Yu Yu Hakusho: Spirit Detective
Encyclopedia
Yu Yu Hakusho: Spirit Detective is a video game for the Game Boy Advance
(GBA) handheld console. Based on the popular manga
and anime
series YuYu Hakusho created by Yoshihiro Togashi
, the plot follows the central character Yusuke Urameshi, a street-brawling, often truant
teenager who dies trying to save a young boy’s life. After meeting an incarnation of the Grim Reaper
, Yusuke is given a second chance at life as a “Spirit Detective”, a protector of the living world.
Spirit Detective is an action-adventure game
that retells the various events of the anime’s story arc
of the same name. The player takes control of one of six characters from the series and must complete various objectives from collecting items and completing mazes to battling enemies and occasional bosses. Spirit Detective was co-developed by Sensory Sweep Studios
and Screaming Games as part of a western region publishing deal from Atari.
Critical reception for Spirit Detective has been mostly unfavorable. While separate reviewers had their own qualms about the game, nearly all complained of monotonous gameplay and boring visuals.
and anime
series YuYu Hakusho
by author Yoshihiro Togashi
. The plot follows Yusuke Urameshi, a 14-year-old with a bad attitude and a tendency for truancy
and street fighting
. One day, Yusuke spots a child playing with a ball in the street, the protagonist pushes the child out of the way of a speeding car, only to be struck and killed himself. Yusuke’s ghost
is suddenly greeted by Botan, a cute girl who introduces herself as the Grim Reaper
. She informs Yusuke that, due to his noble actions, he will be given a second chance at life as a “Spirit Detective”, an investigator of cases involving apparitions and demon
s on Earth. Spirit Detective retells events from the anime’s intial story arc
of the same name, consisting of the show’s first 25 episodes.
Spirit Detective is an action-adventure game
in which the player must complete various storyline scenarios using one of six characters at any given time. The player is able to move freely within the game’s maze-like environments and is guided to specific objectives using a compass
, located at the top of the screen. Objectives include picking up items or engaging in battle with foes. Combat consists of hand-to-hand or melee attacks, as well as special spirit abilities unique to four of the protagonists (Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei). The player’s health, spirit energy, and experience
are represented by gauges. Items that refill health and spirit energy may be found strewn throughout many of the levels. Defeating enemies will reveal orbs that can be collected for experience. If enough of them are picked up, the character’s health, spirit energy, and strength will increase. Although most levels require the use of one particular character, later levels allow the player to switch among the four aforementioned heroes.
in association with Screaming Games. Before its development, a multitude of licensed video games based on Yu Yu Hakusho were released in Japan during the anime television series’ original airing.The anime began its broadcast in North America in 2002, gaining popularity on the afternoon Cartoon Network
block Toonami
. In June 2003, the gaming company Atari and Funimation Entertainment
, the English licensor for the YuYu Hakusho anime, established a publishing agreement for video games in western regions. Spirit Detective for the GBA
is the first Yu Yu Hakusho game title in this deal. The two companies had found previous success with another Funimation license, Dragon Ball Z
.
Spirit Detective is Sensory Sweep’s first published game. According to the company’s Devon Hargraves, a team of 15 individuals took about five months to develop Spirit Detective. Although were not given a lot of time to adjust their engine
, the team attempted to include all aspects of the Spirit Detective saga. Hargraves acted as a “jack-of-a-trades” designer for the game, working on the design documentation, giving game ideas and feedback, designing levels, and writing part of the script. Screaming Games had a more indirect involvement with the game’s development by helping Sensory Sweep and Atari “line up” and “flesh out the project and all of the documentation”. Spirit Detective was officially announced by Atari in August 2003. The game was released in North America on December 9, 2003 and in Europe on April 1, 2005. Spirit Detective was later released in a double-pack with Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu in North America on November 3, 2006.
. One universal complaint about the game was the very repetitive and thus unenjoyable nature of the gameplay. Adam Tierney of IGN
lambasting the combat with enemy AI, the required use of the compass in the maze-like levels, and the discouragement of exploration. GameZone
found that the battles become “more of a nuisance rather than an entertaining challenge”; the website did credit the developer’s attempt at variety with the unique objectives in each stage. Nintendo World Report
writer Michael Cole chose Spirit Detective among one the worst games he has played, noting poor collision detection, significant lag when using special attacks, and virtually no challenge in its battles or collection missions. Cole was satisfied with the integration of episode plot devices into the levels and the inclusion of minigames.
