Touch Detective 2.5 & Contact

Alright, I have been seriously neglecting my Reviewing duties.. but for good reason! I have been really trying to finish Touch Detective 2 and 1/2 and Contact, both Nintendo DS games. As of this review, I have not finished either of them. Yeah, I’m awful at this whole review thing… But, here we go anyway.

First, Touch Detective 2 and 1/2. This is probably one of the best detective-ish games I have played, and is applicable for all members of the family. The detective (a 9-ish year old girl) solves non-violent crimes against a man dressed as corn, and involves the same 20 characters through about 6 scripted and 20-ish unscripted “cases”. The detective work is creative and outside-the-box, the writing and characters are witty and charming, and the colors are rich and truly enjoyable. Yes, there are a few “can’t do _this_ until you do _this specific thing_”. that can get annoying, but it the flow is, for the most part, intuitive. Probably the most innovative, as well as the most frustrating, was the “free roam” section, where you wander around the town helping people with things (such as getting into the “guy club” and finding a way to pet an evil cat, or finding a new “touch”). This part is actually where I gave up on the game, as ou have to just wander & talk to people in order to find the next case; there are times you wander around the town 4 times before finding your next case. Seriously, a hint somewhere wouldn’t kill them… not that I’m bitter.

So.. Touch Detective 2 and 1/2, I definite suggest… especially if everyone in the family has a DS… just let the most gamer-related member play first, to help the others when they get stuck on something.

Contact is an interesting premise, but does not deliver everything it could. You, as the gamer, have contacted another world via your DS. Neat idea, huh? You poke the scientist, he asks you some personal questions, and you think “awesome! interaction with an AI!”

No, that’s where the AI ends. After that you direct a bitmap character around various dungeons, caves, cities, and buildings, leveling up your character, collecting stuff that you probably won’t use.

It continuously teases you with innovative ideas… Secrets to wear “outfits” to change who you are (mole outfit, chefs outfit, etc). “Great!” you think, “I can cook up some raw meat now!” No, you only change clothes when you are at the base, which only happens when you die.

After a few dungeons, you realize this is another 8-bit hack-and-slash, level-die-level-win-level-die stream, and I tell ya, Unemployed Ninja was more fun about it than this is.

Overall, Contact is like a slutty prom date … offering up so many possibilities, but leaves you at the door step, realizing your imagination and a video will be more satisfying than the $60 you just spent for a handshake.

Long story short: Touch Detective: YES YES YES!! Contact: NO!

Next time: Imagination: Fashion Garbage and Picrossxxxoodamnit!