Famicom Detective Club Reviews
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.
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.
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
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.
The Famicom Detective Club games show their age, but The Missing Heir still packs a twisty, Agatha Christie punch.
This is a game that I can’t believe exists frankly, especially when you can go into the options and change the soundtrack to the original Disk System and Famicom versions. The Nintendo Switch has truly become enough of a broad success to allow room for experiments like this, even from Nintendo itself. And that rules.
Double portion of great Japan detective games.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
By today's standards, there's nothing revolutionary about Famicom Detective Club, but that doesn't stop both games from being really solid experiences. Despite a bit of predictability in the plots, both stories were incredibly engaging and nothing short of a complete joy to play through. It's easy to see that Mages really took a lot of pride in crafting a quality remake here, since every little detail shines through. If you're at all curious to see what these games are about, you owe it to yourself to give at least one of them a look.
Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind are two visual novels to live on your own skin, whether you're passionate about the genre or just looking for two great thrillers. And while it is true that the basically vintage structure could create rhythm problems, the quality of the writing, the very important soundtrack and the fabulous aesthetic restyling will make certain design artifices typical of the text adventures of the late 80s forget, leaving room only for the suspence, mystery and beauty of a gameplay that puts communication between characters first.
Review in Italian | Read full review
With an amazing story full of murder and mystery, Famicom Detective Club is a remake worth investigating.
It feels like a bit of a shame that this is the case, because The Girl Who Stands Behind‘s visuals and full voice acting act as firm yet soft cushioning that can very well welcome onlookers and entice them to take those first steps into the genre. Nevertheless, It’s a solid enough game that makes it worth a try for those interested in the subject matter—remember to check out The Missing Heir first—but be prepared for a few rocky patches on the way up.
For visual novel fans, these shortcomings are a small price to pay for such a stunningly polished product, but they still stick out like a sore thumb amidst the rest of the jaw-dropping surroundings. Mystery fans and visual novel fans alike would be remiss not to check out this brilliant revival of a classic title, but they must be prepared with an extra set of thinking caps that otherwise shouldn’t be necessary.
"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
What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a classic question and one that is very special to each of us. For me, I wanted to join the police. I came close, but eventually, my career path took me down a different route. However, thanks to Rapid Reviews I still got my chance to achieve my dream. Famicom Detective Club puts you in the driving seat as a member of the Utsugi Detective Agency.
The Famicom Detective Club games are excellent, highly traditional detective mystery stories. Some might see that as "quaint", "old", "antiquated" or even "simple." That's simply our cultural experience talking. The reality is that these games are highly relevant to the Japanese understanding and interest in the genre, and the core storytelling experience is so modern it's easy to forget that they're remakes of NES-era classics. Throw in some of the most stunning VN art from the very masters of the genre, and this little collection of two titles has every chance of becoming one of the sleeper hits of the year. And, who knows? If it finds the audience it deserves, it might just inspire Nintendo and Mages to make a new one. I'd be up for more Famicom Detective Club.
Famicom Detective Club holds your attention from first the first frames and to the credits, even if you know the genre like the back of your hand. Every piece of the story works in a tandem, creating a dark and twisted adventure with believable characters. Every session with Detective Club is an adventure of its own, and when you put the game down, it's hard to not delve on what will happen next.
Review in Russian | Read full review
For those looking for playable murder mysteries, Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind are easily recommended. Though neither game requires too much hard thinking on the part of the player, both feature entertaining stories and characters, with enough interaction and drip-feeding of clues to remain engaging throughout.
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.
On the one hand, there are the very handsome graphics with great animations and a great voice acting. But then there are the repetitive passages and the problems with "finding your way", even though there are fortunately no dead ends. The decision will probably come down to gameplay and story. Those looking for fast-paced gameplay and unprecedented story will probably not be happy with Famicom Detective Club. However, if you're not averse to visual novels in general and can relate to scary stories from the 80s and 90s, you should definitely give the game bundle a chance.
Review in German | Read full review
Famicon Detective Club is a bundle package going the extra mile to satisfy long term fans whilst introducing newer gamers to the franchise. Although visual novels generally age well, this new port of both The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind wonderfully maintain the original feel of the games with some great new changes to make them future proof. They both feature truly spectacular narration as their stories unfold, and continue to keep things fresh with new themes interspersed at regular intervals. Both games look stunning as well, with superb visuals. Overall, this duology is perfect for lovers of visual novels who enjoy whodunnits with a side of horror and mystery added for good measure.