The Schoolgirl Famicom Detective, Ayumi Tachibana for Smash Switch (Famicom Detective Club Remakes Coming to the Switch)

[Hadokeyblade]

Actually, Maya has been playable herself. You temporarily play as her in Justice For All.

And you play as Luke all the time in the Layton games.

 

[Adrianette Bromide]

It'd be cool if down the line, someone out there started a fandub project for the series. I really appreciate the voicework from the characters. They're all very good and get across the personalities quite well. Kumada had a lot of funny lines lol.

 

[fogbadge]

Except Ayumi was a playable character herself unlike Luke or Maya

you play as Luke to solve certain puzzles

 

[MattX20]

Actually, Maya has been playable herself. You temporarily play as her in Justice For All.

And you play as Luke all the time in the Layton games.

I forgot Maya was briefly given that in Justice for All, it's been years since I played that specific case. As for Luke, I only played the first game and the crossover with Phoenix Wright, so I wasn't aware he was playable beyond the puzzle parts

 

[Adrianette Bromide]

Hey specifically for The Missing Heir I just wanna clear something up now that I've beat the game.

Spoiler: The Missing Heir

Was Kiku coming back from the grave supposed to be the culprit carrying her body?

 

[SharkLord]

Hey specifically for The Missing Heir I just wanna clear something up now that I've beat the game.

Spoiler: The Missing Heir

Was Kiku coming back from the grave supposed to be the culprit carrying her body?

Spoiler

I'd presume so. They didn't really linger on it after the reveal, but lines up and I think that was the intended explanation

 

[Pacack]

Hey specifically for The Missing Heir I just wanna clear something up now that I've beat the game.

Spoiler: The Missing Heir

Was Kiku coming back from the grave supposed to be the culprit carrying her body?

Spoiler

I'd presume so. They didn't really linger on it after the reveal, but lines up and I think that was the intended explanation

Spoiler

Yes, since the body was disposed of by throwing it into the ocean.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Spoiler

Yes, since the body was disposed of by throwing it into the ocean.

Spoiler

I dont remember that being mentioned in the game.

Not gonna lie i was expecting another subtle supernatural element like the girl who stands behind had. Was surprised they didnt go with that lol

Something like "Kiku was subtle guiding her grandson towards the truth" or something.

 

[fogbadge]

Spoiler

I dont remember that being mentioned in the game.

Not gonna lie i was expecting another subtle supernatural element like the girl who stands behind had. Was surprised they didnt go with that lol

Something like "Kiku was subtle guiding her grandson towards the truth" or something.

Spoiler

they defiantly theorise that it must have been carrying the body at one point

 

[KingofUSA85]

Dang it. While i still think Ayumi has a good shot, Pauline's odds are looking way better at the moment.

 

[chocolatejr9]

Dang it. While i still think Ayumi has a good shot, Pauline's odds are looking way better at the moment.

Really? What happened?

 

[Pacack]

Spoiler

I dont remember that being mentioned in the game.

Not gonna lie i was expecting another subtle supernatural element like the girl who stands behind had. Was surprised they didnt go with that lol

Something like "Kiku was subtle guiding her grandson towards the truth" or something.

Spoiler

The supernatural elements were more subtle in this one, but I do think they were there. Failure to respect and honor the dead in Japanese culture is unspeakably taboo, and Kiku's murderer disturbing her grave and throwing her into the ocean started a series of events that culminated in her murderer being caught, her family's honor being restored, and her lost heir being found.

Also, remember that each of the family members that died had ulterior motives. They could be considered enemies of the Ayashiro family despite being Ayashiros themselves. In that respect, the enemies of the family died so that the true and rightful heir could restore the family's honor.

 

[amageish]

Are those FDC sales good enough for a game of its genre?

Okay, comparing it to other MAGES offerings.

