The Famicom version of 'Okhotsk ni Kiyu' that surpassed the PC version of AVG

Adventure games, composed of beautiful CG and vast amounts of text, were once the star of personal computers. With the 1984 release of The Hokkaido Chain Murder: Okhotsk ni Kiyu, it can be said that the AVG genre reached its peak by adopting the easy-to-play "command selection system." Later, in June 1987, when PC-based AVGs were experiencing a gradual decline, the Famicom version, personally remade by the genius Yuji Horii, shocked PC users with a level of perfection that surpassed the PC version.
This time, I will talk about the appeal of the "Famicom version of Okhotsk ni Kiyu" that MSX users experienced during the twilight era of AVG.

❶ The digital game landscape in 1987

In the early days of digital gaming, arcades, home consoles (Famicom), and personal computers each built their own unique cultural spheres. As I introduced last time, the era when adventure games were the star of PC gaming lasted until around 1984, and the definitive version of that was the "PC version of Okhotsk ni Kiyu."
After that, with the arrival of Hydlide and Xanadu, the main focus of PC gaming shifted to RPGs, and I feel that AVG entered an era of gradual decline.

Meanwhile, the Famicom, which had effectively unified the home console market, expanded mainly with action games, and succeeded in conveying the appeal of RPGs to many users with the original Dragon Quest in 1986. That trend became definitive with the following year's "Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line." However, the characteristics of PC RPGs and Dragon Quest were different, and PC gamers were still composed, recognizing it only as "🤔 So the Famicom has finally come this far."

Also, AVGs were gradually being released for the Famicom as well. Starting with the port of The Portopia Serial Murder Case, masterpieces such as Sanma no Meitantei and Tantei Jinguuji Saburo: Shinjuku Chuuou Kouen Satsujin Jiken appeared, but I honestly don't think any work had reached the level of PC AVGs yet. This was because the CG, which is the core of AVG, consumed too much capacity, and the Famicom's performance could not be fully utilized.

This is just a story from my surroundings, but PC kids held a mysterious sense of superiority over Famicom kids. A culture where one's beloved PC was directly linked to one's identity is difficult to convey to the present day, but please just understand that we had that much affection for our PCs. This post is written in the style of that time, so I apologize if Famicom users feel offended 🙇
By 1987, the Famicom boom had completely taken hold, and even at school, PC users were definitely in the minority. In such a situation, I feel that we felt a sense of privilege by playing authentic RPGs, SLGs, and AVGs, which were thinking-type games not found on the FC.

Amidst all that, news broke that a Famicom port of 'The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case: The Okhotsk Disappearance' had been decided. Even among my friends,
“😑 It’ll probably just be on par with the port of 'The Portopia Serial Murder Case', right?”
we completely dismissed it, but when I actually played it, I was shocked by a level of polish that far surpassed the PC version—or rather, I felt a fierce sense of crisis.

❷ The perfected form of an adventure game with all three essential elements

My childhood friend, Namco-kun, had a family that ran a barbershop, and since they provided a Famicom service, he owned almost every game. I would shamelessly hang out there and play them, even though I wasn't getting a haircut. Come to think of it, it was also at Namco-kun's barbershop that I read all 18 volumes of Space Cobra, which my mother had banned me from buying after she mistook the sexy bondage-style fashion for porn... 😁

Around the time before summer vacation, Namco-kun

🙂 “You’ve solved Okhotsk, right? I’m stuck on the investigation, so help me out.”

That invitation was the catalyst. Naturally, I confidently replied,

😤 “In that case, leave it to me, as I know Hokkaido inside and out.”

I agreed easily, despite never having even been to Hokkaido.

The first thing that surprised me when I started playing was that the graphics by Kiyokazu Arai, familiar to PC kids from 'Basic-kun', were a perfect fit. The PC version had dramatic CG, and Horii-sensei had an adult taste in mind, 'conscious of Tuesday Suspense Theater', which matched it very well. I thought it would be impossible to recreate the beautiful CG of the PC version with the Famicom's resolution, but the manga-like expression that turned that limitation to its advantage was something never seen in games before.
In particular, the fact that the characters' expressions became more vivid enhanced the story. Features like blinking, lip-syncing, and characters who were facing sideways turning to face the front during conversations were added, and the production aspects were significantly strengthened to allow for deeper immersion into the world of 'The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case: The Okhotsk Disappearance'.

