Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken
Encyclopedia
, is an adventure game
designed by Yuji Horii
and published by Enix
(now Square Enix
). It was first released on the NEC PC-6001
in June 1983
, and later ported
to other personal computer
s. Chunsoft
ported the game to the Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES) on November 29, 1985, and to different mobile phone
services starting in 2001
.
The game is an investigation adventure, sophisticated for its time, in which the player must resolve a murder mystery by searching for clues, exploring different areas, interacting with characters, and solving item-based puzzles. The game, especially its NES version, was received positively in Japan, where it was an influential title that defined the visual novel
genre. An unofficial English fan translation of the NES version was released on June 16, 2006 by DvD Translations. DvD Translations released an improved Rev. B patch on October 31, 2010.
Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken follows a first-person perspective
and narrative
. The various events are described with still pictures and text messages. The player interacts with the game using a verb
-noun
parser which requires typing precise commands with the keyboard. Finding the exact words to type is considered part of the riddles that must be solved. While sound effects are present, the game lacks music and a save function. It features a branching dialogue conversation system where the story develops through entering commands and receiving answers to them from the player's sidekick or non-player character
s.
The game also allows multiple different ways to achieve objectives, adding an element of nonlinear gameplay. This included travelling between different areas in a generally open world
and making choices that determine the dialogues and order of events as well as alternative outcomes
depending on who the player identifies as the culprit. However, only one of the characters is the true culprit, while the others are red herring
s; if the player closes the case with the wrong culprit, then the player will face criticism from the police chief and need to re-open the case. The game also features a phone that could be used to manually dial any number, which is needed to contact several non-player characters. The game also features an inventory system requiring the examination and collection of items, which could be used as evidence later in the game.
With no keyboard, the NES version replaces the verb-noun parser with a menu list of fourteen set commands selectable with the gamepad
. This is similar to the command selection menu system introduced in Yuji Horii's murder mystery adventure game Okhotsk ni Kiyu: Hokkaido Rensa Satsujin Jiken, which was released in 1984, in between the PC and NES releases of Portopia. One of the commands on the menu allowed the player to use the D-pad
to move a cursor
on the screen in order to look for clues and hotspots
, similar to a point-and-click
interface. The NES version of Portopia also features branching menu selections, which includes using the pointer as a magnifying glass to investigate objects, which is needed to find hidden clues, and as a fist or hammer to hit anything or anyone, which could be used to carry out interrogation beatings on suspects. Additional sequences were also added, notably an underground dungeon
maze reportedly influenced by Wizardry
, giving those sequences a style similar to role-playing video game
s.
, in addition to a few sequences in Kyoto
and Sumoto. The president of a successful bank company, , is found dead by his secretary inside a locked room in his mansion. Signs seem to indicate that Kouzou stabbed himself; however, the police sends a detective to investigate further.
The detective in charge of the case is an unnamed, unseen, and silent protagonist
who essentially embodies the player. He works with an assistant named , nicknamed , who is the one who actually speaks and executes most of the player's commands. Other characters include, among others, , daughter of a man named ; and , Kouzou's nephew and heir.
The game's conception dates back to 1981, when after reading a magazine article about adventure games in the United States, Horii noticed the lack of such games in the Japanese market and decided to create an adventure game of his own, one that was "a program in which the story would develop through entering a command and by receiving an answer to it." Following its 1983 release, the game was ported to various Japanese personal computers. A NES
port was then released in 1985
and was the first adventure game to be released on that platform. The NES version was also the first collaboration between Yuuji Horii and Koichi Nakamura
of Chunsoft
, before Dragon Quest
. The NES version was programmed by Nakamura, who was 19 years old at the time. The game was never released in the Western world, largely due to its mature content, involving themes such as murder, suicide, fraud, bankruptcy, interrogation beatings, drug dealings, and a strip club. The lack of a Western release prompted ROM hacking
group DvD Translations to develop an unofficial translation of the NES version.
The first mobile phone
version of the game was branded as a part of a trilogy along with mobile versions of Hokkaido Rensa Satsujin Okhotsk ni Kiyu and Karuizawa Yūkai Annai. It was released in 2003
on EZweb
and Yahoo!
