At long last, every Umihara Kawase game is officially released internationally and in one place too. It may be a 21 year old series, but it was worth the wait.

Originally released in 1997 for the PS1 in Japan, Umihara Kawase Shun is the sequel to the phenominal 1994 Super Famicom game Umihara Kawase where you play as Umihara Kawase, a 20 something Japanese sushi chef who uses her reliable fishing rod to get aross levels by flinging, propelling and grappling around, over and under plenty of platforms and walking fish enemies with the occasional boss fight or two depending on the path you take.

Here's a little more history. There were a few versions/ports of Shun. The PSP version, aplty titled "Umihara Kawase Portable", was going to be the first entry of the series to have a North American release back in 2008, and it was going to be titled "Yumi's Odd Odyssey", but it didn't happen since this version of the game had a lot of bugs and it was impossible to complete at times thus people consider it the black sheep of the series (when Sayonara came out in the US in 2013 on the 3DS eshop it was titled Yumis Odd Odyssey).
Another notable version of Shun, the DS port titled "Umihara Kawase Shun ~second edition~ Kanzenban" from 2009 was a compilation of the first two games with extra stuff like more levels and other stuff.

As for the actual game, the presentation has more to offer than in the original game. This time, 3D was incorporated into the graphics so the fields themselves are more lively and the layouts more complex. All the sprites appear to be hand drawn too. This time around, the fishing line is a bit shorter, but more elastic and springy so it might be easier for someone to traverse levels.

Music is still nice like the rest of the games in the series.

After playing the 1st and 3rd games using keyboard controls for several weeks, I can say that it's doable once you get used to it. Probably best to use a controller since all 3 have controller support but it's up to you :^)

Not much else I can think of now so here comes the closing statement. Whether you're a veteran gamer or just getting into it, this game is challenging regardless. Anyone can pick up and play this game, but it takes skill to get far and master it. It's Umihara Kawase Shun.

As per the first game, the premise is rather simple: jump, hook and swing to get from point A to point B, Some stages have more than one exit, you only have one hit point and the music is also nice to mask the fact you'll go through hell and back again.

There are some changes, however, that make this game feel a bit different (at least the ones I have noticed):

a) The length of the lure/rubber band is now shorter but in exchange it feels a bit more elastic. This leads to a couple of moments where you will curse your muscle memory if you go from playing the first Umihara to this one back to back: sometimes simply casting your lure diagonally upwards was a simple way of saving yourself from pits in case you made a mistake. That don't work here. Aside from that, certain corner cutting maneuvers have actually become easier and propelling yourself from the ground based on momentum doesn't require the same super tight timing anymore.

b) The game starts you with less lives. At first I would have been led to believe this is bad, but as you progress through the game and "defeat" bosses you unlock the right to continue if you lose them all.

c) Kind of minor for some, but not so much for others: The art style has transitioned from pixel art to drawn sprites and 3D environments. Yes, this was to be expected from a game coming out for the PlayStation, but I still think it makes certain jumps and maneuvers harder to calculate when compared to the original Umihara.

d) The game has added a map of sorts. This is always welcome, especially when compared to the alternative in the first game.

Aside from that it is what you would expect: Maps that require you to know your rubber band physics to make it through all the obstacles. Most enemies still defeat you in one hit (I have stumbled upon a couple of snail that only stun you, and in one case touching them actually make the course easier. Weird.)

In the last game, I had a very big problem with the randomly spawning enemies, which I claimed liked to appear in your face when about to land. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore, to the point don't think they are even random at all (keep failing and trying a stage and you will know what I mean).

On the other hand, now I find myself cursing the very existence of the bosses in this game. Even if the Tadpole is not that hard it doesn't take away from the fact it is very tedious, and same goes for the double rematch. On the other hand the squids and the stage layout in which you find them seem to be deviced to be as dickish and annoying as possible. Thinking back to such things as the crab from the first game, I'm starting to think the bosses are not the series' string point. It might be just me though.

The game still controls great, and as (again) rarely do I feel like I was cheated when I fail a stage. Controller is recommended, and make sure you use a controller with a good D Pad (I've tried many, and the PS3 Dualshock and my UBER CHEAP GENERIC GAMESTOP PS3 CONTROLLER both worked pretty well). This game also added a couple of shortcuts for casting diagonals on the triggers, so using a controller gives you way better access to them than the default keyboard layout.

As a final note, I will add this version of the game is rather toaster friendly. I'm running this on one of them HP Laptops from 2009 with those teeny tiny builtin processors and it still runs fine. Only a couple of hiccups might occur when you start the first stage, but it's fine from then on.

fishing rods are like this in real life. give it a try

>The fairest Umihara game, the only one that normal people could beat without hours of practice, you can unlock permanent continues by finding new levels too.
>Simple platforming gimmick, the bungie/grappling hook, that allows for alot of options and potential routes per level.
>Umihara is heavier now.
>She now has a snazzy jacket, though.
>Less diversity of environment than the original, just as surreal though.
>Boss fights are still ♥♥♥♥♥♥.

One of the best platformers ever made. Best in it's series just because of higher QOL than it's prequel.

My wife, no one else's. She's my wife. I want her to grapple me and toss me around. I will forever cherish this series. I love my wife

11/10

A game from 1997 and that difficult? WOW (yeah, I'm looking at you, field 42, 58 and that awful door to 41)

Well, It's a good game but really not for newcomers, better playing the first one before it. Here you'll need EVERYTHING to beat the game 100%, every technique. I dunno if I can complete this one.

It has everything good from the first game but with more deadly stages, you'll rage haha. Good luck.

Umihara Kawase Shun is the second game in the Kawase trilogy, and likely my favorite. This game improves on the first in every way, making boss battles far more reasonable, enemy spawn rates reduced and less chaotic - while keeping the same core fun platforming with tons of options for routing. This game so has some notoriously brutally hard levels - if you're into that sort of thing, this is a game for you.

One of the most interesting, challenging, mechanically intricate, and fun platformers I have ever played. It takes quite a bit to get used to, but once it starts to click, prepare for some fun times. (As long as you stay far away from clams). Highly recommended, and the other games in the trilogy bundle are great too!

This game has the one thing that we all need a little more of in our lives...
Fish with human legs.

Need I say more?

Umihara Kawase Shun is an amazing game and you won't be disappointed. If you only want to buy one of the games, then buy this one (although the trilogy is worth it as well and is a steal during a sale)!

Umihara Kawase is a unique platformer with a grapple mechanic that feels and plays amazing. The OST is is nothing special but it is really nice and comfy.

Honestly there isn't much I can say but just to get it! Umihara Kawase has become my favorite game series so much so, that by now I own it for most platforms that it released on!