Wanderin’ in the dungeon, I’m gonna eat a lot of peaches
One of the February Switch releases that has our attention is Shiren the Wander: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island. The game will be available in physical and digital versions this month, and this latest iteration of the roguelike RPG will introduce series fans to…the peach bun?
Yes, the peach bun. Of course, in a Shiren game, even something that simple will serve a much bigger purpose; eating one transforms Shiren into a monster.
As you progress through the game, you can obtain a Peach Club or Peach Staff. Defeating monsters with these items may grant you a Peach Bun bearing the name of the defeated monster. Eating Peach Buns will turn you into the corresponding monster and enable you to use its special ability. Transform into aquatic or flying monsters to traverse otherwise impassable areas. You can find the Peach Club and Peach Staff within dungeons under certain conditions, adding an intriguing aspect to the story revolving around these mysterious tools.
It’s just one more trick Shiren has at his disposal to overcome the seemingly impossible task of reaching and overcoming the powerful monster at the highest mountain peak of Serpentcoil Island. What do Shiren and his faithful talking ferret, Koppa, hope to find there? An exquisite treasure (and a girl?) in the monster’s belly.
Of course, there are plenty of other monsters obstructing the way, including:
- Hoppin’ Batter Family – Has a chance of hitting thrown items, Stave magic bullets, and cannonballs back at the attacker. If this fails, the projectile lands nearby. The likelihood of successfully deflecting increases at higher levels, for instance, with Hoppin’ Hitter or Hoppin’ Slugger.
- Hen Family – Master Hen and Great Hen, among others, are monsters boasting well-trained bodies. They excel in hand-to-hand combat, and as they reach higher levels, they approach rapidly with double-speed actions, so be cautious. When their remaining HP becomes low, they transform into Hens. A Hen runs around like it lost its head. If hit by fire or an explosion, it turns into Yakitori; a delicious item with a similar effect as Onigiri.
- Numerous Forms of Ninja – The ninja on Serpentcoil Island specialize in five types of ninjutsu: Fire, Water, Tree, Metal, and Earth. They all have the ability to skillfully dodge attacks with nimble speed, and each ninja employs ninjutsu with unique characteristics.
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island will be released for Nintendo Switch on February 27th.
For more information, visit www.spike-chunsoft.co.jp.
