One gaming publication called it a "showpiece title for the platform." Another proclaimed it "a wake-up call for a sleeping genre." No, this is not Dreamfall we're talking about, nor any of the usual suspects. (Of course you knew that already if you paid any attention to the title of this page.) This is a preview of Another Code, a point & click adventure for the Nintendo DS.

Before we go into specifics, there's one thing that undoubtedly needs to be clarified. While Another Code is a Japanese-made game for Nintendo's new handheld system, it's not an action game, nor a platformer, nor an RPG. Another Code is a genuine adventure game. Even if you don't care much for handhelds, you might still want to read along, as Another Code manages to be both comfortably old school and refreshingly creative in ways seldomly seen in the genre.

At the heart of the game is a story of family tragedy. You step into the shoes of a thirteen-year old girl named Ashley, who's on an adventure to solve the mystery surrounding the death of her mother Sayako and the disappearance of her father Richard. Both of her parents were researchers at a government lab and were involved with the creation of a mysterious device called "Another". Although that sounds like the premise of a sci-fi story, the game is said to be mostly grounded in reality as you explore various locations on a strange island.

The puzzles are a combination of inventory and Myst-like puzzles, but don't expect them to function in conventional ways. Many of the puzzles have their own intuitive little interface that makes them more direct and physical. You may have to use the DS' stylus (check the sidebar lower on this page if this is news to you) to dust off an old sign, rotate or investigate an object, or slide pieces around in a jigsaw-like puzzle. These may seem like only superficial enhancements, but the smoother handling of the puzzles will certainly make them feel like little toys instead of rigid obstacles.

As you can see below, Another Code is an interesting mish-mash of art styles and perspectives. Seemingly disjointed, this mix does make sense when seen as a whole, as demonstrated in the official trailer.

Cutscenes show third-person 2D handdrawn art	The world is presented using pre-rendered 3D slides, shown from a first-person perspective	A top-down real-time 3D map allows you to navigate

Another Code makes effective use of the two screens offered by the platform. The top screen of the DS shows 2D cutscenes, dialogs, and a view of the world from the perspective of the protagonist. The bottom screen shows a top-down 3D map with the protagonist at the center. You can direct the character around by touching the four edges of the map with the stylus (or, if you really prefer, you can use the directional pad). The top 2D view will change constantly according to the character's position on the map. This intuitive point & click interface appears to be a lot more comfortable than the slower direct-control interface seen, for instance, in the GameBoy Advance version of Broken Sword.

Apart from a confirmed release for Europe and a probable release for North America, Nintendo isn't yet talking about Another Code. This means we haven't had a chance to look at playable code or ask questions to the designers. Instead, we've had to piece together what little we could translate of the official site, what magazines reported seeing at Japanese press junkets, and what we heard from those who played the Japanese import.

Another Code was recently reviewed by Japan's Famitsu magazine and was received favorably by its reviewers, earning a combined score of 9/10. UK magazine Edge said in a recent preview that "Another Code's presentation is attractive, with its island setting recalling Ico's summer ruin and the isolationist head-scratching of Myst, but it's the strength of the puzzles – and how often they reinterpret pointing and clicking with touching, blowing and every other activity the DS can elicit – that could elevate it from a quaint oddity..."

The buzz for the game seems generally positive, with some gamers looking at Another Code as one of the first games to fully demonstrate the potential of the Nintendo DS. Meanwhile, adventure gamers have reason to be excited about this title for possibly opening a brand new market for the genre.

When all things are considered, the prospect of playing an adventure game on the Nintendo DS is almost too titillating to entertain. Adventures are the sort of games that you want to play quietly, at your own pace, without the distractions offered by instant messaging or your internet browser (which at any moment of weakness can take you to a walkthrough in seconds). The Nintendo DS platform is perfectly suited for adventure gamers: it will allow you to play games in your backyard, or on the train, or from the comforts of your cushy chair. And, unlike other handheld devices, the Nintendo DS makes a point & click interface possible. There is no fiddling with tiny buttons.

Wouldn't it be great if LucasArts ported some of its old adventures to the new system? Or if Revolution Software created a brand new Beneath A Steel Sky adventure for the DS in its original comic book style? Will someone hack the Nintendo DS so that it runs scummVM? I probably should stop here before I pass out.

Whether Another Code will impress Western gamers, or if it appeals mainly to Japanese sensibilities, remains to be seen. We also don't know if the puzzle difficulty will be sufficiently high for the veteran adventure gamer. But the developers, who also made Glass Rose for the Playstation 2, should be commended for being the first to expand the adventure genre to a new platform. The creators even said they're already planning further installments of the game. Will Another Code pave a new road for the genre? It's hard to say, but early buzz says there's at least enough reason to keep your onions peeled.