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Another Code: R - A Journey into Lost Memories, released in Japan as Another Code: R - Kioku no Tobira (アナザーコード: R 記憶の扉, lit. "Another Code: R - Door of Memory"), is an adventure game developed by Cing and published by Nintendo for the Wii in 2009. It is the second game in the Another Code series and a sequel to Another Code: Two Memories which was also known as Trace Memory.

A remake of both games, Another Code: Recollection, was released for the Nintendo Switch in January 2024.

Gameplay[]

Trace-memory-r-20090206013759398

A pH water testing puzzle involving motion controls

Another Code: R is a visual novel, mystery, puzzle and adventure game hybrid. Unlike the first installment, it is no longer in a top-down perspective and the world is fully rendered in 3D. Navigation through the "world map" is done through a side-scrolling perspective, while areas such as inside buildings switch to a perspective showing Ashley's back, and have pre-selected angles to see all sides of a room. Ashley's memory recollection quizzes return. Puzzles often involve the usage of the Wii Remote and its motion controls.

Choice select

The player choosing Ashley's response to Charlotte Graham

The game is quite a bit lengthier than the first, and players can expect another ten hours or so longer. The game also allows for more player choice during conversations, although they do not have major impact on the story, only showing some different dialog. The story is linear like the first and there is only one ending.

Synopsis[]

Acrashmattsecret

Matthew and Ashley.

The player takes the role of Ashley Mizuki Robbins. The game's storyline takes place two years after that of its predecessor in August 2007. While Ashley was seemingly reunited with her father Richard Robbins in her previous adventure, he became more and more distant from his daughter because of his work at the research facility JC Valley. However, when he was already completely absent from Ashley's and Jessica's home for months, he sent an invitation to Ashley. He wanted to camp with his daughter at Lake Juliet, a place that Ashley had visited with her mother Sayoko Robbins before she was murdered. Somewhat unwillingly, Ashley takes the bus to this place. Along her journey, she meets Matthew Crusoe, a boy searching for his father. Overtime, Ashley slowly learns more details about the mystery of Sayoko's visit to Lake Juliet and her tragic death.

Characters[]

AnotherCodeR otherart

Front row: Richard Robbins, Ashley Mizuki Robbins, Sayoko Robbins; back row: Ryan Gray, Matthew Crusoe, Greg Davis

  • Ashley Mizuki Robbins – The protagonist, now sixteen years old and aspiring to become a guitarist. She has been living with her father for the past two years, though she is emotionally distant from him due to their long-time separation. She travels to Lake Juliet after being invited by her father. She has dim memories of being there with her mother.
  • Matthew Crusoe – The deuteragonist, a runaway thirteen year old boy searching for his missing father who has been missing for five years. He meets Ashley and eventually allies himself with her to help each other meet their individual objectives.
  • Richard Robbins – Ashley's father who invited her to Lake Juliet. He is now a scientist who works for JC Valley. Following the death of his wife Sayoko, he isolated himself to Blood Edward Island for eleven years to work on the Dual Another System until he was reunited with his daughter near the end of the first game.
  • Jessica Robbins – Ashley's aunt and Richard's younger sister. A school chemistry teacher, she took in and raised Ashley as her own when Richard went to Blood Edward Island thirteen years ago and understands her better than anyone else. Her role is more minor compared to the first game.
  • Dan Maxwell – A diligent forest ranger who works everyday without rest protecting the fauna of Lake Juliet. He befriends Ashley after she arrives at Lake Juliet to meet her father and tries to help her find her missing bag.
  • Tommy Harrison – An employee of the guest house of Lake Juliet.
  • Sam Hillman – Tommy and Elizabeth's friend.
  • Elizabeth Alfred – A teenage girl who is the daughter of JC Valley's current director.
  • Rex Alfred – JC Valley's current director.
  • Janet Rice – Elizabeth's cousin and Ashley's classmate.
  • Princess – Elizabeth's pet dog.
  • Ryan Gray – An employee of JC Valley and a scientific child prodigy who has been working since his teenage years, he was a colleague of Richard and Sayoko when they were working at MJ Labs.
  • Bob Fox – The owner of a restaurant. He is implied to be the son of Rosa Fox from Hotel Dusk: Room 215
  • Charlotte Graham – An elderly woman with a past tied to Lake Juliet.
  • John Smith – A mysterious man in a suit and sunglasses who is investigating the pollution at Lake Juliet.
  • Sofia Callaghan – An employee of JC Valley.
  • Mike Tyler – An employee of JC Valley.
  • Gina Barnes – An employee of JC Valley.

