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Touch Detective: Cute & Fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 24, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The first thing I'm going to say about this game is it's charming and cute. The second thing I'll say is it delivered far less than the potential it had. And the third? It still delivered enough for it to be an excellent game.

So, in Touch Detective you're a cute little detective walking around looking for clues on cases. The cases are always given to you by Penelope, whom is a bizarre peer that likes bananas.

Yup, the game is very weird, but also entertaining. Realism? None, nothings realistic really, almost all fantasy. So if you're a Phoenix Wright fan looking for a nice case to solve put this game down.

Basically it's a simple point and clic---, touch if I may, game. You talk to people, receive information, and occasionally find an item on the ground to use. It can be frustrating as others have said, as sometimes for the story to progress you have to talk to the perfectly right character who basically says the same thing they said 2 minutes ago. So you do need patient and the willpower to walk to many different places trying to push on the story.

One complaint I didn't notice until 3/4th the way through is that the items really aren't used enough. The 2nd "Quest" you have a load of items, the 3rd and 4th you don't really at all. The items were the fun part, not talking to people 20 times until you figured out who you missed.

Difficulty wise the game seemingly gets much easier the further you get. The final quest was basically purely talking, with no items. But there was charm in the game.

From rescuing a fairy, to your friend being kidnapped, to a lost banana, if you like bizarre this game will for sure win you over. But be prepared to search around a lot.

Final rating is a 75%. I wouldnt buy it for more than $15. Though I did complete the game fully, and all the mini-objectives.

As for after the main quest, there are quite a few little mini-quests to do, though none are really hard and probably harder to trigger than complete. And being Atlus, I did expect the game to be more.

Still good though!

The Adventures of Mackenzie (by Laura)

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is a fun game. I do enjoy puzzles, including mysteries. This time I feel like being very cut and dry; I shall give you the cons and pros in that order.

Cons:

1. Replayability. As sad as it is for me to say, I often try to avoid "Detective" games because once you solve the mysteries, there's little to no replayability. This one is no exception: once you complete the four main mysteries, your best chance of replayability is in the Bonus episode. Even that is limited.

2. Frustration. You can get stuck on the simplest things. When you are stuck, it immediately "freezes" gameplay in it's tracks, and you can't do anything. I've been forced to put the game down and go online for help. Quite annoying.

3. Silly cases. While still fun, it's a letdown to not have any "real" mysteries. Basically, you figure out who stole Penelope's dreams (who cares?), How to save an ice fairy, who kidnapped Penelope (again, who cares?), and who assaulted a bunch of *SPOILER COMING UP, YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH* fleas (yet again, who cares?!).

4. Undeveloped characters. There was room for a lot more characters and more intricate cases. Just the fact that this opportunity was there, and the developers didn't sieze it, makes me ill. I got a little tired of just solving things for Penelope.

Pros:

1. Cute characters. All of them are comical. All of them are funny. All of them are interesting. Even Penelope, who I became tired of. The main characters are: Mackenzie (the girl you control), Funghi (Mackenzie's pet and assistant, follows you around), Chloe (a girl who rivals you. Sometimes she helps, other times she just gets in the way. She gets into a lot of funny situations though *wink, wink*), and Penelope (the girl always in dire need of your services. Likes bananas. A lot).

2. Sufficient problem solving skills required. While I'm not sure younger kids have the patience to enjoy this, those of the age of 10 to adulthood will probably have fun playing this game (assuming they like mysteries and puzzles).

3. Good music. There are catchy tunes that suit the themes of this game, and the music is very memorable.

4. Good graphics. It's cartoonish, but not in a way that's too childish; more like a Japanese anime if you understand what I mean.

Conclusion: Overall this is an excellent game; it's major problem only being lack of replayability. It's well worth the price it's currently at ($24.99), but I wouldn't go too much higher than that. As long as it stays around it's current price, I recommend this game for those who like to exercise their craniums.

