Ok, this game is probably not for your average 3 year old as it requires some patience getting into and some cool turn-based lateral thinking. It plays unlike anything else on the DS, which is very refreshing. I think the Gamespot review (Austin Shau) didn't do the game any justice and am genuinely thankful I read Jeremy Parish's 1up review and decided to give it a try. Fact is, everyone goes on about how brutally hard this game is but I don't think it is. You just have to understand the genre of rogue-likes. Be prepared to die. A lot. (Check out GameFaqs or the gamer's quarter forum if you get stuck.)
The graphics are old school but cute, the music is oriental and very atmospheric (use head phones!) and the gameplay is just fantastic and terribly dramatic. Believe me, this game can get very intense! This game is a massive hit in Japan / got excellent reviews, which is why a Wii version of Shiren is in the making. However, due to lacklustre reviews in the West, most japanese games never get localized :(
If you're bored with most games available on DS then check out Mysterious Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer. I've never had more fun with my DS! Four weeks ago I didn't even know what a Rogue-like game was and now I'm totally hooked and learn Japanese to be ready for Shiren Wii.
Other Helpful Reviews for Fushigi no Dungeon: Fuurai no Shiren DS
Unlike games such as Izuna and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Shiren the Wanderer is challenging. Not only is it challenging, but it's damn fun, full of memorable characters, has great replay value, beautiful graphics, and an... Read Full Review
Back oh-so-long-ago, there was the CRT with green or amber text. And lo, there was a game called Rogue. A humble @, traversing ASCII dungeons, slaughtering an army of alphabetics. And it was good, but hard. Rogue b... Read Full Review
