Last Window: The Secret of Cape West
A 2010 Nintendo DS adventure sequel set in 1980 Los Angeles.
Last Window: The Secret of Cape West is an adventure game for the Nintendo DS, released in 2010. It was developed by Cing and published by Nintendo. The game follows protagonist Kyle Hyde, returning one year after the events of *Hotel Dusk: Room 215*. Set in December 1980 at the Cape West Apartments in Los Angeles, the story presents a fresh mystery while also addressing unresolved questions from Hyde's past. Although Cing filed for bankruptcy on March 1, 2010, this title was released after that filing, making it one of the studio's final works rather than its last project before bankruptcy. Unlike its predecessor, it did not receive a North American release.
The Nintendo DS is held vertically, like a book. A new "Ignore" feature lets the player drop lines of questioning they find unhelpful. Ignoring too many or too few can trigger an early game over. The player can also lose if Kyle says something incriminating, is caught with stolen property, or is discovered in a restricted area by the landlady. A story-based addition is the in-game novel *Last Window*; each cleared chapter unlocks a new chapter in the book, which complements the story and can be shaped by player choices. Completing the main story or winning an optional prize contest unlocks a "Pinkie Rabbit Land" mini-game, styled after a handheld electronic game from the era and featuring the fictional cartoon character Pinkie Rabbit. After finishing the game, the player can also replay the 9-ball mini-game at any time.
The plot begins in December 1980, one year after *Hotel Dusk*. Ex-detective Kyle Hyde is fired from Red Crown for failing to collect a debt and receives a mysterious letter. Set in the soon-to-be-demolished Cape West Apartments, owned by Margaret "Mags" Patrice, the case becomes personal for Hyde as he uncovers connections between his fellow residents, a priceless diamond called the Scarlet Star, and the death of his father Chris. He reunites with Mila from the original game. Further discoveries include a murder and fire on the closed-off fourth floor, a guest who was an old partner of Chris, a crime ring called Condor (a separate organization, not part of the Nile syndicate), an employee working for Nile, and a secret Condor room accessible via the elevator's hidden code (explaining its technical problems). Hyde briefly gets his job back.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Last Window: · The Secret of Cape West
- Developer
- Cing
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Director
- Taisuke Kanasaki
- Designer
- Rika Suzuki
- Writer
- Rika Suzuki · Yu Tominaga · Shunichi Nakagaki
- Composer
- Satoshi Okubo
- Platforms
- Nintendo DS
- Released
- JP · 14 January 2010 · EU · 17 September 2010
- Genre
- Adventure
- Modes
- Single player
- Producer
- Takuya Miyagawa
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game takes place in Los Angeles in December 1980, one year after the events of the previous game. In Cape West Apartments, a soon-to-be-demolished apartment block owned by Margaret 'Mags' Patrice, ex-detective Kyle Hyde is fired from his job at Red Crown for failing to collect a debt and receives a mysterious letter. While everyone has secrets and parts of their past they would rather leave buried, for Hyde, the case is taking a more personal twist. As he investigates, Hyde uncovers a story that links his fellow residents, a priceless diamond called the Scarlet Star, and the death of his father Chris. At one point, he reunites with Mila, a character from the original game. Additional discoveries include an incident on Cape West's closed off fourth floor involving a murder and a fire, learning that one of the guests is an old partner of Chris', a crime ring called Condor (a separate organization, not part of the Nile syndicate), an employee working for Nile, and a secret Condor room accessible via the elevator's hidden code.
Reader's Guide
Last Window: The Secret of Cape West is significant as the final game developed by Cing before the company filed for bankruptcy on 1 March 2010. It received 'favorable' reviews according to GameRankings, and in Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 32 out of 40. The game introduced an 'Ignore' feature that allows the player to let go of lines of questioning, with both ignoring too many or too few potentially causing an early game over. Other game-over conditions include Kyle saying something that gets him in trouble, being caught with something that isn't his, or being caught in a restricted area by the landlady. A new story-based feature is the in-game novel Last Window, with chapters unlocked after each game chapter, whose contents can be influenced by player decisions. The player can unlock a 'Pinkie Rabbit Land' mini-game by completing the story or winning it in an optional prize-contest, and post-game, the 9-ball mini-game becomes available anytime. Unlike its predecessor, it was never released in North America. In a Kotaku retrospective, Peter Tieryas described the game as one of the best murder mysteries in gaming.
Did You Know?
- The game introduces an 'Ignore' feature that can cause an early game over if used too much or too little.
- The in-game novel Last Window has chapters unlocked after each game chapter, and its contents can be influenced by player decisions.
- Unlike its predecessor Hotel Dusk: Room 215, Last Window was never released in North America.
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