Another Code: Two Memories Review

By Kristan Reed Published 27 June, 2005

Another reason to get a DS?

Version tested: DS

Ever since the DS came out it was fairly obvious the touch screen console leant itself perfectly to genres that - up to now - had worked best with the mouse and keyboard input system. In particular, wouldn't the DS present an absolutely perfect opportunity for a publisher to reawaken that sleepiest of genres, the point-and-click adventure?

While all of us older gamers dream of LucasArts getting back to what it did best (fat chance), it seemed inevitable that someone with a bulging, classic-ridden back catalogue (hint: LucasArts, get your act together) would at least port some of it to make free money and entertain a whole new audience into the bargain. But this vision of puzzle-driven, narrative rich immersion finding a new home has come along far sooner than we had imagined - and from an unlikely source.

CING when you're winning

Nintendo itself has plucked the work of little-known developer CING out of thin air and conjured an all-new title to wrap our lateral thoughts around; an exciting prospect that we flapped into like a blundering moth into a Bunsen Burner. But before we get into the melting of our frazzled brain and associated issues, let's deal with what Another Code is all about.

Just before her 14th birthday, Ashley receives a 'mysterious' package from her father - a father she thought had died when she was three. The letter instructs Ashley to come to a deserted island where he says he will be waiting for her. Completely freaked out, she goes along with her aunt and sails to the island, which is where you come in.

With your Auntie Jessica going off ahead (for no good reason, thinking about it), you're forced to eventually try and find her, but at this point all that's available to you are a few locations with a locked gate, a few crumbling gravestones and a deserted old mine. Time for those dried up, shrivelled adventuring glands to come back to life and begin the painstaking process of poking around for clues, talking to anyone who'll give you the time of day and picking up anything not nailed to the floor...

D's dead

'Another Code: Two Memories' Screenshot 1

About Father's Day being last week. D'oh!

For the bulk of the game, the only person who'll engage with you at all is, in fact, dead. Known only by the name 'D', this young whippersnapper ghost has been in some sort of confused limbo for 57 years, and Ashley is the first person who he's been able to interact with in all that time. Suffice to say, with such a long period of prolonged boredom he's forgotten almost everything about his life - that is, until Ashley's investigations begin to awaken both of their memories of their troubled past.

And without wishing to spoil it any further, the game becomes an ongoing quest to work your way inside the deserted Blood Edward mansion (the clue is in the name, it seems) to find out what really went on back in 1948. Probably the most important facet of any adventure is the story itself, and on that basis Another Code is pretty engaging, pulling the whole forgotten past premise off rather well.

Not only is the idea fairly original in a gaming context, but the drip-feed of information keeps you hooked for hours on end, poking around, ever-hopeful for uncovering the next section and some more insight into the terrible events that had remained hidden for so long. And what of Jessica? Where on Earth is she? What is the Another project all about? How did D die and who killed him? All of these questions remain unanswered for an eternity, and Another Code does a great job of structuring the game well to keep you guessing.

Touch of class

'Another Code: Two Memories' Screenshot 2

Diddums.

The interface, too, is brilliantly implemented, giving over the lower screen to an overhead view of the room, complete with Ashley's relative position. To move to a new part of the room, simply touch where you want to head and the top-screen view changes to illustrate a static character's-eye-view of the scene in true old-school adventure style that evokes fond memories of the text/graphical approach of the mid-'80s.

If you happen to see anything worthy of further inspection a magnifying glass icon lights up in the lower right of the touch-screen, allowing you to tap that to give a zoomed-in view of the article in question. From there, the touch-screen view matches that of the top portion, giving direct touch-based access to, for example, a chest of drawers or a desk. Anything on top of the desk can then be directly clicked on and accessed, with important items being picked up automatically. Meanwhile, conversation systems are simplified into subject matters, playing out with no degree of choice but serving as more of a narrative break then an investigative tool as they might generally have appeared in the past.

Later, puzzle specific sections often involve tactile involvement, to - for example - turn a key, rearrange a bookcase or play the piano. It's a delightfully simple and intuitive system that's also flexible and innovative, often involving overlaying photographs, spinning objects around and the like.

Stuck faster than Superglue

'Another Code: Two Memories' Screenshot 3

Well if they didn't want to be picked up they should lay off the perfume, high heels and mini-skirts.

