Shiren, the adventurous hero of the long-standing Shiren the Wanderer series, has been delving into dungeons and battling monsters for almost three decades. Over the years, Shiren has matured from a youthful explorer to a seasoned young man, with the latest installment, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island, taking him back several years in his timeline. Spike Chunsoft, the developer behind The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island, shared their rationale for this temporal shift.
In a recent discussion with Game Rant, director Keisuke Sakurai and project manager Hideyuki Shinozaki expressed their excitement about revisiting the Shiren the Wanderer universe after a hiatus. Shinozaki mentioned, "The Shiren the Wanderer series has a special place in our hearts. We've been eager to work on this game for a while." When the opportunity finally arose, they meticulously considered every aspect of The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island, including its position in the series' timeline.
The Introduction of Asuka in Serpentcoil Island's Setting
The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island takes place between two prior Shiren titles, Shiren GB (also known as Monster of Moonlight Village) and Shiren 4 (dubbed The Eye of God and The Devil's Navel), with Shiren being 19 years old during this period. In subsequent games set later, his age incrementally advances to 20 and then 21. The decision to regress Shiren's age and set the game in the past was partly driven by the developers' desire to incorporate the character Asuka.
Asuka, a companion of Shiren whom he met in his youth and who later became a wandering swordswoman, had her own spinoff adventure referred to informally as Asuka the Swordswoman. While in her last appearance in Shiren 3 (known as The Sleeping Princess and the Karakuri Mansion), Asuka was a 24-year-old adult, Sakurai and Shinozaki opted to feature her younger self in this latest game.
Aesthetic Considerations and Character Design
The visual style of The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island played a pivotal role in the development process. According to Shinozaki:
Given the significant time gap since the previous Shiren installments and the game being tailored for the Nintendo Switch, the developers could craft a vibrant, captivating 3D art direction that made characters like Shiren, Asuka, and the various monsters they encounter visually striking.
Despite being the most recent addition to Spike Chunsoft's enduring series, Sakurai clarified that "players do not need to be familiar with any past games to enjoy the storyline." With this release being the first Shiren game to hit Western markets merely a month after its Japanese debut and after a substantial hiatus, it serves as an ideal entry point for many players into the Shiren the Wanderer universe. By selecting a narrative juncture where Shiren delves into his family history and heritage, preceding Shiren 3, the developers aimed to create a self-contained experience that would not overwhelm newcomers.
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is now accessible on the Nintendo Switch.