User Reviews (1 - 11 of 59)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

Only one problem...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 27, 2007
Author: Amazon User

OK, so my friend got this game for Christmas and she finished it in a little over a day. She said it was one of the better games she had ever played. So when I went over to her house, I played it too. I loved the game, loved the plot, and loved the puzzles. Yes, some were annoying because of something not working quite right, one in particular, but overall they were very good. I did not have a problem with cliched stuff in the story. In fact, that may have been why I liked it so much. The only problem is that it was too short. It really did only take a few hours to finish. This wasn't a big problem for me, because unlike most of my games, I finished it early because it really was short, and not because I was starring at a walkthrough the whole time. All in all, this game was exceptionally good and I found it worthwhile enough that I would like to buy it for myself.

Excellent use of DS features, take it or leave it for everything else

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

For those who found enjoyment with the recent release of the excellent Hotel Dusk: Room 215, this older title should be checked out just to see how far Nintendo's dual screened system has come in a relatively short time in delivering original and innovative adventure games. Trace Memory is from the same crew who would create Hotel Dusk, and was one of the first games to make real and excellent use out of the various features of the DS. On a mysterious island, you play as young Ashley, who is trying to uncover lots of secrets, including some buried in her past. As the story unfolds, Ashley meets a ghostly cohort that has a few secrets as well; all lying within the confines of a sprawling mansion on the island. The puzzle elements of Trace Memory is what make it so interesting to get into; whether it's using the stylus and touchscreen to move objects to the microphone to help solve secrets. The game is presented in gorgeous animated 2-D elements that help advance the story, as well as typical 3-D elements for exploration. What really stops Trace Memory from being something really special is that the game is incredibly short to get through. Despite an excellent and engaging story, as well as intriguing and challenging puzzles (along with some puzzles that are the opposite of that), Trace Memory winds up being shorter than one could imagine. Not to mention that once you do get through it, there's not really much reason to go back. There are some unclockable easter eggs as well, but that's it. All in all, Trace Memory isn't bad at all and is an interesting game while it lasts, but it can be safe to say that this game was and is a taste of things to come for Nintendo's innovative system. If you never played it but enjoyed Hotel Dusk, Trace Memory is worth a look regardless.

Great adventure game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Another Code: Two Memories (known as Trace Memory in America) is an adventure game for the Nintendo DS. Naturally, the storyline is a prominent feature of this title. You play the part of Ashley Mizuki Robbins, a 13-year-old girl with a haunting past. On the eve of her 14th birthday, she visits the ominously named 'Blood Edward Island' in the hope of seeing her father, a man who she believed had been dead for 11 years. When you arrive on the island, your father is nowhere to be seen, and so your aunt Jessica (who has been "like a mother" to you) goes to look for him. Typically, she also goes missing, and you are left to explore the island on your own; however, you soon meet up with a likeable ghost named 'D', who has been dead for more than 60 years and cannot remember anything about his past.

Luckily, the plot is very engrossing and will keep you hooked until you unravel every little secret of Ashley's (and D's) history. This is coupled with some impressively imaginative gameplay, which will have you using your DS in just about every way possible. Furthermore, you will be able to zoom in on places of interest and pick up items that may come in use later on. The puzzles are satisfyingly challenging, but you should be able to solve them without too much trouble. Bear in mind that a good chunk of your time will be spent reading dialogue, which may be a put off to anybody who craves constant action.

The graphics, meanwhile, are very nice indeed. The distinctly anime style is perfectly suited to the game, and the characters look excellent. You will play the majority of the game from a birds-eye view, though the camera will sometimes zoom in and everything will transform into 3D. The sound is also solid enough, though is nothing spectacular. There is no voice acting, but that is to be expected in a game of this type.

The game's major flaw is its small lifespan - it is just far too short. You will be able to finish the game in around 4 to 5 hours, and will likely have no desire to play over it again. This is because you will know the solutions to all of the puzzles, and so a second run-through is a bit pointless. Nevertheless, there is an alternate ending, which may have enthusiasts experiencing the adventure all over again.

In spite of this, however, Another Code is strongly recommendable to any fan of the genre. While the game itself may only last a few hours, your memory of it will last for much, much longer.

