[orient]

Has anyone else played this DS game? I bought it after reading the Adventure Gamers review about a month back. I'm really enjoying it so far (I'm on the 3rd case - about 7 hrs in) despite its obvious shortcomings.

The game is well written (but not without the occasional spelling mistake) and provides a variety of interesting cases for Jake Hunter to solve. But be aware that it really is Jake solving these mysteries, not you. Figuring things out for yourself is what makes this game interesting, but it definitely isn't required to progress. The gameplay is actually rather mindless; all you do is exhaust menu options and the inventory-based puzzles basically boil down to either showing your business card, or using your phone. There is no challenge and for some people that's an immediate no-no, but I'm kind of open to this sort of game/novel. I can't say it's extremely well-executed, but it has remained entertaining for a good few hours.

The first thing I noticed when starting up the game was that, compared to Phoenix Wright or Hotel Dusk, Jake Hunter is seriously lacking in terms of presentation. The game is generally quite ugly, with an unappealing interface, needlessly small buttons, completely static, awkwardly drawn characters and rather unimpressive photos for backgrounds. To make things a little more odd, the game is apparently set in the USA, but the backgrounds are clearly photos of an Asian country (Japan?).

The one redeeming factor in Jake Hunter, in terms of its presentation, are the cool cut-scenes that pop up from time to time, usually at the beginning and end of every case. The animation is subtle, but nicely done nonetheless. As for the music, it's pretty cool and catchy, but also pretty repetitive.

For the people that have played it, what do you think? And does the game mix it up a little after the third case?

[AndreaDraco83]

The fourth case is perhaps my favorite and the sixth one is really, really great. After you've completed the titular Memories of the Past, be sure to check out the bonus story about the case (it's pretty easy to find the right password, but if you need it, feel free to ask me )

[orient]

Awesome, thanks

The current case, Crash and Burn, is probably my least favourite so far. I thought the second case was awesome.

[AndreaDraco83]

The second case was very dramatic, with a powerful, emotional conclusion. Crash and Burn was nice because of all the Yulia's background, but it was indeed a bit slow.

[fov]

I played the original release (just three cases, crappy translation) and it ruined me. Glad to hear others are enjoying this expanded version, but I can't bring myself to try it.

Good insight that it's Jake solving the cases, not you. I didn't like the feeling that I wasn't controlling anything that happened, just sitting back passively reading about someone else doing it. I do like lots of story in my games games and I like 3rd person, and normally a puzzle-light, story-heavy presentation wouldn't bother me, but the way Jake Hunter did it just made me feel like I wasn't participating at all.

[orient]

True, fov, but in the game's defense, it does try and give the illusion of choice and challenge through multiple choice menus. Like whenever there's an "action" moment, you can choose what Jake should do. I don't think there's really any consequences of getting it wrong, but it's something at least.

I completed Crash and Burn last night. The ending was pretty good, actually, although I could sort of see what was going to happen.

AndreaDraco83, do you read many detective books? Like pulpy, noir-type stuff? I want to pick one up but I really don't know where to start.

[Trickless]

I liked the game, each story has something different to offer. Main criticism is its (extreme) lack of challenge, although its wasn't too much of a problem for me, but I can understand how it can turn some people off. The only part I found difficult was:

Spoiler:

In As Time Goes By when you have to pick the culprit and the motive behind it, and other parts where you have to pick multiple answers.

I'd like to point out that the game's first 4 stories are actually remakes of the first 4 games of the series. Although the game looks like it was mostly based around the mobile phone iterations hence the rather simplistic gameplay.

Seaside Conspiracy
aka.Yokohama Port Serial Murder Case


Famicom (1988)


Mobile Phone(2004)


DS (2007)

[orient]

Thanks for the pics, Trickless. Playing a game like this back in the Famicom/NES days would've blew my mind as a kid. I didn't know games could tell stories until Resident Evil on PlayStation I grew up with a MasterSystem and later on a Megadrive and back then, SEGA were big on the "arcade" experience, so nearly everything was action, brawling and platforming.

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by orient

AndreaDraco83, do you read many detective books? Like pulpy, noir-type stuff? I want to pick one up but I really don't know where to start.

Yeah, I just love the stuff. If you want a good place to start, I'd check out The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (maybe coupled with a vision of the film of the same name, directed by John Huston and with Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre - a masterpiece). Another good place to start is with The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler: he and Hammett are the fathers of hard-boiled narrative and they are easily the best even today. If you should prefer more modern choices, more pulp than Noir, I'd recommend The Black Dahlia and/or L. A. Confidential by James Ellroy.

These are all classic detective stories, very similar to the atmosphere of Jake Hunter. There are even more books I'd recommend, but since they are more, let's say, peculiar, I'd save them for a PM, if you want to contact me.

[orient]

Awesome, thanks a lot That should be enough to get me started. I'll do some research myself and see which one most tickles my fancy.

I've been holding out hope for a translation of 428 ~Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de~ for Wii, but it doesn't seem very likely at this stage I think that, much like Jake Hunter, this game is part of a series that was really popular back in the 8/16-bit era.

[Trickless]

I think 428 is a spiritual sequel to Machi, another adventure game (or Sound Novel as they like to call) by Chunsoft. Don't think it's part of a long running series though, but Chunsoft have made other 'sound novel' games since the SNES era. They're often highly praised but I don't think we'll ever get to see an official English release for them.

Don't think we'll be seeing anymore Jake Hunter games for a while too.

[After a brisk nap]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

Yeah, I just love the stuff. If you want a good place to start, I'd check out The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (maybe coupled with a vision of the film of the same name, directed by John Huston and with Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre - a masterpiece).

For more Hammett goodness, I strongly recommend The Glass Key and Red Harvest. Maybe even more than The Maltese Falcon, they really established the tone and attitude of hardboiled noir fiction.

[Origami]

Uggghh..they should release this in the EU so I can play it =(

[The Seed]

Originally Posted by Origami

Uggghh..they should release this in the EU so I can play it =(

Do what I did: Play-Asia.com. Have used them a few times now, very reliable, only took about a week for my goods to arrive from Hong Kong. Might have to wait for it to come back in stock though.

[orient]

Originally Posted by Origami

Uggghh..they should release this in the EU so I can play it =(

I found someone shipping the game internationally on eBay and it was pretty cheap ($20AU all up).