Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective gives new life to a Nintendo DS cult classic

ghost trick Follows Sissel, a recently deceased soul who has no memory of who she is or how she died. But he can take possession of objects, setting up the mechanical core of the game: intervening in puzzles like Rube Goldberg to save others from their own dire fates. The game alternates between these puzzle segments and dialogue-heavy story segments, where a tangled plotline unfolds in sweet and surprising and surprisingly sweet ways.

Originally released for the Nintendo DS in 2010, ghost trick did not sell particularly well. But it developed a cult following, especially among those who were already fans of writer-director Shu Takumi’s famous series, Ace Attorney. Joining fans of the latter for nearly 20 years, I’ve heard these pleas — “Come on.” ghost trick, Don’t look at anything first, just trust us!” – since it first came out.

Now after playing it, I’ll hand it to them: They’re right. I may not be so sure about my love ghost trick As someone who’s been trying to convince people to play it for a decade or more (there’s a really awesome secret section for starters), but it’s a real little enjoyable gem of a game. . The ghostly dialogue is satisfying to play with until the puzzles fall into place, the characters are great and possibly include the best dog in video games, and both the music and animations are incredibly characterful and alive.

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Image: Capcom via Play Gamez

But even though I spent 12 or so hours piloting it, pleased that I finally got close to it, it was also impossible to ignore. ghost trick Now it is a big part of its generation. When Nintendo shut down the 3DS and Wii U eShops in March of this year, access to games dropped significantly. Still, it was one of the more fortunate ones to have an iOS port and a physical release (though those cartridges would eventually stop working). For thousands of digital-only games, the only way to play them was to own or emulate them already digitally, something that Nintendo did with updates to its already defunct consoles, as well as imprisonment and heavy fines. Finished it.

remastered by ghost trick A second shot, but it’s not a permanent solution for every game in Nintendo’s back catalog that is now vulnerable to becoming lost media – or already is. And which sports are chosen for treatment is entirely up to the whims and financial calculations of the corporations involved. Nintendo’s back catalog is available in bits and pieces through its online services, but the Switch and DS versions of said service aren’t the same, meaning many went missing once again in March. Meanwhile, Capcom recently celebrated its 40th anniversary by introducing playable versions of some of its biggest early hits. mega man And Street Fighter II, Online. But while these and other big hitters like resident Evil 4 Can be preserved through repeated ports and remakes, smaller titles are unlikely.

Image: Capcom via Play Gamez

Image: Capcom via Play Gamez

Image: Capcom via Play Gamez

He ghost trick Was one of the lucky ones, feels like a coincidence, like a ghost behind the scenes rigging things up right now, Perhaps the persistence of fans contributed to the feeling that its re-release would be a financial success. But in the current ecosystem, being loved isn’t enough to keep art from fading away. Takumi returning to the library (though he was not directly involved in the spinoff), Ace Attorney Investigations 2 was never released in English, but a dedicated team spent years creating its own localization. Its English-speaking fan base is probably just as large and loud ghost trickIt’s been around ever since, but it’s hard to see it being released again.

Even that’s just a game, and it’s so big that I know it. It’s hard to imagine the scale of those games that are now unsafe. watch animation in ghost trick, you can see the constant care and attention put into this game by the developers. Spies dance, puppies howl, and romance novelists – well, I can’t do justice to how this lady breaks a chandelier. the team went all in on making ghost trick As stylish and funny as possible and surprisingly overdramatic. But every game (and other piece of media, like TV shows recently pulled from streaming) has something in common — it’s something someone has poured their heart into.

I’m thrilled that the remaster has delivered ghost trick A new lease of life. But Sissel spends the entire game making sure nothing falls through the cracks – and that doesn’t mesh with his game’s now lonely existence.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective was released on June 30 on the Nintendo Switch. The game was reviewed using a pre-release download code provided by Capcom. Vox Media is an affiliated partnership. These do not affect editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. You can find Here’s additional information about Play Gamez’s ethics policy,