Where we have issues with Another Code is the same problems we always used to encounter with adventure games: getting stuck. When you're stuck in the game, it becomes one hell of a chore to keep revisiting the same rooms, clicking on the same objects in the vain hope you missed something last time.

Slightly irritatingly, some objects you want to pick up can't actually be picked up until some other event has happened elsewhere, often meaning a lot of unnecessary repetition as you go through every single location twice, three times, more, on the hunt for the one widget that'll solve the one puzzle that's holding up the entire game. Some sort of hint-based system would have gone a long way in Another Code, and lifted free a huge amount of frustration. That's essentially the problem with a lot of these games; when you're stuck it's possibly the least fun you can have in a videogame. It's fair to say you'll get stuck a lot in Another Code, and that's the rub.

If you know what you're dealing with, then Another Code can be a hugely immersive experience that's totally unique among handheld games. Sure, adventure games have appeared on handhelds before, but none have been so perfectly tailored to the strengths of the system. If you need you thirst for adventuring quenched, Another Code is an essential purchase, but novices need to bear in mind that this style of game is very much an acquired taste, and experts should be mindful that compared to the adventuring greats it's not exactly in the same league. That said, it's a very welcome release and stands alone, making it a great curiosity purchase if nothing else. Now pass me the solution before I go completely nuts...

7 / 10

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Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (51) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • #1 7 years ago

    still no reason to own a ds then.....

  • Dant #2 7 years ago

    "Just before her 14th birthday, Ashley, a 14 year old girl"

    Wouldnt that make her a 13 year old girl???

  • ave #3 7 years ago

    meh, doesnt really sound appealing :(

    Currently trying The Moment of Silence(pity EG didnt get a review of it)

  • The12thMonkey #4 7 years ago

    Fair comment. Excellent game, but getting stuck is just like all adventure games; massivly frustrating. To be honest though, the backtracking for items never bothered me much. Either I never actually got stuck that often, and I happened to go through the game in the correct order, or when I did have to go back for something, I remembered exactly where it was.

    It's definately getting a replay tonight. And it was brilliant to see a well crafted adventure game so long after Lucasarts jacked that all in. Yes Lucasarts, bloody get porting! Even if you only do Sam n' Max, Day of the Tentacle and Monkey Island 1, I'll be one happy camper.

  • Kurgan #5 7 years ago

    I'm probably going to get this, but what is the animation and audio in the game like? The screenshots look good, but does this translate to when Ashley's being navigated around? Or is it a case of being merely 'functional'?

  • boo #6 7 years ago

    Been playing this since Friday. Haven't got very far (just into chapter 2), but I'm loving it so far.
    If you like your point 'n' clickers - get buying!

    Kurgan - animation is pretty good. The top screen tends to be reminiscent of a slightly lo-res Myst, while the bottom screen is perfectly acceptable.
    It's a pain to play in bright sunlight though!
    Edited by 1 at 27/06/05 @ 09:19

  • steven #7 7 years ago

    still no reason to own a ds then.....

    You could import Kirby ^_^

    I got this game too, it's great, my biggest gripe was the length, far too short and little replay value. I only ever seriously got stuck once, so no real biggie there, but I can understand this irritating a lot of people.

  • therev #8 7 years ago

    I'm concerned by people saying they bought it on Saturday morning and had it finished Saturday afternoon. Under five hours of play time? Not the best value for £30 unless there's real replay value.

  • Derblington #9 7 years ago

    Kurgan - the music is alright but repetative and that's all there is really. It's not really animated as such; the image above is used everytime she talks, and it's only her mouth that moves. The image will then change slightly, maybe with her hand over her mouth or something similar, and it continues like that.

    I've only played for an hour over 3 days so I'm not far in at all but I like it so far. I like the style of the animation and the overall game style and play. I think it's something you'd have to have a go at unless you know you don't like this style of game.

  • Blerk #10 7 years ago

    Sounds interesting! If I had a DS, I'd probably get it.

  • SenorGrande #11 7 years ago

    It's probably not a reason to buy a DS, but if you're a fan of adventure games and you have a DS then it's definitely worth a look.

  • markypants #12 7 years ago

    Good review.

