CNET Networks Entertainment GameSpot | GameFAQs | SportsGamer | Metacritic | MP3.com | TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games Books TV
Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

86 Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
78 Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
xx Aquarium by DS
xx Arkanoid DS
57 Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles
xx Backyard Baseball '09
xx Barnyard Blast: Swine of the Night
32 Best of Tests DS
74 Bomberman Land Touch! 2
54 Brain Assist
54 Brain Voyage
xx Bratz: Super Babyz
50 Bubble Bobble Double Shot
xx Championship Pony
38 Chicken Hunter
xx Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The
xx Civilization Revolution
xx Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A.
xx Command and Destroy
xx Corvette Evolution GT
xx Cory in the House
xx Crosswords DS
xx Diary Girl
xx Disney Friends
xx Don King Presents: Prizefighter
xx Double Sequence: The D-Virus Invasion
xx Dragon Quest IX: Guard of the Starry Night
xx Dream Pinball 3D
xx Drone Tactics
59 Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts
55 Eco Creatures: Save the Forest
xx Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard
xx Fab 5 Soccer
xx Fantasy Aquarium
56 FIFA Street 3
77 Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
xx George of the Jungle and the Search for the Secret
xx GoPets: Vacation Island
xx GRID
xx Harvest Moon DS Cute
xx High School Musical 2: Work This Out!
23 Homie Rollerz
46 Hurry Up Hedgehog!
xx Imagine Figure Skater
xx Incredible Hulk, The
55 Insecticide
55 Iron Man
xx Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles
xx Kira Kira Pop Princess
xx Kung Fu Panda
xx Let's Pilates
xx Let's Ride! Friends Forever
xx Let's Yoga
xx LOL
59 Lost In Blue 3
xx M&M's Kart Racing
64 Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars
70 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
48 Mega Brain Boost
xx Mister Slime
37 My Horse and Me
70 Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer
75 Nanostray 2
61 Naruto: Ninja Destiny
83 Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
54 Ninja Reflex
44 Paint by DS
xx Paws & Claws: Pet Resort
xx Pet Pals: Animal Doctor
xx Petz Bunnyz
xx Petz Wild Animals: Tigerz
xx Pirates: Duels on the High Seas
xx Plushees
67 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness
68 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time
xx Powershot Pinball Constructor
xx Princess On Ice
58 Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
64 Professor Kageyama's Maths Training
85 Professor Layton and the Curious Village
xx Puppy Palace
xx Real Soccer 2008
xx River King: Mystic Valley
69 Rondo of Swords
xx Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle
xx Secret Files: Tunguska, The
67 Sega Superstars Tennis
xx Soul Bubbles
xx Space Invaders Extreme
xx Speed Racer
59 Spiderwick Chronicles, The
48 Spitfire Heroes: Tales of the Royal Air Force
xx Summon Night: Twin Age
68 Super Dodgeball Brawlers
xx Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 3
69 Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys!
xx Top Trumps: Doctor Who
30 Toy Shop
xx USA Today Crossword Challenge
89 World Ends With You, The
60 Zoo Tycoon 2 DS

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer ds Game Reviews
Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer
Critic Score
Metascore: 70 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
9.6 out of 10
based on 23 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 8 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

On a quest to the mystical Lair of the Golden Condor, Shiren the Wanderer and his weasel ally, Koppa, venture through treacherous lands in an attempt to solve the mystery surrounding this legendary realm. Many other warriors have set out on this quest but none have survived the long, perilous journey through deep caverns, vast forests, and dangerous mountain passes. Filled with ferocious monsters, hidden traps, and thieves, the road to the Lair of the Golden Condor is not for the faint of heart. Shiren is determined to succeed and claim the riches that await the first hero to reach the mythic land. In this classic RPG, you'll move in a turn-based manner through randomly generated dungeons that provide a great challenge and lasting replay value. Outwit your enemies using advanced tactics and clever puzzle solving skills while finding mysterious items, numerous spells and other equipment to help you on your journey. If you can survive to solve the mystery, you'll find the fortune that you seek. [Sega]

PUBLISHER: Sega
DEVELOPER: ChunSoft
GENRE(S): Role-Playing Game
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: E (Everyone)
RELEASE DATE: March 4, 2008

