Before visual novels, ’Famicom Detective Club’ writer recalls the genre’s limitations

Sakamoto is no stranger to compelling storytelling in games. After writing the detective series, he would soon achieve greatness, going on to direct “Super Metroid,” considered by many critics as one of the medium’s masterpieces. But before that, he would explore these so-called “forbidden” boundaries of adventure storytelling. Unlike other games of the genre at the time, both “Famicom Detective Club” stories flirted with the paranormal, and starred teenage heroes rather than the typical gumshoe.