Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid
- June 26, 2024
- Spike ChunSoft
- 40h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid" , experience a nostalgic, open-world summer in a rural Japanese town during the 1900s. Join a circus troupe, enjoy various activities, and explore the picturesque environment. As the protagonist, you have unique abilities, like surviving high falls and catching bugs with an Acorn Shooter, ensuring a one-of-a-kind adventure.
Reviews
- The game offers a charming and nostalgic experience, capturing the essence of childhood summer vacations with a beautiful art style and engaging characters.
- It features a vast open world with plenty of activities to explore, including bug catching, fishing, and interacting with whimsical characters, making it a relaxing and enjoyable experience.
- The game is well-designed with tight mechanics, a cozy atmosphere, and a strong emphasis on exploration, making it appealing to fans of life simulation and adventure games.
- Some players may find the time limit mechanic restrictive, as the in-game days are finite and can limit exploration and activities.
- The graphics, while charming, may not be as detailed as previous entries in the series, leading to some disappointment among longtime fans.
- The PC port lacks advanced graphic settings and has some performance issues, such as a locked framerate and limited visual options compared to other platforms.
- graphics9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and stylized art style that enhances the overall experience, with well-designed characters and lively environments. While some critics note that the visuals lack the detail of previous titles, the engaging mechanics and interactivity compensate for this, making it a cozy and adventurous experience. However, the PC port is limited in graphical options, offering only minor improvements over the Switch version.
“The art style is amazing, the characters are interesting and well designed, the mechanics are tight and fluid, and it's got lots of things you can miss, meaning it's a great game to replay.”
“The characters and areas feel alive and real, the controls feel great, the dialogue is fun and interesting, the environment and stylized graphics make for such a cozy and adventurous experience.”
“The art style is excellent and perfectly melds with the writing and sound.”
“This in turn makes the art style downgrade in comparison with bnn's real detailed backgrounds (which fans of the bnn have criticized), though it could be argued this compromise was made to incorporate the fully 3D gameplay.”
“The visuals are not as detailed as previous Natsuyasumi games, which had hand-drawn 2D backgrounds, but all the interactivity of the world and freedom of exploration easily makes up for it.”
“But the PC port is bare bones; you have one graphic mode setting with three options that range from 'looks like the Switch version' to 'it still looks like the Switch version but the draw distance is a bit better.'”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Natsumon is characterized by its fluid mechanics and engaging 3D environments, blending elements from Boku no Natsuyasumi and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Players appreciate the replayability due to numerous hidden elements and the unique in-game calendar system that ties daily activities to the passage of time. While the art style has received mixed reviews compared to its predecessor, the overall experience is enriched by the freedom of exploration and traversal mechanics.
“The art style is amazing, the characters are interesting and well designed, the mechanics are tight and fluid, and it's got lots of things you can miss, meaning it's a great game to replay.”
“Natsumon takes the idea of the chill summer holiday fun and makes it its own thing with fully 3D environments that differ from the more fixed camera angled gameplay of other titles.”
“Natsumon takes the idea of the chill summer holiday fun and makes it its own thing with fully 3D environments that differ from the more fixed camera angled gameplay of Boku no Natsuyasumi.”
“This in turn makes the art style downgrade in comparison with Boku no Natsuyasumi's detailed backgrounds, which fans have criticized, though it could be argued this compromise was made to incorporate the fully 3D gameplay.”
“One of the main gameplay features that separates Natsumon from the crowd is that every day you spend in this world is tied to the in-game calendar.”
- story5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The story centers around a 10-year-old boy enjoying his summer vacation in a picturesque port town in 90's Japan, where he explores and uncovers various activities with his circus family. Players engage in both main story tasks and smaller, relaxed mini-tasks, such as solving puzzles, all while freely roaming the island without strict guidance. This open-ended design enhances the nostalgic and exploratory feel of the narrative, making the experience enjoyable and immersive.
“What if Animal Crossing minus the furniture, and Yakuza but only the side missions and city-roaming, had a 3D platformer baby in which you play as a 10-year-old boy in 90's Japan who has just started his summer vacation in a beautiful port town with his circus family.”
“There is a lot to do and uncover on the island during your one-month holiday at Yomogi Town, and running around to explore new places is really fun. You receive stickers from completing missions that increase your stamina, which makes the experience a lot more enticing.”
“But that's part of the game's design and the story, as you're spending the last month of summer in these places.”
“The story feels disjointed and lacks a strong narrative drive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“While there are main story tasks, they often feel relaxed to the point of being unmotivating, and the mini-tasks can feel like filler rather than meaningful content.”
“The overall narrative is overshadowed by the abundance of side activities, leaving the main story feeling underdeveloped and less impactful.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its heartwarming and nostalgic themes, as players experience a cozy summer holiday filled with child-like wonder and memorable moments. The overall vibe is described as wholesome and relaxing, making it an enjoyable exploration of innocence and joy.
“A fun, wholesome, and chill game following a boy on summer holiday, making memories in a town he's never been to before, experiencing a nostalgic summer holiday full of the innocence of child-like wonder.”
“Heartwarming, wholesome, and very enjoyable!”
“Very cozy and wholesome.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game, composed by Hideki Sakamoto and Ryo Shirasawa, is praised for its chill and fun vibe, enhancing the overall gaming experience. Fans of the previous Millennium Kitchen title featuring Shin-chan will appreciate the continuity, as the same composers return to deliver fitting tracks for various scenes.
“Although both main composers for the OST, Hideki Sakamoto and Ryo Shirasawa, did the music for this game, those who have played the other Millennium Kitchen title featuring Shin-chan will be glad to know that the two also composed music for the first game as well.”
“Real chill and fun music along with fitting tracks for certain scenes; the music also enhances your enjoyment of the game.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players feel that the grinding aspect of the game can be tedious, suggesting that a more streamlined approach could enhance the experience, especially for those aiming for 100% completion. The comparisons to other games highlight a desire for a more engaging and less repetitive gameplay loop.
“Would make things a lot less tedious for 100% if it did.”
“What if you mixed Breath of the Wild (with no combat), Harvest Moon (with no farming), and Animal Crossing (with no talking animals)?”