Keitai services. It features a list of set commands similar to the NES version but also improved graphics, no free-moving cursor, and a save function. The games of the trilogy, which was retitled , were re-released in 2005
and 2006
on the same services. The second Portopia version possesses the same content as the first mobile one, in addition to updated graphics, background music
, a bonus function obtained after completing the game, and a hint option which nullifies the ending bonus if it is used too frequently.
" game. The game, along with Super Mario Bros.
, inspired Hideo Kojima
to enter the video game industry. He praised Portopia for its mystery, drama, humor, 3D dungeons, for providing a proper background and explanation behind the murderer's motives, and expanding the potential of video games.
In 2003
, Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken ranked 19th in a poll to determine the thirty best NES games; the poll was conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography
as part of its "Level X" exhibition. The English-language webzine
Retrogaming Times Monthly compared the game to the later-released Shadowgate
where the player must examine & collect objects and find their true purpose later on, and recommended Portopia to fans of "slower paced games that require [players] to think through puzzles". John Szczepaniak of Retro Gamer
called the game simple, but praised its pacing and quality of writing, and considers the gameplay and plot to be sophisticated for its time. He also considers it "one of the most influential games" as it was responsible for defining the visual novel
genre, comparing it to the role of Super Mario Bros.
, Tetris
and Street Fighter
in defining their own respective genres (platform game
, puzzle game, and fighting game
, respectively). He compares the game to later titles such as Dragon Quest
, Snatcher
, Déjà Vu, 428: Fūsa Sareta Shibuya de, and 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
.
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,...
designed by Yuji Horii
Yuji Horii
is a Japanese video game designer and scenario writer best known as the creator of the Dragon Quest series of console role-playing games, as well as the visual novel adventure game Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken.-History:Dragon Quest is recognized as the first role-playing game to posit the idea...
and published by Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
(now Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
). It was first released on the NEC PC-6001
NEC PC-6001
The NEC PC-6001 was the first of the NEC Corporation personal computer line. There were several versions of the PC-6001, including the PC-6001 MK2, the PC-6001 MK2 SR, and the PC-6801. There was also an American version, called the NEC TREK, or NEC PC-6001A...
in June 1983
1983 in video gaming
-Events:* A major shakeout of the video game industry begins. By 1986, total video games sales will decrease from US$3.2 billion to US$0.1 billion.* MCA Universal files suit against Nintendo, claiming that the latter company's video arcade hit Donkey Kong violated Universal's copyright on King Kong...
, and later ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to other personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s. Chunsoft
Chunsoft
is a Japanese video game developer specializing in console RPGs and visual novels. It was founded by Koichi Nakamura, a video game designer from Enix...
ported the game to the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES) on November 29, 1985, and to different mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
services starting in 2001
2001 in video gaming
-Events:* Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts John Carmack of id Software to the AIAS Hall of Fame...
.
The game is an investigation adventure, sophisticated for its time, in which the player must resolve a murder mystery by searching for clues, exploring different areas, interacting with characters, and solving item-based puzzles. The game, especially its NES version, was received positively in Japan, where it was an influential title that defined the visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
genre. An unofficial English fan translation of the NES version was released on June 16, 2006 by DvD Translations. DvD Translations released an improved Rev. B patch on October 31, 2010.
Gameplay
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
and narrative
First-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
. The various events are described with still pictures and text messages. The player interacts with the game using a verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
-noun
Noun
In linguistics, a noun is a member of a large, open lexical category whose members can occur as the main word in the subject of a clause, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition .Lexical categories are defined in terms of how their members combine with other kinds of...
parser which requires typing precise commands with the keyboard. Finding the exact words to type is considered part of the riddles that must be solved. While sound effects are present, the game lacks music and a save function. It features a branching dialogue conversation system where the story develops through entering commands and receiving answers to them from the player's sidekick or non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s.
The game also allows multiple different ways to achieve objectives, adding an element of nonlinear gameplay. This included travelling between different areas in a generally open world
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
and making choices that determine the dialogues and order of events as well as alternative outcomes
Multiple endings
Multiple endings refer to a case in entertainment where the story could end in different ways, described as an alternate ending.-Literature:...
depending on who the player identifies as the culprit. However, only one of the characters is the true culprit, while the others are red herring
Red herring
A red herring is a deliberate attempt to divert attention.Red herring may refer to:* Red herring , the informal fallacy of presenting an argument that may in itself be valid, but does not address the issue in question....
s; if the player closes the case with the wrong culprit, then the player will face criticism from the police chief and need to re-open the case. The game also features a phone that could be used to manually dial any number, which is needed to contact several non-player characters. The game also features an inventory system requiring the examination and collection of items, which could be used as evidence later in the game.
