The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case:
The Okhotsk Disappearance
[北海道連鎖殺人 オホーツクに消ゆ]
1984年12月21日
“When the Nipopo doll cries, another corpse appears…”
The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case: The Okhotsk Disappearance is the second installment of Yuji Horii's mystery trilogy, in which Horii contributed solely as the scriptwriter. Programming was entrusted to Login Soft, and the game was published by ASCII in 1984 for the NEC PC-60-01 and PC-88-01, with subsequent releases in 1985 for the PC-98, Fujitsu Micro 7, and MSX. It was later ported to the Famicom on June 27, 1987. Hokkaido is not a direct sequel to The Portopia Serial Murder Case. It stands as a full-fledged mystery adventure game, even though it builds upon the core concepts and gameplay mechanics established in Portopia.
Hokkaido is one of the first adventure games to introduce a command selection system. Players no longer need to input commands manually, which streamlines progression and enhances the overall pace of the game. This allows the player to focus more on solving puzzles and immersing himself in the storyline on a deeper level.
In adventure games of that era, progress was frequently stalled by the trial-and-error process of inputting commands that matched the limited vocabulary understood by the program. However, in Hokkaido, all the programmed words are conveniently displayed in advance within a text menu on the right side of the screen.
The player can move instantly between locations, engage with locals to gather clues, present evidence, and make deductions. The player has a camera to capture evidence or suspects, which can be reviewed later in the investigation. If the player gets stuck, he can play Blackjack to earn new clues or receive a 20 characters password to save progress and exit the game.
Here is the list of commands available :
1 Change location.
2 Look around.
3 Talk to a person.
4 Examine a person or object.
5 Show items or evidence.
6 Search for a specific person.
7 Call a specific person.
8 Investigate objects.
9 Take something.
10 Take pictures of the victim or the scene.
11 Check belongings.
12 Make a phone call.
13 Play blackjack.
14 Stop the investigation and receive a password.
1 Change location.
2 Look around.
3 Talk to a person.
4 Examine a person or object.
5 Show items or evidence.
6 Search for a specific person.
7 Call a specific person.
8 Investigate objects.
9 Take something.
10 Take pictures of the victim or the scene.
11 Check belongings.
12 Make a phone call.
13 Play blackjack.
14 Stop the investigation and receive a password.
A man's body is found on Harumi Pier in Tokyo Bay…
When the Nipopo doll cries, another corpse appears...
The player takes on the role of a highly skilled and esteemed police inspector. He is accompanied by an assistant who faithfully executes the player's instructions in his place.
He travels to Hokkaido to gather clues, but during this time, a second and then a third murder are uncovered. What exactly is the criminal's goal? As the player investigates the relationships between the victims, a significant and troubling past emerges.
The story is set in Hokkaido and includes real tourist destinations such as the Five Lakes of Shiretoko, Abashiri Prison, Kitahama Station, and Yubari Coal Mine, along with iconic local elements like the Abashiri Nipopo doll.
Yuji Horii visited the locations himself to scout and document the atmospheres, which was quite exceptional at the time. He photographed countless sites, which are faithfully reproduced in the game, and conducted interviews to capture the accents and speech patterns of the locals. The weight of Hokkaido's history feels more authentic than in Portopia, benefiting from the on-site scouting and detailed documentation.
The scenery and buildings are beautifully rendered, immersing players in a genuine sense of travel.
The seamless integration of landscapes evokes a profound emotional value and deep fascination, making the environment feel like a work of art in its own right. The soul and nature of the various environments, meticulously recreated, emerge vividly from the depths of their appearance.
The story also incorporates local specialties, transforming the game into a tour guide for Hokkaido.
The atmosphere of the Showa era is vividly captured. At that time, games with text and dialogues imbued with a sense of travel were quite rare.
In Hokkaido, instead of emphasizing the surprise of the culprit’s identity, the story is crafted to ensure that the player comprehends the full context and intricacies behind the incident. The narrative unfolds coherently through extensive dialogue, rich with twists and red herrings that can mislead the investigation and end to potential failures.
The player must ensure a thorough understanding of the story to select commands in a coherent manner, rather than choosing them one after another mindlessly, at the risk of hindering his progress and suffering considerable delays in the investigation.
