An endearing and cute trek into the world of a mischievous kid
It’s still so weird to me that these games are getting translated for American audiences. America doesn’t love Shin Chan like Japan does; the Shin Chan that we get is not what Shin Chan actually is over in Japan. Ours is this Adult Swim, edgy humor type of thing, whereas Shin Chan in Japan, though still pretty edgy, is still considered a children’s show. There’s kind of this weird disconnect, but at the same time I’m glad that this version of the character *is* here in some form because it shifts the focus onto being a child instead of watching one in a show.
Shin chan: Shiro of Coal Town is pretty similar to the previous game, Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation. There is still a life sim aspect, with people asking Shin to do chores, and we’re still with a relative, in this game it’s our grandpa. From catching fish or bugs to lite farming or helping an old lady down the street, like the previous game it starts off sort of mundane — but that’s when the adventure really begins.
One day Shin’s dog Shiro appears covered in soot. Perplexed, we follow him to a hidden coal town with its own lives and stories. The skills we started to learn in the early parts of the game are put to use here, as we learn to craft, make food, and help the people in their own, often fantasy-like tasks. The duality of the “main” town and this space is interesting, because there’s a lot of back and forth that needs to take place. Specific items and tasks in one town can only be created or initiated in the other, so we’re constantly trying to find out what works and where to find it.
It’s not super challenging, but the presentation makes it fun and enjoyable.
The animation and art work so well towards telling this story. It’s almost painterly, with great set pieces, and the animation from the show is translated really well into game form. It’s adorable when Shin chan will bend over and shake his butt, or when he runs really fast.
Shiro of Coal Town does an amazing job at putting me, a 30-year-old man, into the life of a four-year-old. It’s an easy recommendation for what it’s trying to do: be a kid, run around and have fun… it just happens to be in a secret coal town.
This review is based on a Steam code sent to SideQuesting by the publisher. It originally appeared on the October 29, 2024 episode of The SideQuest. Images and video courtesy the publisher.
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