Steins;Gate Elite sold a whopping 30,442 units in its debut week in 2018. This is a remake of the most famous game in MAGES' most famous/successful IP
though, so I wouldn't panic about it doubling Famicom Detective's sales.... Robotics;Notes DaSH, another Science Adventure game, had some not-amazing sales numbers with 3,943 sales on PS4 and so few Switch sales that it didn't even chart when it came out in 2019. That is a pretty big low point, but Famicom Detective did much better that...

MAGES' lisenced offerings seem to very wildly depending on the IP. The Quintessential Quintuplets ∬: Summer Memories Also Come in Five racked up 30,752 sales in its debut week earlier this year, which is, uh, amazing. KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love for this Tempting Attire, meanwhile, got 7,539 sales in its debut in 2020. New Game! The Challenge Stage got 3,662 sales on the Vita in 2017, with the PS4 version not charting.

So, I'd say it did... pretty well, but nothing mind-blowing? At least physically, as Media Crate checks physical sales and Famicom Detective is primarily being sold as a digital game, even in Japan. It isn't reaching the high point that comes from having a super trendy IP, but it's still doing better then your average lisenced game or the lesser-known parts of MAGES' original series. In short, from a MAGES PoV, I imagine the games were worth their time. The question is if Nintendo thinks they were worth licensing in the first place, which is... harder to say.

 

[Pacack]

Okay, comparing it to other MAGES offerings.

Steins;Gate Elite sold a whopping 30,442 units in its debut week in 2018. This is a remake of the most famous game in MAGES' most famous/successful IP
though, so I wouldn't panic about it doubling Famicom Detective's sales.... Robotics;Notes DaSH, another Science Adventure game, had some not-amazing sales numbers with 3,943 sales on PS4 and so few Switch sales that it didn't even chart when it came out in 2019. That is a pretty big low point, but Famicom Detective did much better that...

MAGES' lisenced offerings seem to very wildly depending on the IP. The Quintessential Quintuplets ∬: Summer Memories Also Come in Five racked up 30,752 sales in its debut week earlier this year, which is, uh, amazing. KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love for this Tempting Attire, meanwhile, got 7,539 sales in its debut in 2020. New Game! The Challenge Stage got 3,662 sales on the Vita in 2017, with the PS4 version not charting.

So, I'd say it did... pretty well, but nothing mind-blowing? At least physically, as Media Crate checks physical sales and Famicom Detective is primarily being sold as a digital game, even in Japan. It isn't reaching the high point that comes from having a super trendy IP, but it's still doing better then your average lisenced game or the lesser-known parts of MAGES' original series. In short, from a MAGES PoV, I imagine the games were worth their time. The question is if Nintendo thinks they were worth licensing in the first place, which is... harder to say.

Honestly, the lack of digital sales data makes it impossible to gauge just yet. It's plausible if not likely that the majority of sales were digital for these titles. My hope is that they were at least good enough for them to remake the third game (since they have the assets and engine now), but I don't think it's even knowable right now.

Plus, in the best case scenario where Ayumi does end up getting added to Smash to promote the games, this is a moot point. Ayumi's strengths are very comparable to Little Mac's at this point (legacy character from a recently revived first party franchise) that the sales matter less than the fact that the remakes happened at all.

 

[MattX20]

Digital sales are difficult to track in most cases, so it's not exclusive to the FDC remakes. However, the big part to take into account is that Nintendo of Japan had enough confidence to not only have the two games remade, but have them localized/released outside of Japan. Remember, they were first announced on September 4th of 2019, and more than likely Sakurai and the development team knew they were happening ahead of time. Localization of a series, especially the first time it's ever released outside of Japan, is something that has to be done very early on as that is a very time consuming process. And if Sakurai and the development team were convinced or were considering Ayumi, they didn't have to rely on the remakes for a moveset as it's not like a new Pokemon or FE protagonist where they need more information. The original games up through the first remake of The Girl Who Stands Behind are more than enough to draw a moveset from, and if they can make a non-violent character like Isabelle work, Ayumi shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Pacack]

Digital sales are difficult to track in most cases, so it's not exclusive to the FDC remakes. However, the big part to take into account is that Nintendo of Japan had enough confidence to not only have the two games remade, but have them localized/released outside of Japan. Remember, they were first announced on September 4th of 2019, and more than likely Sakurai and the development team knew they were happening ahead of time. Localization of a series, especially the first time it's ever released outside of Japan, is something that has to be done very early on as that is a very time consuming process. And if Sakurai and the development team were convinced or were considering Ayumi, they didn't have to rely on the remakes for a moveset as it's not like a new Pokemon or FE protagonist where they need more information. The original games up through the first remake of The Girl Who Stands Behind are more than enough to draw a moveset from, and if they can make a non-violent character like Isabelle work, Ayumi shouldn't be a problem.

