Mizzurna Falls

The game takes place in Mizzurna Falls, a fictional town in Colorado near the Rocky Mountains.{{Cite web |url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps/574993-mizzurna-falls/faqs/71515/setting-story-characters |title=Setting, Story, Characters - Mizzurna Falls Walkthrough & Guide - GameFAQs |access-date=2020-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527082033/https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps/574993-mizzurna-falls/faqs/71515/setting-story-characters |archive-date=2019-05-27 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2017/10/01/76093.html|title=【特集】『初代プレステの"風変わり"なアドベンチャーゲーム』7選 3ページ目|website=Game*Spark - 国内・海外ゲーム情報サイト|date=7 October 2017 |language=ja|access-date=2019-04-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303130614/https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2017/10/01/76093.html|archive-date=2018-03-03|url-status=live}}

On Christmas Day 1998, a young girl, Kathy Flannery, is discovered unconscious in the forest, apparently attacked by a bear. Soon after, high school student Emma Rowland goes missing. Emma's classmate Matthew Williams becomes involved in the mystery surrounding the disappearance and the dark secrets of the town.

The player has seven days to explore the town and countryside talking to the residents in order to solve the mystery.{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2016/1/18/10786716/twin-peaks-mizzurna-falls-youtube|title=If Twin Peaks had been a PSone game, it would have been Mizzurna Falls|last=McElroy|first=Justin|date=2016-01-18|website=Polygon|access-date=2019-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405102008/https://www.polygon.com/2016/1/18/10786716/twin-peaks-mizzurna-falls-youtube|archive-date=2019-04-05|url-status=live}} One in-game hour is around five minutes in real time.{{Cite web |url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps/574993-mizzurna-falls/faqs/71515/getting-started |title=Getting Started - Mizzurna Falls Walkthrough & Guide - GameFAQs |access-date=2020-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527082033/https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps/574993-mizzurna-falls/faqs/71515/getting-started |archive-date=2019-05-27 |url-status=live }}

The strict seven-day time limit makes it difficult to see all the events and get the best of the three endings. The player can save the game by sleeping for either one or five in game hours. The game features the "tank style" movement controls made famous by Resident Evil, fighting and shooting systems, and quick time events. The game also features a full weather cycle and the residents of the town have individual daily routines.

The player has access to a Volkswagen Beetle and a boat to move around town quickly. Matthew can eat at the local diners, and must keep his car fueled. Matthew can also use his mobile phone to call other characters and certain businesses in the town.

Mizzurna Falls is the only game by designer Taichi Ishizuka (The Firemen) as a writer and director.{{Cite web|url=https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/ywwj5k/what-made-this-fan-translate-an-obscure-1998-twin-peaks-inspired-ps1-game|title=What Made This Fan Translate an Obscure 1998 'Twin Peaks'-Inspired PS1 Game|last1=Walker|first1=Austin|last2=Haske|first2=Steve|date=2017-09-01|website=Waypoint|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405073357/https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/ywwj5k/what-made-this-fan-translate-an-obscure-1998-twin-peaks-inspired-ps1-game|archive-date=2019-04-05|url-status=live}} The game is reminiscent of Twin Peaks. He worked with a team contracted from Sun Studio, consisting of three graphic designers and four programmers. The plot originally called for a game that depicts a murder mystery in a mansion, which changed during development.

The game was released on 23 December 1998 in Japan for the Sony PlayStation, and was published by Human Entertainment themselves.{{Cite web|url=http://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=18321|title=ミザーナフォールズ [PS] / ファミ通.com|website=www.famitsu.com|access-date=2019-04-30}}{{cite web|url=https://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slps01783.html|title=ミザーナフォールズ {{!}} ソフトウェアカタログ {{!}} プレイステーション® オフィシャルサイト|website=www.jp.playstation.com|access-date=2019-04-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403014914/https://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slps01783.html|archive-date=2019-04-03|url-status=live}} The game was never localized nor published in the West.

After Mizzurna Falls was released, Ishizuka retired from video game development and emigrated to Canada, where he became a tour guide for visitors going to the Canadian Rockies.{{Cite web |last=Voll |first=C.S. |date=2022-08-29 |title=After Over 20 Years, Mizzurna Falls is Available in English |url=https://www.superjumpmagazine.com/after-over-20-years-mizzurna-falls-is-available-in-english/ |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=SUPERJUMP |language=en |archive-date=23 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523182532/https://www.superjumpmagazine.com/after-over-20-years-mizzurna-falls-is-available-in-english/ |url-status=live }}

Upon release, four reviewers from Famitsu gave it a score of 22 out of 40.

