It’s amazing how small things can take us back in time — how a smell, a taste, a sound, a sight can trigger surprisingly specific memories, from surprisingly far back. The “Mystery Case Files” series is a powerful trigger. Its hidden-object puzzles remind you how much fun you used to have with “I Spy” books, and how long it’s been since you’ve had to find hedge trimmers disguised in the spokes of a ship’s wheel, or a snake hiding in a pile of rope.
The folks behind “Mystery Case Files” have parlayed this small slice of nostalgia into one of the best-selling game series out there, but the true mystery is why someone would choose to revisit this age-old pleasure in video game form. The age-old pleasure is too sleepy for adults to experience solo, and it would seem far more special for a parent and child to explore a tangible book, right in front of them, than stare at a screen across their living room.
“Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident,” the series’ first foray on the Wii, starts promisingly enough. In the manner of Agatha Christie’s classic “And Then There Were None,” you arrive at an island, confronted with the shouted instructions of a disembodied voice. The game then follows a cycle of coming to an obstacle, finding a set number of objects hidden in a static scene, and then getting an item that helps you clear the obstacle. The Wii Remote, with its pointer ability, is admittedly a great fit for this task, but who wants to point and click when they can peruse and touch?
| ‘Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident’ |
| » System: Wii |
| » Price: $29.99 |
| » Rating: 2 out of 5 stars |
If you’re in the market for hidden-object objectives for you and you kids, “The Malgrave Incident” offers nothing that scores of books have not done better.
If you’re in the market for a point-and-click Wii adventure that makes sense as a video game, you’re better off trying “Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure,” “Tales of Monkey Island,” “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney,” “Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars (The Director’s Cut),” or either of the “Sam & Max” games.
