Thanks to Hamada and AShadowLink for helping with edits. Also, this article contains open spoilers for Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and Last Window: The Secret of Cape West.
Last November, I celebrated two personal milestones by grilling Hotel Dusk: Room 215’s bellhop, Louis DeNonno. That’s my all-time favorite video game, and he’s an essential component of it; seeing the affable “Louie” mature is rewarding. However, he isn’t the only deadbeat Dusk protagonist Kyle Hyde’s befriended — a second debuts in its sequel, Last Window: The Secret of Cape West. Now, today marks another personal milestone: this is my one hundredth article for Source Gaming, so let’s tackle this waster.
Tony Wolf, seen in 2010’s Last Window: The Secret of Cape West (Image: Nintendo)
Like Room 215, Last Window oozes personality. It inherits Dusk’s noir stylings and rotoscope animations, complementing them with a mostly new, comparably fantastic cast. The sequel even includes an in-game novelization, which expands upon its narrative. And one of the most visible characters in both is a perennially poor, disgraced rock star…
Tony’s History
Former detective and unmotivated salesman Kyle Hyde lives at the Cape West apartment complex. Living across from him is a struggling musician named Tony Wolf (or Steve Wolf in Window’s Japanese release) who regularly asks Kyle for money, usually to waste on gambling or a date. However, their time together is nearing its end — during their first in-game conversation, Tony informs Kyle that Cape West is scheduled to close the following month. Soon, Kyle learns of a conspiracy connecting the building and some of its tenets to a missing gemstone and his father’s untimely passing.
Australian metal rocker Ninezero portrays Tony, acting out scenes artist Taisuke Kanasaki later rotoscoped over. (Image: Nintendo)
Consequently, Kyle starts actually getting to know Cape West’s residents, discovering Tony was a successful singer before accruing a criminal record (the records and instruments in his room help sell his former fame). Aiming to impress fellow resident Betty and finally pay his rent, Tony attempts to extort Frank, the building’s elderly crank. Thankfully, Kyle confronts the musician, helping him get back on track. Afterwards, the two begin developing a genuine friendship, even spending Christmas together. With his creative juices reinvigorated, Tony also writes a new hit single, “Belief,” and nabs a new gig (and if you win a one-thousand dollar check through a side quest, Kyle can give it to Tony, letting him rent a studio).
So, what’re my thoughts on Tony?
When a new entry in an ongoing series hits, there’s always a temptation to look for parallels with its predecessors. This can be perfectly valid, reductive, or anywhere in-between. For an example of the former, new Pokémon generations reliably introduce new characters and critters to fill recurring niches. In order to set up a gag or subversion, a work might even invite such comparisons, like how Halloween survivor Laurie Strode calls Micheal Myers’ latest doctor “the new Loomis” in its 2018 followup.
Fittingly, Tony’s default posture expresses a relaxed openness, a quality other performers share. (Image: Nintendo)
Cing was certainly no stranger to this practice. In the Another Code duology, protagonist Ashley pals around with young boys whose mysteries serve as their respective game’s b-plots. Likewise, the primary nuisances in Hotel Dusk and Last Window are their settings’ respective owners, both feature mystifying women who power their secondary plots (though they’re otherwise vastly different characters), and plenty of Window’s puzzles reflect those found in Room 215. Even Kyle nabs a substitute in his duology’s short-lived spiritual successor, Chase: Cold Case Investigations ~Distant Memories~.
One of my takeaways upon first clearing Last Window was that Tony “is its Louie.” In fact, I saw him as a cheap knockoff, lacking the narrative import the bellhop bore. But was that fair? Yes, the two share a number of attributes. Louie and Tony idolize Kyle, who’s initially distrustful of both, speaking to his prior, offscreen experiences. As Kyle’s adventures advance, he spends plenty of time with Tony and Louie, both of whom challenge him to a friendly game. Both men also have criminal records, enjoy a good drink, are rather lazy, and present themselves poorly to the fairer sex. Window’s fourth chapter even harkens back to Dusk’s structure; it begins by hinting at Tony’s forthcoming relevance, and ends with Kyle confronting him. It’s a straightforward one that ends with a proper resolution, breaking away from how Window’s earlier confrontations leave questions lingering.
Chapter 5 starts with the salesman actually having to sell stuff. Since they live nearby, and in order to followup on Chapter 4’s resolution, players will likely visit Tony first. Fittingly, he’s the easiest person to persuade to buy something. (Image: Nintendo)
Although Tony does hit several of the same beats as Louie, he hits some differently. It’s debatable at first if he actually likes Kyle, arguably seeing him as a gullible source of fast cash (although Louie’s initially a little cold, his respect for Kyle is still palpable). The leech also isn’t endearing early on; we’ve all had at least one “friend” like him, right? Where Louie starts Dusk having grown past pickpocketing, Tony’s still prone to violent outbursts, his vice. Tony gets aggravated easily, and many of Window’s game over scenes feature him decking his neighbor (conversely, it’s usually Louie’s boss, Dunning, who kicks Kyle out). Thanks to Kyle’s influence, we see both slackers mature, though Louis does so gradually throughout his game. Most importantly, Tony is merely Kyle’s pal, not his partner; Window is firmly Mr. Hyde’s show.
Those final two points segue into why Tony initially underwhelmed me. Chapter 9 of Hotel Dusk closes with Kyle and Louie getting knocked out by an assailant, and they spend the following one working together to discover their identity. Cape West does something similar; Kyle recruits Tony to help him explore the building’s abandoned fourth floor, promising that priceless jewel as a reward. Soon, both are rendered unconscious by…someone. This scenario suits Louie’s game, where it acts as his crescendo, letting him prove himself a trustworthy companion. While Window initially frames Tony’s inclusion here as him trying to repay Kyle’s kindness, this parallel just rings hollow. Then Kyle dismisses Tony after he accomplishes very little (he fetches two tools and helps open a safe) and continues unraveling the mystery unfettered. It’s another subversion from the pickpocket’s template, and sidelining Tony makes sense; he has no connection to Cape West’s core conflicts. But it’s a dull closing note for the musician, a brief appearance during the ending notwithstanding.
Unlike most of the saga’s other characters, Tony has two theme songs, a default one, “Shadowy Men,” and “Belief.” (Image: Nintendo)
Was my knee-jerk reaction to Tony justified? Sure, somewhat. Despite their similarities, though, Tony is his own man, one I grow to like more every time I replay Window. And it’s important Kyle keeps befriending people like these bozos, letting him express his gruff exterior and gushy interior. Sadly, Cing’s closure means we’ll likely never see any of these characters again, possible Super Smash Bros. cameos aside. But at least Tony’s time at Cape West ends positively, even implying he gets together with Betty — yet another difference from the perennially single Louie.
Congratulations, Tony! You better pay me back… every cent.
Café owner Sidney is a professed fan of Tony’s, giving us a look at the artist from such a perspective. Heck, even Kyle is won over after hearing “Belief!” (Image: Nintendo)
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