The game's flow does not always clearly indicate if the player is on the wrong track. Without realizing it, the player may end up going back and forth for a long time, encountering numerous traps and misunderstandings. The game is designed in such a way that it compels players to make unnecessary choices.
As the player delves deeper into the case, the story takes a dramatic turn, and his assigned partner shifts from Kuroki, his assistant in Tokyo, to Shun, his assistant in Hokkaido.
The game undergoes several transformations based on the plot, simulating the passage of time through various methods, including enforced time breaks. When the player encounters a dead end in his investigation, he can play blackjack to obtain new clues or to take a break. He must execute a set number of commands to move the investigation forward in time, or he may need to pause his investigation, quit the game, and resume it later to reveal new clues. If he remains in one location for too long, information will begin to emerge in a different area. He must revisit locations and question suspects repeatedly to uncover new clues, mirroring the dynamic nature of a real investigation where events and interactions evolve over time. As the investigation unfolds, the circle of characters involved and victims expands.
The art direction is highly imaginative. The graphics are refined, and the overall visual identity of the game exudes a cinematic quality.
The original microcomputer version mirrors the style of adult drama manga, known as Gekiga. The drawings are clear and intense, aiming for a high degree of realism. The game evokes a sense of movement and animation despite its simple drawings. It employs various planes to segment the visuals, utilizing long shots, medium shots, and close-ups effectively. The game adopts techniques akin to the cutscenes found in contemporary games. This early version of Hokkaido would go on to influence subsequent cinematic adventure games, including Snatcher, Misty Blue, and Policenauts.
The text uses only hiragana and katakana. To enhance readability in the absence of kanji, different spacing and colors are employed depending on the type of dialogue.
The graphics of the Famicom version are drawn with greater delicacy. They have a warm, inviting quality that feels more familiar. They are crafted by Kiyokazu Arai, the renowned mangaka and regular artist for Famitsu magazine. The character portraits are intricately detailed with bold black lines, adding a striking expressiveness. They dynamically shift between facing forward and sideways during conversations. The landscapes are simple yet distinctive and well-crafted, effectively enhancing the narrative's descriptive depth. The dramatic and suspenseful atmosphere is significantly intensified. The game features subtle lip-sync animations for the characters and dynamic flashing effects on the scenery. These design elements have since become standard in adventure games.
The title screen and logo elegantly transform to reflect the changing seasons. Upon completing the opening investigation, the title screen features an illustration of the Sea of Okhotsk in winter, with the phrase "Tsuzuku", to be continued, added, evoking the feel of a dramatic series.
Toshiyuki Ueno, then the lead editor of Famitsu under the pseudonym Gessen Ueno, composed the music for the Famicom version. He also served as the lead programmer for the PC-60 01 and MSX versions.
The numerous themes are stunning and consistently exude elegance. They are well-diversified and perfectly underscore each moment of the adventure and investigation. At times, several themes alternate within the same scene.
The sound effects convey a range of emotions through their atmospheric depth. The persistent sound of the plane in the scene resembles the intrusion of wind into the house, suggesting that something ominous has occurred.
The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case offers two distinct versions of the story development after the intermediate stage: the original version, on PC-60 01, PC-88 01, PC-98 01, FM-7, and MSX, and the later version on the Famicom. The characters that appear differ between these versions, and the identity of the culprit is not the same.
At the beginning of the game, the player is prompted to enter the name of the main character, using up to four hiragana characters.
A man's corpse is discovered at Harumi Pier, in Tokyo Bay
The player is accompanied by his assistant, Goro Kuroki, a young and slightly eccentric investigator from Tokyo. Together, they head to the crime scene.
Mr. Takano, a warehouse company employee who lives near Harumi, was the first person to discover the corpse. At this point, the victim’s identity remains unknown.
The player finds a note in the corpse’s pocket with a phone number scribbled on it. The number leads to Leblanc Cafe, a hostess bar located in Takadanobaba.
The player visits Leblanc Cafe and is lured inside by a casual man. Once inside, he shows the note to Akemi, a popular hostess at the bar. However, she seems wary of the police and is reluctant to cooperate.
