Following the absolute disaster of the first Famicom Sherlock Holmes title, Meitantei Holmes: Kiri no London Satsujin Jiken attempts to steer the series toward a more traditional adventure format. Developed by Towadako Kirkland and published by Towa Chiki, this sequel ditches much of the nonsensical side-scrolling combat of its predecessor in favor of menu-driven investigation and exploration across a foggy 8-bit recreation of London. Players manage a health bar while navigating through various screens, talking to suspects, and gathering clues, which creates a much more authentic detective experience than the debut's bizarre martial-arts-heavy gameplay.
Visually, the game captures the Victorian aesthetic surprisingly well for 1988 hardware, utilizing a muted color palette to evoke the smog-filled streets of the East End. The character portraits are expressive and the interface is relatively clean, though the lack of an official English translation makes it impenetrable for those without significant Japanese literacy. While the soundtrack leans into the repetitive nature of early Famicom titles, it maintains a level of tension that suits the murder-mystery premise, even if the "logic" puzzles occasionally veer into the realm of obtuse trial-and-error common to the era.
Despite being a massive improvement over the first entry, it remains a historical curiosity rather than a hidden gem. The gameplay loop can feel sluggish, and without a guide, modern players will likely struggle with the specific triggers required to advance the plot. It serves as a fascinating look at how developers tried to adapt Sir Arthur Conan Doyleโs work for a young Japanese audience, but unless you are a die-hard Sherlockian or a Famicom completionist, the heavy text and archaic design hurdles make it a difficult recommendation for a casual weekend session.
