J.B. Harold Murder Club
Encyclopedia
J.B. Harold Murder Club, known as J.B. Harold no Jikenbo #1: Murder Club in Japan, is a 1986 murder mystery adventure game
, developed by Riverhillsoft and released for the NEC PC-98, MSX
, MS-DOS
, NEC
TurboGrafx-CD (TurboDuo
) and Nintendo DS
platforms. The TurboGrafx-CD version featured still photographs, text and audio voices as well as the option to select the language, English
or Japanese
.
s, which includes Manhattan Requiem (1987), Kiss of Murder (1988), D.C. Connection (1989), and Blue Chicago Blues (1995). J.B Harold Murder Club is the first and only title in the series to be released in the United States, while the rest were released only for Japanese computers.
of the game was released for the Japanese Nintendo DS
, under the title Keiji J.B. Harold no Jikenbo: Satsujin Club. Remakes for two of its sequels were also released for the DS later that year as a compilation entitled Keiji J.B. Harold no Jikenbo: Manhattan Requiem & Kiss of Murder.
#176 by Hartley, Patricia and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars.
GameSpot
included the game in its list of titles that deserve an enhanced remake
, stating that it was "one of the most difficult games ever made", had "some of the most memorable voice acting of all time", and that "to this day there isn't much out there quite like it." They compared it to more recent titles such as the adventure games Shenmue
(1999) and Shadow of Memories
(2001) as well as the role-playing video game
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
(2003), stating that it similarly features "character interaction as the major gameplay element" and has "a similar type of multiple phrase response."
. As Donn Nausert stated, "I don't think this is a subject that the American public is comfortable with in a video game, even though it's not dealt with graphically..."
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
, developed by Riverhillsoft and released for the NEC PC-98, MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
, MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
, NEC
NEC
, a Japanese multinational IT company, has its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government....
TurboGrafx-CD (TurboDuo
TurboDuo
The TurboDuo was a video game console released in the United States. It was released on October 10, 1992 by 'Turbo Technologies Incorporated', a Los Angeles-based corporation consisting of NEC and Hudson Soft employees, established to market NEC consoles in North America after NEC Home Electronics...
) and Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
platforms. The TurboGrafx-CD version featured still photographs, text and audio voices as well as the option to select the language, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
or Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
.
Story and gameplay
A horrible murder has taken place in the sleepy little town of Liberty. Bill Robbins, a wealthy man known for his wild womanizing ways is the victim and, list of possible suspects keeps growing. As J.B. Harold you must figure out the who, what, where and why of the case. To solve the mystery you will need to travel to various locations, interview people and search for clues. The game is laid out over a grid map that displays various locations, though other than that, the game is mainly presented in the form of still photos.Series
J.B. Harold Murder Club is the first in the Japanese J. B. Harold series of murder mystery graphic adventure gameGraphic adventure game
A graphic adventure game is a form of adventure game. They are distinct from text adventures. Whereas a player must actively observe using commands such as "look" in a text-based adventure, graphic adventures revolutionized gameplay by making use of natural human perception...
s, which includes Manhattan Requiem (1987), Kiss of Murder (1988), D.C. Connection (1989), and Blue Chicago Blues (1995). J.B Harold Murder Club is the first and only title in the series to be released in the United States, while the rest were released only for Japanese computers.
Nintendo DS
In 2008, an enhanced remakeEnhanced remake
A video game remake is a game closely adapted from an earlier title, usually for the purpose of modernizing a game for newer hardware and contemporary audiences. Typically, a remake shares essentially the same title, fundamental gameplay concepts, and story elements of the original game...
of the game was released for the Japanese Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, under the title Keiji J.B. Harold no Jikenbo: Satsujin Club. Remakes for two of its sequels were also released for the DS later that year as a compilation entitled Keiji J.B. Harold no Jikenbo: Manhattan Requiem & Kiss of Murder.
Reception
The game was reviewed in 1991 in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#176 by Hartley, Patricia and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars.
TurboDuo reviews
Video Games and Computer Entertainment critic, Donn Nausert, praised the game's sound, graphics, and playability, giving it an overall score of 9 out of 10. Defunct Games stated, "This is the type of game that will no doubt appeal to the gamers who love a good murder mystery, and while it's not perfect there's no denying that it's the best game of its kind. This is the type of game you don't see much anymore, which is a real shame because for what it is J.B Harold is a lot of fun." They gave the game a score of 70%.GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
included the game in its list of titles that deserve an enhanced remake
Enhanced remake
A video game remake is a game closely adapted from an earlier title, usually for the purpose of modernizing a game for newer hardware and contemporary audiences. Typically, a remake shares essentially the same title, fundamental gameplay concepts, and story elements of the original game...
, stating that it was "one of the most difficult games ever made", had "some of the most memorable voice acting of all time", and that "to this day there isn't much out there quite like it." They compared it to more recent titles such as the adventure games Shenmue
Shenmue
is a 1999 open-world adventure video game developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for the Dreamcast, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki. Suzuki coined a genre title, "FREE" , for the game, based on the interactivity and freedom he wanted to give to the player...
(1999) and Shadow of Memories
Shadow of Memories
, also known as Shadow of Destiny in North America, is an adventure video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo for the PlayStation 2. Originally released for the PlayStation 2, it was later ported to the PC and Xbox in 2002 by the now-defunct Runecraft company...
(2001) as well as the role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. It was released for the Xbox on July 15, 2003, for Microsoft Windows on November 19, 2003, and on September 7, 2004 for Mac OS X. The Xbox version is playable on Xbox 360 with its...
(2003), stating that it similarly features "character interaction as the major gameplay element" and has "a similar type of multiple phrase response."
Controversy
The game generated some controversy for its reference to a fictional, unsolved rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
. As Donn Nausert stated, "I don't think this is a subject that the American public is comfortable with in a video game, even though it's not dealt with graphically..."