Another Code R: A Journey into Lost Memories
Cing speaks to us about the follow-up to Two Memories.
'Resurgence' may be too strong a word, or even the wrong one entirely, but the DS and Wii have certainly encouraged developers to treat adventure games as a viable option again despite the waning fortunes of the genre on other platforms. Perhaps most significantly, the Nintendo formats have put adventure games together with Japanese developers, who only rarely engaged with point-and-clock games or more traditional adventures on previous systems.
Cing, the Japanese developer of games like and Hotel Dusk: Room 215, has been one of the biggest beneficiaries, not only delivering critically acclaimed DS games that map the unique attributes of Nintendo's current systems to a traditional adventure framework, but growing closer to Nintendo in the process. The company also recently contributed to the excellent Little King's Story, and all eyes are now on Another Code R, the Wii follow-up to Another Code: Two Memories.
Following its Japanese launch in February, it's due out on 26th June in Europe. With the release fast approaching, we swapped emails with some of the developers in Japan via translator. Thanks to game and scenario designer Rika Suzuki, character designer/art director Taisuke Kanasaki, director Shigeru Komine, producer Takuya Miyagawa, and Nintendo-based co-producer Satoshi Kira for their time. Look out for a review of the game closer to release.
After the end of the previous title where Ashley finally met her father who had been thought to be dead, she started living with her aunt Jessica and father Richard. Richard promised to be with her ever after. [In spite of this], they are getting further apart, with Richard not coming home even at the weekends, after he started to work at the laboratory called J.C. Valley. Ashley turned 16 and was devoted to her band. She was invited to a summer camping programme at Lake Juliet, where J.C. Valley also exists. In this title, Ashley faces her father to solve the mysterious death of her mother.
We preferred [to use] what is not in Ashley's daily life in the city as the stage of the story, like Blood Edward Island in the previous title. This time we applied Lake Juliet. Matthew is the shadow of Ashley, who visited Blood Edward Island in search of her father. After encountering Matthew, Ashley starts to know deeper secrets of Lake Juliet.
In the previous DS version, we believed we could surprise the players with the things which could be realised only on Nintendo DS. Also in this Wii version, we have applied those which can be realised only on Wii. Please look out for them!
In case of Another Code R, as the player only faces one screen, the screen usage on previous DS version was not possible. Thus we decided to split it so that Ashley and other characters can effectively show their emotions. We have applied an easy control, and a single Wii remote covers the most part of it. Also, players often have to compare the Wii remote to something else during the gameplay. Please discover what it is as you play the game!
Another Code R consists of non-violent and non-cruel storyline and expressions, compared to other adventure games. It is a videogame which everyone can enjoy by feeling deep human relations and mysterious events, in an in-depth story. Especially as for solving questions, players can enjoy playing as if they became Ashley in the game, with the Wii-exclusive control.