System: Nintendo DS

Publisher: Nintendo

Retail Price: $29.99

ESRB Rating: Teen

Players: 1

Before the evolution and revolution of role-playing games that happened in the late 1980s, there was a genre of games that appeared on computers and the Nintendo Entertainment System that had a strong emphasis on storytelling and puzzle solving. The games put you in the first person and while often at times linear, did give you leeway to explore. These games weren't much graphically (in fact, on the computer they started out as being text based), but their gameplay was unparalleled: they actually made the brain move some muscles, as the player had to pay attention to conversations, pick up items, solve puzzles and decipher clues to venture on in the story. Perhaps these games can be seen as the origin to the point-and-click genre many embraced in the 90s (think "Myst"), but when it came to the original console brethren, these type of games always remained a bit of a niche ("Deja Vu" or "Shadowrun" on the NES come to mind).

While games in this vein have popped up on home and portable consoles during the years, Nintendo's "Hotel Dusk: Room 215" seems to be revival of what once was a more popular type of story-and-exploration-based game. It takes a tired-and-true genre and makes it seem brand new, thanks in part to the prowess of the DS and its touch screen. This is a full-on interactive experience, and a type of game I'm not sure a younger generation has quite experienced before.

The plot of "Hotel Dusk" is quite intricate, and like a good book, keeps you hooked. The game puts you in the role of Kyle Hyde, who was once a New York police detective and is now a salesman for a company called Red Crown. The year is 1979, and Kyle is still haunted by the disappearance of his former partner and friend, Brian Bradley. Several years before, Brian went undercover and betrayed the force by passing confidential police information to a crime syndicate. Months later, Kyle found Brian and shot him - but his body never turned up. Yet this mystery might be solved, albeit unexpectedly - when Kyle's boss at Red Crown tells him to check into the mysterious Hotel Dusk, where a package should be awaiting for him. At the hotel, Kyle is given the infamous room 215, where he's told that there's something "special" about where he's going to be dwelling. Whatever could it be, and how the mystery of the room tie into the mysteries of Kyle's life, and those he meets at Hotel Dusk?

Obviously Nintendo thought "Hotel Dusk" clearly in the lines of a good pulp novel - not just in ways of story, but also in its presentation. Like Nintendo's popular sensation "Brain Age," you have to hold your DS like a book to play the game. Also, the game's story is divided into several chapters. Once you complete a chapter, you can review a written summary of its major events, which just might aid you as you delve further into the mystery.

As mentioned, the game is very interactive - but it not may appeal to everyone. Much of my enjoyment from the game came from the various puzzles to solve throughout. There's a nice variety, and practically all of them are quite intuitive. Not only is there a realistic touch to the real-world items they involve and how you use the stylus, but also it plays into what you have found physically to use by exploring and speaking, and what knowledge you've acquired by talking to other characters.

With that said, you've probably noticed by now that "Hotel Dusk" is a game that is really driven by plot. Much of the game has you talking to various people to uncover clues and new information to get to the next point. (So if you don't mind that, and are entertained by the story and characters, you'll probably really enjoy yourself.) There's a lot of reading involved, especially since some conversations can be long-winded. Thankfully though, the game's plotting and intertwining of characters and plot elements are top-notch so it makes you wonder what will happen next. But there's also the dialogue in the game, which is really outstanding too. The conversations snap and cackle, and each character - while probably playing to some archetype we're all familiar with - has a voice. My only gripe with the conversations is that the text doesn't move fast enough for quicker readers.

The game's conversations have a few twists, though. In line with a choose-your-adventure motif and games that offer multiple paths, you have a choice of what to answer sometimes - which could possibly lead to dead-ends. The same goes for the follow-up panel that sometimes pops up during conversations, which you can touch - and a character just might follow through with some vital information. Also as you play sometimes, Kyle might purposely store information, which will get transformed into question panels. You can ask these questions at certain times to characters, and sometimes you'll need to ask more than one character to get an answer. Sometimes questions are needed to solve specific problems, too.

While "Hotel Dusk" and all its information might seem overwhelming to some, what's great about the game is that it keeps track of important events and key dialogue from conversations for you. But if you personally want to make note of something, a very nice touch is offered in the form of a notebook. You are given three pages to scribble whatever you'd like with your stylus, so if there's something you want to remember, it's a cinch to make note of it.

Visually, "Hotel Dusk" is a wonder - it really feels like you're watching a graphic novel come to life. The game's overall presentation is pretty dynamic, as the two screens help shape the narrative: establishing of locations are spread across the two screens to help paint a bigger portrait, and when Kyle interacts with characters, he remains on the left and who he's interacting with (and the person's words) are displayed on the right. It may not seem like much, but trust me, bouncing between the screens actually makes the conversations seem a bit more alive.

Graphically, the game is a pretty interesting pastiche that only adds to its unconventional style. The characters are finely detailed pencil drawings that are given some bold shading, which further gives the game a bit of a noir feel. Also great is that there is actual animation to the characters that is remarkably fluid - it's as if a graphic novel has come to life. If this game was done in another era for another console, chances are good the animation would seem pretty jerky, or there would be a set number of drawings with different reactions for each character that would rotate based on the dialogue.

When it comes to literally being in Kyle's shoes, the game is far from two-dimensional. The interface is clever: on the right side of the screen - which you can control with the directional pad or stylus - is a rudimentary map of your surroundings, which makes it easy to explore and pick out what you want to investigate. On the left, your surroundings are in well-rendered 3-D that bring Hotel Dusk and its components to life. When you investigate an area, you use the stylus to tap something of interest. There is also a slider button to give the feeling as if you're titling your head, so you can view objects that would normally be out of view.

In the sound department, the game does not disappoint either. The music reflects the mood based on what is going on in the story - either being broody and moody when something troubling is revealed, or being light and bouncy when Kyle is engaging in casual conversations. The sound effects are excellent too, which is a good thing, since they are crucial in heightening awareness and tension in a mystery like this. Doors closing, knocks on the door, scribbling and some action noises all sound natural and add to the ambiance.

As a nice little bonus which may get you into the game further, "Hotel Dusk" also features optional rumble pak compatibility. So if you own one or happen to be a "Metroid Prime Pinball" player, be sure to break it out.

"Hotel Dusk" is a masterfully crafted experience, and a great throwback to an exploration/puzzle-solving genre you don't see much of in this day and age. The game makes phenomenal use of the DS touch screen, as it really maximizes its potential in context of Kyle Hyde's mystery. Not only is the game's presentation top-notch, but it is remarkably innovative and it's story easily rivals any major RPG of the past several years, too. I can only hope there are more DS games like "Hotel Dusk" in the future. How about a sequel, Nintendo?