Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate
Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate | |
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![]() Cover art featuring Shiren | |
Developer(s) | Chunsoft[a] |
Publisher(s) |
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Director(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Designer(s) |
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Programmer(s) |
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Artist(s) | Kaoru Hasegawa |
Writer(s) | Masato Kato |
Composer(s) | Hayato Matsuo |
Series | Mystery Dungeon |
Platform(s) | |
Release | DS
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Genre(s) | Roguelike, role-playing |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate[b] is a roguelike role-playing video game developed by Chunsoft. It is the fifth main entry in the Shiren the Wanderer series, which is a subset of the larger Mystery Dungeon series. It was originally released for the Nintendo DS in 2010 in Japan.
An expanded version[c] was released for the PlayStation Vita in 2015 in Japan and in 2016 in North America and Europe. A further expanded version for Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows, featuring additional dungeons, was released in 2020.[2]
Gameplay[]
The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is a roguelike role-playing video game in which the player traverses randomized dungeons and fights monsters.[3][4] In dungeons, the player can find treasures, as well as items and equipment that they can collect and use.[3] If the player dies, they lose their items, their level resets to one, the dungeons change, and the monsters change positions.[5] The game has a day-and-night system; as the in-game sun sets, the player character's vision decreases, making it impossible to see enemies that are too far away. At some points in dungeons, the player needs to solve puzzles.[6]
Plot[]
The story is set between the events of Shiren the Wanderer GB2 and Shiren the Wanderer 3, and follows Shiren,[6] a wanderer and silent protagonist, who is accompanied by Koppa, a talking ferret.[4] The two are climbing the Tower of Fortune, as they have heard legends of a god that can change their fate.[6][7] The story begins as Oyu, a young girl from a small town, suffers from an illness and Jirokichi, her childhood friend, goes forth towards the tower to change her fate. They are guided through the tower by Tao, a girl in a panda suit,[7] and encounter other characters thorough the story: Okon and Koharu; Gen; and Kojirouta. Shiren and Jirokichi eventually climb the tower to fight against the ruler of fate himself, Reeva.
Development[]
Pre-ordered copies of the game were bundled with a soundtrack CD and a booklet about the series' history.[8] As a crossover promotion, a Nonary Game bracelet from Chunsoft's Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors was included as an in-game item.[9]
PlayStation Vita port[]
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Shiren the Wanderer series, a PlayStation Vita version, Shiren the Wanderer 5 Plus, which includes additional dungeons and the ability to look around using the right stick, was announced in December 2014.[10] It was released by Spike Chunsoft on June 4, 2015 in Japan, and by Aksys Games on July 26, 2016 in North America and Europe.[11][4]
Nintendo Switch and Steam ports[]