Luna, another hostess at the café, recognizes the photo of the victim. She reveals that the man had been staying at Takada's inn.
While searching his hotel room, the player finds a postcard along with the name and address of the victim, who is identified as Fumikichi Masuda from Kushiro, Hokkaido. He is rumored to have traveled to Tokyo to participate in a lucrative trafficking scheme.
The player heads to Hokkaido while Kuroki decides to withdraw from the investigation and remain in Tokyo.
Upon arriving in Hokkaido, the player meets Noriyuki Yamabe, the chief detective of the Kushiro police department. He informs the player about the recent emergence of a yakuza group known as the Hokuryu-kai in the city.
Yamabe’s assistant Shunsuke Saruwatari, affectionately known as Shun, a young detective from the Kushiro police department, now joins the player’s investigation.
The player heads straight to the address listed on the postcard.
Fumikichi Masuda's wife is oblivious to her husband's activities. However, she mentions that she received money from a man named Yukio Iijima, who is located in Kitahama.
Upon arriving at the scene, the player discovers that Yukio Iijima's body has just been found on Kitahama beach. It appears that Iijima and Fumikichi Masuda, the first victim, were acquainted with each other.
According to his son Shinji's testimony, Iijima had been threatened prior to his death.
The player presents Shinji with a photo of Fumikichi Masuda.
According to Shinji, Masuda bears a striking resemblance to Gen-san, an employee at Koropokkuri, a restaurant located in Susukino, Sapporo.
The player arrives at the restaurant in Susukino, where Gen-san is alive and well, busy cooking. Despite their resemblance, he is not Fumikichi Masuda.
As the player presses on with the investigation without uncovering any new leads, a radio call comes through, notifying him of a new incident.
A new body has been discovered at Abashiri Port. It appears to be smiling, despite being a corpse.
The player travels through the cities of Kushiro and Abashiri, eventually arriving at Abashiri Port.
He examines the evidence at the end of the pier and interviews the locals for more information.
A business card discovered in the victim's wallet identifies him as Yukuro Shiraki, a prominent business leader and president of a large supermarket in Tokyo, who was visiting Hokkaido.
He lives in Meguro Ward, Tokyo.
His employee, who arrives at the crime scene in a panic, reveals that Yukuro Shiraki had intended to visit Lake Mashu and that he was a friend of Yukio Iijima.
The player travels to Lake Mashu, where he encounters Megumi Nakayama and Makiko Nomura.
Megumi is a sentimental young woman with large round eyes, embodying a very urban style. She is visiting her childhood friend Makiko, who has beautiful clear eyes and resides in Hokkaido, for the holidays.
No clues are discovered.
The player chooses to play blackjack with Shun to pass the time and then contacts the main police station.
A fourth body is discovered in a lake in Shiretoko! The victim appears to have drowned, with a stocking tightly tied around her neck, suggesting suffocation.
Nakano, the young groom who found the body, has no additional information regarding the incident.
The player traverses the parking lot and the souvenir shop to gather clues.
He discovers that the victim's name is Tatsuo Shiraki, who resided in the Hotaru-cho district of Hakodate. After the war, he had taken up the role of a traveling merchant in the region. It is mentioned that he had recently bought a large figurine from the souvenir shop. He was seen with a woman approximately 25 years old, with long hair, and the couple was staying at the Kagaya Inn.
The player heads to the Kagaya Inn, where he encounters Banto, the manager, and Kikuyakko, a geisha.
Tatsuo Shiraki reportedly had a heated argument in the middle of the night with the woman accompanying him, Ikumi Shiraki. She was seen crying and repeatedly saying "Marimoya Marimoya."
In Hakodate, the player discovers that Shiraki was spotted at Lake Akan.
The player arrives at Lake Akan, where a photographer is capturing images of individuals dressed in traditional Ainu costumes.
The player discovers a cigarette and a lighter at the scene.
The player visits the Marimoya Inn near the lake and presents the suspects' pictures, confirming that the couple spent the night there. It is also revealed that a Yakuza gang had been staying at the inn, targeting Yukuro Shiraki. During the investigation, the player finds a Marigo flower, a type of moss typically found floating on Lake Kussharo.