With no keyboard, the NES version replaces the verb-noun parser with a menu list of fourteen set commands selectable with the gamepad
Gamepad
A gamepad , is a type of game controller held in two hands, where the digits are used to provide input. Gamepads generally feature a set of action buttons handled with the right thumb and a direction controller handled with the left...
. This is similar to the command selection menu system introduced in Yuji Horii's murder mystery adventure game Okhotsk ni Kiyu: Hokkaido Rensa Satsujin Jiken, which was released in 1984, in between the PC and NES releases of Portopia. One of the commands on the menu allowed the player to use the D-pad
D-pad
A D-pad is a flat, usually thumb-operated directional control with one button on each point, found on nearly all modern video game console gamepads, game controllers, on the remote control units of some television and DVD players, and smart phones...
to move a cursor
Cursor (computers)
In computing, a cursor is an indicator used to show the position on a computer monitor or other display device that will respond to input from a text input or pointing device. The flashing text cursor may be referred to as a caret in some cases...
on the screen in order to look for clues and hotspots
Screen hotspot
A screen hotspot, in computing, provides a special area on the display screen of a computer for hyperlinking or for other GUI-based activity ....
, similar to a point-and-click
Point-and-click
Point-and-click is the action of a computer user moving a cursor to a certain location on a screen and then pressing a mouse button, usually the left button , or other pointing device...
interface. The NES version of Portopia also features branching menu selections, which includes using the pointer as a magnifying glass to investigate objects, which is needed to find hidden clues, and as a fist or hammer to hit anything or anyone, which could be used to carry out interrogation beatings on suspects. Additional sequences were also added, notably an underground dungeon
Dungeon crawl
A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games in which heroes navigate a labyrinthine environment, battling various monsters, and looting any treasure they may find...
maze reportedly influenced by Wizardry
Wizardry
Wizardry is a series of computer role-playing games, developed by Sir-Tech, which were highly influential in the development of modern console and computer role playing games. The original Wizardry was a significant influence to early console RPGs, such as Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy. ...
, giving those sequences a style similar to 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...
s.
Setting and characters
Although the story of the game is fictional, it is set in real Japanese cities; mainly KobeKobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, in addition to a few sequences in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
and Sumoto. The president of a successful bank company, , is found dead by his secretary inside a locked room in his mansion. Signs seem to indicate that Kouzou stabbed himself; however, the police sends a detective to investigate further.
The detective in charge of the case is an unnamed, unseen, and silent protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
who essentially embodies the player. He works with an assistant named , nicknamed , who is the one who actually speaks and executes most of the player's commands. Other characters include, among others, , daughter of a man named ; and , Kouzou's nephew and heir.
Development and release
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
port was then released in 1985
1985 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific Carmen Sandiego series* Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. on September 13, 1985, which eventually sells 40 million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time until 2008.*...
and was the first adventure game to be released on that platform. The NES version was also the first collaboration between Yuuji Horii and Koichi Nakamura
Koichi Nakamura
is a Japanese video game designer. A programming prodigy, Nakamura gained fame while still in high school; in 1982 he entered Enix's national programming contest and claimed first place with his entry, Door Door...
of Chunsoft
Chunsoft
is a Japanese video game developer specializing in console RPGs and visual novels. It was founded by Koichi Nakamura, a video game designer from Enix...
, before Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
. The NES version was programmed by Nakamura, who was 19 years old at the time. The game was never released in the Western world, largely due to its mature content, involving themes such as murder, suicide, fraud, bankruptcy, interrogation beatings, drug dealings, and a strip club. The lack of a Western release prompted ROM hacking
ROM hacking
ROM hacking is the process of modifying a video game ROM image to alter the game's graphics, dialogue, levels, gameplay, or other elements. This is usually done by technically inclined video game fans to breathe new life into a cherished old game, as a creative outlet, or to make essentially new...
group DvD Translations to develop an unofficial translation of the NES version.
