[AndreaDraco83]

Since I'm about to finish Phoenix Wright - finally! That damned last case seemed endless to me (and pretty bad, unfortunately) -, now I'm wondering and thus asking to everyone played both the games: what should I play next? Time Hollow or Another Code?

[fov]

I liked both games a lot. Another Code has more traditional gameplay (as opposed to Time Hollow which is almost all story and no puzzles). It's also been out longer so you'll probably be able to find it cheaper than Time Hollow. But I personally thought Time Hollow was a great game so I have a hard time discouraging you from buying it.

I know! Get both.

[Henke]

I would recommend Another Code.

Both games are decent although Hotel Dusk and The Ace Attorney games are far superior IMO.

[Kurufinwe]

I loved Time Hollow (despite the lack of difficulty / gameplay). When I first played it, I found the story so gripping (and so unpredictable in its twists) that I could hardly put the DS down, and I ended up playing it in just two long sessions, stopping only to sleep a bit.

I'm not overly fond of Another Code. The gameplay mostly consists of fetch quests combined with all the gimmicky DS stuff that stops feeling fresh after your third DS game. And I thought the story was mostly boring and predictable, with an annoying main character that seems to be taken straight from The Big Book of Clichés (section: 'Cute Little, Vulnerable Girl'). However, D (the ghost sidekick) is interesting, and brings some genuine emotion to the game. So, at the end of the day, it's somewhat worth playing if you have too much money and time on your hands, but I'd say that you wouldn't miss much if you decided to skip it.

[stepurhan]

I'd second fov's view. If you're looking for more of a game then go with Another Code. If you're looking for a fascinating story, go with Time Hollow.

I prefer to think of Another Code making good use of the DS capabilities rather than getting into "gimmicky stuff" but I can see where Kurufinwe is coming from on that one.

[Henke]

To clarify my views on the subject, I also think that both games are more or less equally good (or bad).

Since Time Hollow has very little actual gameplay it relies on the story to 100%. The story isn't bad but it really copies the plot from the movie Butterfly Effect and that movie handles the premise in a far more interesting manner than the game IMO. That kind of ruined it a bit for me.

[orient]

I haven't had the chance to play Time Hollow yet, but I really enjoyed Another Code. It's rather short, 6-8 hours long but the story is really interesting and the characters are great. Plus, as a lover of Hotel Dusk, it's cool to see the origins of some of Cing's great ideas and how they've evolved between games.

[AndreaDraco83]

Ah, it's a really tough decision.

Shadow of Memories initially left me pretty cold but in the end it turned out to be one of the most intense games I've played since Dreamfall, and Time Hollow, coming from the same author, seems perfect.

On the other hand, Hotel Dusk is probably my favorite DS game - at least amongst the DS adventures I've played - and Another Code comes from the same developers.

I really don't know, but I guess that - since story is the most important thing for me - I could begin with Time Hollow

[Matan]

Hotel Dusk is one of my favorite games too, but I still didn't like Another Code very much. Time Hollow is really great, so I'd recommend that one. Also, you could still play the remaining 3 Ace Attorney games The 4th one is so-so but I thought the 2nd and 3rd ones are amazing.

[AndreaDraco83]

I've already played Apollo Justice and I'll definitely play PW2 and 3, but right now I need a diversion from courtroom dramas

[3rdFloor]

Originally Posted by fov

I know! Get both.

Yeah! That's what I usually do when I hesitate between two games.

[AndreaDraco83]

I've started Time Hollow. And now I'm at Chapter Two.

I'm loving it! I like every character, even the minor ones - they are all so cute! And the graphics are just awesome. Some dusky scenes, when the sky is an intense orange and everything shines, are so beautiful that I keep staring at them.

And obviously the story is so mysterious that I'm fully intrigued

[AndreaDraco83]

A quick update: I'm at Chapter Four.

The good thing is that I'm liking Time Hollow immensely, and my head doesn't even hurt as much as it did with Shadow of Memories

The bad thing is that, since I've read Emily's review, I know that the game is brief and I'm forcing myself to play it very slowly, so that it can last a little longer...

[AndreaDraco83]

Ah, I couldn't help it and I finished Time Hollow.

