The Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide
[軽井沢誘拐案内]
1985年4月
“Romantic Mystery Adventure”
After The Portopia Serial Murder Case, Yuji Horii originally planned to create a game titled Hokkaido Kidnapping Guide. Hokkaido eventually evolved into The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case, while Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide emerged from the original Kidnapping Guide idea.
Yuji Horii developed Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide on his own, handling the script, programming, and artwork at his own pace, without following a strict structure, in contrast to Hokkaido where he wrote the script from start to finish to optimize teamwork during development.
Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide is the final installment in Yuji Horii's mystery trilogy. It also marks his last experimental project before transitioning to the development of his iconic full-scale RPG, Dragon Quest.
The game was released by Enix in April 1985 for the NEC PC-88, Fujitsu Micro 7, Sharp X1, and in 1986 for the NEC PC-6001 and MSX. Subtitled Romantic Mystery, Karuizawa is a unique work that blends adventure games with RPG elements.
It is the only episode of the trilogy that was never ported to the Famicom, for a clear and straightforward reason: the game’s content is too erotic, too evocative, and too sensual.
Karuizawa has a more relaxed and casual atmosphere compared to the previous two installments. The player takes on the role of a student who assists his girlfriend, Kumiko, in searching for her missing sister, Nagisa.
Has she been kidnapped...? As night falls, they decide to venture out together to search for her.
As the mystery deepens, it becomes unclear whether "Nagisa" truly exists...
Karuizawa employs the same command selection system and command list as Hokkaido Serial Murders. However, players must sometimes guess the names of characters or locations and input them directly via the keyboard. Additionally, there are instances where specific commands must be used at particular moments during conversations, making it impossible to progress by merely selecting commands in succession.
The player can search for evidence and later present it to other characters.
Some commands are notably suggestive, such as "kiss" and "cuddle". The resulting erotic scenes serve as rewards for the player and provide a brief respite from the unfolding drama. These explicit scenes are frequent and distinctly set this episode apart from its predecessors.
The story takes place in the summer resort of Karuizawa, a popular destination for Japanese people, particularly young women. The game incorporates real-life locations, including Karuizawa Station, Lake Leman (an artificial lake named after its Swiss counterpart), Jizogahara, and Mount Asama. Notably, Yuji Horii makes an appearance as a character in the game, alongside "Fumie Sawaki," a supporting character from the Portopia Serial Murder Case.
In Karuizawa, the player switches partners multiple times throughout the adventure. Initially, the protagonist’s girlfriend accompanies him, but she mysteriously vanishes midway through the story. For a period, the narrative unfolds with just the main character, until he acquires a new female partner. The interface adapts accordingly, as the partner takes on the role of the interface. This shift in partners alters the player's perspective of the game world.
Additionally, if the player fails to keep his partner sufficiently happy, she will abandon her role as the interface and refuse to follow commands, preventing any further progression in the game until her mood is restored.
The story consists of six chapters. In addition to real-time saving, the player can restart from the beginning of each chapter based on his progress. However, the MSX version does not allow for game saving; instead, each chapter begins with a password that must be entered every time it is restarted.
The player moves around a 2D top-down terrain map reminiscent of Ultima's scrolling map. However, similar to Hokkaido, the player can also move instantly by selecting the names of locations.
Alongside the 2D top-down map, the final chapter introduces statistics like "endurance," "strength," and "defense," with the player engaging in battles against enemies in classic RPG combat scenes.
In battle, the main character can attack while the two heroines utilize unique skills like "Nage Kiss" (Throw a Kiss), which lowers the enemy's attack power, and "Pantyra" (Showing Panties), which diminishes the enemy's defense power.