Really, it's notable that Sakurai's reasoning for passing over Ayumi in Melee was Japanese-exclusivity and not a lack of moveset potential or an inability to picture her fighting. I mean, this was the same guy who passed over Pac-Man in Brawl because he wasn't sure how he would work. The fact that his main concern was that overseas audiences wouldn't know who she was is striking given his mindset at that time.

 

[Chalphy]

To add some context, the collectors edition sold between 80-100% of its inventory, meaning that it's practically sold out. I would imagine that Nintendo is fairly satisfied with these results.

 

[MattX20]

Really, it's notable that Sakurai's reasoning for passing over Ayumi in Melee was Japanese-exclusivity and not a lack of moveset potential or an inability to picture her fighting. I mean, this was the same guy who passed over Pac-Man in Brawl because he wasn't sure how he would work. The fact that his main concern was that overseas audiences wouldn't know who she was is striking given his mindset at that time.

and we know for a fact that the second fighter pass was finalized in January of 2020, meaning that it's very likely the last two fighters were still being decided in September of 2019

 

[Pacack]

and we know for a fact that the second fighter pass was finalized in January of 2020, meaning that it's very likely the last two fighters were still being decided in September of 2019

Really, my biggest concern about Ayumi's chances is that there are only two characters left, and E3 is right around the corner. While the window lines up well for a promotion, I have a hard time imagining Ayumi as an E3 reveal. Typically, those sorts of characters are really big names.

That's not to say that she can't happen, but it would be odd. I think her chances are a lot, lot better if there's a bonus character or another pass.

 

[Rural_Juror]

Really, my biggest concern about Ayumi's chances is that there are only two characters left, and E3 is right around the corner. While the window lines up well for a promotion, I have a hard time imagining Ayumi as an E3 reveal. Typically, those sorts of characters are really big names.

That's not to say that she can't happen, but it would be odd. I think her chances are a lot, lot better if there's a bonus character or another pass.

Yeah, I think best-case scenario would be if there was a bonus character. They could definitely push some copies of FDC if Ayumi was distributed as a download code if you have both of the games purchased.

 

[Pacack]

Yeah, I think best-case scenario would be if there was a bonus character. They could definitely push some copies of FDC if Ayumi was distributed as a download code if you have both of the games purchased.

Not to be a wet blanket, but I also have some skepticism around the whole bonus character theory. Sakurai said pretty plainly that only two more characters are planned, and I'm inclined to believe him. The website thing is compelling, but could very easily be a link to buy both passes at once as well.

Basically, I'm not getting my hopes up, is what I'm saying. It would be hype, but I have my doubts.

 

[Rural_Juror]

Not to be a wet blanket, but I also have some skepticism around the whole bonus character theory. Sakurai said pretty plainly that only two more characters are planned, and I'm inclined to believe him. The website thing is compelling, but could very easily be a link to buy both passes at once as well.

Basically, I'm not getting my hopes up, is what I'm saying. It would be hype, but I have my doubts.

I did say if haha

 

[Adrianette Bromide]

So I did some digging and it turns out that Lost Memories in Snow (the more obscure Satellaview game) had voice acting but it was part of the Satellaview's streaming software and not actually internally coded in the game meaning it could very well be media lost to time. I'm looking into what more I can find out about what I presume is basically Detective Club 3.

 

[Chalphy]

BS Detective Club isn't lost, there are video recordings of it (and lots of other Satellaview games) floating around.

