Tantei Jingūji Saburō
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Tantei Jingūji Saburō (探偵神宮寺三郎? Detective Saburō Jingūji) is a mystery-adventure game series developed by Data East, WorkJam, and other companies.
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[edit] History
The first game of the series, Shinjuku Chūō Kōen Satsujin Jiken (新宿中央公園殺人事件? Shinjuku Central Park Murder Mystery) was released in 1987 by Data East for the Famicom Disk System. Numerous sequels have been released since then, and the series marked its 20th anniversary in 2007 by releasing a new title for the Nintendo DS. According to Enterbrain, the franchise has sold over 2,220,000 copies in total, making it one of the longest standing and best-selling Japanese adventure game series in history.
[edit] Famicom games
Tantei Jingūji Saburō debuted on the Famicom with advanced graphics, sound effects, and distinct hardboiled scenarios to set itself apart from other adventure games of the time. Kazushige Nojima, the scenario writer of Final Fantasy VII, wrote the scenarios for the 3rd and 4th installments of the series. Time played an important role in the Famicom games, as each command selected by the player caused a certain amount of time to elapse within the game, and failure to solve the mystery during the alloted time period would result in a bad ending. This time system was later revived in the 7th installment of the series.
[edit] Fifth generation console games
Production was halted after the 4th installment, but was revived in 1996 with the release of the 5th game in the series on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The series was revamped with improved graphics and sound made possible by the use of the CD-ROM disk, and featured voice acting for the first time.
[edit] Sixth generation console games
In 2003, Data East went bankrupt, permanently halting production of many of its game series. WorkJam took over production of Tantei Jingūji Saburō, and the series continued with two games released for the PlayStation 2 and two games released as mobile phone applications. There are currently 12 console games in the entire series and 16 mobile phone games; 4 of which are remakes from the console releases.
[edit] Characters
The main character of the series is Jingūji Saburō (神宮寺三郎 Saburō Jingūji?), a 32 year-old private detective who operates a detective agency with Yoko Misono in Shinjuku, Tokyo. He was born as the third son of a wealthy business enterprise owner, and traveled to New York during his youth to work as an assistant detective. He is a heavy smoker, and often assembles his thoughts while smoking a Marlboro cigarette. According to his in-game profile, his favorite alcoholic beverage is cognac, and he drives a green Mini Cooper.
Other recurring characters include: Yoko Misono (御苑洋子?), Jingūji's assistant, and Sanzō Kumano (熊野参造?), the police inspector of the Shinjuku Yodobashi Police Agency.
[edit] Voice acting
Voice acting was first used in certain game scenes in the 5th installment, Mikan no Rupo (未完のルポ? The Unfinished Reportage), and has been implemented in all subsequent releases, excluding those released as mobile phone applications. Jingūji's character has been voiced by Yukimasa Kishino, Akio Ohtsuka, and Jūrōta Kosugi. Other notable voice actors used include Fumihiko Tachiki (Sanzō Kumano), Kōji Ishii (Sanzō Kumano), Masaaki Tsukada (Sanzō Kumano), and Fumiko Orikasa (Yoko Misono).
[edit] Games
[edit] Main series
| Title | Release date | Developer | Platform | Synopsis | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shinjuku Chūō Kōen Satsujin Jiken 新宿中央公園殺人事件 Shinjuku Central Park Murder Mystery |
April 24, 1987 | Data East | Famicom Disk System | The strangled corpse of a popular hostess is discovered at Shinjuku Central Park. A bartender, investor, and mafia boss emerge as suspects. |
| 2 | Yokohama-kō Renzoku Satsujin Jiken 横浜港連続殺人事件 Yokohama Port Serial Murder Mystery |
February 26, 1988 | Famicom | The search for a missing fiancee results in the discovery of her colleague's corpse, and the police begin to suspect a link with an underground trafficking organization. | |
| 3 | Kiken na Futari Zenpen 危険な二人 前編 A Dangerous Duo Part 1 |
December 9, 1988 | Famicom Disk System | Jingūji visits a race circuit at the invitation of ones of Yoko's friends. A motorcycle racer, Okazaki, crashes at the circuit, but a different racer's body is recovered from the crash site. At the same time, Okazaki's wife is found killed from gunshot wounds at a nearby hotel. | |
