Yet another gem that's destined to be overlooked.
Adventure games for the DS have really come into their own. Game developers have shown repeatedly that the genre feels right at home on Nintendo's popular handheld. The nature of the genre allows designers to present their games in a way only the DS can permit, resulting in unique and memorable experiences. It's too bad, then, that the games that are most deserving of attention get lost in the shuffle, leaving things up to word-of-mouth or Internet forums to get unaware gamers to take notice. Such is the case with Aksys Games' Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (also known as 999).
In 999, you play as Junpei, an average college student in a not-so-average situation: for reasons unknown, Junpei ends up on a cruise liner ship that's rigged to sink in nine hours if he and eight other players don't complete a twisted game. The Nonary Game, as it's called, is run by an enigmatic character named Zero who seems to think combining puzzles and despair are a great idea for a game. The obvious questions that arise are: who is Zero? Why is he running this game? Who are the other players? You will find the answers, but oftentimes the answers just lead to more questions, and when things start to fall into place, your mind is blown. The game leaves some parts of the plot open to interpretation, and despite one seemingly irrelevant subplot that players will undoubtedly try to analyze, you will love every moment of the story.
A major part of 999's story and puzzles involve a real-life math formula called a digital root, which is basically the sum of a sum. Add some numbers together, and if the result is greater than 10, you keep adding its digits together until the result is a single digit. If you're the type of player who runs at the sight of anything that looks like math, take comfort in knowing that the game doesn't leave you hanging to figure things out for yourself, thanks to straightforward tutorials that are always available. 999 even includes a handy in-game calculator so you can get what you need quickly and move on. Not all of 999's puzzles involve math; the game runs the gamut of traditional puzzle themes, including pattern recognition, logic, and memorization. Don't be put off by the "nine hours" part of the game's title; there is no time pressure in 999, so you can take your time to ponder all of your actions.
And you will ponder your actions, since 999 offers multiple paths that affect the puzzles you encounter, as well as the endings you receive. There is a true ending, but to get it requires that you witness a specific bad ending. Although that might sound like a flaw (who wants to be forced to watch a bad ending?), the reason behind it is what makes 999's story so compelling. Mercifully, you can fast-forward through any text that you've read once you've completed the game the first time. If you happen to come across any new text, the game smartly disables the fast-forward so you don't miss it. Even if you happen to miss something, you can scroll back to previously displayed text. Also, any choices you've made in a previous run will be greyed out, making it easy to find new paths. The game designers have got your back.
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors offers a perfect mixture of brain teasers and suspense that nine hours may literally pass before you realize it. There are some moments of inconsistent pacing, but when you're presented with a plot as compelling as 999's, chances are you won't mind too much. Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors may end up being another victim among many DS games that don't get a fair shake, but if you play it, you won't forget it.