Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town Review – An Unforgettable Journey

Having a notable part of your childhood take the form of a brand new journey that hooks you exactly like all those years is a privileged experience that only a few can get. And thanks to Neos Corp’s latest adventure with this Shin-chan game, it has become possible.

Shin-chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is an amazing slice-of-life game, released for PC (Steam) and the Nintendo Switch. Developed by h.a.n.d., Inc. and published by News Corporation, here’s our official review of the game.

Connect to the Countryside

I never felt the urge to go to a village and absorb its essence all the while escaping the daily hustle of life and the constant happenings. Having a game convincing me that it is all the more shocking. But it has, and now has forged itself a fond memory that I’ll take around. I thought of this game to be another fun shenanigan of Shin-chan, exploring new places and a goofy boss. Well, everything that I did expect happened, but the way the game unwraped is what swept me off my feet.

I am greeted by extremely well-done, and standard gaming graphics all the while having the true art style of Shin Chan and what makes it unique. Shin-chan: Shiro and the Coal Town offers you to explore two towns. The unbent village and the Coal Town. The village is real, and the Coal Town is a part of Shin Chan’s mystical adventure.

My first few hours in the village are extremely peaceful. I learnt to catch bugs, and fish, collect various vegetation and even start my own little garden. It all felt pretty magical, especially since the vibe made it even better than my endless hours in Animal Crossing. But suddenly I’m introduced to the coal town and the story I’m supposed to chase.

Shin-chan is summoned into the Coal Town because only he can save the town from impending danger. Shiro is the one who helps build the connection, to mystically teleport Shin Chan into a coal town. But the best part comes now.

I can discover the story and help the people of the coal town or I can simply enjoy a life of calm. Discovering the flora and fauna, gazing at the sunset through the mountains and running across fields of farm. This choice and responsibility are always in my control.

Shin Chan – Author, Hero, Cook, Farmer and More

As Shin Chan, you get to become an entrepreneur. How? Because you’ll indulge in preparing an ecosystem of food procurement in the most natural way possible without any expenses. And then, take it to an established restaurant to simply drive more people to visit the place. And in return, Shin-chan gets paid handsomely. Now I would call that a solid entrepreneur, only that he gets do to more.

The flora and fauna of the Unbent Village are still not officially documented, so you help a resident of the village to complete the compendium. To complete this project, you have to capture over 200 bugs and 200 fish. They come in various sizes too.

As a part of your daily routine, you get to grow your vegetables and take them to the local market, trading them with the villagers and fulfilling their requests. Once you’re through that, how about allying with the local group of guardians? No not adults, but the protectors of the village. You thought the Kasubake Defence group was the only one? Time to prove your loyalty to a brand-new group.

If you get tired of the daily activities in the village, that simply indicates that it’s time to hit the coal town. At the coal town, you get to meet an incredibly pretty inventor, be a part of a restaurant and its menu manager, or simply take part in the only motorsports that’s better than Formula 1 – Rail Carts.

The Views Bring a Tear to the Eye

It’s very rare when a game makes you stop what you’re doing just to absorb how it looks. From morning to night, the unbent village looks mind-blowing. The rice fields reflect the sky, to the lake reflects the sunset between the mountains. The game is simply filled with creativity at every corner. Just like the perfect dressing on the cake, the OSTs do wonder about the chill vibe of the game.

Each area of the game has its type of music but is very accurately designed to have its ambient noises, making you truly feel like you exist in the place. There are minimal voiceovers, allowing you to focus on the texts and what is important. There are no long dialogues or simply any distractions. The game doesn’t even have a grind but simply pushes you to unlock more things at both the POIs at the same time.

The story’s ending is also one of the best aspects of the game. While I would not spoil it much for you. The ending did move me a little, as a long journey of utmost bliss has now come to a close. And just like every Shin Chan game and movie, there was much to learn and much to cherish.

Verdict

Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is simply one of those games that help you realize that games are simply not about insane amounts of graphics, expensive franchises or exhilarating combat. Simply catching fish during the day and serving piping hot dishes during the evening can bring much more amount of joy and peace to the mind. And Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town excels in doing that.