Tantei Jinguji Saburo: Shinjuku Chuuou Kouen Satsujin Jiken

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**Tantei Jinguji Saburo: Shinjuku Chuuou Kouen Satsujin Jiken** (探偵神宮寺三郎新宿中央公園殺人事件, *Detective Saburo Jinguji: Shinjuku Central Park Murder Case*) is a murder mystery adventure game developed by Data East and released in 1987 for the Famicom Disk System in Japan. It is the first game in the *Detective Saburo Jinguji* series.

## Story

***A man was waiting...***

In this season, I am reminded again that the leaves of the trees that grow in the park were, after all, green. When I was in elementary school, in my class of sketching landscapes, the color of the water was blue, the sun was red, and the trees were green. Sitting on this bench in Shinjuku Central Park, the noise of the cars passing by on the surrounding roads is so far away that it's pleasant to hear, and you're sitting in the middle of Japan's largest city, lined with skyscrapers. It makes me feel relaxed enough to make me forget about it. Shining neon lights, brightly colored billboards, car horns, people talking... It's hard to believe that the city of swirling lights and sounds and this park are in the same city. This city has two, no, three, no, countless faces.

Me? I am Saburo Jinguji. I'm a private detective who has a job thanks to my office in Shinjuku. People seem to think of the detective office as an easy place to consult, and end asking for various things. Everything from looking for runaways to bodyguards. By the way, on a rainy day the day before yesterday, the mother at the bar on the main street asked me to look for her kitten because she couldn't find it. Even if you say you don't choose a job to make a living, I'm still in search of kittens. But I don't feel bad about helping people, it feels good. What's more, if it becomes a business, all the better. I can drink alcohol as well.

Walking from Shinjuku Central Park under the skyscrapers, thinking about the earthquake, and passing through the train guards, I come to the east exit of Shinjuku Station, which looks completely different than it did just a few minutes ago. One thing that Shinjuku has in common is that it is always crowded with people. Especially around here, there are always people from Shinjuku Station to Kabukicho where my office is located. In the morning, people with faces of the morning, in the evening of the evening, and in the middle of the night come and go. After all, humans are busy animals.

My office is in the middle of a busy city where animals gather. The only thing in common with the modern skyscrapers at the west exit is the fear of an earthquake, but it's a pretty building with the smell of human beings everywhere. Climbing the dark, steep stairs, inside, a man was waiting. Detective Kumano from Yodobashi police station. He got angry at having to wait and complained, but he didn't remember making an appointment, so when I pretended not to know anything about it, his attitude suddenly changed, and he said he wanted to talk to me. He's someone I can't hate. He seems to be in such a hurry that he doesn't even have time to drink Yoko's coffee...

He was a little surprised when he heard the story. There was an incident in Shinjuku Central Park where I was walking until a while ago. There's also the murder... The victim is just a young woman, and there is no evidence of her identity. Damn it! You did it in this town, in this Shinjuku! A murder case in my garden is a big deal. I'll do it, I'll definitely catch the culprit!

Detective Kumano, let's go! We can get some coffee later!

## Gameplay

Upon starting the game the player is asked to enter a name; this serves as a password to resume the game later. The game starts at the Shinjuku Central Park, with the player controlling Saburo on a top-down view map similar to JRPG games. The player can interact with people and objects, with a list of commands appearing when the player presses the A button. The player can move between key locations, including Saburo's office, to talk with the locals and gather information on the case.

### Commands

* **Go to** (そうさにいく): Move to another location.
* **Listen** (ききこみ): Talk with people.
* **Investigate** (ものしらべる): Examine objects and evidence.
* **Brief description** (ひとかんさつ): Analyze a person's behavior.
* **See memo** (メモ みる): Read notes made about people.
* **Call** (よぶ): Summon a character to your current location.
* **Take** (とる): Pick up objects and evidence.
* **Show something** (なにかみせる): Show a piece of evidence to a person.
* **Threaten** (おどす): Intimidate a person to force it to give information.
* **look around** (まわり みる): Investigate your surroundings for suspicious activity.
* **Tobacco** (タバコ すう): Lights up a cigarette. Helps Saburo to think.
* **Darken** (こくはつする): Used when telling Inspector Kumano the name of the culprit.
* **Stop** (そうさやめる): Quit the game and save.

## Overview

The story centers around a murder occurred on Shinjuku Central Park. The victim, Momoko Takada, was a hostess on the East night club. Her body was found naked and there were no eye witnesses, so inspector Kumano, who is in charge of the case, asks Saburo Jinguji for help on the case.

### Main Characters

* **Saburo Jinguji**: The game's protagonist, whom the player controls during the game.
* **Yoko Misono**: Saburo's assistant, she follows the player around and assists during the investigation.
* **Sanzo Kumano**: A veteran inspector and friend of Saburo, he relies information about the case.

### Other Characters

* **Ichiro Tsunohazu**: A high school student and Momoko's boyfriend.
* **Keiko Otsuka**: Another hostess at East and close friend of Momoko.
* **Yoyogi Hajime**: Manager of the East bar, he's a gambling addict and seems to have involvement with the local gangs.
* **Gozo Furin**: The boss of the Kanto Meiji-gumi gang based in Shinjuku. He has an office in Kabukicho.
* **Daisuke Kashiwagi**: A wealthy landlord who owns various buildings in the Shinjuku area.
* **Machiko Hanazono**: Kashiwagi's secretary.