    I think I'll wait for a Game FAQ for this one. I hate getting stuck for ages, only to find out that I didn't fart by the stream on a tuesday... Or something inane like that... Anyway, looks good, and I think again 'another' great concept playing to DS strengths.

    Don't think I can let Kirby out of the handheld just yet... But as soon as I do, I think I'll have to get hold of this.

    M

  • Cyhwuhx #13 7 years ago

    .::: Getting stuck? I wish. In the four hours that I completed the game, it's not presenting you with anything remotely challenging. Prepare to slice through this like a hot knife through butter, if you have any solid adventure/point 'n click experience.

  • Zuiyo #14 7 years ago

    When you get a DS, get this and Zoo Keeper too. It's brilliant.

  • Frogger #15 7 years ago

    Is it sold outside of UK ?

    Lucas Arts classics on the DS... what a nice idea !



    Edit : I guess the "euro release" logo answers my question.
    Edited by 1 at 27/06/05 @ 09:53

  • space_ace #16 7 years ago

    maupiti island, eh? :)
    thanks for the review it was a pleasant surprise

  • #17 7 years ago

    Cyhwuhx. You got a camera phone? Take a pic of the credits and a pic of your save game file showing the timestamp as anything less than 4 hours and post it. 'cause I plain don't believe you finished this in 4 hours.

  • Cyhwuhx #18 7 years ago

    .::: You should've asked me Wednesday. I already returned the game and exchanged it for God of War (which so far seems to be also pretty short but at least it's a whole lot more entertaining). Seriously though, it is incredibly short.

  • Teeth #19 7 years ago

    It's a fairly short game, but if you get stuck here and there it'll take you a fair number of hours to complete. I'd say four hours is fast. My girlfriend completed it in a couple of days. I've yet to finish it due to aforementioned girlfriend being busy finishing it.

    I think it's great - its length doesn't upset me very much, the puzzles are fairly easy but in some places make you think quite laterally. Getting stuck is frustrating, but I don't think that's a fault of the game as much as the adventure game format itself. I would agree that a hint system would be useful if you've not achieved anything for a couple of hours, but I've never been so stuck as to have to look for a solution on the web.

    I don't think that this game represents poor value for money due to its length. I don't believe that Ico did either - I think this game has a great story and a refreshing approach, and for two people to have enjoyed it fully there's not much more you can ask for thirty quid. I had a meal the other day cost more than that, and that only lasted a couple of hours.

  • Teeth #20 7 years ago

    One more thing - getting stuck made me go back and do a more thorough search, so in my "stuck time", I actually found a bunch of optional story points I would've missed otherwise. So it wasn't so bad, really.

  • Razz #21 7 years ago

    "Stuck faster than Superglue"

    DIHOREAA!! DIHOREAA!!

  • timo180 #22 7 years ago

    Nice review. I'm on chapter 5 now and it hasn't taken me very long but the game has been very gripping and the art style is lovely. Some great wee puzzles too.

  • #23 7 years ago

    This game is excellent, and I hope to see more games like this on the DS. If you have the machine, and enjoy adventure games, buy Another Code.

    And Mr Reed, discounting the game because of your own lack of intuition is bad! At least it was your only critique. Of what I have played of the game so far, it hasn't been vague at all. Don't take on board what he has said, it's not frustrating at all. :p
    Edited by 1 at 27/06/05 @ 11:29

  • smelly #24 7 years ago

    "You could import Kirby ^_^ "

    Kirby is quite possibly the best game i've played on any format this year... and that includes gta:sa.. so yes.. do that!

  • oerhoert #25 7 years ago

    Yeah, I found the game quite easy, to be honest. If this will get you stuck, you really shouldn't play more hardcore PC adventures... :)

  • Kurgan #26 7 years ago

    Derblington, boo - thanks. As I said, I probably was going to get it anyway, but as I've read nothing on this page to make me think otherwise (and I am a fan of the point-n-click types and do own a DS, SenorGrande), consider it bought.

  • bionutz #27 7 years ago

    I'm playing it tonight - I won't read the review until after being into the game. I want to like it.

  • Feanor #28 7 years ago

    Thinking about it, adventure games like this one are much better suited to the middle of this decade (whatever it's called) than the early 90s. If you get hoplessly stuck, the solution is bound to be only a minute or two away online.

