Tantei Jinguji Saburo

A long-running Japanese hardboiled detective adventure game series originally created by Data East.

Games

1987–1999

Years

Platforms

About

Tantei Jinguji Saburo is a classic mystery adventure series that debuted in 1987 with Tantei Jinguuji Saburo: Shinjuku Chuo Koen Satsujin Jiken on the Famicom Disk System. The franchise followed with entries such as Kiken na Futari (1988), and later transitioned to 32-bit platforms with Mikan no Rupo (1996) and Yumeno Owarini (1998). The early 8-bit titles were later compiled and re-released in the 1999 compilation Tantei Jinguji Saburo: Early Collection.

Created by Data East, the franchise centers on Saburo Jinguji, a tobacco-smoking private investigator operating out of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Alongside his assistant Yoko Miyoshi and police inspector Sanzo Kumano, Jinguji solves gritty, realistic crimes through a menu-driven command system. A defining mechanic of the gameplay involves Jinguji smoking a cigarette to organize his thoughts and progress the investigation.