Another Code: Another Review

For the American blog viewers, Another Code: Two Memories is the European equivilant of Trace memory, a recently released title in the States. This game has been available at retailers for many months in Australia, but it was not until a friend lended me the game that I first tried it out. I'll attempt another review, though remembering back to the Advance Wars DS review, you'll have to bear with any grammatic errors I make :P.

Unique, that is the best way to describe the gameplay of this game. Though it fits into the adventure slash puzzle genre, this title gives the gamer an experience that they won't find with any other game. The whole game can be played by nothing but the touch screen, and I find pointing with the stylus a very useful tool for game control, for both navigation, and solving puzzles.

You play as (almost) 14 year old Ashley Mitzuki Robbins, who's lost her parents as a baby and has been raised by her aunt Jessica. The game is set into motion straight from the beginning, when Ashley discovers his father is alive and wishes to meet him on a mysterious island. She later meets up with D, a ghost who his trying to recover memories of his death, and together the game's objective is to recover both Ashley and D's past.

Another Code utilises the functions avilable on the DS to the fullest extent. To complete the game, players are required to do everything from clicking random objects in search for clues, snap the console shut to stamp and drawing, to blowing dust off objects through the inbuilt mic. Dozens of interesting and possibly annoying puzzles (like discovering the true meaning of "Another" or "Trace") are able to maintain the gamer's interest throughout the whole game. Like a book, once you pick this game up, it's hard to put it down until you've completed the next chaptor. I said chaptor, because that is what divides the game up into multiple levels, with puzzles of increasing difficulty in each.

The game presents very beautiful graphics, smooth shadings and high details (like birds zooming above trees across the screen) which are hard to find in a DS game. The top screen is mainly used for game dialogues, as well as various screes which display as you navigate the characters. The bottom screen presents a bird's eye view, so to it easy to hunt forobject which contain clues.

As the story progresses, the gamer really becomes involved in the events which unfold as Ashley is finally led to her father, and as most of D's past is recovered. The emotional conclusion at the end when Ashley leaves with her reunited family makes the gamer want to see the game progress futher, and sad to see the game finally came to an end. The same feeling you would get from finishing a tv or anime series, where even if it's a "happy" ending, you regret to see the characters leave.



Overall IMO this game deserves an 8 out of 10. It's a great title if you're after a slow paced game with quality graphics, but not so much if you're after something fast and action packed (get Mario Kart!). I am looking forward to this game's sequel, if there is one. According to Cing, they will produce a sequel if this one sells, and looking at recent software statistics Another Code has sold pretty well, expecially in Japan.

So has anyone else played Another Code? If so, what are your thoughts?