The idea of porting the game to other consoles comes from when Sony ended production of the PlayStation Vita in 2019.[1] In August 2019, during an event promoting Steam China at The International 2019 Dota 2 Tournament held in Shanghai, a Microsoft Windows version was implied to be in development, although no official announcement had been made at the time.[12] Later, on March 26, 2020, a Nintendo Switch version was announced, featuring new dungeons.[13] A localization of the Nintendo Switch version was announced on June 23, 2020, as well as confirmation of the Microsoft Windows version.[2] It was released worldwide on December 2, 2020, a day after the franchise's 25th anniversary.[1] More details were shared to the ports; they would feature three brand new dungeons, a livestream display and the game being translated in both traditional and simplified Chinese, making it the first Shiren the Wanderer game to have an official Chinese translation.[14][15] A limted-time, physical copy of the game in English held by Limited Run Games would later be released in January 12, 2021[16]
Release[]
The game was originally released in Japan by Chunsoft for the Nintendo DS on December 9, 2010. The PlayStation Vita version was released by Spike Chunsoft on June 4, 2015 in Japan, and by Aksys Games on July 26, 2016 in North America and Europe.[11][4] The Nintendo Switch and Steam version were released by Spike Chunsoft worldwide on December 2, 2020 instead of Aksys Games, and on December 3, 2020 in Japan.[17]
Reception[]
Aggregator | Score | |||
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DS | NS | PC | PS Vita | |
Metacritic | N/A | 75/100[19] | N/A[20] | 79/100[18] |
Publication | Score | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
DS | NS | PC | PS Vita | |
Destructoid | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/10[21] |
Famitsu | 35/40[22] | N/A | N/A | 36/40[23] |
GameRevolution | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3/5[24] |
Hardcore Gamer | N/A | 4/5[26] | N/A | 4.5/5[25] |
Nintendo Life | N/A | 7/10[27] | N/A | N/A |
Nintendo World Report | N/A | 8.5/10[28] | N/A | N/A |
OPM (UK) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/10[29] |
RPGamer | N/A | 3.5/5[31] | N/A | 3.5/5[30] |
USgamer | N/A | N/A | N/A | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The game was well received by critics on PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Switch, according to review aggregator Metacritic,[18][19] where it was the sixth-best reviewed PlayStation Vita game of 2016.[33]
Sales[]
The Nintendo DS version sold 65,137 copies by the end of 2011 and an additional 16,573 copies sold from the Chunsoft Selection edition of the same game by the end of 2012, granting a total of 81,710 copies sold in Japan.[34][35] The PlayStation Vita version debuted on second place on Media Create's weekly list of best-selling video games in Japan, with 16,224 copies sold;[36] on its second week, it sank to ninth place with 6,060 copies,[37] and on its third it sank to thirteenth place with 3,553 copies sold.[38] By the end of 2015, it was the 168th best selling game of the year in Japan with 25,681 copies.[39] The Nintendo Switch version debuted on twelfth place on Famitsu's weekly list of best-selling video games in Japan, with 19,594 copies sold. This version would also be placed sixth on the Japanese Nintendo eShop's Top 20 best-selling games of December 2020.[40][41] According to Steam Spy, the Steam release has sold over 50,000 copies.[42]
Notes[]
- ^ Subsequent releases developed by Spike Chunsoft
- ^ Known in Japan as Fushigi no Dungeon: Fūrai no Shiren 5: Fortune Tower to Unmei no Dice (Japanese: 不思議のダンジョン 風来のシレン5 フォーチュンタワーと運命のダイス, Hepburn: Fushigi no Danjon Fūrai no Shiren 5 Fōchun Tawā to Unmei no Daisu, lit. Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer 5: Fortune Tower and the Dice of Fate).
- ^ Known in Japan as Fushigi no Dungeon: Fūrai no Shiren 5 Plus: Fortune Tower to Unmei no Dice (Japanese: 不思議のダンジョン 風来のシレン5plus フォーチュンタワーと運命のダイス, Hepburn: Fushigi no Danjon Fūrai no Shiren 5 Plus Fōchun Tawā to Unmei no Daisu, lit. Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer 5 Plus: Fortune Tower and the Dice of Fate).
