I always thought of Trace Memory as another launch window DS game designed to introduce the handheld. Especially since there was a DTS “system” in-game. It isn’t my favorite of Cing’s games, but I had fond memories of it. Now that it and its sequel returned worldwide on the Nintendo Switch as Another Code: Recollection, the remake certainly feels refreshing.
Ashley’s been going through it as Two Memories begins. A tragedy took both of her parents away, leaving her to be raised by her Aunt Jessica. However, when she turns 14, she gets a package from her father. It contains a DAS (Dual Another System) biometrically linked to her, as well as a note bidding her to meet him at Blood Edward Island. Upon getting there, Ashley’s father doesn’t seem to be there, Jessica seems to be abducted, and Ashley meets a ghost named D searching for his memories.
Once someone experiences that, they can follow up with Journey into Lost Memories. This again follows more of the mysteries surrounding Ashley’s family, as she again teams up with a young man named Matthew with a new device.
As far as the story goes, both are relatively strong stories. Ashley is a fantastic and identifiable heroine, and it’s one of those situations where she does often feel like a teenager reacting reasonably to situations around her. I also really enjoyed the exploration and thought put into the topic of memories.
Both Another Code games are adventures in which you’re exploring locations, solving puzzles, and talking to different people to gain more information about situations. As these are remakes, it looks quite different from the original games. There are 3D environments and worlds, the character models are all refreshed, the voice acting is great in both languages, and it generally feels more fleshed out than before. They’re really admirable remakes, and I found it heartening to see games Cing originally created get this sort of treatment. The visual novel segments also offer this sort of comic panel approach sometimes, which worked quite well.
The thing about Another Code: Recollection is that I feel like some of the issues with the original Trace Memory appear in this Switch installment. The puzzles in both games are really quite easy and didn’t pose much of a challenge as I played. While the pacing is better in the second game, the first also does sort of breeze through things. This isn’t a duo of especially challenging games. Also, because these are both Switch titles now, I was a bit sad to see the DS-exclusive puzzles go. (For example, blowing into the microphone was necessary in the past.) Given there are also optional hints and a guiding marker showing you exactly where to go, it can go overboard on explaining and hand-holding if you choose to allow that.
But in a way, I also appreciated how low-stress the experience was when I played Another Code: Recollection on the Switch. Especially since it paired so well with the new appearance. The games look absolutely gorgeous. Even though the hand-drawn style of character portraits are gone, the new character design direction still feels like it captures that same sense of personality. It really suits the tone of the stories.
Another Code: Recollection doesn’t make huge changes to the overall formula of the games, as they’re still very introductory and in one case short adventures. However, these Switch remakes look fantastic and are quite impressive in terms of how well they adapt the titles. If someone is looking for games with solid stories or is looking for a first adventure game for someone, this collection is a good fit.
Another Code: Recollection will come to the Nintendo Switch on January 19, 2024. A demo is available.
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