best series ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is my new favorite series! played these games in the wrong order and I would recommend playing this one before 2 1/2 because there were some extra features and improvements made into 2 1/2.
This game is adorable in the typical Atlus style, which, if you're unfamiliar with it, is cute anime-like characters with some strange personalities. They have a range of expressions, from exclamation points to hopping up and down in anger. The format is 3D and the title character, Mackenzie walks wherever you point to with the stylus. There are several areas on a map, office, apartments, and shopping center to begin with where you will find the rest of the cast. Mackenzie "touches" things (tap with the stylus) to examine them, add them to her list, or interact with them.
There are four episodes, each with a new case to solve complete with side tasks.
One of the best aspects of the game is Mackenzie's running sarcastic commentary thought-bubble on the screen above. I wouldn't recommend this for kids because some of the jokes are directed at adults and some of the puzzles require the persistance to do the constant back and forth work of re-interviewing people and checking the same spots. Upon completion, you are rewarded with the bonus episode that consists of small mini-tasks to solve such as hide-and-seek, finding ingredients, and solving problems. The game is complete when you have filled in your 50 item touch list, 4 cases, and 4 pages of mini-tasks. I hope they will release more in this series, look to Japan for that.
Replay? Yes becuae it's so charmingly cute.
Ages? Depends on maturity, most kids won't have the patience, won't appreciate the graphics, and won't understand many of the words and jokes -definitly not for kids in the single digit age group.
Is it for you? If you only like certain genres of games -no. There's no fighting, no racing, no learning for small kids...

A fun game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: October 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

It's a very fun game. If you enjoy detective type of game, you'll enjoy this one. It's pretty short though. It only took me three days to beat it. However, I sure had fun during the process. There's some humor in it, too. Chloe is a pretty funny character. The graphic is pretty and the music is great.

Very Cute, But a Little Slow

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: June 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Stylistically this game is a gem. It's got a very creepy/cute vibe to it that can't be beat. The story and characters are charmingly weird. The game play is where this product gets bogged down. Each situation requires clicking the right place or using the right item. Most of the time the answer is obvious, but there are many situations where the item you need makes no sense. This randomness is supposed to add to the game's weird cute charm, but it drags the actual game play down.
Still, if love cute things and you're willing to go over a few speed bumps this is a very enjoyable game.

It doesn't last too long

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: June 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I wish I bought this used. Don't get me wrong, it's a good game, but it's way too easy to beat. And what the heck is up with that box upstairs that you can't open and that one girl that just won't talk to you in the condo?! I only got jammed up once in the whole game. In all, it took me only 3 days to finish and that's only playing after work.
Maybe it would be good for a really young age group.

It's OK, but not great

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: June 14, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I was thinking that this game would be a lot of fun based on reviews here and the description of the game. However, I was disappointed. I loved Trace Memory, though that game was VERY short.

Touch Detective though, not as fun. It seems very tedious and a lot of backtracking. There aren't really a lot of "clues" so much as only so many things you can do before you do the right one.

I purchased it used from a kid down the street. I was surprised when I bought it because he hadn't even made it through the first case. Surprised only until I started playing it.

I'd have to recommend skipping this one unless you are really into detective games. It seems way to frustrating (and boring) for kids to stick with.

The art style is unique and interesting though.

Atlus Tried ...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: June 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

For the number of really decent games Atlus has put out for the DS, there has to be some really mediocre ones that didn't quite live up to its expectations. Although Atlus is known for its innovative style, Touch Detective fell short on my expectations, leaving me with a feeling that Touch Detective was nothing more than an overly complicated, nitpicky on detail spin-off of a more popular detective/evidence game already available on the DS (yes, I'm speaking of Phoenix Wright).

Aside from the trial process in Phoenix Wright, the process of collecting evidence and searching for clues is much like Phoenix Wright, on a much more painstaking level. Some of the details in Touch Detective are absurd, and can leave you stuck for quite some time, as you try to figure out what tiny detail you need to uncover to move forward in the game.

Aside from the mediocre gameplay, the graphics are actually quite nice, a darker, more emo-ish presentation than normally seen on the happy, cartoony graphics of most games on the DS. Aside from the eye-pleasing graphics, there's not much else I can find to openly rave about.

Of course, if you haven't played either Trace Memory or Phoenix Wright, Touch Detective will be an entirely new experience to you. I can see Touch Detectve leaving a much younger audience confused and frustrated, probably leaving the game on a table somewhere, never to be played again. For an older audience, I can see it getting some playing time if picked up. But definitely not for its retail value at $29.99. It can be bought much cheaper now.

Don't know what all of the rave was about

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 3
Date: April 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I played the game. It wasn't great, in fact it was fairly simplistic and not challenging. I found the plot kind of dull and irritating. I am not sure why it is rated for adults either. A child of 8 or older could easily handle this game. Just not impressed.

Fun Detective Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 14, 2007
Author: Amazon User

In "Touch Detective", a girl named Mackenzie goes around her neighborhood solving various mysteries by talking to people and gathering clues. This game is entertaining although at times it can get a bit frustrating because one doesn't know what to do next. Overall, it's a five because the mysteries are fun to solve and a bit of a challenge is a good thing for video games because it keeps them interesting.

The characters have their own personalities and stories, which makes the game fun. Very good game!

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