Previews

E3 2008: Hands on with Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir on DS

Whodunit?

E3 2008: Hands on with Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir on DS

Adventure games are a dime a dozen on DS, which initially left us a little surprised that Nintendo intends to usher another into the handheld's library with Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir. But after going hands-on with this cute take on classic adventure gaming, we think it's money. MillionHeir finally offers up a stylish adventure game that makes sense on DS and can be played without the need to tear our your hair in frustration.

Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir launches you into an investigation to determine the rightful heir of a million-dollar estate. Like an interactive game of Cluedo (Clue to our North American readers), you're charged with finding evidence and interrogating key figures to pinpoint the person destined to receive the deceased's fortune.

It's a light-hearted mystery that takes on a cartoon-like style that's utterly charming. Characters are marked by exaggerated features and pun-laden names like the upper crust money maven, Phil T Rich. Whereas the still backgrounds used during story sequences and gameplay are absolutely gorgeous, brimming with detail and colour. Differing from the sketchbook stylings of Hotel Dusk: Room 215, Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir takes on an almost storybook visual appearance that's rather appealing.

Unlike most adventure games that have you tackling convoluted puzzles with intricate interactions, MillionHeir focuses primarily on locating objects hidden within a variety of static scenes. Much like the children's book Where's Wally (Waldo), your job is to find a list of objects that are blended into the surrounding scene. Some objects are fairly simply to find, especially when you first start the game, but they become increasingly difficult to locate the further your progress through the game.

Enumerated on the top screen is a list of items to find, while the touchscreen provides a view of your set. Using the D-pad you can pan across the scene and when you've located an item, tapping it with the stylus allows you to store it in your inventory. Naturally, the item automatically gets checked off your list. At any time you begin to have trouble finding a particular item, hints are available to nudge you along. You're only supplied with a limited number of hints, however, so you'll want to be judicious in spending them.

Complementing the single-player story will be head-to-head multiplayer that pits you in a competition with a chum to see who can find more objects in a given scene within a set time. Unfortunately, we weren't afforded the opportunity to check it out, but the game's release in September 8th (in North America) means there's not that much of a wait for you to test it out yourself.

Tracy Erickson
Tracy Erickson
Manning our editorial outpost in America, Tracy comes with years of expertise at mashing a keyboard. When he's not out painting the town red, he jets across the home of the brave, covering press events under the Pocket Gamer banner.