 

[MattX20]

Really, my biggest concern about Ayumi's chances is that there are only two characters left, and E3 is right around the corner. While the window lines up well for a promotion, I have a hard time imagining Ayumi as an E3 reveal. Typically, those sorts of characters are really big names.

That's not to say that she can't happen, but it would be odd. I think her chances are a lot, lot better if there's a bonus character or another pass.

You're forgetting that we've had E3 character reveals like the Wii Fit Trainer and the Miis in the past. Not the most positively received characters, but they still happened. You also have to remember that Nintendo at E3 tries to cater to both Japanese and Western fans simultaneously, so Ayumi would definitely appeal to Japanese audiences more while the penultimate fighter will probably be a noteworthy Western video game character like Rayman, Crash, Master Chief etc.

 

[KingofUSA85]

Digital sales are difficult to track in most cases, so it's not exclusive to the FDC remakes. However, the big part to take into account is that Nintendo of Japan had enough confidence to not only have the two games remade, but have them localized/released outside of Japan. Remember, they were first announced on September 4th of 2019, and more than likely Sakurai and the development team knew they were happening ahead of time. Localization of a series, especially the first time it's ever released outside of Japan, is something that has to be done very early on as that is a very time consuming process. And if Sakurai and the development team were convinced or were considering Ayumi, they didn't have to rely on the remakes for a moveset as it's not like a new Pokemon or FE protagonist where they need more information. The original games up through the first remake of The Girl Who Stands Behind are more than enough to draw a moveset from, and if they can make a non-violent character like Isabelle work, Ayumi shouldn't be a problem.

Agreed. The "canonically not a fighter" argument was tossed out the window when they included a fricken Pacifist in the game!

 

[Pacack]

You're forgetting that we've had E3 character reveals like the Wii Fit Trainer and the Miis in the past. Not the most positively received characters, but they still happened. You also have to remember that Nintendo at E3 tries to cater to both Japanese and Western fans simultaneously, so Ayumi would definitely appeal to Japanese audiences more while the penultimate fighter will probably be a noteworthy Western video game character like Rayman, Crash, Master Chief etc.

Wii Fit Trainer was at the beginning of Smash 4's lifespan, alongside Villager and Mega Man. Different scenario for sure. The Miis, while not super appealing to hardcore fans, were still a big deal when they were included, and that same E3 also revealed Pac-Man and Palutena.

Both of those were also during Smash 4's base game, which had a lot fewer third party characters. A better comparison for the Smash 4 era would be Corrin, but they were sandwiched between Cloud and Bayonetta, and neither was E3. For Smash Ultimate's E3 reveals, we've had the reveal of the game/Everyone is Here + Ridley and Hero + Banjo.

Ultimately, we don't have a lot of precedent to go off of, but the last time we ended Smash at E3 with a first party it was Ridley. It's possible they would start E3 off by revealing her, but it would be a bit of a strange decision. Not impossible, but strange.

 

[KingofUSA85]

and we know for a fact that the second fighter pass was finalized in January of 2020, meaning that it's very likely the last two fighters were still being decided in September of 2019

Plus we dont know how far in advance they plan the DLC.

 

[amageish]

BS Detective Club isn't lost, there are video recordings of it (and lots of other Satellaview games) floating around.

There are videos, but I believe the full audio of the game is still missing (at least publicly; the Nintendo vaults are deep and inaccessible).

Ultimately, we don't have a lot of precedent to go off of

This is what it really boils down for me. If we just count Ultimate, we've had 3 E3 newcomer reveals (plus Daisy). Counting Smash 4, we have 10 (plus Pac-Man being revealed at E3 but not in the Direct and Dark Pit being, like, psuedo-revealed). I think it's hard to point to a definitive strategy with so few data points.

At the end of the day though, I don't Nintendo chooses the characters based on where they will be revealed...

Also, I've completed The Girl Who Stands Behind now! I found the mechanics flowed a little bit better then The Missing Heir, with slightly less moon logic, but the actual pacing of the plot was less well-executed in my opinion... There was slightly too much contained within Chapter 10/11 and slightly too little throughout the rest of the game...

