Shin-chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation - The Endless Seven-Day Journey is a premium adventure game based on the manga and anime series Crayon Shin-chan. Developed and published by Neos Corporation, the game follows the five-year-old protagonist, Shinnosuke Nohara, or Shin-chan, and his entire family on a memorable and out-of-this-world summer vacation in Assou, a small village in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Taking inspiration from Boku no Natsuyasumi, Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation features a casual and open-ended gameplay where you take control of Shin-chan as he fills his vacation journal with pictures of his adventures and discoveries.

A curious camera

The Nohara family goes on a summer vacation like no other in Shin-chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation - The Endless Seven-Day Journey. The game brings together 5-year-old Shin-chan, father Hiroshi, mother Misae, younger sister Himawari, and the family dog Shiro to spend the summer at the home of Misae's childhood friend in Assou. This vacation takes an unexpected turn when they meet a mad scientist at Kumamoto station.

From this mad scientist who calls himself Professor Akuno, Shin-chan receives a strange camera that produces illustrations instead of photos. With his new camera, Shin-chan captures the beautiful scenery and the critters around while meeting neighbors. One night, however, when Professor Akuno discovers that Shin-chan found him summoning a dinosaur from a time machine, he puts him on a time loop, endlessly repeating his seven-day vacation with his family.

The gameplay is open-ended, with a day-night cycle and an achievement system. Shin-chan must fill his diary with illustrations of activities, such as morning exercise, fun meals, and evening baths. He can also work as a young reporter for the local newspaper, catch fish and insects, and help out in the store. It involves a lot of exploration, which can be disorienting with the clunky angles and transitions.

Atmospheric and refreshing

Dubbed as the spiritual successor of Boku no Natsuyasumi, Shin-chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation - The Endless Seven-Day Journey evokes the warmth and charm that makes the former a beloved title in Japan and all over the world, despite retaining the wacky animation style of the source material. With laid-back and open-ended gameplay, the game promises a fresh experience for Crayon Shin-chan fans, young and adult.