Another Code: R (Wii)

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (Nintendo DS)
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (Nintendo DS)

First things first: If you're the kind of person who skips through long blocks of text in a video game, this is not the game for you. Think of the game more like an interactive novel than a "game" per say - similar to Cing's own Hotel Dusk and the Capcom made Ace Attorney series on DS. If you're the kind of person who enjoys thought-provoking and emotive experiences in your video games, then you're in for a treat.

The game is the second in the series, the first of which was a fantastic game on the DS and was titled "Another Code: Two Memories". Don't worry too much if you can't manage to get your hands on a copy (it's fairly rare these days) as the main plot points necessary to understand Another Code R are frequently recapped throughout the game.

I'm not going to go into the story in detail (that's what Amazon's synopsis is for), but I will say that it's a very gripping and engaging story that kept me interested right to the end of my 19 hours playing the game for the first time. Definitely a must for fans of the three DS games I've mentioned in this review so far.

The serene setting of Lake Juliet is very well complemented by the presentation. The watercolour painting style graphics are truly striking, and the game features some of my very favourite art direction on any current generation console. The music is typical Cing fare and complements the art and setting very nicely. A few tunes from the DS game even make a reprise nearer the end of the game. This all lends the game a very pleasant and relaxing atmosphere.

There are a lot of great puzzles throughout the game, including some fourth wall breaking moments similar to the DS precursor that really require you to think outside the box. Puzzles never seem "cruel" or "unfair".

As mentioned before, the game took me 19 hours on my first playthrough. There are also plenty of little secrets and mysteries to unravel to encourage a second playthrough, and I can't wait to get stuck back in and find all the things I missed the first time.

Overall, if you're looking for a thought-provoking and beautifully presented experience on the Wii that's low in action but boasts an evocative story, Another Code R is definitely worth a look!

First off, anyone who does not like reading, or isn't very good at reading, this is not the game for you. As it says on the back of the box "To fully enjoy this game you will require basic reading ability".
If you like solving puzzles, reading and a little bit of role-play, then this is the game for you - definitely.

Although the characters are quite linear and some "complex" animation is disappointingly simplified to a somewhat pathetic extent (eg, when someone goes through a door, you see the door opening a little, and you see the character going through it either fade in or out).
However, the game makes up for it by expressive character animation (although they use the same selection of character animations throughout the game - but this is expected) and charming dialogue. The backgrounds are beautiful, and carefully done.

You can also "interact" a little in the dialogue, because in some parts of certain conversations, you can choose what answer Ashley (the character you play as) says. And these do have a little impact on the game.

Some of the puzzles are very easily solved, a few may require some thought, and others will almost certainly require for you to go online and look for a walk-through - unless you're very good at solving puzzles.
One of the things you will definitely get stuck on for a good while (at least) is in the clock tower (unless you're a total smarty-pants =P).

The first time I played it, it provided me with just over 22 hours worth of game-play. The second time I played it, it took me nearly 14 hours.

I'm enjoying this. It's very much like the DS game - bascially point and click to examine objects, interact with people and scroll through dialogue, plus some activities that require particular use of the Wiimote.

To be honest, that kind of slow, interactive-book format works better on the DS, but the Wii gives the advantage of beautiful lush graphics on a bigger screen.

Playing the game is a very relaxed, almost tranquil experience.
Again, you play as Ashley - a 16yr-old girl attempting to solve a mystery in relation to her mother's death. One downside is that a lot of the dialogue is pretty mundane, but I guess that gives it character (Ashley is a teenager after all!) As well as talking to people, you can use Ashley's DAS (basically a DSi - it's a shameless adertisement!) to take pictures and control game settings.

The look of the game is really what steals it. There's no fast animation or complex 3D mechanics, but the cell-shaded graphics are luscious and absolutely evocative of those relaxed, tranquil anime movies.

Overall, a great game for last thing at night (it won't raise your heartbeat, give you sweaty hands, and get you so frustrated you can't sleep!)