Touch Detective | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | BeeWorks |
Publisher(s) | |
Director(s) | Takahiro Anto Shingo Kawai |
Producer(s) | Masaru Saitō Takashi Isoyama Takayuki Machida |
Designer(s) | Takeshi Tominaga Takahiro Anto |
Programmer(s) | Takuji Imai |
Writer(s) | Takahiro Anto |
Composer(s) | Toshiko Tasaki |
Platform(s) | Nintendo DS iOS Android Nintendo Switch |
Release | Nintendo DS iOS
|
Genre(s) | Adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Touch Detective (おさわり探偵 小沢里奈, Osawari Tantei: Ozawa Rina, literally "Touch Detective: Rina Ozawa") or Mystery Detective in Europe (except in France) is a point-and-click mystery adventure game for the Nintendo DS which makes use of the device's touch screen. It was developed by BeeWorks and released in Japan by Success Corporation. It was published in the United States by Atlus USA, and in the PAL region by 505 Games. Touch Detective was released for the iOS on August 4, 2011. Its first chapter is free to download.[2] The game is set to be released in Japan for Nintendo Switch as part of a compilation of the Touch Detective franchise titled Touch Detective: Rina and the Funghi Case Files.[3]
The player controls the titular detective Mackenzie as she solves four mysteries in the small town of Osawari. Both the art style and the plot reflect a subtle fantasy mood – for example, the first case is to track down a thief who is stealing someone's dreams. GameZone reviewer Steven Hopper notes that "the game features a unique aesthetic that feels like a Tim Burton version of a Jhonen Vasquez comic."[4] Aside from the main plots, there are also a number of small bonus mysteries that involve much simpler tasks. There is also a Touch Notebook containing a list of major items in the game the player has touched.
The game is entirely controlled via the touch screen. Tapping a location on the screen will talk to a character or examine an object. The player has an inventory of items collected, and may use them on other items or objects in the environment. The player can also communicate with the characters along conversation trees or present inventory items to them to learn new information. Mackenzie's pet mushroom, Funghi, is used as an aid in some puzzles.
Mackenzie learns that in order to join the ranks of the Great Detective Society, she must solve four cases and submit her investigation report to the Society. Fortunately for her, several cases seem to pop up around town.
Following the successful resolution of all four cases, Cromwell informs Mackenzie that she has been accepted into the Great Detective Society. However it transpires that he mistakenly submitted Mackenzie's "Touch List" instead of her investigation report. She is given the official title of "Touch Detective" as a result, to Mackenzie's shame.
Aggregator | Score | |
---|---|---|
DS | iOS | |
Metacritic | 60/100[5] | 63/100[6] |
Publication | Score | |
---|---|---|
DS | iOS | |
Adventure Gamers | [7] | N/A |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 5.17/10[8] | N/A |
Eurogamer | N/A | 7/10[9] |
Famitsu | 26/40[10] | N/A |
Game Informer | 6.75/10[11] | N/A |
GamePro | 3.75/5[12] | N/A |
GameSpot | 6/10[13] | N/A |
GameSpy | [14] | N/A |
Gamezebo | N/A | [15] |
GameZone | 7.5/10[4] | N/A |
IGN | 5.5/10[16] | N/A |
Nintendo Power | 6/10[17] | N/A |
RPGFan | 80/100[18] | N/A |
TouchArcade | N/A | [19] |
The DS and iOS versions received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[5][6] In Japan, Famitsu gave the former a score of two sevens and two sixes for a total of 26 out of 40.[10]
A sequel, Touch Detective 2 ½, was released in 2007.
In Japan, the character of Funghi became widely popular and a Funghi Gardening Kit (おさわり探偵 なめこ栽培キット, Osawari Tantei: Nameko Saibai Kitto, or simply Mushroom Garden) game was released for the iPhone and iPad on June 30, 2011,[20] and for Android on December 21, 2011.[21][22] It released a "Seasons" version on December 2, 2011,[23][24] which became the number 1 app in the App Store in Japan the following week.[25] By the end of 2011, Seasons had been downloaded 1 million times from iTunes and the Android version, released around the same time, had reached 200 thousand downloads within a week of its release.[26] By March 2012, Beeworks began selling character goods for the various different Funghi.[26][27]
A spin-off called Osawari Tantei Nameko Daihanshoku was released for Nintendo 3DS in 2013,[28] while Touch Detective Rising 3: Does Funghi Dream Of Bananas? was released in Japan in May 2014.[29]