The first mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
version of the game was branded as a part of a trilogy along with mobile versions of Hokkaido Rensa Satsujin Okhotsk ni Kiyu and Karuizawa Yūkai Annai. It was released in 2003
2003 in video gaming
-Events:*February 27 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Yu Suzuki of Sega to the AIAS Hall of Fame....
on EZweb
KDDI
is a Japanese telecommunications operator formed in October 2000 through the merger of DDI Corp., KDD Corp., and IDO Corp. It has its headquarters in the Garden Air Tower in Iidabashi, Chiyoda, Tokyo....
and Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
Keitai services. It features a list of set commands similar to the NES version but also improved graphics, no free-moving cursor, and a save function. The games of the trilogy, which was retitled , were re-released in 2005
2005 in video gaming
-Events:*March 6 — The television show 60 Minutes tackles issues within video game controversy. This segment of 60 Minutes has been criticized by video game players for encouraging video game censorship....
and 2006
2006 in video gaming
-Events:* January 26, 2006 -- Nintendo announces its newly redesigned handheld, the Nintendo DS Lite. The new model is lighter, smaller, has configurable brightness and features an improved user interface.* January 26, 2006 -- Konami Corp...
on the same services. The second Portopia version possesses the same content as the first mobile one, in addition to updated graphics, background music
Background music
Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
, a bonus function obtained after completing the game, and a hint option which nullifies the ending bonus if it is used too frequently.
Reception
The NES version of the game sold 700,000 copies. The game was well-received in Japan for allowing multiple ways to achieve objectives, its well-told storyline, and its surprising twist ending. According to Square Enix, it was "the first real detective adventureDetective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
" game. The game, along with Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
, inspired Hideo Kojima
Hideo Kojima
is a Japanese game director originally employed at Konami. He is currently the director of Kojima Productions and was promoted to Vice President of Konami Digital Entertainment in early 2011...
to enter the video game industry. He praised Portopia for its mystery, drama, humor, 3D dungeons, for providing a proper background and explanation behind the murderer's motives, and expanding the potential of video games.
In 2003
2003 in video gaming
-Events:*February 27 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Yu Suzuki of Sega to the AIAS Hall of Fame....
, Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken ranked 19th in a poll to determine the thirty best NES games; the poll was conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography
Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography
The is an art museum focused on photography. The museum was founded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and is located in Meguro-ku, a short walk from Ebisu station in southwest Tokyo...
as part of its "Level X" exhibition. The English-language webzine
Online magazine
An online magazine shares some features with a blog and also with online newspapers, but can usually be distinguished by its approach to editorial control...
Retrogaming Times Monthly compared the game to the later-released Shadowgate
Shadowgate
Shadowgate is a 1987 "point-and-click" adventure video game originally for the Apple Macintosh and is the most popular in the MacVenture series. It was also ported to the Atari ST home computer and was also released in 1989 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, where it garnered mild success. The...
where the player must examine & collect objects and find their true purpose later on, and recommended Portopia to fans of "slower paced games that require [players] to think through puzzles". John Szczepaniak of Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Although launched as a quarterly publication, Retro Gamers soon became a monthly...
called the game simple, but praised its pacing and quality of writing, and considers the gameplay and plot to be sophisticated for its time. He also considers it "one of the most influential games" as it was responsible for defining the visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
genre, comparing it to the role of Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
, Tetris
Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
and Street Fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
in defining their own respective genres (platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
, puzzle game, and fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
, respectively). He compares the game to later titles such as Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
, Snatcher
Snatcher
is a cyberpunk-themed graphic adventure game produced by Konami, originally released in Japan for the NEC PC-8801 and MSX 2 computer platforms in 1988. It was followed by a CD-ROM-based remake released for the PC Engine video game console in 1992, which was subsequently ported and localized into...
, Déjà Vu, 428: Fūsa Sareta Shibuya de, and 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
is an adventure game developed by Chunsoft and published in Japan by Spike on December 10, 2009, and in North America by Aksys Games on November 16, 2010. The game's design team was led by Kotaro Uchikoshi, who is also the writer of the acclaimed visual novel Ever 17: The Out of Infinity...
.
External links
- Famicom version official page
- First mobile version official website
- Second mobile version official websites: EZweb, i-mode, Keitai