Definitely good fun for the younger kids

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game because it was the cheapest DS game they had at Shopco at the time. For the most part, the game was fun and the graphics were very good. The puzzles are challenging enough to keep kids entertained, but there is a lot of reading so very young children would not be able to understand most of the story or puzzles. Was able to keep me entertained but I wouldn't ever play it again.

Some cons:

The music: There are only a few songs on this game that loop, and for some reason kept giving me a headache. You might want to turn off the volume for the duration of this game.

The puzzles: Half the time, I had already figured things out before the lead character did...she won't always pick up items unless she knows she'll need it and sometimes you have to keep running around trying to find something else so that she'll say, "Oh, I need to go back and get this item that I saw" because she wouldn't pick it up the first time. I found the game actually a bit predictable, but I don't think a child would.

The duration: It only took me 6 hours to beat the game. I wish it would have been a bit longer.

Fun and interesting

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I am new to the DS games, so Trace Memory was one of the games I bought in my first game purchase. I am very pleased I gave it a try. To me, basically Trace is an interactive mystery. There is a lot of stylus tapping involved such as tapping on items you wish to interact with and also tapping through conversation choices. The music in the game had a nice mystery-like tone to it and the graphics were pretty good too. My only complaint is that the game wasn't long enough. It only took me between 6 and 10 hours to complete the story. This title would have been awesome if it was like twice as long if not longer. I wasn't ready for it to end. I recommend this title for some interactive fun.

A step in the right adventure direction

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I am a big fan of adventure games, specifically point-and-click ones. I decided to try this game and it had all of the elements of a good adventure game but no cohesiveness. Figuring out puzzles weren't logical and running to pick up an item to stick it in another room seemed ridiculous. It was hard at some points to understand what to do. I liked the ingenuity of using the DS's dual screen though for some of the puzzles. Overall, I am looking forward to seeing if Hotel Dusk is more of a refinement on what Trace Memory has done.

Interesting and Fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I just finished Trace Memory. The story line is interesting and the gameplay and clue solving was fun. It was fairly easy, but I think the point wasn't to be hard, but to provide and interesting story. There were times that it was a bit "wordy" and gave you info that you didn't really need to advance the plot, but for the most part it was interesting to read the story. I think it's worth the money (would be even better if it were longer) and that if you like reading a story and playing along you'll enjoy this game.

Short but Satisfying

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Trace Memory is reminiscent of the old PC adventure games from the mid '90's. It is the first game of its genre to grace a handheld, and the DS Stylus plays a huge role in gameplay. Puzzles in the game involve scratching off rust, turning cranks, slide puzzles, and the like.

You play as Ashley, who is one day shy of 14. Her parents have been missing for the past eleven years, during which she has been in the care of her aunt Jessica. She receives a package from her father which contains a mysterious device that more than vaguely resemble the DS itself. In the letter her father asks that she come to a mysterious island to meet him. Soon after arriving Jessica disappears and Ashley encounters the ghost of a boy, dead 57 years, who has no memories of his death. Ashley and the ghost, called 'D', then explore the island's manor to try to solve both of their questions.

This is the first hand-held game that really tests your brain (Brain Age came out a few months afterward). You'll need to memorize clues you receive and think about how to solve puzzles. Some require backtracking.

The game is lacking in action and its story is told through dialogue boxes with portraits of the characters. It is also rather short, in the range of 4-6 hours of completion time. You can play it through a second time, but the changes are minimal.

Overall, this is a good game if you need to take a break from the action or adventure titles. It won't provide a long diversion, but it is an interesting play from start to finish.

Most Fun Ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 15, 2006
Author: Amazon User

OK... not everyone wants to play a fast paced shoot 'em up game. Sometimes you want a slow paced game that can just be enjoyed. This is one of those games. It's not even a game, really, it's more like an interactive movie; or better yet, like an interactive BOOK (remember those!). The artwork in this game is fantastic... the music is incredible, and the story, while short, is captivating. Yes, it is "kind of" short compared to most games, but, the up-side is: YOU GET TO FINISH IT!!! Now, honestly, how often can you say THAT? If you enjoy the pace of games like Animal Crossing Wild World, you will certainly enjoy Memory Trace.

Great for older gamers too

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 13, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Trace Memory is a great intriguing game. It had me totally hooked. I don't play a lot of games since I'm older, but this one had me hooked after the first 1/2 hour. Yes, it is short, but still worth the price.

I hope to find more games like this one!

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next 

Actions