Most critics disapproved of the graphics in Spirit Detective, while opinions about other aspects of the presentation have been largely mixed. Tierney called the backgrounds “dull” and “bland”, the looping music “weak”, and static menus “bland”. However, he did take pleasure in the pre-rendered models and the clever text used in the storyline adaptation. Contrarily, Cole thought the plot “flows like a low-budget clip show”, requiring the player to be familiar with the anime and allegedly neither introducing characters and situations in a proper fashion nor including all portions of the story arc. Like Tierney, GameZone was unmoved by the graphics and accompanying music, but was impressed by the fighting animation and sound effects. Cole described the use of official in-game artwork as a plus, but remarked the audio as “horrible”.
Despite the game’s poor critical reception, Atari’s North American division reported satisfying financial results for its third quarter of 2003, naming Spirit Detective as one of the contributing titles. Sensory Sweep Studios and Screaming Games collaborated once more for the release of Yu Yu Hakusho: Tournament Tactics
for the GBA in 2004.
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
(GBA) handheld console. Based on the popular manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series YuYu Hakusho created by Yoshihiro Togashi
Yoshihiro Togashi
is a Japanese manga artist. He began drawing manga at an early age; while he attended college, the publisher Shueisha recognized his talent. Togashi has authored numerous manga series in different genres during the past three decades...
, the plot follows the central character Yusuke Urameshi, a street-brawling, often truant
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
teenager who dies trying to save a young boy’s life. After meeting an incarnation of the Grim Reaper
Death (personification)
The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
, Yusuke is given a second chance at life as a “Spirit Detective”, a protector of the living world.
Spirit Detective is an action-adventure game
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
that retells the various events of the anime’s story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
of the same name. The player takes control of one of six characters from the series and must complete various objectives from collecting items and completing mazes to battling enemies and occasional bosses. Spirit Detective was co-developed by Sensory Sweep Studios
Sensory Sweep Studios
Sensory Sweep Studios was an American developer of computer and video games. The studio was located in Salt Lake City, Utah.Founded in 2003 by Dave Rushton, Sensory Sweep was initially a handheld studio, developing games for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PSP...
and Screaming Games as part of a western region publishing deal from Atari.
Critical reception for Spirit Detective has been mostly unfavorable. While separate reviewers had their own qualms about the game, nearly all complained of monotonous gameplay and boring visuals.
Plot and gameplay
Yu Yu Hakusho: Spirit Detective is based on the mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series YuYu Hakusho
YuYu Hakusho
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. The name of the series is spelled YuYu Hakusho in the Viz Media manga and Yu Yu Hakusho in other English distributions of the franchise. The series tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who is struck and...
by author Yoshihiro Togashi
Yoshihiro Togashi
is a Japanese manga artist. He began drawing manga at an early age; while he attended college, the publisher Shueisha recognized his talent. Togashi has authored numerous manga series in different genres during the past three decades...
. The plot follows Yusuke Urameshi, a 14-year-old with a bad attitude and a tendency for truancy
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
and street fighting
Street fighting
Street fighting is a colloquial term used to denote unsanctioned, illegal in some countries, hand-to-hand fighting in public places, between individuals or groups of people....
. One day, Yusuke spots a child playing with a ball in the street, the protagonist pushes the child out of the way of a speeding car, only to be struck and killed himself. Yusuke’s ghost
Apparition
Generally, an apparition is an instance of something's appearing, i.e. being seen. The term may refer to:- Supernatural :*Apparitional experience, an anomalous, quasi-perceptual experience...
is suddenly greeted by Botan, a cute girl who introduces herself as the Grim Reaper
Death (personification)
The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
. She informs Yusuke that, due to his noble actions, he will be given a second chance at life as a “Spirit Detective”, an investigator of cases involving apparitions and demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s on Earth. Spirit Detective retells events from the anime’s intial story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
of the same name, consisting of the show’s first 25 episodes.
Spirit Detective is an action-adventure game
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
in which the player must complete various storyline scenarios using one of six characters at any given time. The player is able to move freely within the game’s maze-like environments and is guided to specific objectives using a compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
, located at the top of the screen. Objectives include picking up items or engaging in battle with foes. Combat consists of hand-to-hand or melee attacks, as well as special spirit abilities unique to four of the protagonists (Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei). The player’s health, spirit energy, and experience
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
are represented by gauges. Items that refill health and spirit energy may be found strewn throughout many of the levels. Defeating enemies will reveal orbs that can be collected for experience. If enough of them are picked up, the character’s health, spirit energy, and strength will increase. Although most levels require the use of one particular character, later levels allow the player to switch among the four aforementioned heroes.
