Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation -The Endless Seven-Day Journey- Review

Game: Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation -The Endless Seven-Day Journey-
Genre: Other, Adventure, Simulation
System: Steam ((Windows) and also on Switch, PlayStation 4)
Developer | Publisher: Millennium Kitchen| Neos Corporation
Controller Support: Full
Price: US $29.99 | UK £25.99 | EU € 29,99
Release Date: August 31st, 2022

A review code was used, with many thanks to J.F. Games PR Comms

After playing Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town and loving it, I really had to take a look at the earlier Shin chan game, Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation -The Endless Seven-Day Journey-. By the way, I think it’s the longest-game title we’ve ever had!

A Summer Vacation Game

First, Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation is a Boku no Natsuyasumi game, or Summer Vacation game. A game series that is always about the same topic: you play as a child who is on summer holidays, most of the time without his parents. The child spends its days wandering the countryside, collecting bugs, making friends and unravelling some mild mysteries. In this case, the child is Shin chan, or Shinnosuke, as he is lovingly called.

An overhead view of a peaceful town center in Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation, featuring a cozy café with a sign that reads "Cafe & Bar." Surrounding greenery, a small river, and pathways create a charming atmosphere, while a dinosaur statue adds a whimsical touch to the village scene. Shin-chan is visible walking near a bridge in the lower right corner. Published on: LadiesGamers. — The little town of Asso

The adventure starts when father Hiroshi has a business trip coming up to Kyushu, so the entire Nohara family decides to tag along and stay with an old friend of mother Misae’s in Asso, Kumamoto. Yoyoko has a restaurant there, and while Hiroshi is out to work, Misae helps her out.

Wait, is That a Dinosaur?

When they stop at Kumamoto Station on their way to Asso, they encounter a mysterious man who hands them an unusual camera and asks only that they serve as his witnesses. Hiroshi thinks it’s fishy, but they accept the camera anyway.

A quirky character known as the "Mysterious Man" stands frustrated inside a room in Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation, his hands clenched in disappointment. He’s wearing a lab coat, sandals, and a T-shirt with a spiral design, while a speech bubble above him reads, “Darn! I’ve wasted another fantastic invention on a bunch of uninformed nobodies!!” A large mascot head is displayed on the left, adding to the humorous setting. Published on: LadiesGamers. — Shin chan gets a mysterious camera at the railway station

With the new camera, Shin chan is ready to enjoy his summer vacation, capturing the stunning landscapes of Asso’s mountains and fields. This beautiful setting is full of unusual insects and fish which he can register with the camera. During his days venturing into town, he meets friendly locals and makes new friends.

Then, on a clear summer night, the people in Asso spot a giant creature silhouetted against the full moon. How can a dinosaur appear right here in their village? And standing next to it is the same strange man who gave Shin chan the camera at the station, laughing in a quite scary way. This man, calling himself Professor Akuno, has set off a string of strange events around Asso. And one of those events is that Shin chan might appear to leave with his family after a week, but they are back right away: the endless seven days!

Shin-chan and the professor sit on a red bench by a pond in Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation, under a bright, clear sky. A large, animated pterosaur perches on a tree branch above, giving Shin-chan an amusing companion. In the background, there’s a yellow building labeled “News Paper” and a lovely, rolling landscape. Published on: LadiesGamers. — The professor and one of his dinosaurs

Things to Do in Asso

Soon, Shin chan settles into an easy routine in Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation. The camera not only registers bugs and fish he catches but also records the events of the day. It looks lovely when you look back at all the diary entries. Shin Chan adds descriptions to the records, and in turn, newspaper editor Cap encourages him to turn his experiences into newspaper articles. Cap is trying to boost subscriptions and Shin chan is eager to help out, as it might earn him a “date” with Yoshiko, a university student intern.

In Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation, a bulletin board displays a newspaper titled Asso Bulletin Board Newspaper with the headline, "[Trends] What is Dinosaur Battle?" It features grayscale images of children watching a large creature and reports on mysterious dinosaur sightings around town. The newspaper is pinned among other local notices and ads, adding to the immersive, small-town ambiance of Shin-chan's adventure. Published on: LadiesGamers. — Shan chan gets to be a reporter for the local newspaper.