Another decisive difference from the PC version was the addition of background music. Around 1984, when the PC version was released, full-scale game music had not yet been introduced. Subsequent adventure games also prioritized beautiful CG first, and there were almost no games that adopted background music suited to the scenes. In Wingman 2, released in April 1986, Koichi Sugiyama was in charge of the music, but while the songs themselves are masterpieces, I feel that the unification with the world view of the work was still lacking.

The Famicom version used a considerable number of songs for that time, and in particular, four songs that could be called 'investigation themes' were prepared, and the direction of switching them according to the progress of the story was excellent.

The vastness, beauty, loneliness, sadness, and romance of Hokkaido. These are all gems of masterpieces packed with everything. I am particularly impressed by 'Pursuit,' which has an incredible sense of speed despite being an adventure game. I think many people will think of the detectives running around Hokkaido in search of the truth when they hear this somewhat sorrowful background music.

The composer, Gessen Ueno, is a unique programmer who came from a brass band, and perhaps that experience is being put to good use. Click here for an interview article with Gessen Ueno.

By the way, it seems that the person who hired Gessen Ueno was Takeshi Yoshizaki, the author of the MSX LD game Star Fighters introduced last time, and the first editor-in-chief of 'Login'. I was moved to find a connection in such a place.

The text, which is the key part of an adventure game, has also been significantly powered up. It seems that the Famicom version was initially developed with a 1-megabit ROM, but it was changed to 2 megabits along the way. At that time, Mr. Horii rewrote the scenario significantly, which conveys his enthusiasm.

The core of the story is the same as the PC version, but it was also characterized by deeper character development. In particular, the charm of the heroine, Makiko Nomura, who carries a sad fate, is emphasized, which enhances the sorrowful atmosphere that covers the entire story. Mr. Horii has stated that he did this intentionally, and I think it became a major factor that was deeply engraved in the users' memories as a result.

What was impressive was the character Megumi Nakayama, who was added from the Famicom version. Although she is not involved in the main story, she naturally blended into the world of 'The Okhotsk Disappearance' with the setting of a trip to heal a broken heart. This is where the peerless storyteller, Mr. Horii, shows his true worth.

Beautiful graphics, background music integrated with the story, and text that attracts users, it is no exaggeration to say that the completed form of an adventure game with all three elements was established by the 'Famicom version of The Okhotsk Disappearance'.

❸ The unforgettable investigative journey in Hokkaido

As I proceeded with the investigation with Namco-kun, things started to get suspicious around Lake Mashu.

🤔 'Wait a minute, wasn't Gen-san supposed to have been killed?'

😟 'Geez, you can't rely on a cyborg detective.'

The investigation hit a snag. I ended up being demoted to blackjack duty after having my position as chief detective taken away. Having given up, I decided to recruit FM7-kun, a veteran detective who has solved one adventure game after another. He's a classmate, though 😅

😏 'Leave it to me, there is no AVG I cannot solve!'

😁 'Hey, isn't that just a rip-off of Akira Yamashita?'

And so, the investigative journey of the three of us continued. Of course, I also tried the classic cheat codes. Detective Namco suddenly burst into the investigation room with a magazine in his hand.

🤩 'Hey, it looks like Megumi Nakayama is going to strip!'

When I looked, it was a contest where you could win 30,000 Gabas if you found out how to make Megumi-chan strip in the magazine. Thinking about it now, they really made Famicom boys do some crazy things. The Showa era was a scary time~ 🤣

By the way, the person who placed that nipple dot was Hiroaki Motoya, the creator of 'Nintendo Volleyball' and 'MSX Attack Four'. Thank you, Mr. Motoya; boys all over Japan were comforted by that CG 😂

😍 'Amazing, the Famicom version is the only one where you can see Megumi-chan's half-exposed butt.'

Namco-kun was bragging, so I couldn't help but argue back.

😤"What did you say?! The MSX version shows everything!"

🤣"Lol, wait, you... that's Gen-sa..."

Middle schoolers are so stupid. While continuing that exchange, I somehow managed to reach the true culprit and reached the moving ending just as summer vacation began. On the way home,

🙂"As expected, Horii-san is a genius."

I can't forget how FM7-kun, standing next to me, explained it with a stern look on his face as I muttered that.

😟"This is no time to be saying such carefree things. Such an amazing AVG has come out on the Famicom."

FM7-kun was a die-hard AVG fan who had been playing text adventure games since 1983.

🤨"Since the PC version of 'Okhotsk ni Kiyu', PC AVGs have just been character games, and Alpha is about the only real original hit, isn't it? At this rate, the Famicom is going to take all the AVGs."

