Famicom Detective Club Reviews
A beautiful-looking game, which is perfect for those with a lot of patience and a natural desire to uncover the truth. I just wish it was more interactive and allowed to do more than just ask questions.
Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir lets Western audiences experience an adventure game they never could before. The story is engaging for what it is, but its pages are well-worn, and it shows
The Famicom Detective Club games show their age, but The Missing Heir still packs a twisty, Agatha Christie punch.
I know this is starting to sound like a piece more dedicated to visual novels than Famicom Detective Club itself, but I promise you it's not. The games' history and their context is just so important. Visual novels aren't new, and they aren't unpopular, but still they end up being categorized as a niche genre for specific people, or as "smaller" or "easier" games. That's wrong, and Famicom Detective Club demonstrates that. These two games take mechanics from visual novels and adventure games of the past to create an immersive, diverse experience.
It's both an astonishing and exciting time in gaming to see Nintendo willing to dig into their archives and bring back a retro adventure title.
The Famicom Detective Club remakes are living history, and a chance to catch up on what you missed out on, either by being too young, or not being able to speak Japanese. Though The Missing Heir has its faults, those faults are largely down to "that's just how games used to be", and it's held up remarkably well all the same.
The Girl Who Stands Behind is just as appealing and upgraded as The Missing Heir, and we really can't recommend one without the other, although you can play either separately. The story in The Girl Who Stands Behind is creepier, and the characters are more likeable, though they're also a little more forgettable at the same time. This double-bill of murder mystery games is a must-play for anyone who loves the genre.
With an amazing story full of murder and mystery, Famicom Detective Club is a remake worth investigating.
Overall, the Famicom Detective Club games are interesting gaming curiosities from an older era of gaming. If you are more of a Nintendo historian, then you will find these games fascinating. For everyone else though, they are an acquired taste.
It's wonderful to have the classic Famicom Detective Club games remade with modern artwork and with full Western localisations, but the flow of these visual novel detective stories is distinctly lacking and infuriatingly obtuse at times. Still, we can hope this is a sign that Nintendo is considering a truly modern revival of the Detective Club series in future.
"Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir & Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind" presents us with two excellent stories, full of mystery and excitement. In addition, the artistic section is very well maintained. The graphics look beautiful anime style, and both the melodies and the dubbing of the voices are a delight. This mix of three excellent elements (history, graphics and sound) make the game a very outstanding and recommended work. It is a real shame that it does not come translated into Spanish, as it will keep many players away from this jewel.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
An interesting historical curio that has its charms, and some surprisingly good storytelling, but the old school gameplay and very modern pricing are not a good combination.
Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind don’t exactly have a lot of true “gameplay” to them and there are no consequences for wrong decisions, but the story that plays out as you figure out what to do next and apply logic and reasoning to investigations is a thrilling romp. If you want a high-quality visual novel, a good mystery story to follow, and a time capsule of game design all in one, the Famicom Detective Club remakes feel like a solid call.
Two visual novels beautifully redesigned, ideal for those who want to approach the genre, despite some drop in pace due to age.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I was worried both of these games would only be considered good from a historic standpoint, that they would be celebrated solely due to their longstanding absence outside of Japan. But thankfully, both Famicom Detective Club games stand on their own even thirty years after their initial release. These are two beautiful, gripping games that show the timelessness of a well-written mystery.
The Famicom Detective Club duology is, at its core, a beautiful set of remakes that will please players that can look past some of the dated mechanics.
Those with an interest in Nintendo's history should undoubtedly pick up Famicom Detective Club, and those simply looking for a couple of good mystery yarns will have a fun time with it too. Just be aware that it’s a very linear adventure, and once you’re done there’s very little replay value.
I don’t think anything is gained by playing either Famicom Detective Club that can’t be gained by watching a playthrough because the puzzles are at best throwaway and at worst barely present. These are inherently flawed games, but if somehow the idea of slogging through menus isn’t a turn off there are absolutely two great, down to Earth murder mysteries to be experienced here.
Famicom Detective Club is a great remake.
The stunning visuals, UI streamlining and great voice performances mean that Famicom Detective Club can stand toe to toe with any contemporary visual novels. Let's hope more forgotten gems are localised and released. I'm looking at you Mother 3.