JAPANoFILES #6 - Violent Cop
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[ After a raid over the streets of downtown Tokyo collecting unpaid taxes, this new JAPANoFILES feature will go deeper into that urban maze and the drama of a hard-boiled cop out on the streets making justice with his own two hands. This title also comes with a series of curiosities relating to the circumstances of its release, as well as its publisher’s failed attempts to advertise it using a beloved Japanese humor icon. At any rate, it feels homely to once again return to that darkened half of the videogame culture, especially after so many weeks opening the floodgates to the mainstream. ]
By the end of 2006 when CAPCOM was at the top of its game, the company announced a batch of over ten new projects under development. Among them was Shinjuku no Ōkami, a title being developed by Y’sK (read wai zu kei) depicting the life of a policeman serving amidst the criminal underworld of Tokyo’s most dangerous districts. With the success of games like Yakuza in Japan - also achieving moderate recognition on an international scale - the news about this project traveled fast and far. Whereas all was pointing favorably to a successful and continuing advertisement of the game with the habitual leaked images to the press, videos and interviews, it took Shinjuku no Ōkami nearly two years to produce another headline.
For unexplained reasons, Spike became the financier and publisher, granting Y’sK a few months to organize the materials produced so far and give the game what final polishing they could. Notwithstanding, the game was fated to bear the heavy impairments that are known to harm that particular category of titles published in transitional periods between console generations. In view of such hazardous setbacks, the Wolf of Shinjuku evolved from a top class videogame to an obscure release barely covered by Japanese mainstream media; thrown in together with all the other dispensable PlayStation 2 titles from the period of its natural decline.
A stroll through the commercial area might reveal the imposing Tokyo Metropolitan Government building towers, the tallest in all of Shinjuku.
“I AM THE LAW!” - In these stressful times, some crimes are just too obvious to congest the courthouses any further. For this reason, Mikami’s badge will reflect the light of justice upon the lawless while preparing them for a judgment (a visual representation that is utterly similar to the brawlers’ exchange of looks in Kenka Bancho).
Unlike most videogames dedicated to the topic of crime, where the player is usually in control of a delinquent, Shinjuku no Ōkami revolves around the life of a police detective operating on one of Tokyo’s busiest and most dangerous districts. Eiji Mikami, nicknamed the old wolf of his department, has to cope with the traumatic memories of his own past, the dismemberment of his family and the loss of his child and wife some years before the game narrative takes place. As if to fill his now emptied life, he’s decided to dismantle all criminal groups from the smallest neighborhood gangs, all the way up to the most threatening members of the Yakuza families. Encompassing both the afflictions of an emotionally disturbed agent and the comedy of his everyday life in modern Shinjuku, the game constantly shifts between two distinct tones: from drama to vulgar comedy relief and light sexual innuendo.
Given the size of this recreation of the Shinjuku streets, the player is free to roam about and explore dozens of different locations. The bottom right corner displays a map for navigation that points out specific areas of interest such as episodes, in which the narrative progresses, to crimes being committed at the moment, together with a description appearing as a text marquee below. In the dynamic city space, it is possible to take immediate action according to the kind of offense, arresting suspects and perpetrators or simply being a little more persuasive with the help of brute force. More than just a tough cop, Eiji is also a self-proclaimed proxy of the law among the lawless streets and back alleys of Shinjuku. After battling against a criminal he can immobilize him using handcuffs or humiliate him by showing him his badge and opting between declaring him guilty or not guilty according to the player’s ruling. None can get to him.
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Left: the wolf’s lair. Right: When at home, Eiji can check up on his stats or simply choose to take a nap.
Because it is possible to interrogate, hit, arrest or even shoot any person walking on the sidewalks, the game provides different ways in which to measure the behavior of the player according to his own decisions: the most important of which determines whether the overall rating makes the character a good or an incompetent one. Individual stats are also available from the menu, displaying the current levels of strength or stamina - this is displayed with the use of a pentagonal graphic reminding that of so many sports games. When Mikami is at the station he can also check on his own arrests, all jammed up on a single prison cell, and pick any of his detainees for interrogation (questions are controlled in real time by the player) in order to obtain valuable hints and clues. Alternatively, he can simply select the number of hours he wishes to sleep, an option which is of particular help when it is required to wait for a specific hour of the day to proceed with the game.
An amusing detail from a highly civilized country: in the game, as in real life, smoking should be reserved to designated locations.
With nutrition habits consisting mostly of fast, plastic food and drinks, added with the bad habit of chain cigarette smoking, Eiji has much to do in order to improve his stamina.
At the very heart of its gameplay, Shinjuku no Ōkami reveals the intermingling of different game genres that Y’sK has brought together, from combat and action sequences to adventure, exploration and an RPG-like system of character growth and development. Given the particular restraints this title ailed from during its production, it’s very surprising to find that the system is, in itself, so intricate and almost free of any significant issues. On the other hand - and to much exasperation - the experience is slightly marred by the lack of proper controls, something which is also intimately related to the poor consistency of the visuals.
