Very short but sweet puzzle adventure. In terms of presentation, puzzles and writing it is entirely weaker than hotel dusk but it's still nice in all aspects. Exploring with D is pretty cozy and Ashley is cute. The music is pretty good too but the sound effects for completing puzzles and stuff are not very satisfying which is kind of a let down. The ending can also be pretty unsatisfying if you happen to not restore all of D's memories which is a pain because there's no indication of what will and won't restore them.

Trace Memory (aka Another Code outside NA) isn't a bad game, but having played it after Hotel Dusk and Last Window, the growing pains are very apparent. This was CiNG's second game--first for the DS--and while it carries the same atmosphere as CiNG's later titles, Trace Memory left me wanting more.

The game is played from a top-down perspective with fixed camera angles, and feels a bit more like an old PC point-and-click than a VN. The story itself is decent (I very much enjoyed the final area), but is held back by it's very short length; you can beat this game in just a few hours. Some of the puzzles feel very contrived, and one of them also literally doesn't work unless you have a physical DS, as it relies on viewing a real-world reflection on the screen.

This game and its JPN/EU-only Wii sequel are getting a remake in early 2024. If you're interested, I would likely recommend waiting for that release to play this!

A mystery point-and-click game from the developers of Hotel Dusk, which I played a few years back. This game features a teenage girl who has arrived on a spooky island in search of her long lost father. I liked the visuals of the game, even if they're a bit basic, and while I was invested in the story, it's pretty simplistic. The puzzles aren't as good as other DS point-and-click games, and while I honestly thought Hotel Dusk went on for too long, this game is much too short. The mysteries, while set up well enough, aren't all that satisfying in the end. I think if I had played this back in the day, and gotten it on sale for like $4, I would've liked it, but there's much better similar fare on the DS.

There isn't a lot to this game. It's an interesting precursor to the far more stylized Hotel Dusk, but on its own it's a nice story with a middling selection of puzzles and generally mundane exploration.

To give the game some credit, I did enjoy the story. While it was predictable and none of the characters stood out as ones I loved, there were some great ideas, I was generally engaged for the whole (admittedly short) playtime and, ultimately, the emotional core tugged at my heartstrings and I felt myself welling up just a tad towards the end. It's close to something excellent but falls short, being a solid effort which I can't take much fault with.

The puzzles, though, vary in quality massively. There are some unique uses of the DS's features that, disappointingly, I couldn't make the most of because I emulated this one. Notably, closing the system partially and using the reflection of the screens to find a puzzle solution is one of the most genius uses of the dual screen gimmick I've seen. Unfortunately, the actual difficulty of the puzzles was low, with solutions coming to me almost instantly. This was made worse by often not knowing HOW to input my solution. You will have to investigate certain objects multiple times, or after interacting with other things, in order to progress sometimes. It was incredibly frustrating when I knew that an object would be important yet Ashley would refuse to grab it until I'd done something else. There's one instance where you're supposed to remember a small object TWO CHAPTERS back and, after you need it, return to that location to snag it. Irritations are usually small but common and while I can't say I hated any of the game's puzzles, I scarcely enjoyed them.

And, all in all, this game is just good. The gameplay doesn't hold the story back but the story doesn't strive for too much and that's okay. I'm keen to get through the rest of CiNG's library (a shame they went defunct), especially to see how the sequel to this game shook things up.

A rather short experience, which is all good in my book. The game has this really somber vibe all throughout as the rather tragic story unfolds, with themes of reminiscence and memories which really kinda stuck with me ngl. Combine that with the pre-rendered Myst-esque backgrounds on the top screen, and you definitely have a vibe. If you are curious about more obscure nintendo games, and you wanna try somethin neat out, you can't go wrong with this. Trace Memory is a better name than Another Code don't @ me

Com título diferente no ocidente, Trace Memory, o primeiro jogo da Cing para o DS é um adventure japonês com história cativante e gameplay criativo, incorporando elementos dos point'n'click ocidentais.

Inaugura também um sistema que vai permear os futuros jogos da empresa, onde após um capítulo completo o jogo aproveitar para recapitular o entendimento da trama pelo jogador, com perguntas de múltiplas opções.

É uma maneira inicialmente interessante de checar se o jogador esteve prestando atenção, apesar de ser às vezes um pouco óbvia demais.

O roteiro e o gameplay seguram bem e se sustentam até o final, e o resultado final é bastante agradável para o gênero, tanto como experiência, como referência.

“The living leave traces of themselves wherever they go; and once you’re gone, it’s the traces that tell the story”

Essa frase dita por um dos personagens de Trace Memory não só descreve perfeitamente como é desbravar a mansão Edwards, local onde se passa o jogo, mas também toda a essência de jogos de mistério desse tipo, ou mais profundamente, sobre como a memória também pode ser material, como a vida continua mesmo após seu fim.

Trace Memory é curto e agridoce, assim como a vida, e te faz lembrar deste fato. Abaixo da premissa simples e pessoal há muita maturidade, com adolescentes de diferentes épocas se encontrando e se aproximando em meio à tragédias pessoais.

Contando duas histórias paralelas de forma realista e com pé no chão, esse jogo utiliza as funcionalidades do DS de forma total e com muita criatividade, e fato disso ter vindo diretamente de 2005 torna tudo mais impressionante. É único e atmosférico, com efeitos sonoros (destaque especial para os sons de passos) e músicas assombrantes, em uma ambientação simples mas muito bem realizada. Para uma experiência de uma tarde, foi bem gratificante, e mal posso esperar pelo remake.

[ps. joguei a demo do remake e… esperarei promoções]