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Shin'en Appreciation Thread

J

Jonneh3003

Banned
5777485263_1baa59c36d_o.jpg
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Fast Racing League for Wiiware - 40mb
fast-racing-neo5.jpg
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Fast Racing Neo for Wii U eshop - 500mb
NanoAssaultNeo2.png
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Nano Assault Neo for Wii U eshop (Launch title) - 160mb

Shin'en are amazing, i've been following them since their Wiiware days with Fast Racing League and Art of Balance but they've been around since 1999 with their Game Boy Colour Debut: Käpt'n Blaubärs verrückte Schatzsuche. Remember that one?

Shin'en can make any Nintendo console shine(n), they saw the Wiiware's 40mb limit, cast their tech spells and somehow made some of the best looking games on the system. The Wii U got rid of that silly 40mb limit but their launch title Nano Assault Neo was only 160mb big and it was the best looking launch game on the Wii U. I don't know how they do it but I have a theory that they're wizards.

Not only can they make beautiful games on simple hardware in a small package but they sure as hell know how to make fun games too. Fast Racing Neo is one of the best games on Wii U, Art of Balance is such a good physics game (my Fiance and I play this together all the time), Nanostray 1 and 2 on the DS are excellent shooters and all their games are priced extremely well. They are my favourite Independent studio and their latest game Fast Racing Neo is easily the best one they've ever shipped. (I believe 5 people were involved)


Whether it's a racer, shooter, puzzle game or platformer Shin'en always manage to make something of extremely high quality. Their small downloadable efforts put so many full priced Triple A games to shame. Thank you Shin'en and I'll continue to buy anything you put out!
 
Great developer, I own Nano assault and fast racing neo love them both. Hope one day Nintendo finally acknowledges them support they truly deserve
 
Lots of amazing things mentioned but only 5 people invlolved on Fast Racing Neo seems kinda crazy.

What is the next game they have announced?
 
I've only played a couple of their games on Wii but they were pretty decent. It's nice that Nintendo has a dedicated indie developer that enjoys working for their systems.

Also, Jett Rocket and Kyotokei are great!
 
I am one of those kids into collecting. Any way we could get a best of Shin'en disc for WiiU with some Wii/DS ports thrown in along with their two WiiU games? I would love to give them $60.
 
I have never played a Shinen game for shame. I always look at them and think they look fantastic, no idea what stops me from buying them. What is wrong with me?
 
Aside from the plug, I do think they should be acknowledged, even though I feel like I saw one other topic about them not long ago.
 
Yeah, they're crazy good! I've been supporting them since their DS/Wii days. The only thing I don't like about their games is how generic the characters and world look. I've always wished a major publisher *coughnintycough* lent their IPs to them to let them use their technical magic and learn something they can use in their future games.

I still enjoy their games a lot, though. My sister told me she's getting me Nintendo bucks for Christmas, so I'm hoping to cash those on FAST as soon as I can!
 
Platy said:
zUsAY5f.gif


Iridion was MIND BLOWING on GAME BOY ADVANCE
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Iridion 2, I believe you mean, judging by the quoted graphic. The original Iridion 3D was a nice GBA tech demo of a forward-scrolling shooter (I think it used FMV loops instead of scaling and raster effects, if I remember correctly?), but otherwise limited and mostly forgotten. (I can't recall if the gameplay had any features that make it worth tracking down?)

iridion-3d.zip.2.jpg


Iridion 3D did help put Shin'en on the map, however. People in the small GBA circles were on the lookout for this crew, and they really hit it home with the second Iridion game.

BTW, before either of these, there was just "Iridion", a Game Boy Color demo that's probably a little too tough to appreciate today (especially without video) but it was going to be an R-Type'alike with a couple crazy-for-GBC elements like high-color mode and parallax and CG interstitial sequences and stuff like that.

iridion3.jpg

https://www.unseen64.net/2012/05/04/iridion-gbc-cancelled/
 
Nano is kind of an ugly game, even if it has an unique artstyle.

The racing game looks so much better.
they really should have made it 720p though
 
Fast Racing Neo is fantastic and Jett Rocket II The Wrath of Taikai on 3DS is also pretty damn good. I also have Fun Fun Minigolf Touch from them and it's short but fun.
 
They are the true wizards of their time. I just found out about them after the WiiU launch and I now buy everything they release day 1 because I know I'll love it, Nano Assault Neo is still one of my favorite games on WiiU and one of the most impressive ones too, and FAST Racing Neo just managed to beat Forza 6 as the console racing game of the generation for me so far. Can't wait to see what they make for NX, hopefully Nintendo realize how important they are and has already sent out dev kits to them.
 
Nanostray and Art Of Balance have been two very enjoyable titles. I'm waiting for my turn at the new racing game on WiiU.
 
Art of Balance is critically underrated. One of the best games I have downloaded from the 3DS eShop.

I'm currently thoroughly enjoy FAST Racing Neo. It is absolutely astounding to think that such a small team of developers is able to craft something that is both visually stunning and plays fantastically. It has the most realistic AI I have come across in any other racer of its kind. This game has really blown me away.

I really need to pick up their GBA and DS games. I've been converted into a Shin'en fanatic. Though I'm still upset that Nano Assault never made its way to the 3DS in Europe. Damnit Majesco!
 
