The DS really has been like a good wine- it has got better with age. There's no better exponent of how the dual-screened wonder's software library has grown in quality than Hotel Dusk. This is Cing's second DS project: Another Code was their debut DS title, and was released in the aftermath of the console's European release. It was a quirky, charming graphic adventure-style game in the mould of PC adventure games of old, but distinguished by touch-screen control and puzzles, a fascinating storyline, delicately beautiful soundtrack and interesting characters. It was let down by its dreadfully short lifespan. Yet, Cing had put themselves on the map, and it was with excitement that we learnt of a follow-up title: Hotel Dusk. The good news is that by all accounts, Hotel Dusk blows Another Code out of the water on just about every front. Here's what its all about.

In brilliantly cliched film noir style, Hotel Dusk places you in the shoes of Kyle Hyde, an ex-NYPD cop who apparently killed his partner. He's a man with a grudge against the world. Etcetera, etcetera. Circumstances lead Kyle to a mysterious hotel, which is where the events of Hotel Dusk take place. A web of intrigue is slowly revealed, with secrets of the past dug up, through Kyle's dealings with the weird and wonderful inhabitants of the hotel.

The first thing you'll notice about Hotel Dusk is that the game forces you to hold your DS in a vertical orientation, á la Brain Training. This is a graphic novel, after all. But, as you may have guessed, it's a graphic novel with a twist. Like Another Code before it, Hotel Dusk is heavily dependent on plot. Most of the game's actual gameplay comes from conversing with characters you meet along the way- asking, answering questions, and navigating dialogue trees. Exploring the hotel's environment and the touch-screen puzzles make up the remainder of the gameplay. There's a hell of a lot more variety here than in the likes of Phoenix Wright- and my love for that game is no secret.

A game like Hotel Dusk, which is even more dependent on conversations than its predecessor, lives or dies on the strength of the script and the coherence of the story. Thankfully, like Phoenix Wright, Hotel Dusk has benefited from a top-class translation. You will want to know just what is going on in this hotel- about Kyle's past, and about the supposed wish-granting qualities of room 215. It's a story that will keep you gripped from start to finish, and that's just how we like 'em.

This time around, Cing have opted to use a full 3D engine to render the game world. You drag the stylus on an overhead map, with movement taking place in 3D on the other screen. The engine is smooth and effective, and although the DS' limitations are painfully obvious, the resulting style is pleasing and effective. You use the stylus to explore rooms, investigate objects, and- brilliantly, you can even make use of a notebook to write notes and reminders for yourself.

As for character design, everybody you meet in the game is rendered in 2D, with the animé-influences of Another Code being dropped in favour of a startling pencil-sketched style that is entirely unique. The style, in fact, has been repeatedly likened to A-Ha's 'Take on Me' video.

Structurally, the game is sound, with Kyle's stay in the hotel being broken down into 'chapters', with each chapter representing 30 minutes of in-game events. The game is unquestionably a lot longer than Cing's last effort, and you won't be left feeling short-changed this time around. Could this be the finest adventure game (in the traditional sense) since the golden age of Sierra and Lucasarts?

All in all, this is another essential title for the DS, that has been built from the ground up with the system's touch and dual-screen functionality in mind. A great story, wonderful art style and engaging puzzles, dialogue and effective controls should be more than enough for you to put this at the top of your most wanted list. Hotel Dusk, and others like it, are the reason why I love my DS.