Ever since the iconic American writer Edgar Allan Poe wrote the C. Auguste Dupin trilogy, the mystery genre has been one of the most popular genres in books, films, shows, and other forms of media. Beloved titles like Danganronpa, Ace Attorney, and L.A. Noire prove that this popularity extends to even video games.
With the Nintendo DS being the second best-selling console ever made according to Nintendo's sales numbers, it's not surprising that the DS would have plenty of mystery titles to satisfy that large audience. Some of these titles, like Touch Detective, stand out among the rest.
Time Hollow
Written by Junko Kawano, who also created the time-traveling adventure game Shadow of Memories, Time Hollow is a 2007 visual novel adventure game that also centers around time travel. On his 17th birthday, the main character, Ethan Kairos, wakes up in an alternate timeline where his parents disappeared 12 years ago. After obtaining a family heirloom called a "Hollow Pen," he is able to use the pen to open portals through time.
Using these new abilities, Ethan must solve the mystery behind his parents' disappearance and protect his friends from some dangerous events that begin happening. Though the game's plot is extremely similar to YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World and the characters are mostly just typical anime archetypes, the no-nonsense writing and interesting mystery make the experience worth a playthrough.
Jake Hunter Detective Story: Memories of the Past
Even though the Tantei Jingūji Saburō or Jake Hunter series is popular in Japan, it's relatively obscure internationally because most of the titles have remained exclusive to Japan. Beginning in 1987 on the Famicom Disk System, the series finally arrived in North America in 2008 with the DS title Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles. But, the subpar localization and cut content led to Aksys Games releasing a fixed version the next year titled Jake Hunter Detective Story: Memories of the Past.
Similarly to novels like The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep, this hard-boiled detective series follows a middle aged private eye, Jake Hunter, as he solves gruesome cases. This installment contains six cases, which includes the first five mobile game cases and one original case made exclusively for the DS.
Flower, Sun, and Rain
Created by well-known video game director Goichi Suda, Flower, Sun, and Rain is an obscure adventure game that was originally released only in Japan for the PS2 in 2001. Later, the game was finally released internationally when it was ported to the DS in 2008. Set on the island resort of Lospass, the game follows Sumio Mondo who is a "searcher," which is someone who makes a living finding things that people have lost.
Although he was hired by the manager of the hotel "Flower, Sun, and Rain" to defuse a bomb, he gets distracted by the other island residents and the bomb goes off. Now, he's stuck in a time-loop and must solve various puzzles across the island, help the residents, and stop the bomb.
Touch Detective
Released in 2006, Touch Detective is a point-and-click adventure game that has a Tim Burton-esque art-style and hilarious dialogue. After her father, who was a detective, passed away, the main character, a young girl named Mackenzie, is trying to become a detective as well. With the help of her family's several-hundred-year-old butler Cromwell, she must solve four cases in order to be accepted into the Great Detective Society.
To solve the cases within this unique fantasy world, the player must touch all the objects in the rooms, and Mackenzie will record them in her "Touch List." In 2007, the game received a sequel titled Touch Detective 2 ½. While there've been other installments, they've all been Japan-only.
Another Code: Two Memories
Known as Trace Memory in North America, Another Code: Two Memories is an obscure and beautifully designed 2005 point-and-click adventure title. Created by Japanese indie game developer Cing, the game follows a 13-year-old girl named Ashley Mizuki Robbins who decides to visit Blood Edward Island in order to find her father. After befriending a ghost boy named "D," the two work together to explore the island, solve puzzles, and uncover the truth behind their pasts.
Depending on how much the player investigates or if they are on a new game plus save, they will receive one of several different endings. In 2009, a sequel titled Another Code: R – A Journey into Lost Memories was released for the Wii.
Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Another mystery game created by Cing and possibly one of the best visual novels ever made is Hotel Dusk: Room 215. Released in 2007, this point-and-click adventure title follows a former N.Y.P.D. detective, Kyle Hyde, as he visits a rundown motel called "Hotel Dusk" to look for his former partner, Brian Bradley.
After checking into Room 215, which is rumored to grant wishes, Hyde discovers that the motel does hold the secrets to multiple mysteries from both his and Bradley's past. Depending on the player's actions, they will achieve different endings. Besides having a 2010 sequel titled Last Window: The Secret of Cape West, Cing also created another separate mystery game titled Again: Interactive Crime Novel that shares many gameplay similarities.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Directed by Shu Takumi, who also created the Ace Attorney series, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a 2010 cult-classic adventure game where the player controls a ghost named Sissel. Using the power of "Ghost Tricks," Sissel can move objects and travel back in time four minutes before a person's death.
Together with a young detective named Lynne, Sissel must use his powers to prevent people's deaths and uncover the mystery behind his own death before dawn arrives. Over time, they discover that another ghost may also be using their powers to manipulate events.
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
Released in 2009, Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is a visual novel escape-the-room adventure game and the first installment of the Zero Escape trilogy. The game follows a college student named Junpei who is abducted along with eight other people by a mysterious person named Zero. While trapped on a cruise ship, Junpei and the rest are forced to play a deadly game called the "Nonary Game."
If the participants break the rules or are unable to beat the game before nine hours, they will die. Depending on the player's choices, they will achieve one of six different endings, and the true ending requires the player to experience the various routes.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
After creating the original Ace Attorney trilogy on the GBA, the last mainline title in the franchise that Shu Takumi worked on was Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, which is one of the best games on the DS. Released in 2007, this visual novel legal drama adventure game follows rookie attorney Apollo Justice as he tries to solve cases and defend clients in court with the help of Phoenix Wright's adopted daughter Trucy Wright.
Like Phoenix and later Athena Cykes, Apollo has a special ability that he can use to help solve cases, which is called the "Perceive System." This ability allows Apollo to notice when people make small, nervous movements. As the game continues, it's slowly revealed that everything is tied to the case seven years ago that led to Phoenix losing his badge.
Professor Layton
Along with the Inazuma Eleven, Ni no Kuni, and Yo-kai Watch franchises, Professor Layton is one of the most popular franchises from the Japanese video game developer Level-5. Debuting on the DS, this puzzle adventure series has had multiple sequels, prequels, and spin-offs on both the DS and other consoles. Since Professor Layton was inspired by Ace Attorney, the two franchises even had a crossover on the 3DS in 2014.
Though the games focus on different settings and characters, they often focus on the titular Professor Hershel Layton and his apprentice Luke Triton. To progress through the mystery, players have to solve a minimum amount of puzzles during the experience.