Another Code: Two Memories

Ashley Mizuki Robbins, a White Haired Tomboy who is about to turn 14, suddenly receives a package from her dad who she hasn't heard from in years--mostly because she thought he was dead. It contains a DTS (DAS in the European version, which stands for Dual Trace/Another System), a device that looks suspiciously like a Nintendo DS. Her aunt and caretaker Jessica takes her to the island where dad has been doing research, and leaves to go find him.

When Jessica doesn't come back, Ashley decides to go after her. Finding Jessica's glasses on the ground, she starts to assume the worst. She finds her way across the island, through a graveyard, and to a mansion. She meets the ghost D, who can't remember anything about his past life, and who decides to follow her as she tries to figure out just what is going on. At the same time, as they navigate the Edward mansion, D starts to remember things about his past life, closely mirroring Ashley's realizations about her own family.

Plenty of frustrations abound in Trace Memory (Another Code: Two Memories in Europe and Japan), but it has more than enough fun to make up for it. From D's "I Remember!" face to the WMG to the crazy moments that'll make you laugh at childhood naivete, to the random choices you can make, this is one game you must play.

Oh, and did we mention there's no way to know which ending you'll get till you get it?

The game was followed in 2009 by a sequel, Another Code R: A Journey Into Lost Memories for the Wii. The sequel takes place 2 years later, as Ashley is called to the Lake Juliet campsite for a camping trip with her dad, only to find there are still a few issues to be dealt with with regards to her past, including a new device that looks like the controller to a hit video game console. Sadly, it turned out to be a No Export for You moment for Americans, as the game didn't perform particularly well in Japan or Europe and received only moderately positive reviews.

The Hotel Dusk: Room 215 series takes place in the same universe, twenty-five years before, but is not connected otherwise.


