As more games are released for the Nintendo DS, I am starting to see a recurring design implication with regard to the touch screen. Developers are taking a ‘point and click’ interface and working it into games for the Nintendo DS; the same interface that many PC games have been using for years. Games like King’s Quest, and even the Warcraft series have made this control scheme a standard. This is not a complaint, mind you, more like an observation.

This brings me to Trace Memory, a game published by Nintendo that takes advantage of this particular interface to create a unique gaming experience on the go. Players are able to interact with their environment to solve various puzzles to proceed as they make their way through the almost storybook-like adventure. This game also uses almost every feature of the Nintendo DS (microphone anyone?). How will this strange brew of traditional game design combined with puzzles fare? Read on to find out.

Trace Memory’s story begins with a young child named Ashley who witnesses the death of her father, and then later her beloved mother. Years later, while living in Seattle she receives a Mysterious parcel in the mail. Ashley is soon shocked to find a letter from her apparently dead father inside that very package. He asks her to meet him on Blood Edward Island and all will be explained. He also sent a strange device called a DTS; more on this later in the article.

Ashley then sets out to visit Blood Edward Island to hopefully find her father, and get answers to what happened so long ago. Once she makes landfall on Blood Edward, Ashley quickly finds herself on her own. Well, this is not entirely true. She does eventually find a companion while on the island. Like her, he is also seeking answers to his past. He goes by the name "D", and his memories are just shards of what they once were. Trouble is he is a ghost. Yeah, I bet you didn’t see that plot twist coming. Neither did I.

Ashley might not have any formidable weapons, but she does have her DTS. Funny thing is this device looks exactly like a Nintendo DS. Even down to the font that appears just below the touch screen. However, this is where the similarities between the two end. The DTS does have a built-in camera and can view and manipulate images. Also, scattered throughout the island are various cartridges that can be plugged directly into the DTS. These cartridges deliver little messages and hints from Ashley’s father.

As mentioned earlier; Trace Memory’s design seems to borrow heavily from older PC adventure games. Ashley makes progress by solving various environment-based puzzles. These puzzles vary from the downright obvious to a few really challenging ones. They even managed to include some nifty puzzles that are so Nintendo DS centric, they are without a doubt brilliant. One, in fact, that I am surprised the team behind WarioWare hadn’t thought of before.

Considering that the puzzles are essentially the backbone of the game play, it is strange that the developers chose to make the story determine how the game progresses. In other words, the story itself takes precedence over the actual puzzle solving game mechanic. So if the story hasn’t progressed to a certain point Ashley won’t pick up certain items, or attempt to solve puzzles. This may sound trivial, but it can become rather frustrating.

Blood Edward Island might have the worst name for a tourist destination in history, but it is a nice place to visit. There is not much diversity when it comes to scenery though. What you will find is your standard island locales like the beach, spooky graveyard, and let us not forget the token mansion. You view your surroundings in Trace Memory on the Nintendo DS in two different ways. The bottom screen shows a top down view of the action, while the top screen show a static 3d picture of sorts. This view is more akin to Myst and only a small amount of locations on the island actually have this view available. So you know that when you see something show up on the top screen, take notice because it must be important.

This also brings me to the use of the camera in Trace Memory. The idea of taking pictures to solve puzzles sounds like such a novel idea, and it is. The problem is the photos you take are the same static 3D images that are found on the upper screen. Now you can save and manipulate the pictures, but after playing games like Fatal Frame, I was initially disappointed to find that the use of the camera wasn’t as extensive as I had hoped.

I have mixed feelings when it comes to Trace Memory. The game just doesn’t provide that much content; hence the adventure is a little on the short side. Some insisted it only lasted around five hours. Personally, it took me roughly eight hours to complete Trace Memory. The replay value really isn’t there either. If you want to get the best ending I suggest paying very close attention to the story that is unfolding around you. That is it, no real skill is required, just patience.

Closing Comments
Don’t count out Trace Memory just yet. This title does manage to do some things right. The story has that surreal quality about it that drives players to finish it completely - even though I have my doubts about how faithful the English translation is to the original Japanese releases. The art direction is also a welcome change. Puzzles are also very well executed on the Nintendo DS. So much, that I actually discussed some of them with my wife Robin, who for the record doesn’t enjoy games, and she found the implementation of these puzzles fascinating. When everything is finally taken into consideration my only real problem with Trace Memory is that it ended far too quickly. So if you don’t mind a somewhat short puzzle-centric adventure game, then Blood Edward Island is waiting.