Did you know that every year Nintendo announces at least one new IP? It’s true, they haven’t missed a year since 1983, the year Famicom launched in Japan. In 2020, we have Good job!, Chain of souls in 2019, Sushi Striker in 2018 and Ever Oasis in 2017 – and that’s just naming each year. Even so, only a few of them have ever reached mainstream audiences (like 2019 Ring Fit Adventure), don’t be surprised if they miss your mind.
So what was Nintendo’s new IP last year? Yes, suppose Game Builder’s Garage really a LABO spin-off and not its own unique series (as it is entirely based on LABO Builder Garage), that honor goes to a game that we think most people reading this article might forget. all until they see the headline: Buddy Mission BOND.
Published in Japanese September 2020 Nintendo Direct, Buddy Mission BOND is a surprising revelation. Collaboration with Koei Tecmo, known for Warrior series and do Danger frame (a series they also co-own with Nintendo), Nintendo published this original visual novel/adventure game with artwork by the incredible manga artist Yusuke Murata, perhaps famous especially with drawing the manga One-Punch Man.
The game was released in Japan on January 29, 2021, and at the time of this writing there is no sign of localization yet. It’s for this reason that we imagine many people – even die-hard Nintendo fans – may have forgotten the game exists, but as it celebrates its one year anniversary, we thought it was time. have to change that. Buddy Mission BOND will never reach the pinnacle of series like Metroid or Pikmin, but at least it’s worth remembering and if given the chance, maybe even play.
It’s a bit more action-focused than what the Ace Attorney series offers, and it could have been a bit easier, with visual novels and investigative segments.
So what exactly is Buddy Mission BOND? Well, the game might be the best compared to Great lawyer series by Capcom, but instead of the courtroom part that is the key moment of each chapter, you explore the 3D environment and solve puzzles. The goal is always to get from point A to point B, usually with a friend, and there are multiple ways to achieve the goal – each offering small changes to the game’s story cadence.
It’s a bit more action-focused than what the Ace Attorney series offers, and it could have been a bit easier. This is due to two different playstyles: the visual novel segment and the investigative segment. The second part offers players a limited amount of action to explore the map and look for clues through chatting with locals, while the former enhances the plot and is where the main story lies. In both of these segments, you’ll get enough clues to almost always know the solution to the 3D action, but it means a reward for paying attention. Like a real detective would do.
Another bonus (aside from getting to experience what’s a pretty good story) is filling up your Hero Gauge, which essentially works like a combination of HP and EXP. Every time you do something wrong, whether it’s making the morally wrong choice when talking to your superiors or getting a puzzle wrong in 3D action scenes, you lose some Hero Gauge. You want to finish a level as much as possible so you can unlock new side quests and learn more about the characters.
As with many successful visual novels, the characters are the most important aspect of Buddy Mission BOND’s story, so these side quests are a must. The game is voiced (outside of the investigative dialogue) and as mentioned before, all drawn by Yusuke Murata. This really sells the game’s aesthetic and style because of its smooth, emotional, and all-around great art. It looks like a manga series and is aesthetically the same as a series, with each ‘chapter’ feeling like an episode of the anime adaptation.
It looks like a manga series and is aesthetically the same as a series, with each ‘chapter’ feeling like an episode of the anime adaptation.
Visual novels often feature very static characters, but the amount of different poses, action shots, expressions, and reactions each character has is impressive. Each of the game’s four main heroes that make up Team BOND – Luke, Aaron, Mokuma and Chelsey – has a lot of personality and much of that comes from the art; The side quests to make them out more also help. We don’t really want to compare it with Persona because that feels a bit streamed, but its dedication to developing its characters definitely reminds that series (the incredible jazz soundtrack might have something to do with it, too).
Overall, Buddy Mission BOND is a really stylish game with a great story, only really let down a bit by its use of repetitive gameplay – although that’s arguably on par with course for many visual novels, so it’s hard to resist the game. It certainly doesn’t look like a Nintendo game, even if the company has published (and developed) the franchise in the past – last year’s huge success. Detective Club Famicom duology for example. As for the Nintendo Switch, it feels like the genre of the game will be a hidden gem rediscovered in 10 years… but we could do it sooner if we pay attention to it right now. hour!
However, to really accomplish this goal, Nintendo really needs to put in the time and energy to localize it, and unfortunately, we don’t know how likely that is. Maybe Nintendo will surprise us by announcing it in the first Direct of 2022, but we’re still skeptical. The company has a good track record in recent years when it comes to worldwide releases – and the aforementioned localization of Detective is a lovely surprise – but a year goes by without a word. gives a lot of hope.
You never know, though. Nintendo could form the Famicom Detective Club and release it as an eShop-only title in the West. Likewise, the voiceover can remain in Japanese with a focus on text localization. It’s a neat little game, with style and potential – we’d love to see it have a chance outside of Japan. Crossed fingers.
Meanwhile, we can at least say Happy Birthday to Buddy Mission BOND, perhaps the Switch’s most stealthy debut franchise yet.
Would you like to see this come to the West? Have you played it already? Let us know below.
