Trace Memory / Nintendo DS : 3 of 5

I usually don't have the patience for adventure games, because I tend to get stuck on some puzzle which puts an end to my interest (or I end up reading a cheat book!). Trace Memory seemed really intriguing, though, because the images I had seen looked so cool, since all of the characters are drawn anime-style. I had also heard from my pal Barron that the game was easy to navigate, and more like "reading a novel" than puzzling through a difficult game. I ended up buying it a few weeks ago, and recently I finished it! I really enjoyed the experience, and Barron was right - the game definitely directs you, so you can't really go the wrong way. You do have to solve several puzzles, some of which are really interesting, and make great use of the DS touch screen and dual screen features! (Sorry for the spoiler, but I thought it was amazing that you had to "close" the DS to simulate pressing an ink stamp on paper!) The plot is pretty intense, since you play a girl who witnessed her mother's murder at a young age, and during the game you're wandering around Blood Edward Island looking for your father whom you haven't seen in years. There's a parallel plot involving a ghost that you meet and befriend, but I wish the two plots had been more connected. My only real complaint is that the game won't let you pick up any object until you already know what to do with it! Otherwise, this is a fairly simple, yet really enjoyable, mystery adventure, filled with great illustrations and music - it's lots of fun!