 * Aborted Arc: It was supposed to be a Sequel Hook for a Spin-Off game, but that fell through when the company went under.
 * Adult Fear: A lot of family ones. Secrets about your parents, abandonment issues, rejection by your family, loss of family members and something happening to them and either not knowing or being forced to sacrifice for it.
 * Adults Are Useless: Why else is the teenager girl the one running around and solving everyone's personal problems?
 * Adventure Game
 * Already Undone for You: Despite Richard living on the island and knowing you were coming, you still have to solve all the puzzles to get to him.
 * And I Must Scream: D has been stuck haunting Blood Edward Island for 57 years by the time Ashley meets him. He apparently has had nothing better to do over the years than to count the days after he died, which makes sense when you realize that he remembers nothing about his past and practically no one visits the island anymore (and even then most people can't see him anyway).
 * Back Tracking: CONSTANTLY.
 * Just remember that in the first game, once you enter the Edward mansion, you can't go back.
 * Bare Your Midriff: Ashley's outfit in both games.
 * Big Bad:
 * Big Damn Heroes:
 * Bizarrchitecture: An admittedly mild example, but the Edwards' mansion features things like hidden doorways that respond to certain sounds and a wall that opens up when the candles on it have been lit the right way. Rather impressive when you consider that these things were already there by the early 20th century.
 * Brain Uploading:
 * But Not Too Foreign: Ashley is half-Japanese on her mother's side. Her other half is either American or British, depending on which version you're playing.
 * But Thou Must!: During all the sequences where Ashley repeats the plot points so she can remember later, if you choose the wrong option, she chides herself for misremembering, then goes back to try again. Especially obvious in
 * By the Eyes of the Blind: Being able to see ghosts apparently requires a certain level of mental clarity and perception.
 * Calling the Old Man Out
 * Call Back: Near the end of the sequel, the game starts using music from the first game. The final showdown with the villain is extremely reminiscent of the first game's climax as well, albeit with a happier ending.
 * Captain Obvious
 * Chaste Teens: Played with. At one point, Sofia asks Ashley if she got a boyfriend. You can either have her say "No!" or the more coy "Maybe...".
 * Chekhov MIA: Ashley's dad in the original, Matt's in the sequel.
 * But Matt's dad doesn't appear.
 * Chest Insignia: Though not a superhero, D has a marking on his chest that ties in to how he died.
 * Continuity Nod: In Another Code R, Ashley's bag has Pinkie Rabbit on it, and a series of photos on the wall of a house show various Hotel Dusk: Room 215 characters, as well as the captain from the first game.
 * Ashley's bag also contains the shirt she wore and her teddy bear from the first game.
 * Cute Ghost Gir...Boy: D. A rare male example; he couldn't possibly be scary.
 * Daddy Didn't Show: Twice, Ashley starts the game going to meet him and twice he's not there. In the first game, instead of leaving it at that, she decides to go looking for him. It's a bit more understandable when you discover . When it happens again in the second game, it's more the workaholic/absent-minded reason. That time, she's ready to turn and leave, but can't.
 * Daddy Had a Good Reason For Abandoning You: Two reasons, actually.
 * Dead Little Sister:
 * Demoted to Extra: Jessica. Her role in the first game wasn't huge, but it did help advance the plot. In the second game, she's only seen in the beginning and in a single phone call.
 * Dialogue Tree
 * Died in Your Arms Tonight:
 * Disney Villain Death: in the first game,
 * Don't Celebrate Just Yet: Just when it seems Ashley and her dad have managed to reconcile in the first game,.
 * Driven to Suicide:
 * Easter Egg: Plenty. If you get Hundred-Percent Completion and restart on that same save, there are a lot of differences. Also, a book on one bookshelf is entitled "The Legend of Zelda Chronology".
 * Fake Memories: The titular device can implant these.
 * Fifteen Puzzle: It's randomized each time too.
 * First-Person Snapshooter: The DTS has a camera function, used for puzzle solving and sometimes unlocking extra conversation options.
 * Flashback Cut: You can expect to see at least one or two of these per chapter, usually in Monochrome Past style.
 * Flashback Nightmare: Ashley recalls the night of her third birthday this way.
 * For Science!: Several JC Valley members.
 * For the Money: Thomas' reason for It is actually a subversion, as he needed the money
 * Freudian Excuse: Ryan's past childhood experience for his actions?
 * Genetic Memory:
 * Ghost Amnesia: D.
 * Girls Love Stuffed Animals: Ashley gets a teddy bear at the end of the game and has the most adorable picture of her hugging it during the credits. She still has it in the sequel.
