Everything I said about price and presentation in my previous review of The Girl Who Stands Behind applies here too. The Missing Heir still sounds and looks amazing, but it is still overpriced. What I want to touch on in this review are the story and gameplay, which are vastly different from the second game.

I found the story in The Missing Heir to be fantastic. In the second game, the event you're investigating happens right at the start, meaning you're following in its trail the whole time and not much new is happening, you're just slowly uncovering the mysteries of that event. I wouldn't have chalked that down as a bad thing if this one didn't play out so differently. In The Missing Heir, things are constantly happening around you in the midst of the investigation, persistently alternating your course of action, and making things way more exciting. It weaves many more threads into the story, posing a lot of questions that kept me on the edge of my seat for all of my six hour sitting, and all of these threads tie up well. One of my complaints about the The Girl Who Stands Behind was that there was no character building for the protagonist. He felt like an empty vessel for the player, and I didn't think this one would be any different, but I'm pleased to announce that I was wrong. This game sets a great foundation for the main character, as this is a story that would not have worked without him, so it's disappointing that the second game didn't take that development anywhere. I described the second game as feeling like a one-off Ace Attorney case, but I'm now realising that that's not a good thing.

So the story is really good and much better than the second game's, now what's different about the gameplay? It's terrible. Every complaint I had about the second game's outdated adventure gameplay is amplified here tenfold. It's so incredibly frustrating, and I'd recommend that anyone playing this one keeps a guide on hand at all times. There were a couple of redeeming qualities about it though. Rather than have you pick from a list of potential answers when making deductions, this game pulls up a keyboard and asks you to type your answer instead. I found that this was a clever little way of making me feel like I was piecing things together myself, even if it only happened twice. The other noteworthy gameplay element is that there's a minor first person dungeon crawling section at the end, which was nothing to write home about, but it was a welcome surprise and a nice change of pace.

If you absolutely have to try one of the Famicom Detective Club games at full price, get this one. While its adventure gameplay made me want to rip my hair out, its excellent story and presentation kept me engaged the entire time. Both of these games plus maybe two or three more cases of equal length would have made a great package for $60/£50, but if that happened back on the Famicom, the Ace Attorney series we know and love may not exist today. Famicom Detective Club will always be the older brother in the shadow of the Ace Attorney series, but these remakes will ensure that its influence will never be forgotten.

I really enjoyed this game a ton. You can see where games like Phoenix Wright originated.

They kept it very very true to the original which was extremely annoying at times. There isn’t always good hints and sometimes it feels like you’re hearing the same stuff over and over but the story and characters really save it.

Truly a wonderful score, art and story. I also excited a lot of the subtle animations as well. I will be getting the next game.

This was short but very good. Depending on your perception of value to price ratio, for me it’s worth it but the short length might make the price look daunting. Might want to get it in sale if you think the time should reflect price. If you’re looking for a good short story where price isn’t an issue, I’d say jump at it.

I really enjoyed the end despite me guessing it about halfway through.

It isn’t a bad game, it just sucks that they didn’t do many QOL improvements to gameplay.

Some of the gameplay revolving around haphazardly trying every single option multiple times until the game decides to progress is extremely archaic, but honestly props to Nintendo/MAGES for keeping the core game exactly the same as it was back in the day. Of course it's not playing the original, but just as a matter of historical record, it was really cool to have essentially that same experience as fans of this game had over 30 years ago.

What's also great is that confusing progression aside, it still really holds up! This is just a fun murder mystery in the classic tradition, and all of the twists are well foreshadowed/set up beforehand, which makes it very satisfying to see everything revealed and find out what twists you saw coming vs. which ones did manage to take you by surprise. If I had one complaint about the story it's that the ending is slightly abrupt, the culprit's plan having so many complex stages only to end in a final step that seems very poorly thought out on their part felt a bit "too easy." But the rest of the ongoing developments really had me along for the ride, and I thought the story was well paced.

Can't believe I'm saying this but you gotta give props to Yoshio Sakamoto for writing this. Other M is a colossal failure on every level, but I think this game proves that he's capable of crafting a great story as well. I have a lot more sympathy for him now after getting to see his talents in that area really shine here. Hopefully the west getting these games is the start of a turnaround in public perception, maybe that ends with a good story for a new 2D Metroid... it's nice to dream!

There's a lot I will forgive for a good story and ridiculously opaque dialogue and event triggering is one of them.

Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir shows its age in its gameplay. I'm used to brute forcing my way through games like this but some points were so confounding I gave up and followed a walkthrough. I don't necessarily mind Mages keeping true to the original game but you may want to keep a walkthrough handy if you don't want to click the same menu options over and over again hoping for new dialogue. Despite that, the story was gripping enough for me to eagerly press on. It's a bit of a classic Japanese murder mystery, but somehow despite its age and lack of originality, it's still fascinating seeing everything unfold.

