Kato-chan & Ken-chan (1987). Play Free Online

Summary

Kato‑chan & Ken‑chan (known outside Japan as J.J. & Jeff) is a quirky TurboGrafx‑16 platformer that lets you pick either of the two bumbling detectives for a “missing rich man” search. The other dude hangs around as a comic obstacle, popping up on lamp posts or in bushes to tease you – you can even kick him when he’s in the way. Your hero fights with three simple moves – a jump, a kick, or a spray‑paint can that was originally flat‑fart fuel in the Japanese version. Vitality wanes with each slip, but hidden fruit and junk food revive you, and coins gathered from kicking random objects can be spent on a slot‑machine that hands out extra lives, health, or more cash. The game’s off‑beat humor, including a stripped‑down version of its original toilet jokes, gave North‑American players a goofy, light‑hearted romp when it resurfaced on the Wii Virtual Console in 2007.

Storyline

Kato-chan & Ken-chan (known in the West as J.J. & Jeff) are a pair of hapless detectives who stumble through investigations with the charm of Inspector Clouseau. The TurboGrafx‑16 adventure drops them into a kidnapping case that drives the entire plot.
In the Japanese version the characters are directly lifted from the TV show’s “Detective Story” segments, preserving the comedic tone of the original sketches. Players guide the duo through slap‑slap puzzles and clumsy interrogations as they chase clues across quirky locations.

Edited by Maya Carter