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Lada, Jenni (November 30, 2020). "Interview: Shiren the Wanderer and Making It Widely Available". SiliconEra. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Mateo, Alex (2020-06-23). "Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate Game Heads West for Switch, PC". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
- ^ Jump up to: a b http://www.siliconera.com/2016/02/08/shiren-wanderer-ambles-onto-playstation-vita-july/
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Miscevich, Danny (2016-02-08). "Shiren The Wanderer Launches July 26th on PS Vita". PlayStation.Blog. Sony. Archived from the original on 2016-02-09. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
- ^ Spencer (2015-07-09). "Shiren The Wanderer Gets Even Tougher With New Vita Exclusive Dungeon". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2015-12-17. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Spencer (2010-09-03). "Shiren Gazes Up At Fortune Tower". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2014-12-20. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Spencer (2010-08-24). "Shiren The Wanderer 5 Rolls The Dice As A Nintendo DS Game". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2014-12-16. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
- ^ Spencer (2010-09-22). "Chunsoft Rolls The Dice With Shiren The Wanderer 5 In December". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2011-01-28. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
- ^ Spencer (2010-12-03). "The Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors And Shiren The Wanderer 5 Crossover Item". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2015-04-28. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
- ^ Romano, Sal (2014-12-22). "Shiren the Wanderer 5 Plus announced for PS Vita". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 2015-12-21. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Spencer (2015-04-24). "Shiren the Wanderer 5 Plus Video Journeys Into New Dungeons". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2015-07-29. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
- ^ Jenni, Lada (August 21, 2019). "Shiren The Wanderer: The Tower Of Fortune And The Dice Of Fate Appeared During The Steam China Launch Titles Video". SiliconEra. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ Romano, Sal (2020-03-26). "Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate Plus announced for Switch". Gematsu. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
- ^ Romano, Sal (2020-09-07). "Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate for Switch, PC launches December 2 in the west, December 3 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ^ "1000回遊べるダンジョンRPG「風来のシレン5 plus」がNintendo Switchに登場!". hmv.co.jp (in Japanese). 2020-09-08. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ^ Gray, Kate (January 8, 2021). "Shiren The Wanderer Gets Physical Release, Pre-Orders Start January 12th". nintendolife. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ Carr, James (2020-06-23). "Shiren The Wanderer 5 Coming To Nintendo Switch and PC With New Dungeons". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate for PlayStation Vita Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 25, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate for Nintendo Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ "Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ Andriessen, CJ (August 14, 2016). "Review: Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate". Destructoid. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "不思議のダンジョン 風来のシレン5 フォーチュンタワーと運命のダイス まとめ (DS)". Famitsu (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 11, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ^ Romano, Sal (May 26, 2015). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1382". Gematsu. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ^ Schaller, Kevin (July 31, 2016). "Shiren the Wanderer: Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ Bohn, Jason (July 31, 2016). "Review: Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ Swalley, Kristin (November 30, 2020). "Review: Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate (Switch)". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ Vogel, Mitch (December 6, 2020). "Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate Review". Nintendo Life. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Robin, Joshua (November 30, 2020). "Shiren the Wanderer: Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate (Switch) Review". NintendoWorldReport. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ "Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate". PlayStation Official Magazine – UK: 81. October 2016.
- ^ Apps, Michael (October 3, 2016). "Shiren The Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate - Review". RPGamer. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ Malacasa, Gabrielle (December 2, 2020). "Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate Switch Review". RPGamer. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ Parish, Jeremy (July 9, 2016). "Shiren the Wanderer Vita Review: Rogue Leader". USgamer. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ Dietz, Jason (December 20, 2016). "The Best Videogames of 2016". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
- ^ "2011年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP1000(メディアクリエイト版)" (in Japanese). Geimin.net. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ "2012年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP1000(メディアクリエイト版)" (in Japanese). Geimin.net. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ Ishaan (June 10, 2015). "This Week In Sales: Splatoon Stays At #1". Siliconera. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ^ Ishaan (June 19, 2015). "This Week In Sales: Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden Makes Its Debut". Siliconera. Archived from the original on February 5, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ^ Ishaan (June 24, 2015). "This Week In Sales: Is Sanity The Price To Pay For Power?". Siliconera. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ^ "2015年テレビゲームソフト売り上げランキング(ファミ通版)" (in Japanese). Geimin.net. Archived from the original on January 30, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ^ "ゲーム販売本数ランキング" (in Japanese). Famitsu. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ^ "2020年12月 ダウンロードソフトランキング" (in Japanese). Nintendo. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ "Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate". Steam Spy. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
External links[]
- Archived Official website for the Nintendo DS version (in Japanese).
- Official website for the PlayStation Vita version.
- Official website for the Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows version. (in Japanese)
- 2010 video games
- Chunsoft games
- Spike Chunsoft video games
- Nintendo DS games
- Nintendo Switch games
- PlayStation Vita games
- Windows games
- Roguelike video games
- Role-playing video games
- Video games developed in Japan
- Video games scored by Hayato Matsuo
- Mystery Dungeon
- Video games using procedural generation