The year 2024 has begun, and the game industry is starting to move in earnest. Various popular titles are coming this month, ADV for Nintendo Switch“Another Code Recollection: Two Memories/Memory Door”Many people are probably paying attention to this.
This work is a Nintendo DS software“Another Code: Two Memories”(hereinafter referred to as DS version) and its sequel Wii software“Another Code: R Door of Memory”Based on this, the graphics have been completely redesigned and compiled into one software.
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Because it has been remade over time, not only the appearance but also the content has changed, so much so that it is difficult to convey in just a few words. In particular, the DS version had a game structure that took advantage of two screens, so the characteristics of the game console itself were significantly different from the single-screen Switch.
How did you translate this work, which is so different in terms of hardware, to the Switch? And will the remake be enjoyable enough even for players who have fond memories of the game? In order to get closer to that question, we will play the trial version of “Another Code Recollection: Two Memories / Door of Memory'' ahead of its release and give you our impressions.
In addition, the first chapter of “Two Memories” can be played in the trial version of this work. The parts we will touch on this time will also fall within this range.
■How has the two-screen configuration of the DS version changed in the Switch version?
The main character of this work is a girl who will soon reach her 14th birthday (as of “Two Memories'').“Ashley”. She suddenly receives a call from her father, who she had been told was dead, and goes to Blood Edward Island, where his father is waiting, and takes on the challenge of exploring the mysterious island.
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Sent with father's letter“DAS”is a device that is an important key to solving the mystery, but first of all, the design of DAS has changed significantly. This is because the DS version of DAS has a shape very similar to the DS to increase the sameness.
As a result, the DAS in this work is a long, thin device that is somewhat reminiscent of a switch. If you have experienced the DS version, this DAS change will probably stimulate your memory.
Of course, the design of DAS is not the only thing that has changed significantly.“My last morning as a 13 year old, I felt terrible.”From the very beginning, which includes an unforgettable monologue, you can see the changes compared to the DS version.
There are differences in the timing and structure of the lines, but the basic flow is generally the same. The biggest difference isThe fact that the depiction on two screens is now on one screenis.
For example, in the DS version, while the island the ship is heading to is shown, another screen depicts Ashley's complex expression. Additionally, in the dialogue between the captain and Ashley at the beginning, the characters are displayed on two screens, and the DS version cleverly uses the two-screen structure to show different scenes at the same time.
The Switch version of the same scene isAlthough the screen is single, it is compensated for by camera work.. The island in front of Ashley's line of sight, her melancholy eyes floating in the depths of her bangs swaying in the sea breeze, and the vast ocean were dynamically expressed on the horizontal screen.
Because the depiction power of 3D models has improved significantly, everything is depicted in 3D without using 2D portraits like in the DS version. Thanks to that, he gained the strength of being able to portray Ashley from various angles and distances, which is probably why he switched to this type of production. Although the change from a two-screen configuration to a single screen may give a different impression, the Switch version's depiction feels broader, and I don't get the impression that it is inferior in terms of expression.
■Switch version that fully incorporates two-screen effects
Also, the two-screen effect has not disappeared, and a similar effect can be seen in the Switch version. For example, when talking with Jessica, her foster parent, two more windows are placed on the screen, each displaying Jessica and Ashley.Insert two screens within a screendepicting different camera work at the same time.
By the way, in the same scene in the DS version, the conversation was consolidated onto a single screen, with the speaker displayed in a window, and the standing image changed each time the conversation took place. On the other screen, the content of the conversation Ashley chooses is displayed.The “realism of conversations'' is greater in the Switch version..
Compared to the DS's conversation scenes, which always used two screens, the Switch version has undergone major changes, including the production. Although it is a single screen, dynamic scenes and scenes that require a wide perspective are expressed with excellent camera work. On the other hand, in scenes where the characters are talking to each other, the window is divided into two parts so that each person's facial expressions can be seen.
It's safe to say that these changes in production are an evolution of the original DS version.