Yuji Horii created the images using only the LINE and PAINT commands along with a programming routine originally developed by Kazuo Morita, a prominent programmer of the 1980s known for puzzle games like "Kazuro Morita's Shogi" and "Morita's Othello." Morita won first prize in the 1983 Enix game program contest. At the time, creating images on a computer was both time-consuming and memory-intensive, so it was essential to compress image data effectively without consuming excessive memory. While the PAINT command was used for drawing, traditional command instructions resulted in slow graphics display. In contrast, Morita's routine allowed for much faster rendering.
The game lacks any music; instead, sound effects are automatically generated by the computer, similar to the PC versions of Portopia and Hokkaido.
Each version of the game includes a glossy, slightly blurry photo of Nagisa. This item serves as a valuable clue for completing the game.
Nagisa goes missing.
In spring, the hydrangeas bloom, and the seaside resort of Karuizawa, usually bustling in summer, remains somewhat quiet.
That night, the player visits his girlfriend Kumiko's vacation villa, where they are expecting Nagisa, Kumiko's sister, to join them along with her boyfriend.
Kumiko is delighted when the player finally arrives, mentioning that her sister Nagisa has gone out shopping.
They flirt for a bit, but Nagisa doesn't return. Could she have been kidnapped?! Meanwhile, Kumiko begins receiving strange, silent phone calls.
The young couple then decides to contact the police.
A detective arrives, but doesn't take the case seriously.
They decide to wait until the following day and spend the night in the house.
The following day, Nagisa still hasn't returned home.
Where could she be? It’s unlike her to stay out without letting anyone know. And the strange phone calls only add to Kumiko's worries...
The couple decides to search for her, exploring various locations around the city. They ask people at drive-ins, churches, hotels, supermarkets, and tennis clubs, but they don’t receive any helpful information.
They encounter Hanayama, the new president of Kumiko's father's family business, Masao Takagi. Hanayama stepped into the role after Takagi's tragic death in a car accident.
On an island in Lake Léman, they discover a tarot card with the image of the Grim Reaper.
They come across a wild cannabis crop in the back mountains and discover Nagisa's wallet along a path. Inside the wallet, they find another tarot card depicting the Grim Reaper, which serves as an invitation to a party in Jizogahara.
Nagisa is believed to have gone there with a man.
The couple encounters Asami Mizuki, a high school student and Nagisa's best friend.
Based on the information provided by Asami, the couple meets Shinoda, Nagisa's boyfriend, but they don't uncover any valuable details.
At the Karuizawa Villa Hotel, Director Sekiya provides them with details about the Jizogahara festival.
The couple heads to the festival hall, where they learn that Nagisa was supposed to attend with Ishida, a troublemaker with a rough past, but no one has spotted them at the festival.
Once back home, Kumiko receives another silent phone call and begins to exhibit a sudden change in her behavior.
The player seduces Kumiko in an attempt to coax the truth out of her.
Kumiko never had a sister at all!
Or rather, her sister passed away long ago when Kumiko was just 12 years old, allegedly due to an illness.
When Nagisa died, their mother, unable to cope with the situation, began to suffer a nervous breakdown.
Kumiko then started to play a double game, occasionally adopting her sister's role and identity in an attempt to help her mother heal.
The following day, the player parts ways with Kumiko and continues the investigation alone.
Kumiko goes missing.
After departing from the villa, the player seeks information about Nagisa and observes that the cannabis plants are now gone.
On a trail, he finds a shovel and a lighter inscribed with initials.
At the Karuizawa Villa Hotel, Sekiya states that Masao Takagi, the late father of Kumiko and Nagisa, frequently had disputes with his assistant Hanayama.
At the stud farm, jockey Nishimura reveals that the brakes on Kumiko's parents' car were faulty on the day of the accident.
The death of Kumiko's parents was not an accident but a murder. Could Hanayama be the culprit?
The player then calls Kumiko to warn her, but she has disappeared!
He receives a phone call urging him to drop the case.
He presents the lighter he found earlier to Yoko Hirota from the tennis club, who seems surprised.
At the drive-in, the player discovers that Nagisa might be with Hanayama.
