Touch Detective
Encyclopedia
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 developed and released in the United States
by Atlus
, and in Europe
by 505 Games
. Touch Detective was released for the iOS
on August 4, 2011. Its first chapter is free to download.
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." 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.
Penelope
Chloe
Cromwell
Funghi
Episode 1 - Robbery. The reality of a fanciful dream
Episode 2 - Disappearance. The truth hidden in the cosmos
Episode 3 - Stranded. The miracle of an innocent heart
Episode 4 - Assault. The tragedy of a past grudge
notes that "the visual style is awesome, the presentation is great, and the audio is extremely entertaining", but otherwise the game "is littered with confusing puzzles, uninformative AI, and an overall shallow experience."
A sequel, Touch Detective 2 ½
, was released in North America on October 9, 2007.
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,...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
which makes use of the device's touch screen. It was developed by BeeWorks and released in Japan by Success Corporation. It was developed and released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Atlus
Atlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
, and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
by 505 Games
505 Games
505 Games, formerly known as 505 Game Street, is an Italian video game publishing division of Italian company Digital Bros. group founded in 2006...
. Touch Detective was released for the iOS
IOS
iOS is an operating system for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.IOS may also refer to:-Companies and organisations:* Illinois Ornithological Society, American state-based bird club...
on August 4, 2011. Its first chapter is free to download.
Gameplay
The player controls the titular detectiveDetective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
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
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
reviewer Steven Hopper notes that "the game features a unique aesthetic that feels like a Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
version of a Jhonen Vasquez
Jhonen Vasquez
Jhonen Vasquez , also known as Chancre Scolex or simply Mr. Scolex, is an American comic book writer, cartoonist and music video director...
comic." 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.
Characters
Mackenzie- The lead character of the game. As a young girl, she runs a detective agency.
Penelope
- One of the girls that lives in the condominiums in town and friend of Mackenzie. Her parents are very rich, and thus she enjoys a lavish lifestyle. However, she is rather air-headed, and has been known to disappear for a time, or even not talk to anyone (including herself, except for pantomimePantomimePantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
) for a whole week. She is the one who will give Mackenzie all her cases during the game and is one of the main focuses of the first three episodes.
Chloe
- Another girl in town, and while friend of Mackenzie, tends to be her rival in trying to solve cases. Chloe generally takes actions before figuring out their consequences.
Cromwell
- Butler for Mackenzie and also a genius inventor. Cromwell is a vampire who has worked for Mackenzie's family for over 300 years.
Funghi
- A living mushroom that is kept as a pet by Mackenzie and travels with her as she moves about town.
Cases
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.Episode 1 - Robbery. The reality of a fanciful dream
- Penelope comes to Mackenzie because she claims her dreamDreamDreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
s are being stolen. Mackenzie first acquires a special invention from Cromwell so that she can see into Penelope's dreams and understands what happens: a strange creature is seen fleeing from Penelope's just before she wakes up. Mackenzie investigates further and finds a way to enter the Dream World, but finds no one there that can help because the rest of the town is not yet asleep. Finding a way to convince everyone to fall asleep at the same time that Penelope does, she is then able to stop the fleeing figure and reveal it to be the pastry chef in town. The chef admits to the crime, using the crystallized dreams as an ingredient in her Sweet Dream Cake dessert. Fortunately, Penelope and the chef agree that the chef will only take Penelope's dreams once a week.
Episode 2 - Disappearance. The truth hidden in the cosmos
- Penelope goes missing, and upon investigation, it looks like her room was broken into. However, it is revealed that Chloe, trying to find Penelope before Mackenzie, broke in and tried to find evidence. However, regardless of Chloe's bumbling, Mackenzie is led to the planetariumPlanetariumA planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
and its strange owner, as well as a little girl that seems to like playing with dolls. After catching the owner buying girls clothes in sizes too large for the girl, Mackenzie soon discovers that the planetarium owner lured Penelope and now is keeping her in a secret room under mind control in order for her to be the little girl's friend. Mackenzie is able to rescue Penelope, have the owner captured, and befriends the little girl so she won't be lonely again.
Episode 3 - Stranded. The miracle of an innocent heart
- Penelope claims that an ice fairy is stranded at the ice skating rink, the only cold place in town, but Mackenzie cannot see it though she can sense it. The owner of the rink is tired of living in the cold and is looking to shut the rink down, causing the temperature in the rink to rise and threaten the life of the fairy. Chloe comes up with two near-disastrous ideas for saving the fairy, but Mackenzie realizes all they need to do is make it snow so the fairy can be get out from the ice rink and to a more comfortable location. Mackenzie helps Chloe in enchanting a spell that summons forth an "angel" (Penelope in an angel outfit) but manage to make snow appear, and thus successfully freeing the fairy.
Episode 4 - Assault. The tragedy of a past grudge
- Penelope claims that a murder happened at the circus in town, though it is only a flea circusFlea circusA flea circus refers to a circus sideshow attraction in which fleas are attached to miniature carts and other items, and encouraged to perform circus acts within a small housing...
. Apparently, the circus used to be a larger attraction, but when it shut down, many of the performers took up residence in town. Mackenzie investigates to find that something did attack the fleas, though initially suspecting a flea as the culprit. However, when a large anvil nearly kills all the fleas, the trail leads elsewhere to Dover, one of the ex-performers. His old circus act, animating tattoos on his back, was ruined due to a flea bite, and has been out of work since, and thus took revenge on the flea circus to try to get back into stardom. However, Mackenzie is able to stop him and save the fleas. Or will she?
Reception and legacy
As of March 4, 2007, Touch Detective has an average rating of 65% from GameRankings, with most critics praising the presentation of the game, but panning the actual gameplay. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
notes that "the visual style is awesome, the presentation is great, and the audio is extremely entertaining", but otherwise the game "is littered with confusing puzzles, uninformative AI, and an overall shallow experience."
A sequel, Touch Detective 2 ½
Touch Detective 2 ½
Touch Detective 2 ½ is an adventure game for the Nintendo DS. It is a sequel to Touch Detective, also on Nintendo DS.It was released in North America on October 9, 2007.-Gameplay:...
, was released in North America on October 9, 2007.