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I started playing Trace Memory for the DS over the weekend. Absolutely awesome game. A few flaky lines, but it has a nice storyline, makes great use of the DS's capabilities, and has a few imaginitive puzzles (could be a bit more original or difficult, though).
The major problem is: It's short. I mean REALLY short. I mean like 'you're joking. It's over?!' short. I mean five hours short (and that's with a ton of wandering around trying to figure out what I missed). Then, there's the problem that the game's just too easy to be as short as it is. You have five chapters an interlude, and an epilouge. Both the interlude and epilouge (while necesarry) are simply talking. Well, before getting too far in, allow me to identify the cast.

Ashley Mizuki Robbins
Gender: female
Ashley is the daughter of Richard, but was raised by his sister, Jessica. For eleven years, Ashley believed her parents to be dead. Now, the day before her fourteenth birthday, she has arrived at Blood Edward Island after receiving a letter in the mail, from her 'dead' father. Accompanying this letter asking for her presence on said island for her birthday, is a small, mysterious device, labeled simply DTS (basically, it's a glorified DS based on memory reasearch). When Jessica disappears after looking for her father, Ashley takes it upon herself to brave the island alone and find her father, and the truth about both her parents and the first three years of her life.

'D'
Gender: None. (he used to be male)
A shadow of his former self, he can only remember two things: a mysterious symbol, and the letter 'D'. Appearing after Ahsley pushes aside a gravestone marked only by the same letter, D is shocked to learn that Ashley can see him. He is, after all, only a spirit. He explains his plight: he has lost all memories of his life. Without this vital information, D is incapable of departing to the next world, causing him to wander the island alone for fifty-seven years. He begs Ashley for her help, and she relucantly accepts, agreeing that they might be 'kindred spirits'. ("That was really corny, D." wink The strange symbol he remembers? It's emblazoned on his chest... The last thing he saw before he died...

Jessica Robbins
Gender: female
Jessica is Richard's sister, and Ashley's aunt. She practically raised Ahsley on her own. When the two of them arrived on Blood Edward Island to find that Richard is nowhere in sight, Jessica goes to look for him. She doesn't return...

Richard Robbins
Gender: male
Richard is Ashley's father. He is also a scientist. His field? Memories. He reaserched on Project Trace with Sayoko (who later became his wife), Jessica, and Bill. Later, after marriage, Sayoko convinced him to help her hide Project Trace from the world to keep their soon-to-be daughter safe. Together they sent a fake report to the government, saying there were many ethical as well as economical problems with Trace. However, word somehow got out about the lie and Sayoko was murdered before her daughter's horrified eyes. The experince was so traumatic that Ashley went into shock, causing herself amnesia. Richard, however, was convinced to begin Project Trace again. After it's completion, he sent a letter to Ashley telling her he wished to spend her fourteenth birthday with her. He also incased the key to Project Trace in the package, a small device known as the Trace System: the DTS.

Bill Edward
Gender: male
A direct descendant of the Edward bloodline, Bill was one of the original two who worked on Project Trace. He fell in love with the other worker, Sayoko, but she married Richard. After Sayoko's death, he convince Richard to take the project back up. "It's what Sayoko would want." Bill offered the island for Richard to work on, and was sent an E-mail after the project's completion...

Captain
Gender: male
Captain sails a ship. That's about it. He takes you to the island, he takes you home. However, he does impart some wisdom about memories. "Some remember I suppose. Just keep repeating what's important and you won't forget it." He tells you he'll leave before nightfall, but when you emerge that night, he's still there. Turns out he's been turning the whole island over for you. Other than Ashley, Captain is the only one who can see D.

Right, so there's a short and crappy description of the characters... Anyway...

As I said, some of the lines are a bit flaky. When D first meets Ashley and she asks why only she can see him, he says 'Because you have a pure heart'. I was hoping for something less cliche, or at least less corny, like: 'People see what they want to see.'
Later, I remember Bill was talking about something and I thought of something he absolutely should have said. Too bad... It was good too.
Then there's the problem of the game being way too short. Sure, just about everything is explained in detail, but so much more could have happened... D could have remembered important things less often, recalling more about his life than his death. Puzzles could definitely have come more often, and been a bit more difficult to do... Then again, maybe it's just the fact I have such an analytical mind.

Well, that's all I have time for now. If by some chance you have a DS, buy Trace Memory... or more rent it I suppose considering its length.
I, however, am proud to be the owner of such a gem (especially considering how rare 'point and click' games are and how common shooters are). Such games are few and far between. I know take a moment of silence for Trace Memory... (because I'm weird like that)