The drive-in owner and Yoko from the tennis club provide dubious testimonies.
At the church, the priest informs the player that he can dig anywhere with the shovel he found, but he is permitted to dig only once, as per God's will.
As the player starts to grow suspicious of Hanayama, he chooses to dig in his garden.
Beneath the root of a blue hydrangea, he uncovers a bolt.
Hanayama is promptly interrogated, but he flees the scene.
Hanayama appears suspicious.
A letter is discovered behind a vase, stating that Masao Takagi sent it to Hanayama last fall, prior to his accident. In the letter, he requests that Hanayama look after his daughters if anything were to happen to him.
Back at the villa, the player encounters Asami, who reveals that Nagisa was investigating her parents' accident. She suggests that Nagisa may be in Jizogahara.
The player heads to Jizogahara with Asami.
They enter the house where Nagisa was last seen, having broken the window to get inside.
Inside, they discover a photo of an older man in his forties with a child, along with an old newspaper.
From the newspaper, the player learns that Masao Takagi's company was embezzled, leading to the suicide of a man named Katsuo Hirota, who had two children.
As accessing the second floor of the house is impossible without a ladder, the player decides to visit the Duran guesthouse next door.
Upon arriving at the guesthouse, the player is welcomed by a beautiful woman named Fumie.
She mentions that she has seen the priest enter the house next door from time to time and recognizes the handwriting on the lighter as belonging to the owner of the drive-in.
Oda, the owner of the Durand guesthouse, identifies the boy in the photo as Masakatsu Hirota, an old classmate from middle school.
To say more, he insists on seeing Asami's panties. Oda is a pervert!
Masakatsu Hirota left for Tokyo after graduating, and Oda hasn't seen him since. The girl in the photo with him is his older sister, Yoko.
The player uses a ladder from the guesthouse to access the second floor of the house, which opens up to a spacious villa that he can explore.
He finds a memo that reads "3rd down," along with a homemade cigarette and a list of nightclubs.
Behind the shelf, he discovers a hidden room containing administrative documents.
A hole in the back of the wall uncovers a large cave.
While exploring the cave, the player discovers a villa that cannot be accessed from the city.
Behind a photo frame, the player uncovers a cupboard and finds a document that includes the name Ginji Ishida.
The player heads back to the cave and takes the southern exit, which leads to a lake.
At the lake's edge, the player encounters an old man who enjoys soaking up the sun.
After leaving the cave and the villa, the player encounters Fumie once more.
This beautiful woman turns out to be Fumie Sawaki, the character who discovered Kozo Yamakawa's corpse in the first installment of Yuji Horii's mystery trilogy, The Portopia Serial Murder Case.
She reveals that her older brother's name is Yasuhiko Mano, nicknamed Yasu!
The player goes back to Oda, the owner of the Durant guesthouse, to gather more information.
Asami has him try the cigarette she discovered earlier. It's rolled with a wild cannabis leaf.
Oda then examines the administrative document, which turns out to be a stock certificate for a villa hotel, signed by Masao Takagi.
He recalls that a girl of the same age as Asami once lived in this hidden villa, and her name was Nagisa.
The player returns to the hidden lake at the end of the cave, and suddenly, the old man reappears.
He's actually a god!
South of the lake, a cliff has collapsed on the mountain road. The old man clears the path for them with a magic trick.
At the end of the path is Yubo's house. He is actually Yuji Horii.
The player then arrives at Ishida's place, where he claims not to know Nagisa. However, the player knows he's lying, as they've already been seen together.
Ishida finally reveals the truth: he was indeed with Nagisa, describing her as a very cute girl. However, he mentions that a certain Mr. Dragon captured her.
Mr. Dragon is the owner of the large villa and the boss of the Jizogahara party hall. He is always masked, concealing his face and true identity from everyone.
