Fair warning: don't watch this trailer if you want to play Famicom Detective Club blind, as it does reveal some of the story!
The story of Famicom Detective Club is a wild one: released only in Japan over thirty years ago, the series is popular enough in Japan that Nintendo wanted to add Ayumi — one of the main characters — to Smash Bros, but ultimately decided that she was too unknown for Western audiences. She's still a trophy in Melee and a spirit in Ultimate, so you may have seen her!
However! The much-beloved detective visual novel games are finally, and somewhat unexpectedly, coming to the West with a localised new release on the 14th of May. The trailer above shows off the gorgeous new art, the characters, and the Japanese voiceover, all of which have been spruced up for modern audiences.
The two Famicom Detective Club games have to be bought separately, but buying one will get you a discount on the other. The Missing Heir is the first game, but the second game, The Girl Who Stands Behind, is a prequel — so you can play them in any order you like.
It's going to be interesting to see how these games do, partly because they've been unavailable to English-speaking audiences and Westerners for a long time, and partly because modernising games that are three decades old can't be an easy task. If you're already sold on the games. you can pre-order them on the NA eShop and the EU eShop.
Will you be picking up Famicom Detective Club? Did you somehow manage to play the originals? Let us know in the comments!
Comments 15
I’ll be going for subs. Rarely go for dubs if the media in question is actually set in a specific place and steeped in its culture.
Spoilers, the Butler did it!
@nessisonett despite the tagline, the game does not actually have dubs — which I can understand, as that would be a massive amount of extra work!
Northern Irish dub or gtfo.
If we get a physical release with english support I'll be first in line.
@KateGray Oh. Weird for a Nintendo first-party game to not have a dub option to be honest. I can’t remember the last time that happened.
These look like they were made with a lot of love. <3
@Aurumonado Digital only in the west; they're considered too niche to risk making cartridges for.
@KateGray Then why does the tagline have dub in it?
I clicked on the article expecting there to be an announcement about a dub?
(I prefer Subs but that tagline is very misleading)
I want these games but they are very expensive and not physical releases Oh well, enjoy them everyone who buys them
@jump When will people learn! The butler ALWAYS does it. Just arrest all butlers in this world and all crimes will be ended!
Man, you were really leading us on with that tagline! It would have been interesting to see this receive an English voice track.
As it stands, the digital-only release + lack of a dub makes me feel like NoA is sending these two games out to die like they did with Fatal Frame on Wii U. But, of course, this is still preferable to them not localizing the games at all.
I hear you all about the tagline, it's been changed! I should have known "subs vs dubs" would be read as a literal thing and not a joke, my bad
Can we turn off the speaking audio for this?
@nessisonett Tokyo mirage sessions was the most recent time I think.
I hope they release a physical copy to this
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