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

91
The Onion (A.V. Club)
By hooking up to the Internet or a nearby friend, a fallen Shiren can call for help. If another player hears his plea and pulls off the rescue mission, Shiren is revived, goodies intact.
Read Full Review
90
GameZone
Shiren the Wanderer doesn’t coddle its players, but those willing to invest enough effort into the game are rewarded with a game that’s intricate, deep, and infinitely replayable.
Read Full Review
86
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Success is 30 percent planning, 30 percent persistance, and about 80 percent luck--making for a challenging, infuriating, but deeply rewarding experience. [May 2008, p.89]
83
1UP
It's far more demanding than its fellow DS-based roguelikes, lacking, say, the cuddly mascots of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon or the cumulative experience-building of Izuna. But it's remarkably well crafted, with streamlined gameplay that belies its impressive substance.
Read Full Review
80
GamePro
Between the cute 2-D graphics, the comfortable, nostalgic soundtrack, and the super addictive "Just one level further!!" game flow, my wander-lust is on full blast. Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer is a great way to dip a toe in the rogue like pool.
Read Full Review
80
Cubed3
It may not be a game for everyone, but those that can truly immerse themselves in Shiren the Wanderer will discover one of the most enjoyable experiences the DS has to offer.
Read Full Review
80
N-Europe
With various side quests,puzzles and bonus dungeons, there's a lot to keep you busy with.
Read Full Review
80
Zentendo
Shiren the Wanderer is the most brutal of the above games in every sense, with severe punishments for slight miscalculations.
Read Full Review
80
Armchair Empire
Not everyone is going to take a liking to Shiren - it's a game where you need to actively seek out its pleasures, and other than some occasional advice from wandering NPCs, you'll need educate yourself by reading FAQs or interacting with other Shiren players.
Read Full Review
70
Pocket Gamer UK
It certainly won't be to everyone's tastes but deep within the dusty catacombs of Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer resides a unique and impressively addictive game.
Read Full Review
70
GameSpy
Shiren is absolutely and utterly a game for the hardcore. Being flung back to level one for dumb luck or a simple error is infuriating, and Shiren lacks the storytelling polish that many gamers expect from their titles regardless of genre, but the core game is very well done.
Read Full Review
67
Games Master UK
A journey that's littered with pits and troughs that's rewarding if you persevere. [June 2008, p.83]
66
Cheat Code Central
It's a very difficult game simply because the prospect of death is such an overpowering force in the game that it literally changes the way you play.
Read Full Review
66
Official Nintendo Magazine UK
Some will loathe it and some will love it, although you can be sure that the former will be in the vast majority. [May 2008, p.74]
65
Nintendo Power
Starting from scratch every time you have bad luck will be frustrating, but if you can get past the setbacks, you'll enjoy a solid DS adventure. [Mar 2008, p.86]
65
IGN
The random dungeons are oftentimes poorly laid out, and the turn based gameplay can lead to a slow, jerky experience. Still, Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer is a game that will certainly give players a run for their money, if only due to the fact that it takes forever to beat.
Read Full Review
65
PALGN
While some will be turned off by the challenging gameplay and the less appealing visuals, those seeking an old-school gaming experience should look no further.
Read Full Review
60
Games Radar
We're also sure the majority of today's gamers will find it nasty, plodding, and archaic.
Read Full Review
60
Gameplayer
An above-average dungeon crawler.
Read Full Review
60
GameSpot
If you're not put off by the idea of an RPG in which every death returns you to the start of the game, Shiren the Wanderer can be a lengthy, satisfying experience.
Read Full Review
60
Edge Magazine
Shiren The Wanderer still has its own charm and deep and lasting individual value that, for all its abstract irritations, surpasses many more modern gaming experiences. [May 2008, p.96]
58
Game Revolution
Mysterious Dungeon is the anti-Zelda doppleganger, cute and unthreatening in its top-down stylings, but as potentially punishing and old-school as lurking demons come. Once again, the question is begged: Do you feel lucky?
Read Full Review
50
Gamer.nl
Shiren the Wanderer was a nice concept back on the Super Nintendo. It's not that the game is unplayable, but it ruins your joy when you lose all you have accomplished when you're killed. The game doesn't make much use of the Nintendo DS functions. It would have been better if the game was released on the Gameboy Advance.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 9.6 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | BOOKS | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

About CNET Networks | Jobs | Advertise | Partnerships                                Visit other CNET Networks sites:

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use