  • #29 7 years ago

    A buy.

  • Danj #30 7 years ago

    I'm a bit concerned about the reports I'm hearing that this game only has ~4-8 hours of playtime... seems a bit low for a game that's selling at £25 (and that's just the online price).

  • the_angry_monkey #31 7 years ago

    yeah - I came up with a fairly similar review after playing the first 5 chapters:

    If you are interested:

    http://el-muerte.student.utwent e.nl/lba/forum/showpost.php?p=241913&postcount=219

    I know it is a very architypal review but there you go!

  • captain-future #32 7 years ago

    Hmmm, DS gets interesting by the minute.

    I'm a little excited about this Phoenix Attorney Whatever game... looks pretty kewl to me.

  • twinbee #33 7 years ago

    The game is easy and I beat it on Sunday morning. But I found the game to be completely enthralling; once I got to a certain point I just had to keep playing.

  • kenty #34 7 years ago

    The fact that you can't pick certain things up until you've examined something else can be irritating sometimes, however it does make sense in that it prevents you just ploughing through picking up everything you find and then methodically using everything with everything until you find the right solution...

    As far as difficulty goes I've seen quite a few people saying this is too easy. Personally I've always completely sucked at Adventure games so playing something 'easy' really appeals to me.
    And it's not that easy... I am actually stuck at the moment... can't for the life of me work out how to find the key to the music box :(

  • the_angry_monkey #35 7 years ago

    the key for the music box had me stumped for ages. And it's actually the fault of not being able to manipulate stuff until you reach a certain point again...it is very irritating sometimes!

  • ProfessorLesser #36 7 years ago

    7/10 is a bit on the harsh side of 80% :-P

    I wouldn't say the puzzles in this game are quite as bad as some people make out... they are very very ingenious, and if you're willing to take the DS' many UNIQUE aspects at face value, you'll never realise what it is you're doing wrong.

    Experts, as the review suggests, will only find this slightly sub-par if you've played an adventure game recently, which is highly unlikely, given the state of things. Also, it has value in that it is highly refreshing to play on the DS. Touch screen and all. You need no buttons. None. Except the power button, but you can push that with the stylus if you really want to.

    The thing about not being able to pick up items until you know what they're for is spot on. Strange mechanic indeed, but the game doesn't suffer too much... there's only one place I can think of where this involves more than about 10s of backtracking.

    I would say, yes, stuck-ness in adventure games is about the least fun you can ever have. But that doesn't ever happen in this game long enough for the charm to wear off. If any of you (I suspect Blerk, for absolutely no reason) have played Discworld Noir, you will know there are far worse experiences. And far harder puzzles.

    This is an essential DS game for anyone who can tolerate pacifism/reading. 7/10 for Xbox owners then.

    /couldn't help it

  • Burton2000 #37 7 years ago

    i liked the point and click game the mystery of time and space on pc that was gud may get this as its got good ratings by other reviews

  • ProfessorLesser #38 7 years ago

    Oh, so people have already mentioned the music box key?

    Yeah, that was the hardest bit I found. I am 3 hours in on Chapter 5 right now, I will post my final game time... well, probably in a couple of hours. So those of you worried about value for money (for a start, you needn't, it really is quality) better be a lot worse than me.

    /lauds it up.

    /tries really hard to stop '/me doing' things after every post

    /d'oh

  • twinbee #39 7 years ago

    If you beat the game twice you'll get a different message at the end...

  • Killerbee #40 7 years ago

    Sounds like just the sort of game that would persuade me to buy a DS, but maybe this is not the game. A return to those quality adventure titles like the LucasArts stuff or Beneath a Steel Sky would be brilliant.

  • Teeth #41 7 years ago

    The music box key is a pain in the arse because there's another key you get around the same time which isn't for the music box but you could swear on your mother's grave that's what it's for, so you think you're doing something wrong.

    Also there are a lot of red herrings around at that point, I found, and the clue for it is just kind of annoying. bah

  • ProfessorLesser #42 7 years ago

    Aye, neat idea could've been pulled off better I felt.