😞"Even our last hope, Akira Yamashita, has only been doing RPG walkthroughs lately. I wonder if an AVG that can only be done on a PC will come out around here..."

Perhaps the game gods heard FM7-kun's wish, because shortly after this, the definitive version of a new-generation PC adventure game, "Jesus", was released (the FM77AV version was released in July 1987).

🤩 "I knew the FM77AV was amazing! The Famicom doesn't even stand a chance!"

However, at the end of that year, "Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord", the pillar of support for PC gamers, was ported to the Famicom with overwhelming perfection. As for our wailing at that time, I'll save that for another day...

This tug-of-war between PC games and Famicom games would continue for a while longer. Looking back now, I feel lucky to have been able to experience that transitional period when digital games were evolving so rapidly, and I am grateful for that good fortune.

❹ FC version "The Okhotsk Disappearance" Advertisement Collection

"The Okhotsk Disappearance" was released on various platforms and had a diverse range of advertisements, but for the Famicom version, a luxurious type reminiscent of movie posters was published every month.

The opening is the scene where you interview Akemi at the cabaret "Le Blanc." As expected, the setting has been changed from the negligee salon in the PC version. In reality, your partner Shunsuke Saruwatari shouldn't be there at this point, but let's not sweat the small stuff.

I had a strong image of Kiyokazu Arai from "Basic-kun," so I thought the content might be changed to a gag-style, but seeing this advertisement made me change my mind. It perfectly reproduces the atmosphere of the social-issue mystery that is the core of "The Okhotsk Disappearance."

The two of them shouldn't be in this scene either, but... let's just call it fan service.

Two women you meet at Lake Mashu. This is a scene that symbolizes this work.

When the Nipopo doll sheds a tear, another body turns up... It's a very fitting dramatic touch.

And what is the fate of the kidnapped Makiko!? The story finally heads toward the climax...

This is how 'Okhotsk ni Kiyu' was advertised in line with the story's progression. Just looking at it is enough to keep the excitement going! It's also fun to compare it with the MSX version advertisement introduced last time.

The investigation notebook given away as a prize. Items like this also helped build the atmosphere.

This is an extra advertisement that was published in a computer magazine. The boss here is a hopeless lecherous old man, full of the Showa era vibe. If it were today, he could end up being 'arrested for XX while on duty as a detective'🤣

Emmy-chan, the malicious artificial idiot, also makes an appearance.

This is an introductory manga by Tadashi Makimura, who was deeply involved in PC games from the dawn of the PC era with titles like 'Mari-chan Kikiippatsu' and 'Eldorado Denki'. I would have been happier if it had his signature sexiness. Mr. Makimura was an FM7 user, and FM7-kun was devoted to him.

Actually, it was remade for the PC-9801 in 1992. This version updated the Famicom scenario with new graphics. The text finally used kanji as hoped, and the operability was good. However, although the CG became cleaner, I feel it didn't quite reach the charm of Kiyokazu Arai's work. It was also a shame that most of the sound was cut. I think this is a good example of how the performance of the ported hardware does not directly correlate to how fun the game is.

❺ How did Mr. Horii approach the remake?

I believe the biggest reason the Famicom version of 'Okhotsk ni Kiyu' became a masterpiece is that they did not simply outsource the remake, but maintained the original production team: producer Gozo Shiozaki, scenario writer Yuji Horii, and programmer Toshiyuki Ueno. In particular, Mr. Horii, who was in charge of the scenario—the core of an AVG—approached the work with extraordinary determination to create a scenario structure specialized for the Famicom. This is a magazine feature that follows that process.

This process is published on the official website of the 2024 remake, 'Hokkaido Chain Murder: Okhotsk ni Kiyu - Memories of the Drift Ice, Tears of the Nipopo Doll', as an excerpt from Gozo Shiozaki's '198X Famicom Rhapsody'. Please take a look.

❻ Memories of games played with friends

This post was triggered by a sudden conversation while getting my hair cut at Namco-kun's barbershop, which recently changed hands, where we said, 'Come to think of it, we cleared 'Okhotsk ni Kiyu' around this time.' Now that I'm over 50, as the summer vacation season approaches, I've started to fondly remember this fun trip to Hokkaido.

As all you gamers can understand, memories of games played with friends are something special. I finally realized at this age that connecting with friends means sharing fun experiences. If possible, I would like to continue sharing memories of that era with you all. Thank you for sticking with me until the end this time as well.🙇

Cyborg MSX

Thank you always for the likes💛 and the introduction posts on X, and for your warm comments🙇. Connecting with you all is what encourages me for my next post🥰