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> Results: Trace Memory
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The ESRB Says
Mild Violence: GamerDad witnessed replayed memories of a child watching her mother being shot and killed. In my review of Hotel Dusk: Room 215 I noted that the Nintendo DS was very well suited to point-and-click adventures. I had missed out on this Fall 2005 release, otherwise I'd have been extolling its virtues ever since. However, as a full price game it would be a questionable value - it is rather short and offers little replay value. Now that time has passed and the price of the game has dropped to bargain levels, there is no reason to pick up this fun and engaging adventure game. You play as Ashley, a 14-year old girl who travels to an island in search of the father she hasn't seen since she was three. The remainder of the story unfolds through exploration, interaction, puzzles, and basically clicking everything that you see. There is definitely more pixel hunting here than in Hotel Dusk, but the quality of the story and characters is what drives things - you care about the people and want to see things resolved in the end. You will also notice that the 'notebook' format used in the later game works better, but the standard playing style works fine for this game. There are some bonuses for replaying the game (make sure to stay through the credits and do what seems natural to unlock the 'clear data' save), but ultimately the joy in an adventure game is savoring the story and dialog and figuring out all of the niggling little puzzles along the way. Check your local bargain bins and sit back for several hours of adventure fun!  
The ESRB rating of T for Trace Memory is somewhat puzzling to me. I would have estimated it as E-10+ based on the content I saw - the language is very mild (I remember hearing the word 'hell' once), there is no direct violence (only through memories) and there us no alcohol or drug use. There are plenty of mature relationship issues between siblings, spouses, parent and child, and friendships that are all very intense and moving. The writing places a young girl at the center of a very difficult story that has her questioning everything about her life. It is touching and moving, but never outside of the realm of stories such as Bridge to Terabithia, and I think it would appeal to the same type of audience. Therefore I feel that a 10+ Age Seal is appropriate, but as always gauge it based on your own values and your knowledge of your kids.
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