RPGs are supposed to work and embrace Shiren, the roguelike Wanderer with an open mind.

The meat and bones of Shiren certainly does sound like a pretty acquired taste… and that very much is the case. If you don’t like “hardcore” games that see you dying and starting from the drawing board several times a play-through, you’d be forgiven for being rather put off by Shiren. But if you’re willing to have an open mind, and are interested in knowing what it’s like to be challenged by a video game, you won’t find a better tool to test you. It’s going to make you angry at the world, but Mystery Dungeon games have never been interested in holding your hand, and the beast gets its kicks from baffling you by radically changing the over-world every time you perish. That’s not to say the world of Shiren never feels familiar. You’ll find yourself stumbling across friendly NPCs time after time, who acknowledge you as a warrior, and always remember you. It’s this sort of design choice that makes Shiren feel constantly new, without totally changing things every hour.

On a personal note, I must highly recommend Shiren to these snobbish gamers who consider themselves “hardcore”. After playing this extensively, I think it’s safe to say that no-one can consider themselves to be anything but mere mortals until they’ve mastered Chunsoft’s 1995 epic. It may be a 13 year old relic, but in this day of 7-hour shooter-fests, it’s the freshest game I’ve played all year.