Yeah, the Nintendo Direct was already packed — Kirby and the World Beyond, Metroid Ravenous, the Zelda Ocarina of Time remake — the whole show was just an absolute fever dream for Nintendo fans. But buried inside the Japanese version of the Direct was something most of us completely missed. Something that nobody really saw coming. Yuji Horii — the guy behind Dragon Quest — just quietly announced a sequel to a murder mystery game he made back in 1983. Forty-three years later. Let that sink in.
What Even Is The Portopia Serial Murder Case?
If you’re not deep into Japanese gaming history, you might be scratching your head right now. The Portopia Serial Murder Case originally dropped in June 1983 for the NEC PC-6001, published by Enix — back when Square Enix was just Enix and Yuji Horii was a writer figuring out this whole “video game” thing. It later got ported to the Famicom on November 29, 1985, and that version actually made history as the first-ever adventure game released on Nintendo’s home console.
The game was a text-driven detective mystery. You played as a detective trying to crack a murder case in Kobe. You interrogated witnesses, collected evidence, pieced together clues — all through a menu-driven command system. It sounds basic now, but back in the mid-80s this was genuinely groundbreaking stuff. It helped define what Japanese adventure games would look like for decades.
And the Famicom version introduced even more — a point-and-click system, branching dialogue choices, and a full 3D dungeon maze. For 1985, that was wild.
Hideo Kojima Said This Game Made Him Want to Make Games
Here’s something that really puts Portopia’s legacy into perspective. Hideo Kojima — Metal Gear, Death Stranding, the whole legend — once credited The Portopia Serial Murder Case as one of the main reasons he got into game development in the first place. The game also reportedly inspired Eiji Aonuma, the producer behind The Legend of Zelda series. That’s the kind of influence most games will never come close to having.
And that same game, made by one dude in 1983, is now getting a proper sequel for the first time ever. In 2026. On Switch 2. Make it make sense.
So What Is NEXT: The Portopia Serial Murder Case?
The official title is NEXT: The Portopia Serial Murder Case — or in Japanese, 続ポートピア連続殺人事件：忘却の埋葬. It was revealed during the Japan-only portion of the September 2026 Nintendo Direct and immediately started making waves online once people clocked what was actually being shown.
This isn’t just a straight remake. It’s a lot more than that. The project combines a full remake of the original Famicom version with five brand-new investigation files told from shifting perspectives. So you’re not just replaying what you already know — you’re getting entirely new stories that dig into secrets hidden behind the events of the original murders.
The game is set in 1980s Kobe — same era as the original — and introduces a new cast of characters alongside some returning faces. Characters from The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case: The Okhotsk Disappearance, another mystery adventure game Horii supervised back in 1984, are also confirmed to appear. The development team on that game is reportedly involved in this new project too, which is a cool bit of full-circle energy.
Who Is Actually Making This?
The developer here is G-Mode, with ORION PROJECT handling planning and production. room6 and Game Studio are also part of the development team. Yuji Horii himself is back as the original story creator and executive director, so this has his direct blessing and involvement — not just a name slapped on the box for marketing purposes.
The production team they’ve assembled for this is genuinely impressive:
- Character designs are being handled by Kyoji Asano from WIT Studio — the same animator and designer who worked on the first three seasons of Attack on Titan and served as chief animation supervisor on Spy x Family. He’s redesigning characters that were originally pixel art in the Famicom version and creating all-new ones for the additional story scenarios.
- Music is being composed by pianist and composer Shinya Kiyozuka, who has put together over 30 original pieces specifically for this game. Considering the original Famicom version had essentially no music at all, a full 30-track original soundtrack is a pretty massive upgrade.
- The finished version is also planned to include full voice acting, though the build that’s playable at Tokyo Game Show 2026 (September 17–21) won’t have voices in it yet.
What’s the Gameplay Like?
From everything confirmed so far, NEXT is keeping the soul of the original intact while modernizing the experience. It’s a menu-driven, command-selection text adventure — which is exactly what the classic was. You’ll still be gathering witness statements, collecting physical evidence, and piecing together the truth behind a string of murders through careful investigation.
The big additions are the five new investigation files, which let the narrative breathe and expand from multiple character perspectives. Rather than one linear case, you’re getting a layered mystery that unravels across different viewpoints — with the new stories designed to fill in what really happened behind the scenes of the original murders. That’s a genuinely interesting hook for anyone who knows how the original ends.
When and Where Can You Play It?
NEXT: The Portopia Serial Murder Case is launching in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. A Steam page is already live with more details.
The bad news? Right now, Japanese is the only confirmed language. There’s no word yet on an English localization, which is frustrating given how historically significant this game is. It never got an official Western release back in 1983 either — the original was kept Japan-only because of its mature themes, including murder, drug dealings, and interrogation scenes. Hopefully the localization situation changes before 2027, because Western fans absolutely deserve to play this one.
If you’re heading to Tokyo Game Show 2026 between September 17 and 21, a playable build of the opening section will be available on the show floor.
What About That Terrible Square Enix AI Version?
You might remember that Square Enix tried something with Portopia back in 2023 — they released what they called an “AI Tech Preview” version of the original game, marketing it as an educational demonstration of Natural Language Processing. The idea was that you could type in questions freely instead of using a command menu.
It went down like a lead balloon. Steam reviewers hit it with a Very Negative rating, and honestly, players weren’t wrong. It felt more like an experiment than an actual game, and stripping out the original command system removed a lot of what made the game feel authentic. It wasn’t what fans wanted.
Importantly, Square Enix has no involvement in this new project. NEXT is being published by G-Mode, developed with Horii’s direct oversight, and built with actual respect for the source material. The difference is already night and day.
Why Does Any of This Matter?
Honestly, even if you’ve never heard of Portopia before today, the existence of this sequel says something interesting about where gaming is right now. Classic Japanese adventure games — the foundational stuff that built entire genres — are finally getting a proper second look. And having Yuji Horii personally return to one of his earliest works, 43 years on, with a team that clearly cares about doing it right, is just genuinely cool.
The Switch 2 is getting a lot of big titles right now. We’ve got Onyx: The Dark Grip from Bloober Team, Stage Fright from Ghost Town Games, and a whole lineup of 2027 releases building out the library. NEXT: The Portopia Serial Murder Case might be the most unexpected one — but it might also end up being one of the most memorable.
Keep an eye on this one. More details are expected as we get closer to its 2027 launch window.
