Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The opening draw is simple: you are dropped into a murder mystery and asked to start poking at it. Mikeneko Holmes no Kishidō uses a command list built around actions such as Look, Talk, and Go. Look works with a cursor, so the basic loop is about studying each screen, pointing at anything suspicious, and seeing what the game will let you pursue.

That makes this a patient adventure, not a quick one. If you enjoy old-school games that ask you to consider where to look and whom to question, the structure has a satisfying detective-game logic. Context-sensitive verbs help keep the command list from becoming a wall of useless options, but you still need to be willing to explore carefully and revisit your assumptions.

Switching between Yoshitarō and Harumi Katayama is the most interesting wrinkle in the investigation. It gives the game more to work with than a single fixed detective viewpoint, while Holmes adds a memorable mascot to the case. The password feature is also a practical fit for a mystery built around steady progress, letting you set the palace aside and return without treating one sitting as a requirement.

Graphics

The Game Boy view is built around first-person adventure screens, with a cursor used to inspect the locations around you. That direct point-and-examine format keeps the focus on searching the palace for useful details.

Story

The case comes from Jirō Akagawa’s seventh Mikeneko Holmes novel, placing a murder mystery inside a palace in Germany. It is a strong setup for this style of adventure because the enclosed location naturally invites suspicion: you are not just moving through a broad world, but working through a specific place where every conversation and object may matter.

Holmes, the calico cat, is more than a title character. The cat assists Yoshitarō and Harumi Katayama in their detective work, giving the mystery a distinctly offbeat hook. A feline helper can sound whimsical beside a murder investigation, but that contrast is exactly what separates this from a generic palace whodunit.

Come for the investigation rather than for an elaborate cinematic telling. The story is carried through your choices to examine, talk, and move forward, so its momentum depends on how much you enjoy participating in the detective work instead of simply being told the solution.

Overall Experience

Mikeneko Holmes no Kishidō is a compact, old-fashioned mystery adventure with a clear sense of purpose. Its command-driven design asks you to slow down, inspect your surroundings, and treat each new lead as something you have to earn. When that rhythm clicks, the game feels appropriately close to working through a detective novel one clue at a time.

The biggest frustration will be inherent to the format. Menu adventures reward attention and patience, and this one is unlikely to convert you if you want immediate action or constant forward momentum. You need to enjoy trying a conversation, checking a location, and then deciding what your next investigative step should be.

For fans of Japanese detective adventures, Game Boy curiosities, or the Mikeneko Holmes series, this is worth seeking out for its unusual cat-assisted mystery and focused palace setting. Everyone else should give it a chance only if the slower, methodical pleasures of classic command-based adventures sound inviting.

Retro Replay Score

6.8/10