Professor Layton’s Wonders

Professor Layton is a hard game, or perhaps it’s the lateral thinking that’s actually hard and that if one were used to such processing it wouldn’t be as taxing. In any case I personally find that sometimes the puzzles require a little more grey matter than I can muster at the time.

For this reason I recently took the game to my friend’s house that has never played a game in her life. She never expressed an interest in such activities but she was very good at puzzles in general. During a chat over a cup of tea we got onto the subject of Professor Layton and my blog. To my surprise she became somewhat interested to find out what all the fuss was about.


So I presented her with the game to show her the first few levels and see what she thought. What a revelation that was! The expression; Duck to water, comes to mind. She flew through the first five levels, a point in which I got stuck several times. She was so absorbed by the game that I am yet to get my DSlite back as she’s borrowed it indefinitely. I don’t mind though as I treated myself to a new DSi this x-mas.

I’m a bit dismayed now though because she keeps talking about Hershel Layton as if he’s a real person which is slightly weird. But it is nice to have a friend whom shares an interest as much as I, especially as she’s never done this sort of thing before and I feel that I’ve taught her something about games; that they are not all immature or violent rubbish.

I think if her interest is maintained I will have to buy her a copy of the game, I’ll probably let her have my DSlite because it had started to collect dust. I just hope she can complete both Professor Layton and the Curious Village, and Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box, before Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel are released later this year so she can help me with that too.

You go girl!

Dr Layton

Last week was a long and miserable period. Unfortunately I became one of the statistics for the swine flu epidemic. Although I was diagnosed with swine flu, I’m was sure it was just flu, but I’m happy that the period of illness was recorded as special leave at work and did not add to my leave of absence this year.

It wasn’t all bad though, I certainly had time to solve the odd puzzle. I managed to beat my previous score on Professor Layton and the Curious Village and, despite my piggy ness I had such a lovely time with my feet up.

It’s back to the grind again now though, but with my x-mas leave imminent I’m sure that the Professor and I will have a nice relaxing crimbo free of flu, but full of treats.

I’d like to wish you all a very merry x-mas and a happy new year.

Characterisation

The Professor Layton series of puzzle games are some of the best executed portable games of recent times. No-one, including the developer Level 5, expected such a warm reception from the gaming public. Indeed many of the games' players would not have before considered that they play games as a past time and there has been a wide demographic of new people.

I think partly the reason for the games popularity is the intricately detailed characters and their relationships with each other. There are other puzzle games on the market but none can claim to have had the success that Professor Layton has enjoyed over the last few years during his release. When playing the game a great sense of drama is conveyed which helps motivate the player to solve the puzzle. Granted at times the relevance of some circumstances are a little stretched but mainly the plot does a good job of putting each puzzle into context.

The Japanese art style, Anime has helped portray these characters with such aplomb that one forms a similar relationship with the on-screen authoritative figure and his trusty side-kick. Luke is there to give Hershel a human soul and this dynamic helps the player identify with the Professor through Luke.

I have touched on this before but I find it quite fascinating that such a simple game has taken the world by storm. Last year Professor Layton and the Curious Village was incredibly hard to get hold of due in no small part to the unexpected popularity of the game. I paid nearly £65.00 for my copy but many were left without during the holiday season.

I’m looking forward to the final game from Level 5; Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel. And I expect more of the same from the Professor and me as his side-kick. Well, I can dream can’t I?

The Brain Train

As a regular player of Professor Layton and the Curious Village I have seen marked increase in my capacity for mental arithmetic. I work weekends at a club in my home town and during my last shift the tills went kaput.

All staff were required to work out the prices of drinks in their heads or on paper. Many of the staff found this hard going but I was surprised to find that I found this quite easy, so much so that it was actually quicker than inputting the prices into the till and allowing the machine to calculate the totals and change due.

To this end I have invented a new game; whenever I attend my weekly shop I will try to work out the exact amount of the bill to the nearest pound. I haven’t yet been shopping, it’s due this Friday but I am looking forward to it weirdly. If you have seen an increase in your mental abilities from playing this game I would very much like to hear from you as I’m sure that, in my case Professor Layton and the Curious Village had a part to play.

What are your thoughts on this matter? Have you seen any improvements in your own mantal abilities from playing this puzzle game?

Professor Layton and the Musical Score

Professor Layton and the Curious Village has some of the finest music written for a video game of recent times. The orchestrated melodies suit perfectly the intriguing nature of the game while adding a feeling of the Victorian era. The style is quirky and has been converted into a real orchestrated score.

