Shin-chan: Shiro and the Coal Town Review (Switch)

Japan and I have a close relationship. I had the great opportunity to live and study there. While in Japan, I heard whispers here and there about Yoshito Usui’s beloved Shin-chan, enough to realize that the mischievous five-year-old boy has been a household name since the 1990s. I admit that Shiro and the Coal Town is my first encounter with Shin-chan’s adventures. Before reviewing this, I’ve been wondering whether the latest Shin-chan title can really capture the Japanese aesthetic, culture, and nature I experienced.

I am happy to say that Shiro and the Coal Town delivers a good cozy depiction of Japanese rural life wrapped in a hand-drawn anime-like presentation and highly accessible collect-a-thon mechanics. However, gameplay complexity and variety is lost as a result, while the title suffers from some awkward animations due to its fixed camera perspective. While its deliberate slow pace and simplicity won’t find a home with everyone, cozy game fans of all ages will appreciate Shin-chan’s latest adventure.

Summer days in Akita

Shiro and the Coal Town is a spiritual continuation of its predecessor, Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation. Shin-chan and family leave Kasukabe to visit the extended family home in the Akita prefecture. In this new location, the mischievous boy spends all summer unraveling the mysteries of two settings: the bright and summery Akita and the run down and cluttered Coal Town. The story can be enjoyed as a standalone experience, and the game does a great job at introducing you to beloved characters.

Shiro and the Coal Town features a simplistic 10 to 12-hours story covered in Japanese humor. Don’t expect too much depth of narrative here. Nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised to find explorations of contemporary topics that have affected Japanese society and the world at large. Shin-chan features themes of re-connecting with nature through its collect-a-thon mechanics of bug catching, fishing, farming, and more. Coal Town acts as a front for exploring the effects of industrialization, whereas the contrasting Akita location touches on deindustrialization and rural population decline. Shin-chan’s latest adventure is essentially a quest to help both Akita and Coal Town find their identity in a world that has moved on.

The characters are the highlights of the narrative experience. Fans of Shin-chan will recognize beloved characters returning. Those new to the franchise will find much joy in meeting zany personalities and anime tropes like the raunchy grandpa, the inept dad, the quippy Shin-chan, and more. Newcomers may need some time to acclimatize to the humor, although the silly approach to interactions is mostly a hit. However, not all characters are given the same screentime and attention. For example, the villain is often relegated to a background role, and I wouldn’t blame you if you forgot all about him.

Relax, stay a while

Shiro and the Coal Town is a collect-a-thon through-and-through. Gameplay-wise, you play as Shin-chan as you explore Akita and Coal Town to catch bugs and items, fish, grow vegetables, and more. As you collect more and more, your book or compendium will fill with information. You will have to meet a certain character repeatedly to report your findings and in return receive yen as payment for your trouble. Shin-chan can use this currency to purchase and exchange other items. Progression to different areas is also tied to collecting certain items in return to access. This is a safe and standard way of doing things.

Shiro and the Coal Town is not an open world game. Rather, it is a streamlined experience that guides players from zone to zone. There is a time passing mechanic that changes the setting and what you can collect over a day. This includes morning, afternoon, and night-time. While I appreciated this time passing mechanic and the scenery changes that it brought, it felt underdeveloped. For example, exploring Akita at night-time will introduce you to some new bugs like fireflies. However, there is still a lack of bug and fish varieties during these times. The absence of other characters to interact with is also a sore point of exploring at night-time.

The gameplay is very accessible to a wider audience. There is no stake or penalty for failing to catch bugs or fish as these will respawn. If you get caught up exploring too late at night, you will automatically fall asleep and be transported back to the comfort of your home. Your trusty side-kick Shiro, the wonder dog, will also help you locate items to collect. The collect-a-thon mini-games of catching bugs is fun and easy. However, the fixed camera perspective sometimes makes the catching feel awkward. The perspective often tricked me into thinking that I aligned Shin-chan well enough to catch the bug with the net. I realized how wrong I was when I frequently missed my positioning.

The fish catching mini-game is equally simple. It is a timed mini-game similar to Animal Crossing, although it lacks polish or the sense of fair challenge that is found in Stardew Valley. Speaking of Stardew Valley, Shiro and the Coal Town also features a basic crop growing mini-game where Shin-chan can water crops on a daily basis. Once again, however, there are no downsides to neglecting that because Shin-chan still has to wait a few days for crops to grow depending on the type. In terms of gameplay, Shiro and the Coal Town is safe, accessible, and a jack of all trades.

“Animed” to perfection

Shiro and the Coal Town has a beautiful art style that stays faithful to the anime and manga. The hand-drawn environments are the star of the show. Akita’s nature is summery, bright, colorful, and a joy to get lost in. The presentation is outstanding and this extends to the great minimalist soundtrack and the sound design. The original score brings notes of nostalgia and reminisces of the days where life is simple, slow, and aimless. The sound design sells the experience of being among nature as cicadas and other bugs cry in the distance. On the other hand, Coal Town is made to look cluttered, run down, and abrasive. It is an immersive experience that reminds me of the very best slice of life anime.

This presentation is backed-up by a polished experience. Shin-chan looks great in handheld mode on the Nintendo Switch. It runs very well and feels right at home on the Switch. I have not encountered any performance issues or glitches. The English localization is also great and adapts the Japanese jokes well to the context. I think the game is a great way to practice your Japanese given that it features Japanese voice acting and English subtitles. Shiro and the Coal Town is a charming title, and should be regarded as one of the best looking games of the year.

Summary

Shin-chan: Shiro and the Coal Town delivers a good cozy experience of Japanese culture and rural life wrapped in a hand-drawn anime-like presentation and highly accessible and simple collect-a-thon mechanics. However, gameplay complexity and variety leave more to be desired, while the title suffers from some awkward animations due to its fixed camera perspective. I recommend Shiro and the Coal Town to cozy game fans and players who are open to a simple and slower slice of life sim.

Shiro and the Coal Town reminded me of those long summer days spent in Japan hearing crying cicadas in the distance. Shin-chan allowed me to quickly return to those memories. For that, I am most thankful.

Shin-chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is available now on Nintendo Switch and PC.