Week of 2/10/2008

The Professor

It seems that about once per year a game comes out on the DS that completely takes me by surprise with its unique style and gameplay. First it was Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, a quirky little title the likes of which I had never seen before. With its wacky courtroom antics and fantastic dialog, Phoenix Wright remained my favorite DS game for quite some time. The next year came Hotel Dusk: Room 215. While we'd seen adventure games on the DS before, none of them had really piqued my interest. But a game that played like a noir mystery novel, complete with plot twists, intrigue, and especially hidden passages, Hotel Dusk kept me riveted until the eventual conclusion.

I've been wondering which game will succeed Phoenix Wright and Hotel Dusk as my two favorite titles on the DS. To be honest, I haven't powered on my DS for anything other than the occasional Fremont Friday game since December. Phantom Hourglass failed to inspire me and nothing else on the console really grabbed me during the holiday season.

Enter Professor Layton and the Curious Village, an incredible - and unique - creation by Level 5, a development studio I've always respected, even though the genres they work in don't always interest me.



That trailer should give you a feel for the style and mood of the game. I'm a sucker for mystery stories and have been ever since my mom got me hooked on Sherlock Holmes as a kid. But Professor Layton doesn't just take the Phoenix Wright angle by having you talk to townsfolk and searching for clues. There's also a puzzle element that is actually the bulk of the game. You see, everyone in this "Curious Village" seems to be obsessed with puzzles. Indeed they claim puzzles are their number one export. So everyone you come across will ask you to solve their own little puzzle before they're willing to talk to you or give you clues. And while it's a little "game-y" and far-fetched, which sort of takes away from the mystery novel aspect of the game, the puzzles are so well done and so varied that without them the game wouldn't be nearly as intriguing.

The puzzles consist of logic puzzles, optical illusions, object puzzles, and even the odd geometry question. All of them are at least mild mind-benders, so if you don't feel like thinking too hard, you may want to skip it. But to me, this game is perfect for relaxing before turning in for the night. For the past two days I've sat in bed playing for at least forty-five minutes each night, exercising my brain and enjoying the style and atmosphere of the game.

As you could see by the trailer above, the game shares a similar style to the animated film The Triplets of Belleville...



As most Level 5 games are, the presentation is top notch, including the best animation and voice work I've ever seen on the DS. It's highly recommended by me, and I hope everyone here at least checks it out.

As an aside, here's the trailer for the Japanese sequel, which has already been confirmed for a US release.



We've got some good stuff coming for you in the next week. It's just a matter of finding time to get it to you. First up is a review of The Simpsons game from Dale Kulas, aka: Gruel. Gruel has offered to write some reviews for Team Fremont and we're eager to take him up on that offer. Next, we should be seeing part two of Philthy's Excellent Adventure, which will chronicle the second half of his trip to the States, including his experience at The Daryls. And finally, this weekend's podcast will include not only a review of Professor Layton and the Curious Village, but also reviews of Rainbow Islands Revolution for the PSP and Twisted Metal Head On - Extra Twisted Edition for the PS2. Thanks to Ignition Entertainment and to Sony respectively for sending those games over.

John