Last updated: 06/26/2006 by Stan Ferguson

It’s a little known legend that in Los Angeles circa 1979 there was a hotel room with the ability to grant wishes. Nintendo will be documenting this obscure little tale in Hotel Dusk: Room 215, a new title by Trace Memory developer Cing. Adding to the verisimilitude, players will take the role of significant historical figure Kyle Hyde, a former cop who moved on to the glamorous world of salesmanship. When a close friend of his goes missing at Hotel Dusk, Kyle must use his police background to solve the case.

Cing seems intent on keeping the old PC adventure games alive and well on the Nintendo DS. First with Trace Memory and now with the recently announced Hotel Dusk: Room 215, Cing is providing mystery games that are heavy with story and atmosphere. Hotel Dusk takes the Trace Memory formula and stands it on its side—literally. Like Brain Age, when playing Hotel Dusk the player will hold the DS like a book to solve puzzles. You’ll also question characters about the goings-on in the hotel. Whether or not the game allows players to order take-out rather than room service has not been divulged.

One of the more interesting aspects of Hotel Dusk is the use of rotoscoping—an animation technique where animators trace over filmed actors frame by frame. This technique was used to great effect in several of the classic Disney films, Ah-Ha’s "Take On Me" music video, and box office success Titan A.E. Based on the trailer and screen shots, the black and white color scheme and character animations will add a film noir aspect to the game.

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is set to arrive sometime after October. If Trace Memory is any indication of quality, then Hotel Dusk could be a quirky addition to any PC-style adventure fan’s collection. That’s assuming, of course, that games like Space Quest weren’t quirky enough already.