The game is fairly short, clocking in at roughly 7-8 hours due to limitations of the system it was originally on, but there is no moment wasted in those seven hours. There is no filler or moments where the pacing is off. The story clips along at a sustained pace, tensions building up as events unfold, only slightly faltering at the very end but wraps up nicely nonetheless.

It's obvious now where Ace Attorney came from. There's something special in playing a game among the first in its genre and seeing where its influences lead decades later. Mages has done a very good job with breathing life in this game. Aside from the at times frustrating navigation, it feels like a modern and well thought out visual novel with stunning presentation. The game is gorgeous in terms of graphics, sound design, complete voice acting and delightful animation. If we had a more Ace Attorney-like navigation system where it was more obvious what dialogue options were new, this would have easily become one of my new favourites but I don't fault Mages remaining faithful to the original. As it is, it's still an easy recommendation for fans of the genre.

This is one of the most satisfying, most emotional mystery stories I've ever played through in a video game. And it accomplishes this in a lean eight-hour playthrough. 'The Missing Heir,' then stands in stark contrast to the comically verbose 35+ hour runtimes of some of the later 'Ace Attorney' games. I will say that some of the conversational decisions in 'The Missing Heir' are impossible to logic your way through. But luckily, there are never too many possible options at any given time so you can easily brute force your way through any of that feeling of 'what do I do next?'

A curiosity ever since the Ayumi Tachibana trophy in Super Smash Bros Melee, I'm glad Nintendo finally used these remakes as an opportunity to localize important games in their history for the first time. I appreciate trying to keep the game logic as close to the Famicom originals as possible, but it does make it so frequently checking a spoiler-free guide is recommended. At the very least, it's easy to imagine this series continuing on from this (and the improved sequel) to better telegraph options to select so the player is less distracted from the fun mystery plots and gorgeous presentation.

Voice work is lovely and the art is gorgeous but I found the mystery a little too easy to piece together early on...

I know it's an old game so, maybe that's why it was so easy or something, idk.

Still! Glad it got a remake and made it's way overseas!

A very classic murder mystery game in every way for better or worse. The story is a very by-the-books mystery focused on deaths surrounding a family inheritance but after playing/reading so many mysteries with bizarre over-the-top characters and rube goldberg murder methods, FDC's more conventional and down-to-earth mystery is refreshing and comfy in a way. The story comes together pretty well and, aside from the pauses caused by the gameplay, it's nicely paced with substantial story events happening pretty regularly. I would've liked for Ayumi to be a constant investigation partner throughout the game though just to add some more personality to the interactions and because she's cute. Probably the worst part about the game is that it retains the classic adventure gameplay in its entirety where you have to take a lot of annoying steps to progress through the story like repeating certain dialogue choices over and over again and examining random things with very little guidance. Around the 75% mark I just started using a walkthrough to save time. Aside from that though, I think it's a very well-done remake. The music and art is nice and the animation looks surprisingly natural compared to the weird bouncy live2D animation a lot of VNs/JRPGs tend to go for.

Una obra de su tiempo, que bien podría haberse quedado allí.

Pros:
- Comparándolo con el original, el trabajo de remasterizado visual y sonoro es brillante.
- Aunque clasicote, el guion es salvable.
- Al menos, el asesino no es el mayordomo.

Contras:
- Al juego se la pela por completo el tiempo del jugador. Es enrevesado en su progreso de una forma completamente artificial y frustrante.
- Le faltan giros de guion y sorpresas por doquier, demasiado clásico en su concepción.
- OTRO PROTAGONISTA AMNÉSICO.

This is a hard one. The game has a solid storyline with interesting characters and believable twists and turns. The 3D models are gorgeous, looking hand animated and crisp. The problem with the game is that it's challenging to choose the correct dialogue choice or action to trigger the plot to advance. At times I found myself looping through the same dialogue options three or more times. One time, the game even required me to choose the "quit game" option to advance the plot! If it weren't as tedious to find the correct choice, this game would certainly score higher marks.

A thrilling murder mystery Visual Novel that perfectly captures what so many love about the genre. The twists and turns will have you constantly guessing what's going to happen next, and who the true culprit is.

An easy way to detect a good Visual Novel is by taking a look at the cast. The depth of the characters and their chemistry with one another is key to creating a compelling visual novel that will continuously keep the player engaged. The Missing Heir nails that. The protagonist either connects with everyone he meets, or there is a stiff tension that manages to make even you uncomfortable by it. As the story progresses you'll likely become very attached to some of those who are affected directly by the mystery, and have to watch helplessly unable to assist their sorrows.

Another strong quality of any good mystery Visual Novel is the ability to keep you guessing. I believe I suspected nearly every character except for the actual culprit (as you knew them at least) of the crime at one point or another. The game consistently blew my socks off, especially towards the end.

It is really only held back by a few annoying to discover progressions, and slight pacing issues at times. Nothing major though. Overall, very satisfied with the purchase. Very glad that these games finally made it to the west officially.

A very interesting piece of Nintendo's history available to the West for the first time

As a remake of a game originally released in 1988, it is so intriguing to see the glow up, especially in the character designs. Full Japanese voice acting, beautiful art, and soundtrack options, it ticks off most of the things you would expect in a remake.