Upon re-entering the villa, the player hears a man's voice echoing from the corridor. The man claims that he has already dealt of Kumiko and Nagisa, but he refuses to elaborate further.
The true identity of the dragon.
The player decides to return to the front of Karuizawa Station with Asami.
He organizes his thoughts in his mind.
It seems this incident is linked to Kumiko's parents' accident.
Nagisa was seen with a man who appeared to be around 40 years old.
The owner of the drive-in and Yoko from the tennis club appeared together in the same photo.
A lighter was discovered in the same location as Nagisa's wallet.
Kumiko's father wrote to Hanayama and trusted him. It’s possible that Hanayama is innocent, but someone is framing him for the crimes. The placement of that shovel seems deliberate.
Kumiko received a phone call from a man’s voice warning her to stop her investigation.
Kumiko then claimed that she never had a sister.
Additionally, there was some grass resembling wild cannabis on the mountain behind Kumiko's villa, but later, the evidence had disappeared as if someone had removed it.
A party was held at a villa in Jizogahara, where marijuana cigarettes were being rolled in the basement.
A long time ago, a man committed suicide after being dismissed from Masao Takagi's company.
That man's name is Katsuo Hirota.
In the photo found in the villa, the boy is identified as Masakatsu Hirota. Fumie believes he bears a strong resemblance to the owner of the Drive-In.
Masakatsu Hirota had an older sister named Yoko. Alongside this, a large number of stock certificates under the name of Masao Takagi, Kumiko's father, were found. These certificates were for a villa hotel.
There is also the mysterious man known as Mr. Dragon. The large villa likely belongs to him.
According to Fumie, the priest also used to visit the villa. But whose distinctive voice was heard on the second floor of the villa?
The player then summarizes:
The man in the photo with the other two children is believed to be Sekiya. He likely raised Masakatsu and Yoko. Sekiya held a grudge against Kumiko's father and is said to have murdered him and his wife in a tragic car accident. Sekiya could be Mr. Dragon!
Did he want to steal the stock certificates of the villa hotel, or was he trying to protect his cannabis cultivation that was about to be discovered in the back mountain?
Perhaps for both reasons, Mr. Dragon, aka Sekiya, murdered Kumiko and Nagisa's parents. As for Nagisa, who was beginning to investigate the accident, she would have become a problem.
The owner of the Drive-in, Masakatsu, would have kidnapped Nagisa while she was investigating the case with Hanayama.
Masakatsu, Yoko, and the priest, a frequent attendee of the marijuana parties, are all accomplices of Mr. Dragon, who is attempting to frame Hanayama for the crimes.
They buried the bolt in the fence of his house and intentionally dropped the shovel to frame him as the culprit.
Sekiya would be the mastermind behind the whole affair, while Masakatsu would act as the kidnapper. He likely had a grudge against Masao Takagi's company since his father committed suicide.
It all makes sense.
The player contacts the police to rescue Nagisa and Kumiko, who are probably in danger at the hands of Mr. Dragon. The detective recognizes the name Mr. Dragon.
Ten years ago, a crime was attributed to an organization known as Dragon, which has since been dismantled. There's no way such a criminal group could endure in Japan, a country known for its safety. As a result, this case does not concern the police.
The player returns to confront the priest, who then reveals his true colors: he was indeed a regular at these parties, and his weaknesses led him to cooperate with Dragon.
However, he didn't play a significant role in this story and doesn’t have any additional information. May God protect him.
Kumiko suddenly appears!
She had been hiding at Hanayama's place all along. Threatened, she was afraid of being attacked.
She lied to the player and didn’t warn him to avoid involving him further. Instead, she conducted her own investigation and discovered an intriguing photo!
The player then examines the photo included in the game box.
Nagisa, who was searching for her father's killer, has indeed been kidnapped.
But the photo could be a clue.
The landscape behind Nagisa, composed of a church cross and a farm, resembles Mount Asama.
The player, along with Asami and Kumiko, then heads to Mount Asama.
