konnichi wa, What’s it Like heya yokoso, kyou wa nihongo wa manan de i masu! *Ahem* I should say, Hello and welcome to What’s It Like, today we are learning Japanese. While I like to think I have many strengths, learning a new language isn’t one of them and I’m somewhat akin to Luitenant Aldo Raine when he tries to speak Italian… “Gorlami” I digress though. What if there was a way to learn a new language while playing video games though? Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography aims to do so in this unique concept of a game. What’s it Like? Get your notebook, grab your camera, and prepare to focus as we review Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography for Nintendo Switch.
Shashingo: Learning Japanese with Photography is a unique concept that sees you walking around a small city area that is reminiscent of Tokyo. There’s no real objective here except to learn at your pace by exploring the city center. The gameplay revolves around walking around the city, taking photos of objects which will then read out the Japanese word for it, as well as display kana, romaji, or kanji and furigana, which is Shashingo’s double-edged sword so to speak. As I’m not at all versed in Japanese, I found Romaji handy which basically spells out how to pronounce the word in English, but when it’s selected, you can’t see how it’s written in Japanese, so you have to rely on the audio cue. I think it would have been great to have a romaji + kanji option to help both pronounce and read the word. This might not even be an issue for some, but it was something that stood out to me because of the way I learn, and that’s really what lies at the core of Shashingo. Players will be able to learn their own way, which may or may not be an effective way of picking up the language.
The photography aspect of the gameplay is well done, and you can zoom in to focus on an object, take its photo, and add it to your notebook. You can hunt down duplicate items in the city to find the set, and I found I was taking pride in making sure my shots were nice for my collection. It’s quite a charming game and felt like an educational Pokemon Snap, gently encouraging me to find objects and items to snap and learn what they are. For people looking to test their knowledge, find mode and quiz mode add a more gamified challenge. Find mode, gives you a Japanese word and you must photograph what you think it is in the world. Quiz mode randomly selects one of your photos and asks you to match the verbs to it. Winning these quizzes awards you with coins that you can use in the gatcha machine to buy more lenses or filters for your camera, rewarding learning and adding a bit of extra fun challenges for those looking for a more structured approach. Players can then further customize photos by adjusting levels, and filters, and adding borders to them for a bit of customisation and personality.
Thankfully, players can lean on their notepads which are carried around with them and fill up with Polaroids the more they explore and photograph the world. You can select a photo, listen to how the word is pronounced, and even flip it on most occasions to see verbs related to that word. Players who want to study further will find more notes in their notebooks which helps you with common phrases and words, almost like a “My First Japanese Lesson” book. It’s a nice touch, and I personally found this more interactive approach to learning was a welcome one, especially since I have struggled to learn from reading text since my stroke.
Shashingo looks gorgeous on the Switch and runs really well. Its engine reminds me of a smoother version of the Overwatch-style models and scenery, with a softer, rounder look. It’s visually appealing, and sometimes you get lost just taking it all in you forget you’re there to learn. There are some alleys to explore, and walking around seems to uncover small and intricate details you missed the first few times. It’s a bright and colourful world with a day and night cycle that features planes, trains, and automobiles but doesn’t seem to have any signs of human life. You will walk past cafes, shoe stores, convenience stores, and camera stores, but unfortunately can’t enter any of them due to the world’s design. It’s a small area, but it is packed full of detail and runs very well on both handheld and docked mode.
For my photographers looking into accessibility options, there are a few you can change to help you through your learning journey. Selectable options allow you to change the camera brightness and saturation, as well as being able to change the field of view, several volume options that allow you to isolate dialogue, and the ability to turn off the flash for gamers with photosensitivity. In the game, the font looks similar to a comic sans font which is presented as black text on a white background, making the high contrast easier to read. The game doesn’t have any time limits or restrictions either, meaning you can really just learn and explore at your own pace. As always, I recommend further research to find out if Shashingo suits your needs, and I encourage readers to ask questions if I can help further investigate specific features for you.
Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography is a gorgeous game that may help people learn Japanese depending on how they learn. Its price point is affordable, and it’s a fun world to get lost in. Gamers will have to weigh up how they want to learn as it isn’t quite as comprehensive as a Japanese textbook, but it’s a lot more fun. Sayonara!
So, What’s It Like? Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography is like Pokemon Snap, crossed with Japanese for Dummies.