| Kiken na Futari Kouhen 危険な二人 後編 A Dangerous Duo Part 2 |
February 10, 1989 | Famicom Disk System | |||
| 4 | Toki no Sugiyuku mamani... 時の過ぎゆくままに… Let Time Pass By... |
September 28, 1991 | Famicom | Jingūji investigates a burglary at a mansion, while Yoko searches for the home of a young boy. Both cases seemed simple, until... | |
| 5 | Mikan no Rupo 未完のルポ The Unfinished Reportage |
November 29, 1996 | PlayStation Sega Saturn |
An overseas package containing a small key arrives at the detective agency from Jingūji's journalist acquaintance. Jingūji must uncover the hidden meaning of the key. | |
| 6 | Yume no Owarini 夢の終わりに At the End of the Dream |
April 23, 1998 | PlayStation Sega Saturn |
Jingūji is tormented by hideous dreams of his past. The mystery begins as Yoko unwittingly decides to investigate a requested case. | |
| 7 | Kagaribi ga Kienu Mani 灯火が消えぬ間に While the Light Remains |
November 25, 1999 | PlayStation | An injured young man suddenly takes refuge at the detective agency. Investigation of two cases becomes complex as they are gradually woven together. | |
| 8 | Innocent Black | October 4, 2002 | WorkJam | PlayStation 2 | Jingūji is asked to search for a missing daughter from the director of a hospital where he had received treatment. This small case gradually expands to revive a deep and complex mystery. The game's scenario was written by Yutaka Kaminaga of WorkJam. |
| 9 | Kind of Blue | April 22, 2004 | PlayStation 2 | Jingūji is bored and tired after several months without any cases. He gladly returns to work when the Kantō mafia requests the investigation of a certain individual. | |
| 10 | Shiroi Kage no Shōjo 白い影の少女 The Girl with the White Shadow |
January 27, 2005 | WorkJam Marvelous Interactive |
Game Boy Advance | When Jingūji attends his friend's funeral, his friend's mother asks him to investigate a missing person, while police inspector Kumano asks him to investigate the urban myth called "Yū-chan". |
| 11 | Inishie no Kioku いにしえの記憶 The Ancient Memory |
July 19, 2007 | WorkJam Arc System Works |
Nintendo DS | Jingūji is arrested by the police for a crime he did not commit. He must prove his innocence in captivity. The release marks the 20th anniversary of Tantei Jingūji Saburō, and includes the first five games from the mobile phone series. |
| 12 | Kienai Kokoro きえないこころ The Abiding Spirit |
April 24, 2008 | WorkJam Arc System Works |
Nintendo DS | Jingūji is asked to investigate the suicide of an elementary school girl from 20 years ago. When he visits the girl's school, he meets the school principal, who demands the investigation of another new case... The title also contains five games from the mobile phone series (No.6–No.10) |
| 0 | Tantei Jingūji Saburō Early Collection | August 5, 1999 | Data East | Playstation | This is a compilation of the early games released for the Famicom or Famicom Disk System |
[edit] Mobile phone series
The mobile phone games was developed by WorkJam. The first four games are remakes of the original Famicom versions, with minor changes made in text.
| Title | |
|---|---|
| No.01 | Shinjuku Chūō Kōen Satsujin Jiken 新宿中央公園殺人事件 Shinjuku Central Park Murder Mystery |
| No.02 | Yokohama-kō Renzoku Satsujin Jiken 横浜港連続殺人事件 Yokohama Port Serial Murder Mystery |
| No.03 | Kiken na Futari 危険な二人 A Dangerous Duo |
| No.04 | Toki no Sugiyuku Mamani... 時の過ぎゆくままに… Let Time Pass By... |
| No.05 | Akai Me no Tora アカイメノトラ The Red-Eyed Tiger |
| No.06 | Rokumai no Hankō 6枚の犯行 The Six Pieces of Crime |
| No.07 | Bouen wo Sagase 亡煙を捜せ! Search for the Dying Smoke! |
| No.08 | Aoi Me no Ryū アオイメノリュウ The Blue-Eyed Dragon |
| No.09 | Kito no Yoru キトの夜 Kito's Night |
| No.10 | Shikaku no Wana 四角の罠 The Square Trap |
| No.11 | Inu to Yobareta Otoko イヌと呼ばれた男 The Man Who Was Called a Dog |
| No.12 | Futairo no Shojō ふた色の少女 The Two-Colored Girl |
| No.13 | Inochi Tatsu Kokugen 命絶つ刻限 Prophecy of Death |
| No.14 | Takusareta Yubiwa 託された指輪 The Bequeathed Ring |
| No.15 | Shingi no Hazama 真偽の狭間 In Between Truths |
| No.16 | Tsubaki no Yukue 椿のゆくえ Whereabouts of the Camellia |
[edit] Other releases
Eight novels based around the game have been released from 1988 to 2007 by various authors and publishing companies (most notably Dengeki Bunko and Famitsu Bunko). Four soundtrack CDs have also been released.
[edit] Notes
- This article was initially translated from the Wikipedia article 探偵神宮寺三郎, specifically from this version.
[edit] See Also
- Katsuya Terada (character designer and illustrator throughout the series)