The player heads to Lake Kussharo to search for further clues.
He inspects the telescope and gazes out at the view overlooking the Marimoya Inn.
He returns to the Marimoya Inn, where he finds a photo of a mysterious woman along with a suspicious note directing him to Utoro Port. In the game, this information is presented as a password, which the player meticulously writes down. After exiting the game, he selects the continue option to start a new session and enters the password.
A sailor from Utoro Port informs the player that the woman who was with Shiraki went alone to the Todowara Viewpoint on the Notsuke Peninsula, a location reminiscent of a tree cemetery.
The player arrives at the Todowara Viewpoint and discovers the woman collapsed on the ground. She eventually regains consciousness at the police hospital. In her statements, she claims that "Shiraki" is not her real name; her true identity is Tokuko Ono. She confesses that the body found at the Shiretoko Lakes belongs to her lover, Kunio Imochi, whom she murdered in a fit of rage after he toyed with her emotions and planned to abandon her. She adopted the name Shiraki to keep her true identity hidden. However, she insists that she has no connection to the other murders. This revelation leaves the investigation at a standstill, bringing the case back to square one.
The police analyze Yukuro Shiraki's body and discover that it contains Marigo flowers and fresh water, indicating that he had been in a different location before his death, rather than the sea as initially suggested by the crime scene.
Shun theorizes that Yukuro Shiraki might have been murdered at Lake Kussharo, where Marigo flowers grow, and then his body was subsequently disposed of in Abashiri Harbor.
Investigations around Lake Kussharo suggest that Shiraki may have traveled to Wakoto Onsen.
At Wakoto Onsen, the player finds a blue-covered notebook listing the names of Yukuro Shiraki, Yukio Iijima, and Kisuke Okumura, all marked with a cross. Additionally, there’s a name noted: Hideo Akutsu, an Abashiri MP running for minister, along with a phone number.
Megumi appears and mentions that Masuda bears a striking resemblance to her childhood friend Makiko's father. She recalls that Makiko had a younger sister who tragically lost her life in a car accident in Tokyo.
The player attempts to take Megumi's bath towel, leading to Shun's disapproval. However, if he remains patient for a few minutes, Megumi eventually removes the towel herself. Is this moment truly relevant to the investigation?
The player investigates Makiko's apartment and uncovers a letter postmarked from Monbetsu, written by an individual named Okumura, who could be linked to the incident.
The player arrives at Monbetsu Station and discovers that Iijima was a journalist who resided with a man named Kisuke Okumura.
From this event, the narrative diverges into two distinct paths: the original version for microcomputers and the Famicom version.
The player visits the observation point that provides a panoramic view of Monbetsu city and finds a memorial commemorating a fishing boat that sank in 1944.
Locals mention that a woman resembling Makiko frequently lays a bouquet of flowers at the memorial.
The player visits the Port Authority office and discovers that the sunken boat was the Eifuku Maru, which belonged to Kisuke Okumura. It is reported that the captain and seven others perished in the incident.
The player visits Kisuke Okumura's home, where his wife reveals that her husband committed suicide a week ago while he was out fishing. Prior to his death, he intended to present the police with a Nipopo doll, which is crafted and sold at Abashiri Prison. This particular doll features a peculiar chisel mark under its left eye, giving it a tearful appearance.
At Monbetsu Port, the player discovers that the Nipopo doll was crafted at Abashiri Prison by a man named Urata, a former fisherman from the area. It is rumored that Urata was involved in several murders in the past and has since gone missing.
The player visits Abashiri Prison and discovers that the Nipopo dolls marked with a tear were consistently finished by Jingoro Urata the day after a murder. Currently serving a life sentence, Jingoro Urata is reluctant to speak at this time.
A clerk at Abashiri Station mentions that a young woman purchased a ticket to Kushiro.
In Kushiro, the player finds out that Makiko withdrew a substantial amount of money from the bank, which she then gave to Masuda's wife.
When the player revisits Makiko's apartment, the guard mentions hearing sounds of a struggle. Upon entering, the player sees that the room has been vandalized, with a photo album lying on the floor. There is a picture of Makiko with her father and older sister; her father resembles Masuda but is actually Gen-san. Additionally, there's a photo of Makiko alongside Urata.
