Dokidoki Majo Shinpan is sort of like that. Instead of a fevered mob of misguided villagers with lit torches, the player acts alone and checks for witches by examining a target's body with the stylus or perhaps a finger. You're looking for a witch's mark which may be on her shoulder, the back of her thigh, or another region that only a stylus-wielding sleuth can ferret out.

Dokidoki Controversy
There was a bit of a brouhaha earlier this year concerning this game which we won't get into but we were reminded of the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials. Sort of.

This game may also be known as Dokidoki Majo Saiban.

Jan Code: 4964808700059

View the back cover and screenshots for this item on the main NCSX website.

» The protagonist is a scruffy looking junior high school troublemaker named Akuji Nishimura who's been recruited by an archangel to hunt down a witch. If she wore an all black outfit and rode a broom, finding her would be a breeze but the witch looks like a normal human and has infiltrated the general population of Seirei Takagamine Junior High School. At first, Akuji resists the call to arms but the archangel threatens to change him from a bad-boy to a goody two shoes and he falls into line immediately.

» To help Akuji locate the witch, the archangel sends a blue-haired chibi-sized angel named Mistress Lulu to provide assistance. When Lulu first appears, she drops from the heavens like a sack of potatoes to the floor and eventually appears before the player. She has a thick donut-like halo above her head and a big cross pendant under her chin. Two ropes of hair jut out from behind her head. She's a holy munchkin of the highest order.

» The archangel and Lulu explain the mission objectives to Akuji and soon they're at school where the first school student they meet is a 14 year-old redhead named Maho Akai who's in her cheerleading outfit and holds two gold-colored pompoms. While Akuji is talking to her, the sound of a copying machine may be heard and a dossier on Maho Akai magically appears in mid-air. Lulu looks over the report and gleans some details on Maho. Lulu thinks there's a 50% chance that Maho is a witch.

» In the next scene, Akuji and Lulu return to Akuji's living room. Double tap on the vase of flowers to trigger the next event and then highlight Akuji with the L or R triggers and double tap on Lulu. Next, tap and keep the stylus on the coffee cup on the table and move it to where the flowers are. You can move the panda plush named Gyaku Panda on the side of the sofa to the flowers but Lulu will reprimand you and then trigger the next event.

» Afterwards, Akuji may visit the school and the first room of interest is classroom 3-A where Maria Abe is waiting. Maria is the class president and has been friends with Akuji since elementary school. Akuji thinks she's peculiar because she's very much interested in the supernatural and believes in UFOs. According to Maria, witches really do exist.... After Lulu meets Maria, she's ready to yell out "Mission Accomplished" because she's 80% sure that Maria is the witch they're looking for.

» Akuji dismisses Lulu's conclusion since he's known Maria since they were kids and heads over to the athletic track where he meets Maho Akai again along with two other cheerleaders.

» Head over to the locker room where Lulu smashes open the door with a huge mallet. Once inside, look for clues and items as to the identity of the witch. There's an item in here that must be moved in order to reveal another item which yields a photographic clue. A good amount of evidence must be found before Akuji and Lulu are able to launch an accusation against a girl.

» When Akuji and Lulu have gathered enough evidence on a certain girl, it's time to initiate the Witch Check Mode where she is inspected and challenged to determine if she's a witch. Five icons are lined up across the bottom of the touch screen as follows:

Hand / Inspect the girl's body with a virtual hand
Eye / Look at the girl to flush out any tells or signs
Mouth / Talk to the girl to reassure her
Smile / Put the girl at ease with a friendly smile
Book / Present evidence from Akuji's inventory

When Akuji performs his examination, the girl's facial expression may change and her heartbeat may race faster. One way to make the witch's mark appear is by making her heart beat quickly. By using different techniques to check each girl, Akuji will eventually be able to find the witch with a bold mix of touching, smiling, and speaking.

» Dokidoki Majo Shinpan uses a double click system. When inspecting an object, you must tap on it twice in quick succession to register a hit. If you just tap once, the game does nothing.

» Much of the vocal sound effects in the game such as laughter and exclamations of emotion are voiced by actresses.

» References to Neo Geo products and history are evident throughout the game. In town, there's a shop called "Gas Meo" where the letters look like the original Neo Geo logo. A character in the game named Renge Oda carries around a Neo Geo Pocket and her personal treasure is a copy of Athena (by SNK) for the Famicom.

This document is ©NCSX 2007. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.