Development
Yu Yu Hakusho: Spirit Detective was developed by the US company Sensory Sweep StudiosSensory Sweep Studios
Sensory Sweep Studios was an American developer of computer and video games. The studio was located in Salt Lake City, Utah.Founded in 2003 by Dave Rushton, Sensory Sweep was initially a handheld studio, developing games for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PSP...
in association with Screaming Games. Before its development, a multitude of licensed video games based on Yu Yu Hakusho were released in Japan during the anime television series’ original airing.The anime began its broadcast in North America in 2002, gaining popularity on the afternoon Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
block Toonami
Toonami
Toonami was a registered trademark of Cartoon Network, used initially for action-oriented programming blocks on Cartoon Network television channels worldwide, mostly showing American cartoons and Japanese anime, originating in the United States on March 17, 1997 and ended on September 20, 2008.The...
. In June 2003, the gaming company Atari and Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
, the English licensor for the YuYu Hakusho anime, established a publishing agreement for video games in western regions. Spirit Detective for the GBA
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
is the first Yu Yu Hakusho game title in this deal. The two companies had found previous success with another Funimation license, Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995; later the 519 individual chapters were published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. Dragon Ball was inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the...
.
Spirit Detective is Sensory Sweep’s first published game. According to the company’s Devon Hargraves, a team of 15 individuals took about five months to develop Spirit Detective. Although were not given a lot of time to adjust their engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
, the team attempted to include all aspects of the Spirit Detective saga. Hargraves acted as a “jack-of-a-trades” designer for the game, working on the design documentation, giving game ideas and feedback, designing levels, and writing part of the script. Screaming Games had a more indirect involvement with the game’s development by helping Sensory Sweep and Atari “line up” and “flesh out the project and all of the documentation”. Spirit Detective was officially announced by Atari in August 2003. The game was released in North America on December 9, 2003 and in Europe on April 1, 2005. Spirit Detective was later released in a double-pack with Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu in North America on November 3, 2006.
Reception
Overall critical reception for Yu Yu Hakusho: Spirit Detective has been mostly negative. The game holds average scores of 40% on GameRankings and 33 out of 100 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. One universal complaint about the game was the very repetitive and thus unenjoyable nature of the gameplay. Adam Tierney of IGN
IGN
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...
lambasting the combat with enemy AI, the required use of the compass in the maze-like levels, and the discouragement of exploration. 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...
found that the battles become “more of a nuisance rather than an entertaining challenge”; the website did credit the developer’s attempt at variety with the unique objectives in each stage. Nintendo World Report
Nintendo World Report
Nintendo World Report is a Nintendo-specific video game website that covers Nintendo's current consoles, the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, and Wii.-History:...
writer Michael Cole chose Spirit Detective among one the worst games he has played, noting poor collision detection, significant lag when using special attacks, and virtually no challenge in its battles or collection missions. Cole was satisfied with the integration of episode plot devices into the levels and the inclusion of minigames.
Most critics disapproved of the graphics in Spirit Detective, while opinions about other aspects of the presentation have been largely mixed. Tierney called the backgrounds “dull” and “bland”, the looping music “weak”, and static menus “bland”. However, he did take pleasure in the pre-rendered models and the clever text used in the storyline adaptation. Contrarily, Cole thought the plot “flows like a low-budget clip show”, requiring the player to be familiar with the anime and allegedly neither introducing characters and situations in a proper fashion nor including all portions of the story arc. Like Tierney, GameZone was unmoved by the graphics and accompanying music, but was impressed by the fighting animation and sound effects. Cole described the use of official in-game artwork as a plus, but remarked the audio as “horrible”.
Despite the game’s poor critical reception, Atari’s North American division reported satisfying financial results for its third quarter of 2003, naming Spirit Detective as one of the contributing titles. Sensory Sweep Studios and Screaming Games collaborated once more for the release of Yu Yu Hakusho: Tournament Tactics
Yu Yu Hakusho: Tournament Tactics
Yu Yu Hakusho: Tournament Tactics is a video game for the Game Boy Advance. It is based on the manga and anime series YuYu Hakusho created by Yoshihiro Togashi. The plot follows the protagonist Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who dies in an accident and is brought back to life as a "Spirit...
for the GBA in 2004.