Having just finished the main Plot related dungeons for Shiren 2 I have to say overall I had a real grand time with it.
If you aren't familiar with the game at all it's the third entry in the Mystery Dungeon series, released for the N64 and never brought over to the states. If you have any interest at all in playing it I highly recommend it as there is a fully realized translation of it released back in February of last year https://www.romhacking.net/translations/6293/ Included on that page is the link to a Very helpful wiki and the discord where the translation team and fellow Wanderers hang out and talk shop in.
The main loop remains the same as from other entries in the series, you go in a series of dungeons with randomized loot in order to reach the end. Along the way you encounter enemies, traps and all sorts of fun little hazards to contend with. Shiren 2 is a great starting off point for the series eases you into the game with a short tutorial dungeon, followed by a series of increasingly difficult "trails" that you can choose to take as you unlock them. The main goal of the game is simple: reach the top of the mountain in order to procure castle building parts to bring back down to the village currently suffering from a bad case of "Oni smashed my house".
Along the way you build up a supply of useful items and powerful equipment that you can keep bringing back onto the various trails. Alongside that you get allies as well, with such standouts as a kappa who can reflect all projectiles back at monsters, a fellow wanderer who you can equip with a sword, shield and even bracelets, and a literal walking talking dresser drawer.
Added to this experience is the ability to merge powerful seals to your equipment with the use of Synthesis pots and Mixer monsters.
For pots you place like equipment with the first one being the base, and any special effects the subsequent equipment has will be merged into the first. This means you can have the hunger reducing effect and rustproof instrinic abilities of a leather shield while having powerful additional effects like reducing blast blast damage or protecting all your equipment from being cursed.
Mixers are a bit more specialized in they can merge equipment with items a pot simply will not. An example is throwing a sword and a high grade healing herb at it and it'll consume both, merging them into a weapon that heals you every time you hit a monster. You'll need a bit of coaxing to get it to drop the merged item though, hopefully with something safe like a backup weapon or a spare flame herb.
Running the trail for castle building materials has it's own wrinkles: higher grade material exists only on the harder paths, which is turn makes for better castle parts that resist being destroyed by oni attacks that will occur as you progress. Secondly, all castle materials must be held in your main inventory and not in the normally used inventory expanding pots. The highest grade materials will even take up -two- slots which makes going into the trails with a very lean inventory appealing for those confident enough.
The story as it unfolds is very charming, with a really great translation. Shiren here is a kid, and everything happens in a bit of a saturday morning cartoon kind of goofiness. All the separate dungeons have their own theme and in general are just a blast to -be- in. It all looks very cute despite the threat of death that looms over you at any corner. Music is composed by Sugiyama and it's just perfect for the game, i have to admit. Which is such a mixed feeling of "oh my god the dragon quest music is hitting me hard" and also "i'm glad that famous japanese nazi apologist composer is dead"
For completionist the game offers a variety of things to collect, including an entire equipment gallery, decorations for your completed castle, and an entire section dedicated to capturing and all the various monsters in their own little zoo. The game just has a whole section where you fight along your not pokemon and you stuff them in jars when they're done. not to mention the mountain of postgame dungeons including the classic 99 floor no holds barred where you must go in with -no- equipment and only use what you find or managed to concoct along the way.
Two things where the game falls flat and it's both related to it being on the N64: First is when there is a Lot happening at once, many monsters moving into fire and shooting and all sorts of other nonsense the game will start to chug. These instances are rare but it's a bit of a bummer when it crops up. Secondly is just how they had to make the controls work on that godawful n64 controller, mainly having to merge the functions of rotating and run to be on well, the B button. You tap B to toggle rotating in place, and you Hold B while moving to run along. Running is also how you also stop over an item without putting it directly in your inventory which is needed for some tricks, and for swapping places with your allies when needed (often). I had some close calls with fat fingering holding the button too long and zipping along right into a face full of something Hurting me.
Anyway, all this being said I highly recommend giving this a look if you're into the Mystery Dungeon series. It's a great entry point with a lot of complexity buried underneath, and a sweet little story attached to it all. With all that out of the way i'll leave you with my little glut of screenshots i've been saving up until now.