The player goes to Koropokkuri, where a panicked restaurant employee reveals that he received a threatening letter meant for Gen-san. The letter warns, "If you fear for your daughter's life, come to the Yubari Chuo Coal Mine."
In Yubari, the player interrogates the owner of an electronics store and learns that a black foreign car is heading toward to the coal mine.
Equipped with a flashlight, the player enters the mine and finds a shoe that could potentially belong to Makiko.
Inside the mine, the layout resembles a maze. As soon as the player steps into the darkness, the entrance shuts behind him, revealing it to be a trap!
The player delves deep into the mine.
At the very bottom of the mine lies Makiko, bound and unconscious. She is quickly transported to the police hospital, remaining in a state of unconsciousness due to oxygen deprivation. Shun is deeply worried about her condition.
The player heads to Abashiri Prison to meet Urata and shows him the photo of himself with Makiko. Upon seeing the picture, Urata begins to recount everything.
Shortly after the war, a gang was laundering money by stealing relief supplies from the American military. Akutsu was the gang leader, Okumura was responsible for preparing the ship, and Shiraki was in charge of selling the stolen supplies. Just as the gang was on the verge of being discovered, they sank the ship to eliminate the evidence.
Iijima, then a war reporter, had disguised the sinking as a simple accident. Nomura, captain of the Eifuku Maru and good friend of Urata, had entrusted him with the raising of his only son Genji Nomura, as a surrogate parent. This is Gen-san, Makiko's father.
When Urata encountered Masuda a few days earlier in prison, he mistakenly thought he was Gen-san and recounted the entire story of the sinking. Masuda likely intended to blackmail Akutsu but ended up getting himself killed.
Akutsu allegedly targeted Gen-san, who was aware of all the details surrounding the shipwreck, but accidentally killed Masuda instead. He then murdered Makiko's sister, Yukari, staging it to appear as a car accident. In a bid for vengeance for Yukari's death and to protect Makiko, Gen-san purportedly began eliminating everyone involved in the shipwreck, one by one.
Back at the police hospital, Makiko has regained consciousness. She claims that Gen-san intends to finish the job and is determined to kill Akutsu, who is supposedly on his way to Sapporo.
Meanwhile, Gen-san has taken a kitchen knife from his restaurant and is making his way to Sapporo Station. He is being pursued by the Yakuza Hokuryūkai gang.
When the player arrives at Sapporo Station, Akutsu is about to disembark from the train that has just arrived. Gen-san, lying in wait, attempts to attack him with his knife, but he is quickly surrounded by the Yakuza.
Shun successfully overpowers the Yakuza, leading to a confrontation between Akutsu and Gen-san. The player manages to immobilize them, ultimately arresting Akutsu, Gen-san, and the Yakuza members.
Gen-san is relieved to hear that Makiko has been found and is safe under the care of the police.
After solving the case, the player returns to Tokyo.
A month later, he receives a postcard from Shun. The card features a picture of Shun and Makiko in a wedding dress!
The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case challenges the player's deductive reasoning and perceptiveness. The intricately woven narrative and its development, which pushes the boundaries of mystery, is a masterpiece.
The game provides scant hints about future events, concealing a dark narrative woven within layers of subtext. The unfolding of seemingly unrelated incidents, which ultimately converge into a singular plot, creates a continuous sense of suspense and intrigue.
Ther is a distinct tension between the story's chronological sequence and its temporal structure, which presents events in a pseudo-chronological order that often feels disjointed. This approach disperses the narrative rather than seamlessly connecting it. At times, to allow the meaning of the experience to crystallize, the player must halt the flow of time and pause his investigation. This multi-layered approach to storytelling is characteristic of Yuji Horii's style.
The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case was initially a collaborative effort between Login and Yuji Horii, who was involved in writing articles about video game development for the magazine.
Yuji Horii did not handle the programming, instead concentrating solely on the scenario. The story concept was developed rapidly as a result. Programming responsibilities were handed over to Ueno, resulting in a clear division of tasks. The development period was condensed to just one year, constrained by Yuji Horii's busy schedule, as he was simultaneously working on the creation and scenario for his third mystery adventure game, Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide.