Trace Memory
Cons: Very short; puzzles and execution too hand-holding.
Games on Nintendo’s bizarre little handheld may not always turn out the best, but you have to hand it to them, because more often then not they are innovative and interesting. “Innovative” and “interesting” are good ways to describe Trace Memory, but unfortunately, “worth the money” is not.
Blah, Blah Memories
As the title would suggest, Trace Memory is about memories, those mysterious things in our heads the Japanese feel compelled to reexamine in just about every RPG and anime. Ashley Mizuki Robbins is a towheaded lass on a mission; long after both of her parents were thought to have died, she receives a letter and a Nintendo D...er, “DTS System” directing her toward Blood Edward Island. Upon arrival, her aunt and traveling companion promptly disappear, leaving Ashley to team up with a forgetful ghost named “D” to find her father and solve the island’s mysteries. While no flight fantastic, it’s an interesting and subtle little adventure game.
Trace Memory’s execution is unique and perfectly suited to the DS. You’ll run Ashley around a nicely presented 3D world, tagging hotspots as you stumble upon them. As you approach significant areas on the map, pictures of them appear on the top screen which can be examined in more detail, allowing Ashley to peck about for items to pocket and puzzles to solve.
Oh, the Puzzles You’ll Solve!
And, oh, the puzzles you’ll solve. After playing Trace Memory, perhaps the biggest surprise is that the Edwards family is not a majority stakeholder in the Umbrella Corporation. Books, medals--you name it, and you’ll probably be sticking it into a hole to open a door.
Of course, you’ll also be doing lots of little stylus activities, like scratching, or assembling and pressing things. Sadly, these activities aren’t as interesting as they could be, and chances are you’ve already done several variants of them in other DS games already. Ashley’s DTS can take pictures, too, which do lead to some of the more interesting puzzles. They never get too hard, unless you forgot to touch something beforehand.
Stubborn Heroine
The most annoying part of the game is Ashley and her momentum-crushing effect on your progress. While you might have figured the puzzle already, she simply won’t do the obvious thing until you’ve shown her why she should do it. In some cases, this is also obvious, and in others infuriatingly not. For example, Ashley won’t pick up an item you need to solve a puzzle until after you’ve clicked on the two things she needs to figure it out herself. Aren’t we the ones that are supposed to figure this stuff out? This might be good for the younger set, but it will frustrate anyone else.
Gray Matter
Ashley’s stubbornness aside, Trace Memory is worth a play-through, but not worth owning except by the most die-hard adventure fans. For others, it’s the perfect rental, lasting only a few short hours and, like most adventure games, doesn’t have much value beyond that.