Post by supper on Jan 13, 2023 6:27:22 GMT
Well, here's another PCECD translation for that small-but-slowly-growing pile. I'm happy to announce the release of my translation for Private Eye Dol! (Or "Eyedol", or maybe "eye dol". No one really seems to know how to spell it, including the developers.)
Download it here: stargood.org/trans/pidol.php
Source code on Github: github.com/suppertails66/pidoltools
Here's some gameplay footage:
It seems like even a lot of the PCE fanatics aren't familiar with this one, so to sum it up quickly: Private Eye Dol is a very elaborate and polished detective adventure game released quite late in the system's life (1995) by HuneX, makers of PCE Popful Mail, Vasteel 2, various wrestling games, etc. You might hear "adventure game" and think this is another all-menus affair like Galaxy Fraulein Yuna, but it's actually very different -- the vast majority of the gameplay is based around an RPG-style overworld. If you've ever played one of those adventure games made in RPG Maker, it's almost uncannily similar to that except with a surprisingly big budget behind it, allowing for the full voice acting and animated cutscenes and whatnot that we all expect from the console.
For more details, here's my little spiel from the readme:
Up-and-coming teen actress May Star thought the filming for her latest TV special would be a chance to enjoy some time with her friend Ayaka and new prototype AI partner Navi. Instead, it unexpectedly erupts into mystery and tragedy, leaving May the only one who can solve a baffling crime. Good thing she's a detective's daughter! But this proves to be only the beginning of a tangled saga, as May finds herself inexorably drawn into a web of incidents involving lies, corruption, and her own father's mysterious suicide five years ago. Can May and her friends catch the culprits – or will this be their last shoot?
Private Eye Dol (also known as "Private Eyedol", with many variations in capitalization) is a 1995 detective adventure game developed by HuneX and published by NEC Home Electronics for the PC-Engine Super CD-ROM² system. Released late in the PC-Engine's lifespan, it showcases a highly polished presentation that often makes it feel more like a next-generation game, with large and detailed graphics, full voice acting, and features such as text scaling that are rarely seen on the console. Perhaps its biggest distinguishing element is its RPG-like overworld, which provides a higher degree of freedom compared to traditional menu-driven Japanese detective games.
Private Eye Dol (also known as "Private Eyedol", with many variations in capitalization) is a 1995 detective adventure game developed by HuneX and published by NEC Home Electronics for the PC-Engine Super CD-ROM² system. Released late in the PC-Engine's lifespan, it showcases a highly polished presentation that often makes it feel more like a next-generation game, with large and detailed graphics, full voice acting, and features such as text scaling that are rarely seen on the console. Perhaps its biggest distinguishing element is its RPG-like overworld, which provides a higher degree of freedom compared to traditional menu-driven Japanese detective games.
I owe major thanks to cccmar and Xanathis for testing this project and pointing out several mistakes that slipped by me. Thanks as well to everyone around here (you know who you are!...and I'd probably forget someone if I tried to list you all) who encouraged me during development, because it really was quite a lot of work for one person. And I have to give elmer some special thanks for pointing out that the lower case "t" in the font was too tall. See, I usually see sense in the end...sometimes...
Well, let me know if you run into any issues. Hope you enjoy!