Mentioned characters:

  • Sayoko Robbins – Ashley's deceased mother, who died when Ashley was only three years old. A strong-willed Japanese scientist who met her husband Richard when they were both working for MJ Labs.
  • Kelly Crusoe – Matthew's younger sister.
  • Michael Crusoe – Matthew's missing father who disappeared five years ago.
  • Emily Crusoe – Matthew's mother who was affected by an illness.
  • Judd Fitzgerald – The deceased founder of JC Valley.
  • Lucy Graham – Charlotte's niece who is concerned about her aunt.
  • Benjamin Graham – Charlotte's father.
  • Olivia Graham – Charlotte's daughter.
  • Gilbert Moss – Olivia's lover and a famous photographer.
  • Kate – Elizabeth's mother.
  • Bill Edward – A scientist who played an important role in the first game.

Music[]

The music in the game is composed by T's MUSIC Co. Ltd, Yuhki Mori, and Satoshi Okubo. Some music from the first Another Code appears in the game, which was composed by Makoto Hagiwara, Kenjiro Matsuo, and Yuichi Nakamura.

The game's music can be listened to through the white music player that is found during the course of the game. There was no official soundtrack for the game, although fans ripped it and used the song names from the music player.

Reception[]

Another Code: R received mixed reviews, receiving a 66/100 on Metacritic. For example, Edge Magazine gave it a harsh 40/100 and criticized it for having "banal" dialogue and "sluggish, shallow puzzles".

Critics felt the game had some pacing issues, with many feeling the conversations drone on a bit. This happened as a result of translating the game from Japanese to English, and the translators noted it as well. They wanted to be faithful to the original Japanese script, but in doing so, resulted in a lot of meandering back-and-forth dialogue; critics felt the game did not respect their time. For example, Dan may say, "I found your bag." Ashley replies, "Oh, my bag?" Dan replies, "Yeah, I found it a while ago." Ashley replies, "Where was it?" Dan replies, "In a shed." This is not a conversation from the game, but many conversations in the game resemble this, instead of Dan simply saying, "I found your bag a while ago in a shed." This is a contrast to the localized version of Trace Memory, where a lot of "..." was replaced with dialog.

Despite the mixed reception from some reviewers, many fans of the first game enjoyed Another Code: R, feeling it is an underrated cult classic, and that its 66 on Metacritic is very undeserved. These fans often enjoyed the emotional storyline, the atmosphere of Lake Juliet, the puzzles, and so forth. Despite the complaints of pacing issues, many fans enjoyed the longer length compared to the first game, as Another Code: R is around 15-20 hours long.

North American and Australian cancellation[]

Unlike the first game, it was never officially released in North America and Australia, although an English localization was released for PAL regions in Europe. The game received some mixed reviews in Japan, receiving a 28/40 on Famitsu, and selling poorly with less than 15,000 copies. When it was released in Europe, it also received some low sales, a probable cause for no additional releases in other regions. The Wii was also region-locked and digital distribution for large disc-sized games did not exist for it. Many non-European fans of the first game, not wishing to buy European Wiis and with no news of releases in other regions, decided to softmod their Wiis and pirated the game in order to play it, also hurting the game's sales. These factors greatly contributed to Cing's soon bankruptcy.[Citation needed]

Trivia[]

  • In a interview, it is confirmed that the "R" in the game's title stands for revelation, the scenario that reveals the truth of Ashley's story to the player and once and for all unveil the mysteries surrounding her family.[1]
    • It can also be speculated that the title of the game would have been "Trace Memory: R", if it was released in North America. Additionally, the subtitle would presumably be left intact. However, it will have its original English title in the US version of Another Code: Recollection.
  • On Chapter 3, in the cellar of the old cottage, there are photographs taped on a wall. Looking closer at them reveals several characters from Hotel Dusk in different periods of time, taking pictures in front of a mermaid statue.
Pinkie wii 05

Ashley seeing Pinkie Rabbit.

  • Cool Pop, a brand of fizzy drink that keeps appearing in the game, also appears in Last Window: The Secret of Cape West, both protagonists displaying a liking to it. Another Code: R also brings in Pinkie Rabbit references from Hotel Dusk.
  • Because Another Code: R confirms Another Code and the Kyle Hyde Saga games are set in the same universe, this means that ghosts now canonically exist in the Kyle Hyde series.
  • Second playthroughs have some changes:
    • Players can hold A and B to zoom through the text.
    • Richard will send Ashley messages about Lake Juliet.
    • Some puzzles will have different solutions.
    • Kelly's doll is now a ninja.
    • Players can see a dragon at the top of the clock tower.
  • At some point during a playthrough, Ashley wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a ladder and a stepladder, which is a reference to the "Ladder vs. Stepladder" gag from the Ace Attorney franchise.

Credits[]

See Another Code: R - A Journey into Lost Memories/Credits

External links[]

Gallery[]

Logos[]

Box Art[]

Artwork[]

Wallpapers[]

Famitsu scans[]

Magazine scans[]

Screenshots[]

Videos[]

References[]

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