Questions
Who created Ghost Trick and what else are they known for?
It was directed and designed by Shu Takumi, the creator of Capcom’s Ace Attorney (Phoenix Wright) series. Ghost Trick was his passion project after finishing Trials and Tribulations.
When did Ghost Trick first come out?
It launched on the Nintendo DS in Japan on June 19, 2010, and reached the West in January 2011.
What is the game actually about?
An amnesiac ghost named Sissel wakes up in a junkyard and has a single night to uncover who he is by possessing objects, saving victims, and traveling back in time to prevent deaths.
How does the ghost gameplay work?
You toggle between a Ghost World where time stops and the real world, possessing and manipulating objects. You can also trace telephone calls to travel between locations.
How long did the game take to make?
Reportedly about six years with a team of 20 people. Takumi began conceptualizing it back in 2004.
Where did the name Ghost Trick come from?
It is a pun blending the Japanese word toritsuku (to possess) with the English word trick. During pre-production it was tentatively called Ghost Spy, and its early codename was Mansion.
Who composed the music?
Masakazu Sugimori, who also scored the first Phoenix Wright game. He cited jazz and fusion as inspirations and reportedly wrote much of the score before official development even began.
Why does the art look so different from other DS games?
Takumi wanted it to look more like an illustration than a game. The team pre-rendered 3D character models into 2D sprites, a technique similar to Donkey Kong Country, to keep the smooth animation while easing the DS hardware load.
Is there a fun animation detail fans love?
Reportedly the character Cabanela’s flashy walk cycle took an entire month to finalize and became a team favorite.
Why do the character names sound like puns?
Many are hidden Japanese wordplay. Lynne comes from rinne (reincarnation) and Cabanela comes from shikabane (corpse).
Did the game sell well?
The original DS release sold poorly in Japan, around 81,325 copies by December 2010, and Capcom cited it as a factor in weak results. The iOS version, however, debuted at number one on the App Store.
Was Ghost Trick ever remastered?
Yes, a 2023 remaster arrived on Switch, PS4, Windows, and Xbox One, rebuilt in Capcom’s RE Engine and rendered in 1080p at 60fps, with the soundtrack rearranged by Yasumasa Kitagawa.
Did the game win any awards?
It won a Japan Game Awards Future Division prize in 2009 and was named a Nintendo Power Game of the Year, among other honors, and earned strong critical scores across its releases.
Has Sissel appeared in other games?
Yes, a Sissel costume showed up in Dead Rising 4’s Capcom Heroes update in 2017, and the game’s world connects to Capcom’s broader crossover history.
Will there ever be a sequel?
In June 2023 Takumi said a sequel would be difficult and considers Sissel’s story complete, though he sees untapped potential in the powers of the dead concept.