 * Guide Dang It: Every. Single. Puzzle. Except the one where you put together the sign out in front, which no one bothered to do, since you could read it anyway. But wait, you have to do every puzzle to get Hundred-Percent Completion? Guide Dang It!
 * Hot Mom/Hot Dad
 * Hyperspace Arsenal: Naturally. Usually justified in that the stuff she carries is of reasonable size, but it does make for an odd moment in the second game when she pulls Ryan's suitcase out of nowhere to return it to him.
 * I Can't Reach It: So there's a trunk up on a shelf too high to reach. So how about you pick up the baseball hidden in the corner and throw it at the large piece of luggage!
 * I Can't Use These Things Together: Ashley's constant stream of "that doesn't seem to work" and the like.
 * Incredibly Lame Pun: D referring to himself and Ashley as "kindred spirits". Ashley lampshades how lame that was.
 * Inner Monologue: Ashley has a number of these. Matt starts lampshading them in the later half of the game.
 * Interface Spoiler: There are five buttons on the DTS. You can use four from the start, but the fifth doesn't work until The Reveal.
 * I See Dead People: Ashley. It later becomes I See Them, Too with
 * Both Ashley and D are quite shocked when  can see him, too.
 * Just Between You and Me/Motive Rant: The bad guys have something of a tendency to give monologues when you encounter them, partially because Ashley and her dad keep asking questions. At least one of them lampshades this.
 * Kidnapped Scientist:
 * Kid Hero: Ashley, of course.
 * Kill Me Now or Forever Stay Your Hand: the second game.
 * Kleptomaniac Hero: Ashley is like any good adventure game hero in that aspect in the first game, but she gets away with it since the original owners of the location all died. D lampshades this by calling her strange for taking charcoal. It's a little more toned down in the second game.
 * Laser-Guided Amnesia: One of the original intentions of the Trace/Another machine, as a means to remove traumatic memories.
 * Late Arrival Spoiler: Double Subverted. The sequel dances around the first game's revelation of Sayoko's killer's identity for most of the game, only for it to be rather bluntly brought up again near the end.
 * Late to the Party
 * Lock and Key Puzzle
 * Lonely Rich Kid: Elizabeth.
 * Master of Unlocking: The TAS gives Ashley the ability to open any electronic lock.
 * Memento MacGuffin: Ashley's pendant in the second game.
 * The Messiah: Ashley in the second game. Her actions end up solving a number of the personal problems of the other characters, as well as.
 * Mistaken for Murderer:
 * Mr. Smith: Yup, there's a dude calling himself John Smith wandering around Lake Juliet. As if the sunglasses and black formal suit didn't make him suspicious enough.
 * Mood Whiplash: You can eat the candies the Captain gives you at any time, even right after, resulting in Ashley gleefully exclaiming, "I love candy!"
 * Motionless Chin: Pretty jarring in the sprites when they talk.
 * Multiple Endings: There are two in the original game, the "good" one where or the "bad" one where
 * Neutral Female: Ashley may solve all the puzzles, figure out the sub-plots and pull her dad's fat out of the fire, but she just kind of stands there in the final confrontations. It's justified in that she's a teenage girl up against a gun-toting maniac and her dad is the one they have issues with.
 * New Game+: Going back and replaying on a beaten game file unlocks all kinds of Easter Eggs.
 * No Export for You: The second game, which has seen release in Japan and Europe, but not in North America or Australia.
 * Obviously Evil:
 * One Degree of Separation: Sayoko met with quite a few people during her time at Lake Juliet.
 * One-Letter Name: D, because he can't remember his real name, only the one-letter nickname.
 * Only a Flesh Wound:
 * Our Ghosts Are Different: It's not quite clear what exactly D's powers are, but in the first conversation with him it seems like he can read your mind. This is never mentioned again, however.
 * The other difference is that only people who can perceive things beyond what's in front of them can see or hear ghosts.
 * Pamphlet Shelf
 * Parental Abandonment: Again, Ashley's dad.
 * Elizabeth's mom in the second game.
 * Parental Substitute: Jessica, Ashley's aunt whom she stayed with. Ashley even says she's like a mom to her.
 * Parents as People: Despite the heartwarming scenes at the end of the first game, Richard wasn't a good parent after he came back. Justified in that he didn't have much contact with people for ten years, was only a parent for three and still had a ton of issues left to sort out. Deep down, though, it's clear that Ashley is still the most important thing to him.
 * Parents in Distress: Jessica and Richard in the first game, just Richard in the second.
 * Parrot Exposition
 * Photographic Memory: Ashley has ridiculously good memorizing abilities, able to recall things from the age of three, albeit with some sort of trigger.
 * Pixel Hunt
 * Plot-Driven Breakdown: The one time Ashley really needs the TAS to pop open a lock, the batteries run out.
 * Point and Click Game
