Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles is actually a long-running series of Japanese detective games known as Tantei Jinguji Saburothat has appeared on numerous Japanese consoles since its debut on the Famicon almost twenty years ago.  The game has been totally localized for Western sensibilities and all characters have been provided with Western names (I still believe that such localization would have benefited the Shenmue series).  As the unexpected success of the Phoenix Wright games on the DS has publishers scouring Japanese game catalogues for other adventure titles, we would like to suggest the wonderful Welcome House series that originally appeared on the PS1.

Jake Hunter is being promoted as an interactive digital novel and seems to be somewhat of a cross between the noir of Hotel Dusk and the investigative process of the Phoenix Wright games as you must solve three different crimes by interviewing witnesses, uncovering clues and following leads.  A jazz soundtrack compliments the noir experience.  As a sequel is readily available, I imagine that even moderate success will guarantee that we’ll see a Jake Hunter 2.

One of the more interesting aspects of this game – and one which also offers some insight on the difference between cultures – is when you are stuck and need a hint, pressing the L button on the Nintendo DS takes you to a ‘smoking’ sequence as we see Jake taking a few drags on a cigarette to relax and collect his thoughts.  It would be a shame if this option were to be cut from the final North American version (you know the deal, okay to shoot police and hookers in GTA, not cool to smoke!).

Budget-priced at $19.99 and promises about 15 hours of gameplay, not a bad deal for the price. An overview of the three cases is below:

Episode 1 – The Petty Murder of a Fragile Heart
A murder has taken place in Aspicio City’s peaceful Central Park. Jake’s longtime friend, Detective Scott Kingsley, implores Jake to help solve the case. Can Jake uncover the killer’s true motive?

Episode 2 – Seaside City Conspiracy
On a quiet night, Jake gets a call out of the blue as a hysterical man pleads with Jake to find his missing girlfriend, Eva, in the harbor city of Depono. What seemed to be a routine missing persons case, will lead him down a dark path of deception…

Episode 3 – Crash and Burn
A story about love, betrayal and death in the fast lane. Jake Hunter’s skills will be put to the test, as he attempts to solve a murder case at the top racing circuit in Ceteri, where rivals, ex-lovers and friends are all suspects.