The gameplay itself could've done with a bit of a glow up. It is almost entirely text/option based, which is fine for a visual novel but the game can be a little too obtuse with what it wants you to do. There are times where you need to select something multiple times to progress and the game gives you little in the way of hints to know that. I feel like greying out options after you've exhausted dialogue would have been extremely helpful in keeping the pace.

The story itself is a pretty standard murder mystery affair and very down to earth. There aren't any massive shocks or twists but it manages to be engaging and entertaining to poke the player's curiosity. The murder scenes in particular is the kind of stuff you don't really expect in a Nintendo game. The characters are fine, nothing too special though the protagonist does get some meaningful development. I was hoping to see a bit more of Ayumi here after hearing how she was considered for Melee at one point but I believe her role is bigger in the next game.

Overall, solid remake that could have done with a little more modernisation but I very much appreciate finally having the chance to check out this series

So happy Nintendo of America finally brought something cool like this over. You can definitely feel its age as a very early VN Famicom game, but still definitely worth playing if your into Nintendo history. There are times where you have to click EVERY option in the menu, but it is what it is. Otherwise, the story definitely picks up starting in Chapter 8 I’d say. The UI is so snazzy and just feels high budget. Everything is so animated and slick, and especially the actual visuals of the game. This has to be one of the highest budget visual novel games ever produced. Just one story compaint I have so spoiler warning: HOW IS THIS KID A “DETECTIVE” AND NEVER NOTICED THE GIANT BURN MARK ON HIM FOR LIKE 5 DAYS?? like he had to have showered in that time period, right? When they first brought up the burn mark in like chapter 5 or whatever, i was like “he better not have the burn mark, theres no way he wouldn't notice the burn mark in the span of over a week” I don't care if its not in a super visible spot, HE WOULD HAVE NOTICED.” Low and behold like 5 chapters later. (This isnt a major complaint or anything) Again, so happy Nintendo let us have this one, please do this with other non localized Japan only games!

É uma surpresa agradável descobrir a existência e ainda receber assim do nada, sem muito alarde um remake de uma franquia quase que completamente esquecida pela Nintendo.

Muito me intriga por que não existem mais jogos dessa franquia, nem arrisco a fazer deduções, mas o fato é que Famicom Detective Club é sensacional.

Normalmente Visual Novels são transposições audiovisuais de livros ou de livros-jogo (RPG solo), onde as poucas decisões que o jogador faz são acerca das rotas que a história possui, isso quando se trata de uma narrativa com múltiplas rotas. Nem sempre é assim.

Alguns VNs optam por opções de diálogo que geram karma ou outros sistemas similares, e começam a atravessar essa zona cinzenta quando vão ganhando mecânicas e outros elementos de jogo.

Aqui em Missing Heir, e similar em The Girls who Stands Behind, o ritmo da aventura segue próximo de grandes nomes do gênero como Ace Attorney, sem rotas alternativas e sem tantas mecânicas de jogo.

Na real isso é característica dos adventures japoneses. E assim como em Visual Novels e JRPGs a leitura é pesada e um dos maiores atrativos do gênero.

Os maiores méritos do título ficam justamente por conta do roteiro, muito bem escrito e fechadinho, com vários elementos misteriosos que vão sendo solucionados a medida que descobertas são feitas e os eventos desenrolam.

Além do roteiro, as animações são excelentes. A MAGES fez um excelente trabalho com esse título, misturando belíssimos cenários de fundo com personagens 3D usando técnicas modernas de cell shading e cortes de quadros pra ilustrar as diversas situações.

Às vezes é até esquisito a fluidez de movimento dos personagens que você jura serem 2D, mas quando se movimentam revelam que são modelos tridimensionais muito bem trabalhados pra passar essa ilusão.

Além da belíssima qualidade da direção de arte, o time optou por uma interface bem limpa e minimalista, nada tão fascinante como os jogos da Atlus, mas com apresentação de ícones, fontes e menus mais sóbria e neutra.

A trilha sonora do jogo é marcante e algumas canções se tornam bem características de certos momentos, similar ao que acontece em Ace Attorney, com suas famosas músicas temas. Os efeitos sonoros também são gostosinhos e conversam com toda a direção visual e sonora do jogo.

E surpreendentemente o jogo para em alguns momentos pra pedir ao jogador respostas que ele precisa ter desvendado por conta própria, abrindo a entrada de dados via teclado do Switch. Não tem múltipla escolha, é na base da dedução das respostas, que se limitam a uma palavra, pra não dificultar demais.

No fim das contas, The Missing Heir não inova ou ousa tanto dentro do gênero, especialmente no tocante à quebra-cabeças, afinal, para todos os efeitos, é um remake de um jogo do NES, carregando consigo limitações de design da época.

Só jogando o original pra compreender bem quais as mudanças que foram feitas e fazer uma comparação direta. Algo que estou disposto a fazer.