Trace Memory

1. JonM.

   Jun 28, 2005

   10

   It's graphical excellence is overwhelming compared with most other DS offerings (and very similiar in style to N64's Zelda: Ocarina It's graphical excellence is overwhelming compared with most other DS offerings (and very similiar in style to N64's Zelda: Ocarina of Time's occasional stunning fixed camera backdrops). The story pulls you in and immerses you with great art direction and solvable but taxing puzzles. It is the adventure game the DS was built for - get this game - you won't regret it.… Expand

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2. AzraelS.

   Jul 6, 2005

   10

   I vote this game with a 10, because here in germany it´s the not only the best adventure, but the very best game for the DS in whole I vote this game with a 10, because here in germany it´s the not only the best adventure, but the very best game for the DS in whole germany (where i live). this game is very fantastic, buy it...NOW! Nice Greetings from Germany, Azrael… Expand

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4. cloudydays

   Jan 18, 2023

   10

   My very first ever DS game, the story is touching and the puzzles are interesting. Putting together pieces of the mystery, it's fun to unravel!

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5. [Anonymous]

   Jun 30, 2005

   9

   Great Adventure! In my opinion the best Adventure for any console. Another Code uses EVERY feature the DS has and most even in a very unique Great Adventure! In my opinion the best Adventure for any console. Another Code uses EVERY feature the DS has and most even in a very unique way. No action and only little blood, but a great game!… Expand

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6. BeeSting1

   Jan 1, 2021

   8

   A Bitter sweet story.
   
   Good - being able to take pictures is very useful for remembering where items are. And for solving puzzles. -A Bitter sweet story.
   
   Good
   
   - being able to take pictures is very useful for remembering where items are. And for solving puzzles.
   
   - the plot starts as a mystery that draws you in
   
   - you run into a ghost at first, which really gives an ominous tone to the game. There are also a lot of deaths involved right off the bat which adds to the mystery.
   
   - I like how's the game chose a bright Island, paired with peaceful music, despite the plots being quite morbid. It was an interesting dichotomy.
   
   - I couldn't pick up key items until Ashley was aware that she needed them, which made sense because she couldn't carry around too much stuff, since she was a kid.
   
   - it's cool being able to stack images together forming a full picture, or a full set of numbers, which helps solve a puzzle. This gave a very strong purpose for using the DTS.
   
   - during conversations sometimes, Ashley may bring up a random picture that she took that relates to the topic at hand. These pictures weren't mandatory but it added some extra dialogue.
   
   - great use of the folding screen for puzzles. (Picture frame, wood printing). Even though I got stuck on some of these puzzles, I respect the full utilisation of the hardware.
   
   - The story, build up, and the ending were so beautiful. Bitter sweet. D's story that went along with the plot worked out so well. Ashley was alone, but not alone because of D's company. They were both in search of answers. In the end, D saved Ashley's father's life, which was an interesting climax to the whole story. Even though it was a happy ending, it's also really sad that I knew D was dead the entire time. Simply finding out the truth for him would only release him from this world. But he needed it, and would be free. I really felt the bond between Ashley and D, despite the overall journey being quite short. Adding to that effect, they were only children, so I felt extra sorry for them. No child should have to go through the things they went through.
   
   Bad
   
   - not being able to pick up items before I encounter the puzzle is an issue. It forces me to have to backtrack areas and re-examine objects to see if there is something useful there. For example, I encountered a fireplace but could not pick up anything from it. I later encountered a notepad with indented pencil marks. I know I needed a pencil to shade over it in order to see the writing, but there was no pencil around. So I tried backtracking and re examine everything. Turns out there was some charcoal in the fireplace, but that was not indicated to me until I encountered the notepad. Had I been able to pick up the charcoal when I first examined the fireplace, this would not have been an issue. The puzzle in the research lab had the same issue. I had to re-examine two pictures to get different textboxes. D didn't notice the cut in the teddy the first time, but he did the second time?
   
   - it's a little weird how the characters are in anime style, but the photos and drawings are realistic looking.
   
   - I feel the pace of the story is a little bit too slow. I like the mystery, but too little is given to me for the amount of time play. Sure, I find Jessica and the father in chapter 5, but almost none of the questions have been answered. Like who is Franny? Why is the Edward family significant? Why is D here? Why is father being so suspicious?… Expand

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7. CinzaColorido

   Aug 22, 2022

   7

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game itself is very compelling at first sight, the art style is beautiful and the synopsis seems so interesting, so that became the reason why I decided to play Trace Memory. While playing the game though, first thing I had to say was that the graphics (even for the DS) was so bizarre, probably the worst 3D graphics I ever saw on the console. Going on through the game I felt that the game played great, the controls are intuitive (you can play it through touchscreen or gamepad input), except for some moments when you have to turn or spin something for a puzzle using the touchscreen and it feels that the commands aren't working. Speaking about the puzzles, I think that they were good for the most part, I don't think that there were too much puzzles or too little, some of them uses the console features in a very inventive way and that impressed me sometimes, and some of them are just nonsensical and the game literally hinders you not letting you interact with something unless you do in a very specific manner. I also think that the soundtrack, altought good, lack variety and can (probably will) be very repetitive when playing troughout the game. The story is indeed intriguing, but (spoiler alert) I think that the kinda-side-story of the ghost boy "D" doesn't work at all with the main plot of the game. While playing Trace Memory, you will find Ashley anxious and in a hurry to find his father, and his aunt is even kidnapped! So the game creates this feeling of urgency right at the beginning, maintains this felling troughout the entire game, and slaps you at the face with a bad ending because you weren't giving too much attention to the mistery around D, and that is the main reason I'm giving this game a 7. I loved the way the story flowed, there is so much tension, sometimes the game actually felt like a horror game, because of all that murdering background and the fact that the mansion feels completely empty, with that landscapes on the upper screen, but the lack of a richer soundtrack, the secondary plot of the ghost and the poor awful graphics makes the game feels less than a Great Game.… Expand

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8. rubin

   Apr 30, 2012

   4

   Plays more like a tech demo than an actual game. Utterly bland on almost every single account - avoid like a plague! Oh, and if you ever wantPlays more like a tech demo than an actual game. Utterly bland on almost every single account - avoid like a plague! Oh, and if you ever want to show off the DS features to your friends, there are still much better games out there (like WarioWare).… Expand

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