Sonic the Hedgehoghas been on many adventures, but no adventure was more surprising than The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog. Shadow-dropped the day before April Fool’s Day, this charming visual novel had you collecting clues, ‘Thinking’ your way through an endless runner, and gathering spoken testimonies from many well-known characters. All while you searched for the culprit behind Sonic’s death.
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It was a short and sweet game to play, but it did make you wonder: what other Sega games could get the visual novel, murder mystery spin-off treatment? Besides Sonic, Sega has many other iconic titles whose stories would adapt perfectly to the murder mystery world.
10Mystery Of The House Of The Dead
Starting off, why not move off the train and into a house? After all, there’s been a lot of good murder mysteries that have taken place in a house. And what better place to host a whodunit than inThe House of the Dead? The House of the Dead is a Sega light gun shooter series that had you taking down the living dead and reloading your weapon as fast as you could, all while avoiding a game over.
In this hypothetical visual novel, you can enter a creepy mansion and search for spooky, plot-related clues. Upon finding the necessary information, the ‘Think’ portion of the game can have you shooting down zombies as you process and gather your thoughts together. Luckily for this game, you don’t have to worry about running out of quarters or arcade credit.
9Case Of The Rhythm Thief
Back in the Nintendo 3DS era, Sega released Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure, a rhythm game where you play as the art thief Phantom R. Your journey with Phantom R led you on a wild chase throughout Paris as you stole (and returned) artworks and faced off against the resurrected Napoleon. It was a weird and wild ride and one that has unfortunately faded from the public eye following the 3DS’ end.
Therefore, it should return as a quick, two-to-four hour spin-off. Whatever mystery Raphael, Phantom R’s true identity, might be solving, you can expect all his ‘Think’ minigames to be rhythm based. And for there to be a Blaze and Rouge-inspired section where youbreak into a museum and steal a priceless artifact.
8Look Out For That Getaway Taxi
We’ve already had a murder mystery on a train and in a house, but how about a murder mystery in a taxi?Crazy Taxiis a racing series where your objective is to pick up passengers and drop them off at their chosen location. But, along the way, you can perform stunts that will increase the amounts of tips you receive.The wilder you drive, the better you get paid. Now, take that setting and input some 2D art and murder, and you have an awesome spin-off in your hands.
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You can play as a taxi driver traveling around town with your passenger/detective who needs to solve a crime as quickly as possible. Each ‘Think’ segment can be replaced with a driving minigame that encourages you to get a certain score before time runs out. Just make sure you still get to your destination; otherwise, the detective will be very upset.
7Crime Under The NiGHTS Sky
If driving a taxi isn’t your thing, then how about solving mysteries in the skies with Nights? For this interpretation, the mystery can begin in the real world before shifting to exploration and clue gathering in the dream worlds of Nights into Dreams and Nights: Journey of Dreams.
For the ‘Think’ sections, you can either picture yourself as Nights or become the flying jester themselves as you soar to the truth before time runs out. Or before someone rudely interrupts you and causes you to wake up.
6A Virtually Flawless Crime
Sometimes, you need a little bit of action to break up all that evidence gathering and story progression. Which is why the next Sega game turned visual novel should beVirtua Fighter. A Virtua Fighter crossover can introduce high stakes, such as punching and kicking, into the mundane of mystery solving.
After one of the Fighters is murdered, you may follow protagonists like Akira Yuki or Sarah Bryant as they find clues and avoid baddies. You can then punch and ‘Think’ your way to the truth and uncover whodunnit.
5The Untimely Murder Of Bayonetta
Thanks toBayonetta 3, we now know that there are many alternate Bayonetta universes that the titular witch can come from. Since that’s the case, why can’t one of those parallel worlds be a visual, murder mystery reality?
For this version, not only will you get to see characters like Bayonetta, Jeanne, and Viola in cool detective outfits, but you’ll also get to witness the wacky and colorful world of Bayonetta drawn in 2D. Although, it would be interesting if the ‘Think’ sections still retained their traditional 3D style and involved you hacking and slashing your way to the truth.
4The Disappearance Of Hatsune Miku
If you missed the world of rhythm games, then look no further than Project Diva. Here, you play asHatsune Mikuand perform a variety of well-known J-pop songs. But what’s better than a rhythm game? How about a mystery that involves Miku’s friends trying to track down the green haired idol’s killer?
For the investigation, you can either wander through the virtual world or step into one of Project Diva’s many tracks to find evidence. Then, when you are asked to ‘Think’ about how everything connects together, you can do so by completing a quick rhythm-based minigame based on a popular Vocaloid song. No need to worry if you mess up — you can always try, try again!
3Space Channel 5 Now Reporting… A Murder?!
Turns out Sega has yet another musical game property that involves keeping the rhythm. InSpace Channel 5you play as Ulala, a news reporter who has the difficult job of not only reporting an alien dance invasion, but also saving civilians and facing off against enemies. Ulala has a lot on her plate, which is why you should help her out when a murder is suddenly announced.
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As a visual novel mystery, Ulala can do her usual reporting while also interviewing suspects and asking them what they saw at the scene of the crime. During the ‘Think’ minigames, you can control Ulala as she dances, poses, and chu’s her way to that shining light bulb. As long as your mystery broadcast doesn’t getinterrupted by a persistant space channel rival, you’ll solve this case in no time.
2Quit Monkeying Around Detective!
How couldSuper Monkey Ballnot be on this list after being referenced so many times in The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog? Super Monkey Ball is a game where your main objective is to get the monkey, who is in the ball, to the end goal. But rather than controlling the ball, youcontrol the platform by tilting it up, down, left, and right.
As a visual novel with a twist, you can visit the many stages that the series has had over the years. And of course, all the “Think” segments can be Super Monkey Ball levels where you must collect bananas and make it to the goal before time runs out. Hopefully, you don’t accidentally send AiAi falling off the stage during your ponderings.
1Judgment Of The Dragon
Technically, theLike a Dragon/Yakuza/Judgmentgames can each be classified as having an overarching murder mystery you must solve. Only, instead of careful cross-examination, the series has you punching people. A lot of people. That being said, this world can translate perfectly into a point-and-click adventure thanks to its likable cast of characters and immersive storytelling.
Picture it: you play as Takayuki Yagami’s newest partner and assist him in finding out who the culprit to your murder is. The ‘Think’ minigames can be the classic, action-packed brawl the games are known for where you or Yagami must defeat a certain number of baddies before time runs out. Be sure to yell out “With finesse” after you annihilate your opponents.
