Miyachi Discusses the Setting
Miyachi:
We wanted to centre the story around the three members of the Utsugi Detective Agency: Shunsuke Utsugi, the protagonist, and Ayumi Tachibana. Since it was hard to imagine what that world would be like decades after the previous game, we decided to set this game in a time that retains the feel of the original games.
Also, as we were discussing how we wanted to add new elements, we started wondering what year cell phones began to be more common in Japan. We decided to go for an era when life was neither too convenient, nor too inconvenient. Do you remember that, Sakamoto-san?
Sakamoto Reflects on the Era
Sakamoto:
Oh, I remember alright. (Laughs) It was the late ’80s when we made the original Famicom Detective Club games. Back then, life in Japan was steadily becoming more convenient, although we still had our share of frustrations, so we felt that cell phones, rather than smartphones, would best fit the story.
Miyachi:
You can make phone calls during various scenes in this game. In general, you can’t make a phone call when you’re talking to someone face-to-face – that would be rude! But by calling up a character when you don’t really need to, you may get to see an unexpected side of them.
Expanding the Audience
Sakamoto:
That’s right. This time, we really wanted to make the game enjoyable not only for Famicom Detective Club fans, but also for new players. With that in mind, we wanted to change the atmosphere from previous games and make it more colourful.
A Vibrant New Direction
Sakamoto:
For better or worse, the previous games had an unrefined, gloomy atmosphere. That’s part of Famicom Detective Club’s charm, but for this title, we wanted a more colourful, vibrant feel. Famicom Detective Club games have always used humour to break up the sense of dread.
That said, we still felt there was something heavy or gloomy lingering around them. Of course, that’s always been our aim, and that hasn’t changed in this game. However, we wanted to change the atmosphere in this game to make it less oppressive and more refined.
We achieved this in the end, thanks to Miyachi-san’s contributions. I believe that Famicom Detective Club’s “sunnier” side has been enhanced in a good way.
Adding Humor Across Languages
Miyachi:
Speaking of jokes, we had to explain the meaning of this really lame Japanese pun to the overseas localisation teams, which was…a little embarrassing. (Laughs) Once we’d explained the meaning, they got it and suggested changes to make it work for players outside Japan. So, no matter which language you play in, you’ll get to see some funny jokes. (Laughs)
Sakamoto:
You mentioned localisation, but regardless of which language you play it in, I think some things are universally understood. For example, the subtle changes in characters’ emotions or small details presented in the game. I hope players enjoy those aspects as well.