411Mania writes: "It has been around four years since the launch of the DS, yet I can still recall how excited everyone was for the potential games to come on the system. There were games like Trauma Center, Feel the Magic, and most relative to this review, Phoenix Wright. Many were excited to see that perhaps the DS could be a small-scale revival of the adventure genre, and they certainly haven't been disappointed. With games like Hotel Dusk and Phoenix Wright, the adventure genre has truly flourished on the dual-screened portable. Naturally, other developers will want to take a stab at the suddenly rejuvenated genre, and that brings us to Unsolved Crimes. Unsolved Crimes is somewhat of a hybrid between the two aforementioned adventure games, which sounds great on paper. However, this entry into the mystery genre falls flat on its face."
VGC writes: "On my quest to try out all of the adventure games that the DS has to offer, I have played many games. Some were exciting and different like Theresia, and others were a bit bland, like the first Jake Hunter game. When it came to checking out a little budget game called Unsolved Crimes I was a bit worried, as budget games are hit or miss sometimes. One thing is very apparent after beating this game: you are either going to love it or hate it. For me it really boils down to how you approach the game."
AATG:
"It's obvious the developers were onto a real winner, here, but somewhere among the cheap script and silly pop quiz assessments, something got lost along the way. As a result, it's left as a game that deserves your attention, but won't leave any huge impression."
Thanks to the variety of murders and their sometimes graphic and brutal nature, working through suspects' motivations and the killer's method of attack is often compelling, and the kidnapping side plot, as well as the terrific, surprise final mystery, are very engaging. Fans of forensic analysis and a decent mystery yarn presented in starker, more realistic tones than other DS games will enjoy this title, and Nintendojo hopes it becomes a franchise like Phoenix Wright, potentially returning with more interaction with suspects and witnesses.