Shin chan can do little chores for the restaurant and other store owners, gathering the wild greens or fish they ask for. He also finds a small farm plot where he can sow seeds and grow vegetables and with all of that, he earns a bit of pocket money. And with the kids in Asso he can play dinosaur battles with little dinosaur figurines. The gameplay is essentially a rock-scissor-stone game but very nicely embellished.

In a playful, turn-based battle sequence, Shin-chan’s pterosaur, "P-Terry," faces off against a towering brachiosaurus, "Brachiohy." The screen features health bars, special points (SP), and an animated "Fight!" graphic with victory symbols, set against a scenic mountain backdrop, giving a fun twist to the game’s dinosaur encounters. Published on: LadiesGamers. — The mini-game Dinosaur battle

The mad professor thinks of new ways to scare the people of Asso by adding new dinosaurs, which makes Shin chan’s laid-back adventures turn into less peaceful summer days. The experiences are still very kid-friendly, of course.

Visuals, a Narrator and More

The visuals are once again stunning. Like in Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town, it’s a combination of hand-drawn sweeping vistas, painting a detailed town with Shin chan and family in the foreground looking very different. But it works!

An idyllic, sunset view Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation of a stone bridge with water cascading down its sides into a gentle stream below. The bridge is covered in ivy and set against a glowing sky tinged with orange and pink, while green hills roll into the distance, creating a picturesque scene of a summer evening in the countryside. Published on: LadiesGamers. — Grand vistas in the game

I did have trouble with the flow of going from one place to the next. For example, a new screen loads when you go from the restaurant to the street. But even in the restaurant you pass through maybe 5 or 6 scenes. Turning a corner means a new screen, which can be jarring. You also go from one scene where Shin chan is close by, to the next where he is only a speck in the distance. It did interfere with my gameplay flow, and I feel it was better handled in Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town.

Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation has a voiceover telling the story as it unfolds. The narrator even remarks on oddities in Shin chan’s adventures, such as how the kids he meets look remarkably like the kids back home.

Shin-chan stands with friends in front of a small shop under a clear blue sky. The rustic shop, stocked with colorful goods, has a wooden sign, and lush greenery surrounds the area, with ripe figs hanging from a branch in the foreground. Mountains rise majestically in the background, making the setting feel peaceful and idyllic. Published on: LadiesGamers. — Out and about with the neighbourhood kids

Part of the game is voice-acted, and there is fitting music in the background and great sound effects. Quirky little things will have you immersed in no time, like the story the next-door neighbour tells her kids every night and the ever-growing group of villagers who do the morning exercises together.

Shin-chan, accompanied by his family and a few townspeople, are outside a local eatery on a bright day, doing their morning exercises with a towering dinosaur statue nearby. The rustic restaurant has a sign in Japanese, and the scene is lively, with everyone smiling and snapping photos as Shin-chan’s pet dog Shiro trails alongside. Published on: LadiesGamers. — Each morning starts with exercising, and the group will grow over time.

Conclusion for Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation

Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation was the first Shin chan adventure game that I just had to try out after loving the successor. And the game doesn’t disappoint. The story is an interesting one, the visuals and narrator make for an immersive adventure although the flow of the game is broken up by constantly switching screens and a static camera.

Shin-chan listens intently to a family gathered on the porch of a traditional Japanese home at dusk. The group includes a father, mother, and two children, as they share a story with Shin-chan, highlighted by the text: “Then one day, he got a blister on his back. It left him with a stinging sensation that hurt badly.” The warm, softly lit setting creates a cozy, nostalgic feel. Published on: LadiesGamers. — Every night, their neighbour tells a bedtime story on the porch

The game is kid-friendly but also works for adults who don’t expect big storylines and thrilling experiences. Go with the flow and be entertained by little cheeky boy Shinnosuke. Another lovely Summer Vacation game!

Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot