The Nohara family returns for another summer adventure. While Shin Nohara’s previous outing, Shin-chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation – The Endless Seven-Day Journey, fell short of expectations, the hope is that a sequel could expand and improve upon the formula.
Tank controls are gone which have been a staple for the Boku no Natsuyasumi games. While this may disappoint some fans, the developers have opted for a more streamlined approach, mapping directional buttons to quick menus for easier access. Although the core gameplay remains unchanged, many subtle adjustments enhance the overall experience and a new focus on racing.
With Asso far behind in the rearview mirror, Shin’s next summer vacation is set in the Akita prefecture in a farm town called Unbent Village. When Shin’s dog Shiro shows up covered in soot, Shin follows him to an enigmatic train engine that transports the duo to another town in another world called Coal Town. What kind of strange characters inhabit this mining town? How did Shiro end up in this strange place and what’s with these rocket trollies? Find out in our Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town review!
Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town
Developer: h.a.n.d. Inc., Millenium Kitchen
Publisher: Neos Corporation
Platforms: Windows PC, Nintendo Switch (reviewed)
Release Date: October 24, 2024
Price: $39.99
Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is set amid Shinosuke Nohara’s summer break with his family. Akita is the area where Shin’s dad, Hiro, grew up, and in no time at all, Gin, Shin’s granddad shows up to take him under his wing. Shin is outfitted with a fishing rod, and bug net, and wastes no time in hitting on the cute but eccentric entomologist.
After catching a few bugs and fish and getting to know the local hippie, Shiro, Shin’s dog leads him to a mysterious mining town. Coal Town seemingly exists on another plane because whenever Shin exits, he wakes up as if it was all a dream. Despite the vagueness of Coal Town, Shin keeps everything he picks up while visiting.
The story picks up much faster than it ever did in The Endless Seven-Day Journey. Shin ends up in Coal Time quickly and meets a few of the central characters. The hottie scientist is an inventor and the plucky five-year-old is instantly smitten and simps for her by running around, completing odd jobs, picking up every single piece of junk he finds between two worlds, and serving miners their food orders.
The game world is divided into two distinct regions, Coal Town and Akita, each with its own unique visual style and gameplay mechanics. In Akita, players can engage in traditional vacation activities within a scenic landscape. Coal Town, on the other hand, offers a more task-oriented experience, involving activities such as scavenging parts, delivering food, and building and racing a rocket trolley. To progress through the story, players must complete objectives in both towns.
The artistic direction of Coal Town deviates significantly from the conventional realism seen in Akita. The distorted and asymmetrical structures create a surreal and otherworldly atmosphere, suggesting that Shin is in an unfamiliar and perhaps fantastical realm. This whimsical and stylized aesthetic contrasts sharply with the cooler color palette of Akita, further emphasizing the uniqueness of Coal Town.
Akita has background art you might see used in actual episodes of Crayon Shin-chan. Coal Town is a bustling industrial town that looks like something out of The Triplets of Bellville, relying on warm hues and smokey ambiance. New flourishes are panning shots that track Shin as players move him through the environments, making the scenes have more depth and feel more dimensional.
The core experience of Shiro and the Coal Town can feel a bit repetitive at times. The main activity is scrounging junk and fulfilling objectives to earn materials for the inventor to move the story forward and further expand the overworld’s areas. How players go about acquiring the materials is completely up to them since there are many ways to go about it.
While it does feel less lonely this time around since Shiro is almost always by Shin’s side and can also sniff out some materials, which can help make the grind a little less tiresome. The time of day becomes a pointless mechanic since there is no deadline and is included out of obligation.
The time changes help make the atmosphere have some variety, but having time progress only when passing between prerendered backdrops does not work as intended. Whenever it’s dinner time, expect Misae, Hiro, or Gin to show up and whisk Shin back to the house, interrupting whatever it is he is working toward. Night activity is limited since Shin can’t visit Coal Time at night and won’t be able to stray far away from the homestead.
In terms of gameplay, the trolly races emerge as the most efficient means of acquiring materials. Contrary to expectations, these races are surprisingly well-developed and constitute a central element of the game. This departure from the typically laid-back nature of the Boku no Natsuyasumi series adds a layer of excitement and intensity to the gameplay. These races are a big deal in the game and expect them to play a large role in earning components for the inventor.
The game’s progression will be significantly influenced by competitive racing. Given Shiro and the Coal Town‘s focus on grinding and keeping pace with other players, victories in races will be paramount. To enhance performance and maintain competitiveness, players will need to upgrade the trolley and equip it with various items, introducing a semi-RPG element to the game’s arms race for trolly supremacy.
Compared to its predecessor, Shiro and the Coal Town is a more immersive and goal-oriented experience. The emphasis on item collection offers a deeper level of engagement and fewer moments of aimlessness. With clear objectives and a sense of direction, players can anticipate a more purposeful and rewarding gameplay experience. It can be a little tedious, but it is satisfying to make progress and to see the story unfold.
Like its predecessor, Shiro and the Coal Town rely on cel-shaded 3D models on the aforementioned illustrated 2D backdrops. The characters are designed in Yoshito Usui’s signature style that defies conventional anime/manga styles. Shin-chan has always resembled something out of a comic strip with its unusual and abstract designs and this game fully embraces it.
Some aspects of the character designs were never intended to be seen in 3D and the models in this game strictly adhere to the rules seen in the 2D art. Shin’s head is drawn in a very specific way and is never seen from certain angles no matter where the camera is positioned and the graphics slavishly follow these parameters. The effect is impressive and makes Shiro and the Coal Town faithfully resemble its source material.
Many of the same writing issues that affected The Endless Seven-Day Journey persist. Shiro and the Coal Town‘s translation is very flat and dry. American fans of Shin-Chan will be disappointed by the droll humor that rarely amounts to anything more complex than some lame wordplay or puns.
This game leans more toward being a Boku no Natsuyasumi game than giving players a real Shin-Chan experience. This is fine if you want a very laid-back and nostalgic atmospheric game that captures the feel of childhood innocence, but fans of Shin-Chan will be put off by the lack of humor, sight gags, or mockery of Misae’s butt and rack.
Shin’s parents are usually the source of some of the funniest moments in the manga and anime. They are barely featured at all in this game. The same can be said about Gin the Grandpa who is usually a crass letch, and it feels so weird to see an E-rated version of this character.
Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is an acquired taste. This game will please the Boku no Yasuyasumi fans waiting for another unofficial entry to come to the West but with trolly races. Crayon Shin-Chan fans will be once again perplexed by the depictions of the characters in this very G-rated interpretation of the cast. Imagine The Simpsons was reinterpreted as a Nick Jr. cartoon.
The pacing is drawn out and intended to be contemplative, nostalgic, and relaxing. Gathering stuff most of the time and bouts of intense break-neck racing do not always make the best experience and will turn off a lot of players. It is worth sticking with it and bearing with the grind because the story is genuinely interesting and the trolly races are fun.
Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town was reviewed on a Nintendo Switch using a code provided by Neo Corporation. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is now available for PC (via Steam) and Nintendo Switch.
