Shiren, the titular adventure-loving protagonist of theShiren the Wandererseries, has been exploring dungeons and fighting monsters for nearly thirty years. In that time, Shiren has aged eleven years, going from an eager child on his first adventure to a mature young man. The latest title in the series,Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island,brings Shiren back to an earlier point in his timeline by several years.The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil IslanddeveloperSpike Chunsofthad several reasons for setting the game in the middle of the series' existing chronology.
In a conversation with Game Rant, director Keisuke Sakurai and project manager Hideyuki Shinozaki revealed that they were thrilled to get to return toShiren the Wandererafter a several-year hiatus. “The Shiren the Wandererseries holds a special place in our hearts,” Shinozaki explained. “We’ve wanted to develop this game for a long time.” When they were finally given the chance, they carefully thought throughevery element ofThe Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island,including its place in the series' timeline.
All English titles of previousShirengames are unofficial, fan-used translations, provided for reference.
Serpentcoil Island’s Setting Allowed Asuka to Appear
The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Islandis set between twopreviousShirentitles,Shiren GB,unofficially known asMonster of Moonlight Village,andShiren 4,known unofficially asThe Eye of God and The Devil’s Navel.Shiren is 19 in these games. In games released earlier but set chronologically later, his age gradually increased to 20 and then 21. The decision to age Shiren down and set the game in the past occurred in part due to the developers' desire to include the character of Asuka.
Asuka is an ally of Shiren whom he met as a child and who eventually became awandering swordswomanherself. Her adventures were chronicled in her own spinoff title, known unofficially asAsuka the Swordswoman.In her most recentShirenappearance,Shiren 3,known unofficially asThe Sleeping Princess and the Karakuri Mansion,Asuka was an adult of 24, but Sakurai and Shinozaki wanted to feature the younger version of the character.
When we considered introducing the character Asuka, in order to convey the character’s unique tone, we decided the story should take place before Shiren 3.
A Younger Shiren And Asuka Best Suited The Game’s Aesthetics
The aesthetics ofThe Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Islandwere also a major consideration for the developers. According to Shinozaki:
We chose to set the character in this era because we believed that younger characters would be more suitable as 3D models.
As it was over a decade since the previousShirentitles were released,The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Islandwas the first in the series to be developed specifically for the Nintendo Switch. This allowed the team to create a bright,colorful, eye-catching 3D art style, in which the designs of Shiren, Asuka, and the many monsters they encounter seem to “pop” from the screen.
AlthoughThe Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Islandis the latest entry in Spike Chunsoft’s long-running series, Sakurai explained that “[players] don’t need to have played any of the previous games to follow the story.” As this is the firstShirengame released in the West only a month after its Japanese debut, and the first game in so many years, it will likely be many players' first introduction to theShiren the Wandererseries. Choosing to set the game in the middle of Shiren’s adventureswhere he learns more about his family and heritage, rather than afterShiren 3,helped create an effective standalone experience that would not be so daunting to first-time players.
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Islandis available now on Nintendo Switch.
