Operation Backlog Completion 2026
Dec 152023
 

With all the exciting game news we’ve had this year, you might have forgotten about Another Code: Recollection.

Set to be released on January 19, Another Code: Recollection is a remake of the DS adventure game Trace Memory (here using its original name, Another Code: Two Memories) and its Wii sequel, Another Code R.

Those are games I never thought we’d see again. Between the games being somewhat obscure and the developer filing for bankruptcy in 2010, I assumed they were lost to time until Recollection was announced.

It’s even getting a physical release!

Another Code R was never released in North America, so I’m excited to finally get a chance to try that even though it got mixed reviews, and the remake also looks fantastic in general. I’m still shocked that they took a game as niche as Trace Memory and gave it a full remake.

For comparison, the original DS game looked like this.

Of course, this has led to hopes that Hotel Dusk and its sequel will receive similar treatment.

Anyway, a demo for Another Code: Recollection is now available. It covers the first chapter of the first game, and you’ll be able to transfer your progress to the full game.

I just hope it sells well despite when it’s coming out. While its audience might not overlap as much with the JRPGs coming out in the first two months of the year, it’s also being released just a few days ahead of the Apollo Justice Trilogy, which probably does have decent overlap. Trace Memory was a great game, and I want to see revivals like this succeed.

Are you planning to play Another Code: Recollection?

Dec 132023
 

It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been blogging about wanting an Ace Attorney Investigations 2 localization for over a decade now.

(Yeah, that was back when my blog posts were sometimes just walls of text.)

After all this time, there’s still no official way to play Ace Attorney Investigations 2, or Gyakuten Kenji 2, in English, although the fan translation is quite good.

Well, some of us are still asking for it despite the amount of time that’s passed. More importantly, Capcom is aware that we want it.

In a recent interview with Siliconera about the upcoming Apollo Justice Trilogy, producer Kenichi Hashimoto was asked about the possibility of an Investigations duology including an official translation of the second game, to which he responded:

The development team is aware that fans are hoping for this. Unfortunately, we have no announcements at this time.”

I know, that’s a complete non-answer. The good old “no announcements at this time” response would be given even if they intended to announce it next week, and probably if they never intended to release it at all. But the fact that he said they’re aware of demand for it feels like an encouraging sign.

I still think the Ace Attorney series is in one of the best positions it has been in a long time. The interview also revealed that development of the Apollo Justice Trilogy began in 2021, which threw me for a loop since most of my theories were based on the success of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles leading to it being greenlit, but that means they already considered it worthwhile by then. And as I’ve said before, even localizing The Great Ace Attorney at all is a promising sign for the future.

(That interview just says 2021, but I saw another one that specified spring 2021, which would mean it was before Chronicles even came out.)

So, what about Investigations 2?

Investigations 2 has come up more lately than it has in years. It was included in the Capcom Museum’s special exhibit about the Investigations duology. An official Capcom survey had it as an option when asking what Ace Attorney games you’ve played, even listing it as Ace Attorney Investigations 2 instead of calling it Gyakuten Kenji 2. Now this interview acknowledged that fans in the west want it.

You know what? I think it’s going to happen.

Ace Attorney 7 should still be next. With this many years having passed since the last new game and the Apollo Justice Trilogy bridging the gap for new players, it would be a shame to have another collection come out before the next game. However, I have new hope that we might see Investigations after that.

For the first time in years, an official Ace Attorney Investigations 2 localization feels like something we can realistically hope for once again.

Dec 062023
 

All the way back in 2014, I fell in love with a short point-and-click adventure detective game called Detective Grimoire.

Then, in 2022, I finally played the sequel, Tangle Tower, which I found to be quite enjoyable despite the ending feeling rushed.

At the time, we knew a sequel was in development… and today it was officially announced as part of the Day of the Devs indie game showcase in connection with the Game Awards.

This new entry in the series, The Mermaid’s Tongue, follows Detective Grimoire and Sally as they investigate a murder on a submarine. It will be out in 2024 for PC and consoles.

A demo is currently available on Steam, and while it’s pretty short, it provides a good sample of the gameplay and humor. The biggest new feature that stands out is that evidence now has 3D models that you can rotate, so that’s a nice touch.

The demo left me looking forward to the new release, although I just hope it isn’t overlooked as easily as Tangle Tower was. I don’t know why the developers aren’t using a series name to make them more recognizable, but I nearly scrolled past the headline until I saw the characters in the art.

Anyway, this was exciting news and a great start to the Game Awards announcements. Are you interested in the Detective Grimoire games?