Umihara Kawase Shun

⣿⣿⡻⠿⣳⠸⢿⡇⢇⣿⡧⢹⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⡐⣯⠁ ⠄⠄ ⠟⣛⣽⡳⠼⠄⠈⣷⡾⣥⣱⠃⠣⣿⣿⣿⣯⣭⠽⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⢢⠏⠄ ⠄ ⢠⡿⠶⣮⣝⣿⠄⠄⠈⡥⢭⣥⠅⢌⣽⣿⣻⢶⣭⡿⠿⠜⢿⣿⣿⡿⠁⠄⠄ ⠄⣼⣧⠤⢌⣭⡇⠄⠄⠄⠭⠭⠭⠯⠴⣚⣉⣛⡢⠭⠵⢶⣾⣦⡍⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⣿⣷⣯⣭⡷⠄⠄⢀⣀⠩⠍⢉⣛⣛⠫⢏⣈⣭⣥⣶⣶⣦⣭⣛⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⢀⣿⣿⣿⡿⠃⢀⣴⣿⣿⣿⣎⢩⠌⣡⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣆⠄⠄⠄ ⢸⡿⢟⣽⠎⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⠄⠄ ⣰⠯⣾⢅⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠄ ⢰⣄⡉⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠄ ⢯⣌⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄ ⢸⣇⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄ ⢸⣟⣧⡻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⡻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄ ⠈⢹⡧⣿⣸⠿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠗⣈⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄ ⠄⠘⢷⡳⣾⣷⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣾⣿⣿⢀⣶⣶⣶⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠇⠄ ⠄⠄⠈⣵⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠘⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠇⠄⠄

A wise man once said: "Umihara Kawase Shun is a certified hood classic. It's better than Mario, it's better than Sonic." While this may sound like an overstatement to the uninitiated, this game certainly lives up to the hype. Originally released for the PlayStation in 1997, the game has seen multiple rereleases, with the Steam version being the fifth and final version of the game, as well as the best way to play it today. Umihara Kawase Shun gently eases players into the game, allowing players the opportunity to learn Kawase's moveset and explore each individual level (or "field" as it's known in the game") relatively stress free. The dreamlike environments, bright colours, and relaxing soundtrack all lead towards a feeling of being on a cozy and whimsical adventure. Umihara Kawase Shun betrays this feeling with one deep secret. After the first few fields the game continually ramps up in difficulty, eventually descending into an anxiety inducing game. Each jump into the unknown gets your heart racing as you're met with exceedingly difficult platforming, requiring tight and methodical gameplay. Nothing ever feels unfair, the game very much embodies the philosophy of "tough but fair…

In most ways, Umihara Kawase Shun feels superior to its predecessor, whether in terms of aesthetics, gameplay or general quality-of-life. If you played the first game casually (i.e. didn't complete all the doors/endings/whatever), or only intend to play [i]this[/i] game casually, you'll have a great time. If, on the other hand, you're dead set (like I was) on conquering absolutely [i]everything[/i] in Umihara Kawase Shun, and you're not a freakishly elite player, then no, it's definitely not gonna be a great time. The final ten-some-odd levels in this game rank among the most unhinged kaizo platforming I've ever done. And it's even worse if you go for all achievements. Even with the benefit of continues (a very much appreciated addition!), it's still brutal and panic-inducing. This is all to say that, yeah, I kind of think the game is too hard (at times). But like with every other game of this type, now that I'm done with it, I admit to feeling a sense of accomplishment. And given the various ways I find the sequel to be a more enjoyable and polished experience overall, it's probably the one I'll return to before replaying the original. But first I need a break.

Short and fun game. Way more forgiving than the previous installment in the franchise, you now have continues after beating 10 stages, the enemies spawning aren't as frustrating as in the first game, the visuals got an upgrade and seem to be a mix of 2D sprites, 3D environment and drawings turned into sprites. I also noticed the game's description on steam is the same as "Code of Princess" another entry by Studio Saizensen.

is about fishing

Not nearly as good as the original, it feels like it takes twice as long to cast your line, and stages feel much bigger. If you really loved the first Umihara Kawase and are determined to play the whole series, by all means, try Shun, but if you either haven't played the original, or thought the original was just okay, maybe don't.