 

[Chalphy]

There are videos, but I believe the full audio of the game is still missing (at least publicly; the Nintendo vaults are deep and inaccessible).

We know for a fact that Nintendo still has audio assets from BS Fire Emblem, so it's reasonable to assume they have the audio for BS Detective Club in storage as well.

 

[chocolatejr9]

We know for a fact that Nintendo still has audio assets from BS Fire Emblem, so it's reasonable to assume they have the audio for BS Detective Club in storage as well.

Legend has it that the original audio for all Satteliview games is located in the bowels of Nintendo HQ.

(Shoutout to anybody who gets that reference).

 

[FemMain26]

I`m happy to hear that the remakes are doing well especially with the collector`s edition being sold out. As i`ve pointed out earlier Ayumi could potentially be that sleeper pick in the 2nd pass & as several people pointed out the remakes were first being developed in September 2019 which is plenty of time for Sakurai & the development team to consider or put Ayumi in the 2nd pass for that wasn`t finalized until January 2020.

 

[Adrianette Bromide]

Anyone else got the investigation theme stuck in their head? Idk if it's memorable as much as it just played all the fricking time. Can someone also tell me if Ayumi gets more screentime in TGWSB? I'd assume so given as it's about her school. If you told me which side character should be in Smash based off of story importance, I'd have told you Dr. Kumada would whip out his detecti- er I mean medical knowledge in the field of Smash.

 

[JOJONumber691]

Okay, I got done with Chapter 1 in Missing Heir (I’m slow I know),and came up with a funny idea for a comic lol. So I did it.

 

[perfectchaos83]

Just got the games and Started Missing Heir. Got to chapter 2 and I'm really enjoying it thus far.

 

[fogbadge]

This is what it really boils down for me. If we just count Ultimate, we've had 3 E3 newcomer reveals (plus Daisy). Counting Smash 4, we have 10 (plus Pac-Man being revealed at E3 but not in the Direct and Dark Pit being, like, psuedo-revealed). I think it's hard to point to a definitive strategy with so few data points.

At the end of the day though, I don't Nintendo chooses the characters based on where they will be revealed...

Also, I've completed The Girl Who Stands Behind now! I found the mechanics flowed a little bit better then The Missing Heir, with slightly less moon logic, but the actual pacing of the plot was less well-executed in my opinion... There was slightly too much contained within Chapter 10/11 and slightly too little throughout the rest of the game...

moon logic?

 

[Curious Villager]

I forgot Maya was briefly given that in Justice for All, it's been years since I played that specific case. As for Luke, I only played the first game and the crossover with Phoenix Wright, so I wasn't aware he was playable beyond the puzzle parts

Well there was that brief moment in Lost Future where Layton is busy investigating some police reports where you can move Luke around the map and talk with some NPC's as him for a brief moment.
Asides from that, he's usually the other character asides from Hershel himself you play as and solve most of the puzzles in the games.

edit: Oh yeah, there was also that little Japan only mobile spin off game where he was the main playable character I think.

Also, sign me up for Ayumi if I haven't yet, even if not Smash, would be great to see her crossover with Phoenix or Layton one day..

 

[fogbadge]

would be great to see her crossover with Phoenix or Layton one day..

or both

 

[MattX20]

Well there was that brief moment in Lost Future where Layton is busy investigating some police reports where you can move Luke around the map and talk with some NPC's as him for a brief moment.
Asides from that, he's usually the other character asides from Hershel himself you play as and solve most of the puzzles in the games.

edit: Oh yeah, there was also that little Japan only mobile spin off game where he was the main playable character I think.

Also, sign me up for Ayumi if I haven't yet, even if not Smash, would be great to see her crossover with Phoenix or Layton one day..

Welcome to the Ayumi thread, and yeah, Layton and Wright would be great to see in Smash some day.

 

[JOJONumber691]

Wait, was I ever put on the list? If not then I would definitely appreciate it if I was.