Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Umihara Kawase: Shun – Second Edition revolves around a deceptively simple premise: traverse intricate levels using only your wits and a trusty grappling hook. From the very first stage, you’re dropped into a visually rich aquatic environment where precise timing, momentum control, and spatial awareness are paramount. Unlike many platformers, there are no power-ups to buff your character; every triumph feels earned through skill alone.

The grappling hook mechanics lie at the heart of the experience. Learning to latch onto walls, ceilings, and even certain enemies opens up a puzzle-like approach to navigation. Each swing, launch, and recoil must be carefully calculated—one mistimed flick and you risk plummeting into hazards or a gang of mutated sea creatures. This emphasis on mastery gives the game a steep but satisfying learning curve.

Enemies start as ordinary sea life, only to sprout legs and chase you across platforms. Their unpredictable movement patterns force you to think on your feet and adapt your hook strategy in real time. Rather than slogging through waves of generic foes, you’ll find yourself analyzing each creature’s behavior, turning every encounter into a small tactical challenge.

What really sets Shun apart is its exceptional replay value. After your initial playthrough, you can tackle time trials to challenge your own best records or scour stages for hidden exits and shortcuts. The memory card replay feature lets you save and share your most dazzling hook maneuvers, adding a layer of community-driven competition that few platformers offer.

Graphics

The Second Edition preserves the charming pixel art of the original PlayStation release while scaling beautifully on modern screens. Backgrounds teem with aquatic motifs—coral reefs, sun-dappled caverns, and submerged ruins—each rendered in vivid hues that pop against darker foreground elements. The result is an immersive environment that feels both otherworldly and familiar.

Character animations are remarkably fluid for a retro-style title. Umihara Kawase’s movements—running, jumping, crouching, and flinging her hook—are smooth and responsive, enhancing the tactile pleasure of every swing. Enemies receive similarly detailed treatments: finned foes transform convincingly into legged adversaries, their stride animations hinting at both whimsy and menace.

Despite being a re-release, Shun’s art hasn’t aged a day. The developers patched minor sprite flickers and collision glitches, but the core visuals remain untouched, preserving the game’s nostalgic charm. On modern hardware, the colors appear richer, and the frame rate is more stable, making the experience feel crisp without compromising the original aesthetic.

User interface elements are understated yet effective: simple timers, life counters, and menu layouts complement the minimalist design philosophy. You’ll spend your time engaged in the action rather than wrestling with cumbersome HUD elements or intrusive tutorials.

Story

Shun’s narrative is intentionally sparse, focusing the player’s attention on gameplay rather than exposition. You assume the role of Umihara Kawase, a young explorer navigating an uncharted aquatic realm brimming with oddities. While the story doesn’t unfold through lengthy cutscenes or dialogue trees, each level’s setting hints at a larger mystery beneath the waves.

Brief interludes between stages offer cryptic glimpses of an underwater civilization and the forces that may have driven marine life to evolve legs. These snippets of lore encourage players to piece together the world’s backstory through environmental cues and enemy designs, rather than relying on heavy-handed narration.

The minimalistic approach extends to character motivations: Kawase’s quest is straightforward, allowing her daring exploits and interactions with hostile fauna to speak for themselves. This lends the game a sense of immediacy—every new area unravels a bit more of the realm’s enigma without bogging you down in verbose plot threads.

Although the Second Edition doesn’t introduce new story content compared to the 1997 original, the unchanged narrative pace and atmospheric world-building remain as engaging as ever. Fans of lore-light adventures will appreciate the open-ended storytelling that invites speculation and discovery.

Overall Experience

Umihara Kawase: Shun – Second Edition strikes a rare balance between accessible visuals and deep, skill-based gameplay. Its hallmark grappling hook mechanics stand out in the crowded platformer genre, demanding precision and rewarding patience. Every successful swing or creative route feels uniquely satisfying.

The game’s replay value is truly exemplary. Whether you’re aiming to shave seconds off your best time, unearth hidden paths, or showcase your prowess via saved replays, Shun provides ample reasons to return long after the credits roll. This level of post-completion engagement is a welcome departure from the one-and-done nature of many platformers.

As a re-release, the Second Edition does more than just preserve a piece of PlayStation history—it enhances stability, resolves bugs, and adds a handful of new levels to explore. While the core experience remains faithful to the 1997 original, these tweaks smooth out rough edges and make the game more accessible to contemporary audiences.

For players seeking a platformer that values ingenuity over firepower, Umihara Kawase: Shun – Second Edition offers a fresh, challenging adventure that rewards dedication and creativity. Its blend of precise mechanics, replay incentives, and timeless aesthetic make it a standout choice for both genre veterans and newcomers alike.

Retro Replay Score

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