    By the way, 04:35:52 for anyone who's interested. Tried for a full 5 minutes to snap it, but neither Moto V500 cam nor import digi-cam could render it properly. Sorry, you'll just have to take my word for it.

    If you ask me to prove it via replay, of course, I will only do it quicker... but that's an obviously unreasonable request.

    Because I can't see why anyone would want to play it again. Charming though it was.

  • #43 7 years ago

    WTF? I've just passed 3 hours of playing, and I'm 'just in' Chapter 3...

    I think the difference is if this was a wine, I'd be savoring the taste, where you lot would be gulping down :)

    Unless something happens and i'm suddenly catapulted through the game this will be a 8+ hours game for me. Plenty of entertainment AFAIC.

    The story (so far) is captivating. I definately want to see more adventures with this level of difficulty please!

  • the_angry_monkey #44 7 years ago

    Well as I am a bit of a freak for exploring everything I check out every little detail and still; finished arounf the 5 hour mark. The ending was fairly weak compared to the build up...If I play again will I find out about D? I mean why the shoes etc etc for the ending that we got? It was fun whilst it lasted but ultimately a fairly hollow experience - plus I never got to use the stamps!

  • ProfessorLesser #45 7 years ago

    angry_monkey:

    Yes to D. Why didn't that end properly? Or didn't I try hard enough?

    No to stamps. You didn't try hard enough :-)

    Completionist/savourer also, Djini -- still 4:30. Just doesn't last.
    Edited by 1 at 29/06/05 @ 17:03

  • Teeth #46 7 years ago

    Hang on, hold on - as far as I am concerned everything with D was wrapped up. Maybe you guys missed something?

  • toy_brain #47 7 years ago

    The stamps puzzle is just quality! For ages I ws thinking "nahhh, tht couldnt possibly work" then I tried it... and almost applauded the game for being so clever!

    Wht makes this game so unique is that the puzzles make use of EVERY unique feature of the DS - so you really have to 'think outside the box' (sometimes literaly) in order to solve some of them.

    Total completion time = 8:20
    Remember, there are several puzzles that you dont need to complete- but will get a better ending if you do.

  • zoesurvivor #48 7 years ago

    Can Anyone Help, I am completly lost with the whole music box thing, I have tried thinking logically and even walked back through each room over and over but cannot seem to get passed it.

    Can anyone mail me the answer pretty pleasexxxx

  • Phattso #49 7 years ago

    Finished this in about 5hrs on first playthrough. Barely got half of the DAS cards and only got the standard ending (no closure on the D story arc). Thoroughly enjoyed the game and I'll definately be going back for another play through.

    The 7/10 mark is probably about right, objectively. Personally it gets an easy 8/10. More games like this, please. :)

  • Bushidog #50 7 years ago

    @ zoesurvivor:

    A FAQ can be found at www.gamefaqs.com
    I got stuck there too and had to use the FAQ :-/

    As far as the game is concerned... I very much like it.
    Just starting Chapter 4 after 6 hours.


  • benboy83 #51 7 years ago

    This game was excellent, really utilising the abilities of the DS (which I think what the game was really designed to do which explains why it was so short.) Games later on I imagine will be longer once developers have realised what this device can do.

    Plus there is a lot of hidden content in the game which takes up the memory on the card such as alternate endings. The game has the main plot which you follow to the end (i.e. Ashley) but has a second plot with D which you don't need to follow. I didn't solve D's puzzles so went through it second time which after a time noticed a difference in what D was saying at points. The game then gave an option to save at the end that was missing before and an asterix appeared next to the game save. Thinking of games like Eternal Darkness on the Cube I played it again and noticed nice subtle differences such as different journal entries on the DAS.

    All in all, this game is completely underated for such an early game of this genre for the DS.

  • sumanai #52 7 years ago

    I don't recall older adventure/puzzlers being much longer, you just got stuck for longer or there was more chatter.

    Took about 7,5 hours for me, and I played Myst III through in about 6 hours. Admittedly, got stuck for a loong time in the music box thing, eventually solving it accidently.

    The stamp thing still puzzles me. Started again, and going to hunt every puzzle down.

  • Mctease24 #53 4 years ago

    I had a lot of fun playing this game and I think it really explores the DS tools. getting stuck however, is incredibly frustrating... All in all, a nice game.