The hiatus between the earliest revelation of the game and its actual release has not only contributed to its current state of anonymity, as mentioned before, as it has triggered some deeply rooted changes concerning technical details. Inexplicably, one of the game’s most appealing features, it’s emblematic toon-shaded graphic technology was entirely removed from the final version of the graphics engine. In accordance, nearly all residues of that particular technique were cleaned, the quality of the images regressing to a more archaic and uninspired solution. Some remains of the initial aesthetics are still to be found in pre-rendered full-motion videos, where the characters retaining the thick black outlines that are characteristic of this polygon shading technique.
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Ignoring that Mikami is a detective, some street gangs insist on boasting their knifes and baseball bats in order to intimidate people on the streets. Sometimes, when the power of punches isn’t enough, Eiji is forced to draw his gun in dire need.
In no way a pageant for exceptional achievements in graphics, the wolf of Shinjuku does have a number of tricks up its sleeve: the greatest of which is its impressive presentation and background. Anyone who is mildly versed in Japanese comic books will be able to spot the incessant references to known mangas and animations. In spite of having opposite trades and goals, there are several similarities between Eiji Mikami and the character Golgo 13, namely the use of dark suits, open shirt collars, or even the same short haircut. This particular allusion is used, deliberately, as a clear visual message pertaining to the unyielding personality of Mikami.
Nevertheless, the greatest influence to the creation of this Shinjuku wolf is known to be the obstinate protagonist from Arimasa Osawa’s series of novels entitled Shinjuku Same (Shinjuku Shark) . The parallels with these novels are immense, in fact: the main character, Samejima, is a cop who has earned the utmost contempt from his colleagues and superiors, the reason why he is acting on his own. Like Eiji, he is determined to patrol the streets and expose the corruption of the Yakuza, in spite of all the protection given to them by high rank police officers and even people in the government. Because they both act on their own, they are characters that face similar problems related to nonconformity, living emotionally isolated from the rest of their social sphere.
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The map of Shinjuku: one has to value the effort of the small team in representing the whole of the territory in spite of the general lack of visual detail. On the right: moving between different sections of the city implies loading times with these transparent blue walls halting the player at the rim of the current section.
In spite of a very favorable response to its earliest announcement, Shinjuki no Ōkami is the face of the severe difficulties felt during its extended production. One such hardship originated from the patent disparity between the scale of the project and the limited resources of the studio developing it. Unlike their previous Kenka Bancho 2, also for the PS2, this project was based on an accurate full-scale depiction of the Shinjuku city space, something which implied the creation of sizable city spaces with the usual traffic. Eventually, and perhaps inevitably, the project was canceled by CAPCOM because (according to them) it didn’t meet their own technical standards. Struggling not to let the work of several months, years even, fall into the category of vaporware, Y’sK found in Spike a trusty ally who provided the studio with a chance to make justice to their initial ambition. And, predominantly, the essence of this ingenious design finds a very competent execution albeit the aforementioned weaknesses.
FILLING THE VOID
Renowned or rare, most videogames seem to earn their right to have a gameplay video somewhere on the internet: if not in game-dedicated websites, as the effort of some devoted follower with a Youtube account. To the best of my knowledge, Shinjuku no Ōkami was never granted with this honor until this date.
These are, roughly, the first 30 minutes of the game from the introduction to the completion of the first mission. This high-quality video file also shows a tutorial, a first scuffle in the precinct, plenty of city exploration and a mission where Eiji has to rough up some criminal who seems to have been in and out of jail more times than he can count. The final sequence, itself, should be enough for the reader to understand the choice of the “Violent Cop” title for this feature.
SPECIAL GUEST: HIDETAKA KANO
It’s no secret that celebrities worshiping in Japan is often taken to a whole new degree of absurdity. On the other hand, it’s easier for companies to sell their products once they’re advertised with the help of famous faces. So as to make Shinjuku no Ōkami a smaller flop, Spike has come up with the idea to include one of Japan’s most admired superstars, none other than the comedian Hidetaka Kano.
Often playing the part of the narcissist who is constantly taking pictures of himself, Kano’s image appears in the form of a sticker glued to the game cover - his trademark white suit and red rose always present. While this sort of publicity deals are frequent in Japan, the very inclusion of Kano in the game as a character is less common. His polygon counterpart inside the game makes its appearance during one of the many sub-stories. It seems he is the owner of a chain of noodle restaurants that have been robbed and vandalized. Mikami is sent to investigate the case but equally suspects Kano’s character to be involved in the scheme. Sadly but predictably, it is not allowed to give the egomaniac in the white suit a good thrashing.
Additional media
Shinjuku no Ōkami official website
Eiji Mikami Artwork
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