Largely unappreciated, music and sound is one of the best ways to convey mood in a game in such subtle ways that if it were not present, a game (or indeed a movie) would not have the same impact. Professor Layton’s’ musical score has been written specifically with the appropriate instruments and sounds necessary to create a feeling of intrigue and mystery. I think that it works admirably and, while the European styling may be slightly romantic in its view of Europe it still works to pull you into Professor Layton’s world and keep you there.

The music of the Professor Layton trilogy of games, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box and Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel can be downloaded from several sources, some of which I have included here. Please see below for the links.

Related Links
Download Professor Layton and the Curious Village Theme Tune
Download Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box Theme Tune
Download Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel Theme Tune

Professor Layton Addict

What is it about professor Layton that has us so addicted? Personally it’s the mix of charming stylised visuals, fluid animation, unique music and the Victorian setting. Couple this with the brain exercise that Professor Layton gives using challenging puzzles and riddles and you have the perfect game to whittle away the hours.

Whilst playing Professor Layton and the Curious Village I rarely feel like I’m playing a video-game. Perhaps because the content is quite mature and intriguing that I feel more like I’m enjoying a game of Sudoku, or Mah-jongg. I’ve seen my nephew playing games such as Halo or Grand Theft Auto but those types of games seem to be all about action and violence which doesn’t appeal to me at all. I feel very calm when playing Professor Layton and it’s the perfect game to enjoy a lovely cup of tea and a biscuit (or two).

The relationships between the characters is also appealing, especially Hershel and Luke. All the characters are brimming with life and personality and some remind me of real people I have met at one time or another, which makes it a personal and a somewhat humorous experience. Although I’ve already completed the game I still like to try and complete the puzzles more efficiently, using no hints at all to try to beat my previous score. There are lots of hidden extras dotted about the game which I am yet to uncover.

I’ve also downloaded several new packs of puzzles from Nintendo’s excellent online service which, if you’ve finished Professor Layton and the Curious Village you should take a look at to help extend the available puzzles.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village is so different from any games before it that it’s unique approach to gaming has made it appeal to those who would never entertain a video game. I only hope that the success of the franchise paves the way for more games like this to be developed and that this new, more mature market can enjoy a much richer and diverse portfolio of games which appeal to it in the future.

With the new game; Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box just around the corner I’m brushing up on my skills again and limbering up the old grey matter ready for the onslaught. I’m sure to be hooked just as badly to Hershel Layton’s next adventure when it’s released on 25th September 2009.

Related Links
Pre-Order Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
Buy Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Professor Layton and the Curious Village Official Trailer

Related Links
Buy Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Professor Layton and the Curious Village Bargains

Professor Layton and the curious Village can be bought from E-bay for as little as £9.99. This price also includes the postage from a UK seller.

As part of an overstocking after the Christmas rush had passed, and to meet the demand of the market, Professor Layton and the Curious Village was bought in large numbers. This means that you can now buy this fantastic game for less than a tenner! So get over there now and grab yourself a bargain.

Related Links
Professor Layton and the Curious Village on E-Bay

Professor Layton and Curious Village Combos

Professor Layton and Curious Village is available as part of a combo pack containing the game and a Nintendo DSi. Priced at £117.99 this combination provides a saving of up to £20.00 where the DS and game are bought separately. An ideal gift for a loved one.

Related Links
Buy Professor Layton and the Curious Village and DS Lite Bundle

Professor Layton and the Christmas Rush

Professor Layton is a modern day phenomenon. In recent times no game has been so sought after be so many for so long. When Professor Layton and the Curious Village was released in November 2008 it wasn’t expected to sell as much as it did. If it was expected to sell in vast quantities then surely the manufacturer would’ve ensured that the shelves were properly stocked. Unfortunately because of the unforeseen popularity the stock levels were quickly diminished and at a time when stocks should really be healthy such as over the Christmas period. Some copies were being sold to desperate gamers for as much as £60.00.

A year on and the availability of Professor Layton and the Curious Village has been addressed. Many game stores have healthy levels of stock for this game and the prices have stabilized somewhat.

One would hope, before the imminent release of Professor Layton’s next adventure the Diabolical Box, that adequate stocks have been manufactured to prepare for the onslaught expected for the next game. The new adventure goes on general release in the UK on 25th September and is available for pre-order at the moment. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box is part 2 of what is expected to become a trilogy of puzzle games for the DS, DSlite and the DSi.

Related Links
Pre-Order Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
Buy a Nintendo DSi from £134.99