The game takes place in Chicago during December 1941. The game character is Theodore "Ace" Harding, a retired boxer working as a private eye. The player awakes one morning in a bathroom stall, unable to remember who he is. The bathroom stall turns out to be in Joe's Bar. A dead man is found in an upstairs office, and Ace is about to be framed for the murder. There are some clues as to the identity of the murdered man and to the player himself. A strap-down chair, mysterious vials, and a syringe are found, suggesting that an interrogation has taken place. Outside the bar, the player encounters adversaries including a mugger, an old acquaintance with a grudge, and the police. The player's boxing background proves to be a valuable asset. The player must find addresses around Joe's bar and then make taxi rides to a few locations to gather more elements and unravel the story. It involves a kidnapping in which Ace has played some part, but his memory lacks important details. Ace's memory and mental condition progressively deteriorate, so the player is required to obtain an antidote to the drug that caused the memory loss. After that, Ace has recurring flashbacks filled with information that help the player to evaluate the evidence and take action accordingly. This game and its sequel, , require significant lateral thinking. Some situations are based in common detective techniques, while others require simple violence. Unlike other MacVentures titles, no supernatural events are involved.
Technology
Déjà Vu was the first ICOM Simulations to use the MacVenture interface and engine. Numerous ports were made, including versions for home computer systems in 1987 and the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990. Versions of the game and its sequel containing new graphics and sound were released for Microsoft Windows in the early 1990s, and later as a combined single-cartridge release for the Game Boy Colorin 1999 under the title Déjà Vu I & II: The Casebooks of Ace Harding, which was also released for DOS, Windows 3.x, and Windows Mobile.
Reception
Digital Press gave the NES version 6 out of 10, approving the puzzle-solving while have average opinions on graphics and music. The game was named the Best Entertainment Product by the Software Publishers Association 1986.
