Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir | The Girl Who Stands Behind

[Miles]

Release Information

Developer: Mages Inc.
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Genre: Visual Novel
Language: English (subtitled with Japanese VO)
eShop Download Size: 2.0GB (The Missing Heir) / 1.9GB (The Girl Who Stands Behind)
Release Date: May 14, 2021
Price: $34.99 each, $10 discount on the second game after you buy one
(Only available as a bundle in Europe for £49.99 / 59,99€)

Overview

This murder mystery duology brings back two classic first party Nintendo games that never made their way outside of Japan. Originally released for the Famicom Disk System, these mythical games have been localized in English for the first time. Fully remade from the ground up, these remakes feature beautiful graphics, a completely redone soundtrack (with the option to switch to the original BGM), and full Japanese voice acting.

These games are essentially whodunnit stories presented in a sort of point and click adventure game. You take the role of a detective (named by you) tasked with the role of solving murders in the countryside of Japan. You are assisted by the lovely Ayumi Tachibana who is skilled in naginata combat. Unravel the mysteries at hand!

Media

Reception

Metacriic: 74
Opencritic: 76
My Heart: 100

Check out the reviews thread here.

FAQ

Which game should I play first?
While The Missing Heir may have released first, The Girl Who Stands Behind is actually a prequel and takes place first. Truth be told, it really doesn't matter which one you play first, as they are designed to be played in any order. It is purely a matter of personal preference between release order or chronological order. That said, The Girl Who Stands Behind is a smoother gameplay experience and may be better served playing after the first.

I love Ace Attorney. Will I like these games?
Sure! In a lot of ways, these games inspired the sort of Japanese adventure games like Ace Attorney or Hotel Dusk that came afterwards. Please note however these are NES games at their core. Despite their flashy new presentation, they play just like they did in the 80s, which may be a source of frustration.

Why does the name Ayumi Tachibana sound familiar?
Fans of Super Smash Bros. may recognize Ayumi from the trophy section of Melee. For many of us, this was the first interaction we ever had with the FDC franchise!

I noticed the second game got a fan translation but not the first. Why is that?
Because of limitations of the Famicom Disk System, a fan translation was not feasible for the original games. However, this is actually the second remake of The Girl Who Stands Behind! The first was on the Super NES. Being on that system allowed for a fan translation to actually happen, and this version is where the series became known as a cult classic.

Is there a physical release?
As of this time, the only physical release available is the Japanese version. While the Switch is region free, this version does not include English text.

From the makers of Metroid, really?
Yes! Though they play nothing alike, both games were originally made by Nintendo R&D1, and these games were written by Metroid series producer Yoshio Sakamoto.