Promotional Consideration: Fushigi no Commercials, revisited

by Eric Caoili { Jun 8th 2008 at 6:00PM }

We're aware that we write about the Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer games much too much, especially considering that it's a niche series representing such a hardcore genre. But after playing Shiren the Wanderer DS, Chunsoft's remake of the original Super Famicom game and the first Shiren game brought stateside, it's hard for us to think of anything else but the other five Shiren titles that've yet to touch soil outside of Japan.

Chunsoft's recent announcement for Shiren the Wanderer DS 2, another remake, this time porting Furai no Shiren GB2: Sabaku no Majou (Shiren the Wanderer GB2: Demon Castle in the Desert), originally a Game Boy Color title, has only stoked the flames of our yearning. Though it's reckless to assume Sega will eventually localize the game as it did with the SFC remake, we've thrown caution to the wind, blinded by our optimistic heart's promises.

With that explained, hopefully you'll forgive us for featuring another piece on roguelike commercials less than two months after our installment on Pokemon Mystery Dungeon ads. Bring your talking weasel past the post break for two Japanese commercials from Shiren the Wanderer GB2's original 2005 release.

Bunny. Chubby Kid. Melding Pot.

Shiren the Wanderer veterans will recognize the two mechanics previewed in the commercials -- Log Traps and Melding Pots. The former is a hidden switch that, when stepped on, will send a flying mass of at you, knocking you in the opposite direction you're currently facing. It's one of the more useful traps of the two dozen in the SFC remake, as it can knock you out of danger or into previously inaccessible areas.

The Melding Pot combines whatever you stuff into it, providing you with an upgraded item after you've thrown the pot at a wall to break it open. Unfortunately, there are no opportunities in the game to actually create a bunny/chubby-kid hybrid.

It would be interesting to see Sega revisit this approach for its forthcoming Shiren the Wanderer DS 2 adverts, emphasizing specific mechanics in the game instead of relying on "tough guy" art and a generic listing of features, as it did with its North American print ad:

(scanned by Kevin Gifford)

One of the series' primary draws, aside from its unique cast of monsters and famed difficulty, is the amount of options the games provide you with to survive, so long as you use your head. For example, Bufu's staff, when swung at a monster, will turn your enemy into meat, which you can later eat to temporarily gain that monster's abilities (e.g. eating Mirage Devil meat turns you invisible to monsters). Another item of interest, the Scroll of Removal, when thrown at an enemy, will eliminate that monster type and all its leveled forms from your adventure.

Of course, none of this matters if Sega decides not to bring Shiren the Wanderer DS 2 to North America, so make sure you let the company know you're interested!

Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.