The original Another Code: Two Memories (Trace Memory in North America) was a technical masterpiece that showcased the true potential of the then fledgling Nintendo DS, but failed to deliver the gripping experience adventure fans were looking for. The story itself proved to be quite good, but the puzzles it was built around were extremely simple and lacked both challenge and originality. Rather than immediately following up with a sequel Cing decided put the series on hold and instead developed the critically acclaimed, Hotel Dusk: Room 215. It wasn’t until 2009, four years after the release of the original, that they would finally return to the series with Another Code R: A Journey into Lost Memories for the Nintendo Wii. A game that unfortunately was only released in Japan and Europe.

Set three years after the events on Blood Edward Island, we find the now 16 year old Ashley Mizuki Robins struggling to build a relationship with her estranged father Richard. Although he was around for most of the intervening years, it’s been six months since he was last home and Ashley’s emotions are beginning to become strained. One day a package arrives from Richard containing an updated version of the Dual Another System (DAS), a DS shaped communication device, as well as an invitation to come camping for the weekend. Ashley is hesitant at first as she had planned to practice for an upcoming battle of the bands-style competition, but on the insistence of her Aunt Jessica she decides to go. Shortly after arriving things begin to take a downward turn as Ashley is not only stood up by Richard, but also has her bag stolen by an unknown assailant. When she finally tracks him down and explains what happened he seems more concerned with the safety of the DAS than with Ashley’s possessions. The leads a huge “teen drama” style argument that forces Richard to reveal his true intentions.

Shortly before starting his new job, Richard received an email informing him that the man who killed his wife, and Ashley’s mother, wasn’t acting alone. If he wanted to find out the truth behind Sayoko’s death he would need to investigate JC Valley. While pretending to work for the company Richard carried out his own investigation and discovered that 13 years ago, when Ashley was only three, her mother brought her here. She never told Richard about this, so he knew it had to be for something important. Since memories are often tied to familiar sights, Richard had hoped bringing Ashley here would prompt her to remember something. The two sit down and begin to reminisce about Sayoko, but Richard gets called away to work, leaving Ashley to her own devices. She soon meets a young boy named Matt who has run away from home and is looking for clues to the whereabouts of his missing father. The two agree to look for clues together and then the real game begins.

Despite the hook of a murder-mystery, the bulk of Another Code R‘s story focuses on Ashley’s developing interpersonal relationship with her father, as well as the bond she feels towards Matthew who shares a similar past to hers. While the story of a teen girl struggling with abandonment issues and trying to find her place in the world may not sound like the worlds most gripping story, it’s told with such honesty and authenticity that it’s becomes instantly relatable. Dialog between the characters feels incredibly natural and familiar to anyone who remembers what it’s like to be that age. When Ashley fights with her Dad you can see the same emotions being conveyed that you would have had and if you’re old enough you can also see her father’s side of the debate. This creates a rather interesting sensation and internal conflict within the player. On the one hand you know what’s right, on the other you know why they can’t agree. Conversations are presented in a split-screen style allowing you to see the body language of all characters involved, further expanding upon the emotion already conveyed via speech. The animations are smooth and fluid, make the entire experience once again feel very natural and authentic. This is hands down one of the most unique stories I’ve had the fortune to play and one of the first to tackle real-life issues rather than just a purely fantastical plot. Later on the focus of the story will begin to shift back towards finding out the truth about Sayoko’s death, but by this point you’re so heavily invested in the characters that the quest takes on a whole nother level of meaning.

From a gameplay standpoint Another Code R sees a number of improvements over it’s predecessor, but still falls short in some areas. Movement, originally guided from a top-down perspective on the DS, is now switched to a side-on view where you move alone rails between locations. When traveling between areas that require a load, the game enters a sort of hyperactive running animation where trees and buildings snap out of the ground with a sort of rubbery effect. It’s really hard to describe, but looks incredibly cool. Investigating areas is handled via the Wii Remote, using the pointer to mouse-over objects of interest. Items that look particularly useful can be picked up and stored in an inventory, however until you encounter a puzzle that requires an object you may not be able to retrieve it. As with the original, puzzles are heavily based around the use of the Wii’s unique abilities and will often require an extra level of thought. One puzzle involving a music box that makes notes when you rotate it had me confused at first as I couldn’t figure out how to get it to move. The solution was rather straight forward; rotate the Wii Remote. Unfortunately the puzzles are still on the easy side, but the expanded capabilities of the Wii makes figuring them out a lot more interesting.

Another Code R is one of the best adventure games to have been released on the Wii, but there are still a few areas that need improvement. If the puzzles were just a little more challenging I could call this a masterpiece, but as it stand this is just a really, really good game. The quality of the story is unmatched by anything else on the console and represents the first steps towards the medium tackling real world issues that can’t be expressed as bullet + skull = die. If you’re lucky enough to own an EU Wii or have a modded one, please go out and play this game. But make sure you buy a copy so Nintendo knows that these are the kinds of games that we want more of.

Verdict: Buy It