 * Poorly-Disguised Pilot: As stated above, a lot of time is spent on Matt and his sub-plot with plans for his own game. However, it still ties in well enough with what Ashley is trying to do to avoid being too intrusive.
 * Pop Quiz: One per chapter. Justified in that Ashley is trying to keep track of what all is going on and remember it.
 * Puzzle Reset: Just press the "back" button!
 * Rainbow Speak: Key descriptive terms and conversation choices are given colored text.
 * Reluctant Mad Scientist: Both Sayoko and Richard have shades of this.
 * Revision: In the second game, Ashley and her dad show particular concern over Ashley's pendant, which she got from her mom on the night of her third birthday, even showing her getting it in a flashback, and supposedly never goes without it as a memento. Said pendant was never seen or mentioned in the first game or its flashbacks, despite covering everything else that happened on that night.
 * Rich Bitch: Elizabeth Alfred, due to being the daughter of Rex Alfred, head of J.C. Valley. The end of the game has her admit that her dad's actions have convinced her to try and be nicer, though.
 * Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Ashley attempts this at the start of the second game, but she blew most of her money before the start of the game and ends up unable to pay for the bus fare.
 * Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior!: Ms. Graham, who's a pretty grouchy person at first. She gets better as Ashley gets to know her.
 * Shell-Shocked Veteran:
 * Ship Tease: You can taste the tension. Especially
 * Shout-Out: In Another Code R, Ashley can examine a stepladder in the boathouse. She then thinks to herself, "It's a ladder. No, wait, that's called a stepladder. What's the difference anyway?"
 * A rather easy-to-miss example in Another Code R: "It's dangerous to go alone."
 * Solve the Soup Cans: One particularly baffling case is when Ashley can't open a bottle with a message in it. You have to retrieve a hammer from another room and then use it to break the bottle. Can't she really smash a bottle any other way? How about throwing it against a wall or something?
 * Songs in the Key of Lock: One early area has you play the piano to open a secret passage, and later using a music box to open a fireplace passage.
 * Sound Test: You can pick up a music player in the second game to use. Of course, you can only unlock all the tunes in a New Game+.
 * Spiritual Successor: Another Code R at times has more in common with Hotel Dusk: Room 215 than the first game.
 * Story Breadcrumbs: You can find several hints about the history behind the Edwards family and Richard's life alone on the island.
 * Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Matthew for D in the second game. Just, you know, not a ghost.
 * Ashley occasionally lampshades this by telling certain characters that Matt "reminds her of her very first friend".
 * Suspicious Videogame Generosity: One of the last rooms is full of objects, all with plot relevance, but no major puzzles.
 * Talk to Everyone: Whenever you run into someone, you have to go through all the conversation options to continue.
 * Tell Me About My Mother
 * The Man Behind the Man:
 * Time Skip: Two years pass between the first and second games.
 * Trademark Favorite Food: Richard is a bit of a chocoholic. One of his office drawers is loaded with chocolate bars.
 * Transferable Memory: Yup, the machine can do that too.
 * Trauma-Induced Amnesia
 * Trial and Error Gameplay
 * Tsundere: Ashley has a bit of Type B in her. She's normally a very nice person, but she's prone to hissy-fits when she gets mad.
 * Unexpected Inheritance
 * Undeath Always Ends: D is finally laid to rest in the good ending. In the sequel,
 * Unfinished Business: D and, in the sequel,
 * Video Wills:
 * Villain Exit Stage Left:
 * Villainous Breakdown:
 * Visual Novel
 * Welcome to Corneria: Played straight in the first game where you can endlessly select conversation options, averted in the second as they disappear after you choose them.
 * Wham! Episode: Chapter 4 of the first game. You find out what happened to Ashley's mom, meet the last person on the island and find out what happened to Jessica all in short order.
 * What Beautiful Eyes!: Ashley has her mom's eyes, which Jessica says were quite beautiful.
 * What Could Have Been: Game designer Rika Suzuki once commented she would liked to have seen Ashley and Kyle Hyde from Hotel Dusk: Room 215 meet up, presumably in a crossover game. Sadly, with the company of both games having gone under, it will never be.
 * When You Coming Home, Dad?: Part of Richard's Parents as People problems between games.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy: Ryan Grey in Another Code R.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl: The protagonist Ashley, of course.
 * Would Hurt a Child:
 * You Can See Me?: One of D's first statements upon meeting Ashley.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl: The protagonist Ashley, of course.
 * Would Hurt a Child:
 * You Can See Me?: One of D's first statements upon meeting Ashley.