Famicom Detective Club JAPAN ONLY Collector's Edition | Preview | Switch

by Danny Bivens

Physical forever. 

While gamers in the West are rejoicing because the Famicom Detective Club series is FINALLY seeing a Nintendo sanctioned release in the West, gamers in the Japan have another thing to celebrate when it comes to the Nintendo Switch remake - a Japan Only physical collector’s edition. What’s in this set and are gamers in the West really missing out? 

For those of you that checked out my Famicom Detective Club preview that I posted last year on YouTube - thank you! When I made that video, like you, the idea of this series making an appearance in the West seemed like an impossibility, and yet here we are. Now, if you want to know more about the game, I suggest checking out the trailers that Nintendo released from the February 17/18, 2021 Nintendo Direct. From now, though, like the title suggests, let’s talk about what is included in this Collector’s Edition of Famicom Detective Club and also go over ONE THING that you should know before dropping any cash on it. 

The Collector’s Edition itself runs for ¥10,980 (roughly $105 USD with the current exchange rate) compared to the asking price of ¥4,378 ($42 USD) of the games individually. If you want the physical version, Nintendo’s information page says the following: "The physical version is sold ONLY with the Collector’s Edition. Physical versions of Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir or The Girl Who Stands Behind will not be released.” So, if you want the game in physical form, this is your only option as things stand right now.  

As for the set itself, there are quite a few cool items that are included. Of course, you will get a physical version of the game as you can see in the image at the top of the page. Everything is also placed in a nice long box to house everything in the package. BOTH games will be included on one cartridge according to Nintendo. It isn’t entirely clear if this means that both games will be under ONE icon on the Switch menu when you have it inserted or if two separate icons will show up. Honestly, I haven’t had to deal with that so often on my Switch, so it’s hard to say how this will play out in the end. 

Up next, we have Famicom Detective Club Chōsa (Investigation) File. This is a 174 page book that has information about the in-game characters, artwork as well as information about the development of the Famicom and Super Famicom versions of the Famicom Detective Club games. 

It just wouldn’t be a Japanese special edition if it didn’t include some audio CDs, and the FDC Collector’s Edition doesn’t disappoint in this regard. There are two CDs included with the discs themselves featuring artwork from the Famicom Disk System versions of the game (the title screens). There are 75 tracks on offer featuring music from both the Famicom Disk System and Super Famicom versions of the game. 

Last up, we have two leaflets featuring the original art from the Famicom Disk System games. I’m a big fan of the art of the originals, so it’s cool to see this as part of the package, Famicom Disk System Disk-kun included!

As things stand right now, this is the only way to be able to purchase a physical version of the game in Japan. The set will be sold at various retailers across the country, so be sure to get your pre-order in as soon as possible. My Nintendo Store shoppers have another option here - the ability to buy the collector’s set WITHOUT the physical version of the game. Nintendo does this from time to time with first party titles on the Japanese My Nintendo Store. I’ve never actually bought a game like this myself, but they appear to come with the standard cases, just minus the game card. If you opt for this, you will receive a download code for the games.  

Now before you stop reading, I mentioned that there is ONE THING you need to know before purchasing this game. If you intend to purchase this collector’s edition, go in knowing that the Japanese version of the game does not include English. It only supports Japanese, Mandarin and Cantonese. This may come as a shock, as this IS a Nintendo first party published game. While I was a bit surprised by this as I'm sure you were, things like this happen from time to time with releases in Japan. Other notable examples of pretty high profile Japanese versions of games not including English on the Switch are Hyrule Warriors (OG), Fire Emblem Warriors, Dragon Quest XI and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Unless you are comfortable with the Japanese language or you just want to keep this thing on your shelf, you might want to shelve the idea of picking up this collector’s edition. 

I know I’m personally excited about this collector’s edition of Famicom Detective Club. Not having English support is a bit of a bummer but let’s turn things over to you. What do you think about this set? Are you picking it up? Are you excited to be able to play this remade classic on your Switch in English? Sound off in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!