First Shin'en game I bought was the original Nanostray for the DS. Not a spectacular game by any means, but I've been a fan ever since.
 
Platy said:
zUsAY5f.gif


0NpWbTS.gif


Iridion was MIND BLOWING on GAME BOY ADVANCE
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Wow, had no idea Shin'en was behind this.

I remember this game when it came out, never played it (wanted to though) but reading magazine reviews (EGM) and seeing the technical feats they pulled off. It blew my mind that someone could pull this off on the GBA back in the day.

Shin'en has been doing wizardry like this for Nintendo for a long time.

It would be a huge mistake for Nintendo to not give them 2nd party member status or at least give additional funding. This is a talented development studio.
 
Of their less-known titles, Garfield's Nightmare DS was a fluidly animated Garfield side-scrolling platfomer with impeccable image quality (read: AA).
 
You forgot Strawberry Shortcake: The Four Seasons Cake.

A very cute and easy platformer, my wife, who doesn't play games ever (Mario too hard for her), beat this one and loved it. It's much better than the Garfield game IMO (although she liked that too).
 
Who composes for them? Because Nanostray's soundtrack was great. I remember getting the first game for free in some Majesco contest. First time i've ever won a free game.
 
It's funny how Fast Racing League seemed to be set in the Jett Rocket world and Neo not at all... Unless we're getting a realistic Jett Rocket next?
 
Tamanator said:
I really need to pick up their GBA and DS games. I've been converted into a Shin'en fanatic. Though I'm still upset that Nano Assault never made its way to the 3DS in Europe. Damnit Majesco!
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Nano Assault EX is on the eShop.

Kastrioti said:
It would be a huge mistake for Nintendo to not give them 2nd party member status or at least give additional funding. This is a talented development studio.
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There is no "status" like that.
 
Why are they Nintendo exclusive?

Fail to see why the would be exclusive unless Nintendo supports them in some way?
 
SpokkX said:
Why are they Nintendo exclusive?

Fail to see why the would be exclusive unless Nintendo supports them in some way?
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Is this a problem? they arent the only ones exclusive to nintendo by pure loyalty, next level for instance isnt nintendo 2nd party much less first party
 
They make some fantastic games.My favourites being Neo and Art of Balance,in fact I don't think I've ever played a game of there's I didn't like.
 
I read on GAF a while ago that Shin'en literally consists of like 5 people. Which is amazing if true.


SpokkX said:
Why are they Nintendo exclusive?

Fail to see why the would be exclusive unless Nintendo supports them in some way?
Click to expand...
They are not exclusive. Nano Assault is on PS4. But they probably love Nintendo's hardware enough. Maybe they see hardware limitations as something that should be challenged? They are pretty succesful in that department. Their games probably could teach developers a lot about optimization and working around constraints in the most effective way while maintaining a high level of efficiency.
 
SpokkX said:
Why are they Nintendo exclusive?
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They are a team from the demo scene that like to optimize performance to the hardware, instead of designing things for multi platform.

They write their own engines for the hardware, which allow them to put out a lot of titles for such a small team.

SpokkX said:
Fail to see why the would be exclusive unless Nintendo supports them in some way?
Click to expand...

Nintendo supports all approved developers AFAIK?

Here's a better source, from themselves:
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/20..._fast_racing_neo_and_its_development_approach

When the company started we were big Nintendo fans, 20 years ago; we were lucky enough to get connected to the Nintendo office, and from then on we started building a really good relationship. As always with friends you can work really well, so we didn't look for anyone else and there was no big reason for us to look elsewhere.
We like the Nintendo formula for games, and like so many other developers we try to look at their games and combine it with the way we think games can be fun, and I think in the past it worked well. We always work to be better and better.
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Not everything they've done is good, I'd say the best games Shin'en has created are Art of Balance and Fast Racing Neo with Iridion 2, Nanostray 2 and Nano Assault all being good too.

Not very known but Shin'en also made a Yoshi's Island clone for GBA titled Maya the Bee Sweet Gold.


CamHostage said:
BTW, before either of these, there was just "Iridion", a Game Boy Color demo that's probably a little too tough to appreciate today (especially without video) but it was going to be an R-Type'alike with a couple crazy-for-GBC elements like high-color mode and parallax and CG interstitial sequences and stuff like that.

iridion3.jpg

https://www.unseen64.net/2012/05/04/iridion-gbc-cancelled/
Click to expand...
Shin'en first stint at the futuristic racing genre is also unrelesead:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nok9bMha8JU

hqdefault.jpg


https://www.unseen64.net/2012/07/02/shinen-gba-racer-gba-prototype/
 
7threst said:
I read on GAF a while ago that Shin'en literally consists of like 5 people. Which is amazing if true.



They are not exclusive. Nano Assault is on PS4. But they probably love Nintendo's hardware enough. Maybe they see hardware limitations as something that should be challenged? They are pretty succesful in that department. Their games probably could teach developers a lot about optimization and working around constraints in the most effective way while maintaining a high level of efficiency.
Click to expand...

Also before Wii U and maybe Wii most of their games wouldn't make much sense to port to other platforms. If you're doing a game where one of the main selling points is pushing impressive graphics on GBA or DS, porting it to consoles/PC would be pretty pointless, and a LOT of work.
 
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