I liked it, even if I must admit that the alternate ending was nothing special. I mean...

Spoiler:

Pamela calls for Ethan because the breakfast is ready... and that's it?

I can safely say that I liked Shadow of Memories a lot more, but Time Hollow is undoubtedly one of the best DS adventures I've played, perhaps the best after Hotel Dusk, and surely better - at least for my taste - than the Phoenix Wright games. TH was charming and fascinating, with loads of characters for me to bond with, with a riveting (and mind-blowing) story and an emotional peak near the end that was really intense.

I still have two questions left, though, and I'm wondering if they get an answer if I replay the whole game or if they are simply red herring.

Spoiler:

1) During the epilogue, when he's at Chronos, Ethan wonders why Morris is so hard on studying and thinks: "I have to ask him sometime". Is it possible to ask Morris why? Or is it just a thought of Ethan, a nice way to end the Morris sub-plot?

2) Can anything be done for Vin so that he may made to the baseball team? After Ashley told Ethan about the incident, I tried to make Ethan go back and settle it, but I couldn't

Thanks!

[Harald B]

You didn't see the real alternate ending, which has some very good moments. When Pamela calls, go after Sox instead. Then be sure to make the correct choices (I won't spoil the rest here). If you have to go through the chapters again instead of seeing the credits very soon, you didn't do it right.

[AndreaDraco83]

I did.

Spoiler:

I went after Sox. I met Irving. I asked him for another day. The there was the scene with Derek, Timothy and Ethan... And then Ethan woke up with Sox on his chest and Pamela called from downstairs.

[Harald B]

Spoiler:

And you didn't think the meeting with Irving and the scene afterwards were anything special? Really? We'll agree to disagree then. Those were strong moments for me and had me kicking myself for not noticing sooner.

[AndreaDraco83]

Spoiler:

Well, I'd say that they are anything special in comparison with the main ending, which I found more fulfilling and satisfying

Sox is wonderful. I've started to call my own cat "Sox", but she's too used to "Leona" to answer at that

[AndreaDraco83]

I actually got a third, more satisfying ending

Spoiler:

In the Epilogue, if you don't open the Hole in your room and exit the house, you can go around town and speaks with the various characters and realize that all of them are seeing Sox all over the city, feeding him and so on. When you finally open the Hole in Ethan's room, Sox will say "Thanks - see you later". And when Ethan wishes himself luck, Sox will say "And to you too". I just love the kitty

This ending also allows you to talk with every character (minus Morris: I couldn't find him anywhere) once more, and discover some other tidbits about their lives after all the time-meddling. Anyway, now that I've experience this third ending (albeit it being just a minor variation of the first one), I'm really satisfied: I grew fond of every character in the game, and I'd love to see, some day, a continuation of their stories.

Spoiler:

I'd like to see Morris becoming an accomplished veterinary, Vin maybe a pro-basketball player and Ben finally finding the love of his life. And I'd like to know what happens to Ethan, the "new" Kori and all the other members of the gang

After a good snooping around I also found an explanation about the Morris problem that I mentioned early...

Spoiler:

Some Japanese players reckon that Morris' story has been penalized by the translation and first and foremost by our different culture, since - in the original version - he was supposed to represent the strong youth that has the courage to rebel to the strict and pressurizing Japanese school system - and parental imposition - to fulfill his desires, despite all the external intrusions and constraints. Anyway, discovering that Sox was Morris' most loyal customer was a real blast! Eheh

Ah, Time Hollow left me with a wonderful feeling inside, and - quoting the ending sentence of The Deathly Hallows - I'm so glad and overjoyed that "all was well".

And now I'm ready to start Another Code!

[AndreaDraco83]

I'm at Chapter Two of Another Code and, so far, I'm pretty disappointed in the game. Please, give me a good story with no puzzles at all (Ã* la Time Hollow) more than a cliched story with contrived puzzles all over it -- seriously, in less than an hour of play, a slider, a jigsaw and two mechanical mechanisms?

I really, really hope that the story gets better soon, otherwise I might not stand the - Kurufinwe said it perfectly - gimmicky DS stuff.