Stamina, strength and defense parameters are displayed on screen.
A first thug blocks the passage.
By selecting the "Fight” command, a battle begins.
The player determines the actions of his group of characters.
He can fight and protect himself.
Kumiko can fight, protect herself, and blow kisses to lower the enemy's motivation.
Nagisa can fight, protect herself, and show her panties to lower the opponent's defense.
When the team defeats an opponent, the characters earn experience points, leading to an increase in their skills.
Treasures, which also increase the characters' skills, are scattered throughout the field map.
A water source, which can be used repeatedly, allows the team to fully recover their physical strength.
The objective is to infiltrate the enemy's hideout.
The player increases the skills and experience of his team to defeat the powerful enemies guarding the entrance.
On the field map, the player discovers a transparent panty and a bunny costume.
When Asami wears them, her ability to show her panties is increased.
Asami manages to defeat the last boss thanks to her transparent panties, allowing the group to enter the Dragon's lair.
Kumiko has emerged! But where is Nagisa?!
Sekiya must have taken care to make her disappear long ago. Is it already too late? Is she already at the bottom of the lake?
Sekiya orders Masakatsu to eliminate the player! However, filled with regret and hatred towards Sekiya, the adoptive father he has always despised, Masakatsu refuses! He insists that Nagisa is alive and being held prisoner just behind the door.
The group can finally bring Nagisa home!
Sekiya draws a gun, but the police arrive at the same time. Despite their doubts, they followed the group on their adventures, and the village is now completely surrounded.
Kumiko finally finds her sister, Nagisa.
It is a joyful day.
All four of them return safely to Kumiko's villa.
It seems that the Dragon organization has been destroyed for good this time.
While Nagisa searches for the soy sauce, the player sneaks into the next room with Kumiko.
-A few days later……-
Nagisa has disappeared again! But she left behind a clue.
"I'm going on a trip to find a wonderful boyfriend, just like my sister."
"Please don't look for me this time. Nagisa."
Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide is a prodigious game, a bold artistic risk, and one of the most unique titles for exploring Yuji Horii's elegant and unconventional universe. This mysterious adventure is rich with gags, unpredictable plot twists, erotic elements, and refined dialogue. Its multifaceted atmosphere mirrors the complexity of Kumiko's character.
Much like RPGs, adventure games have a long-standing tradition of featuring a silent protagonist. Basically, in an adventure game, the player inputs information first, and the computer responds by providing additional information.
In Karuizawa, the main character has his own dialogue and speaks autonomously, without needing command input from the player.
A speaking protagonist is an unusual feature in a Yuji Horii game, but in Karuizawa it plays a crucial role to make interactions with the girls more believable.
Yuji Horii designed Karuizawa entirely on his own, giving him the creative freedom to make as many changes as he wanted and experiment with various elements to surprise the player. For instance, in some chapters, a phone suddenly rings unexpectedly, and the player’s partner leaves halfway through the adventure.
Karuizawa starts as a traditional adventure game but gradually transforms into something more experimental. The player visits a mansion and explore mysterious caves. The narrative shifts into an extraordinary stream of consciousness where the player must piece together the clues gathered throughout the adventure in an introspective, one-sided dialogue that did not exist in games until then.
The game then offers the main character a new awareness of the world around him and of himself. At this moment, the truth becomes clear and simple. The resurgence of his deepest emotions and natural impulses allows the player to grow in the long term. Karuizawa is a rite of passage.
In the final chapter, the game evolves into a true RPG.
Instead of adhering to a story governed by specific rules, the rules themselves are shaped by the narrative. The gameplay mechanics shift in accordance with the storyline. Karuizawa is pure entertainment.
Prior to Karuizawa, there were very few adventure games featuring a main character who spoke without any text input. A similar title, also supervised by Yuji Horii and created by Hikaru Sekino, was released just a month before Karuizawa. Tokyo Nampa Street.