The game is considered a possible influence on Shenmue and Grand Theft Auto.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FZhUDwAAQBAJ&q=Mizzurna+Falls&pg=PA162|title=The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews with Cult and Classic Video Game Developers|last=Hickey|first=Patrick Jr|date=2018-04-04|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-3123-3|language=en}} Rolling Stone commented that the title was "quirky, weird, and rife with references to a cornucopia of media, namely Twin Peaks, and traces of it can now be seen in cult favorites like Deadly Premonition."{{cite magazine |last1=Vincent |first1=Brittany |title=Why Lynchian-Classic 'Mizzurna Falls' Remains Untranslated |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/features/why-lynchian-classic-mizzurna-falls-remains-untranslated-w516888 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219162500/https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/features/why-lynchian-classic-mizzurna-falls-remains-untranslated-w516888 |archivedate=February 19, 2018 |date=February 19, 2018|url-status= dead}}

For a while the game was "little more than a 20-year-old curiosity" according to Waypoint, which could only be played via poor emulation or by purchasing a Japanese version of the game. However, in 2017, Tokyo-based freelance translator Resident Evie translated the script into English as part of a playthrough project. She also set up the Tumblr Project Mizzurna, a hub for discussions and content around the game. Evie noted that "The game was so innovative that it was even slightly broken".{{Cite web|url=https://motherboard.vice.com/nl/article/vv3yd3/mizzurna-falls-is-de-beste-twin-peaks-game-die-je-nooit-hebt-gespeeld|title=Mizzurna Falls is de beste Twin Peaks game die je nooit hebt gespeeld|last=Dalsum|first=Sander van|date=2016-02-25|website=Motherboard|language=nl|access-date=2019-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416005938/https://motherboard.vice.com/nl/article/vv3yd3/mizzurna-falls-is-de-beste-twin-peaks-game-die-je-nooit-hebt-gespeeld|archive-date=2019-04-16|url-status=live}}

In mid-2019, an unofficial English localization patch based on Evie's translation was released in an incomplete state. However, the patch was quickly pulled off various sites due to a copyright complaint, as the publisher had compiled all the code from the authors without permission.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/59nm85/an-online-feud-killed-a-gaming-oddity-people-had-waited-21-years-for|title=An Online Feud Killed a Gaming Oddity People Had Waited 21 Years For|date=2019-08-06|website=VICE|language=en|access-date=2020-05-18|archive-date=10 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810071840/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/59nm85/an-online-feud-killed-a-gaming-oddity-people-had-waited-21-years-for|url-status=live}}

In late 2019, a game translator under the pseudonym "Mr.Nobody" published a Spanish translation patch based on the aforementioned English patch, making it possible to play the game in Spanish.

On 29 March 2021, an individual known as "Owl" released the first full english translation patch.{{Cite web|url=https://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=32523.0|title=Mizzurna Falls English Translation (Beta)|date=2021-03-29|website=Romhacking.net|language=en|access-date=2024-10-28}}

On 30 March 2021, professional game translator Cirosan and professional mobile game developer Nikita, using Resident Evie's translated script as a base, released the second full English patch for Mizzurna Falls. In order to make this project possible, Nikita built a special compression tool in order to fit most of the game's notably large script onto a single-disc format.{{Cite web|url=https://www.romhacking.net/?page=news&newssearch=1&project=/translations/6027/|title=Mizzurna Falls Finally Receives English Translation Patch After 20 Years|date=2021-03-31|website=Romhacking.net|language=en|access-date=2021-04-04|archive-date=8 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508154246/https://www.romhacking.net/?page=news&newssearch=1&project=%2Ftranslations%2F6027%2F|url-status=live}} Despite this new tool, Cirosan still had to edit and revise parts of the script, with Evie's permission, in order to fit the entire story into the translation. This release effectively ended the 22-year wait for an English localization.{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/after-22-years-cult-classic-ps1-adventure-mizzurna-fal-1846608380|title=After 22 Years, Cult-Classic PS1 Adventure Mizzurna Falls Is Playable In English|date=2021-04-02|website=Kotaku|language=en|access-date=2021-04-04|archive-date=3 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210403175309/https://kotaku.com/after-22-years-cult-classic-ps1-adventure-mizzurna-fal-1846608380|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/stories/twin-peaks-inspired-classic-mizzurna-falls-gets-new-fan-translation-patch-624638.phtml|title=Twin Peaks-inspired classic Mizzurna Falls gets new fan translation patch|date=2021-04-01|website=Destructoid|language=en|access-date=2021-04-04|archive-date=3 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210403010521/https://www.destructoid.com/stories/twin-peaks-inspired-classic-mizzurna-falls-gets-new-fan-translation-patch-624638.phtml|url-status=live}}

In December 2024, an Italian translation from RickTM and GrandpaTheobald was released as well thanks to Nikita's tool and all previous contributions to the project.{{Citation |last=RickTM & Grandpa Theobald |title=Mizzurna Falls - ITA |date=2024-12-23 |url=https://archive.org/details/mizzurna-falls-patch-ita-by-rick-tm-grandpa-theobald-23-12-2024 |access-date=2024-12-30}} Overall, the Italian patch took a little more than 2 years to be completed.

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{{Reflist}}

• [https://projectmizzurna.tumblr.com/ Project Mizzurna]

Category:1998 video games

Category:Adventure games

Category:Christmas video games

Category:Detective video games

Category:Human Entertainment games

Category:Japan-exclusive video games

Category:Occult detective fiction

Category:Open-world video games

Category:PlayStation (console) games

Category:PlayStation (console)-only games

Category:Single-player video games

Category:Video games developed in Japan

Category:Video games set in 1998

Category:Video games set in Colorado