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The {{nihongo|'''''Professor Layton'''''|レイトン教授|Reiton-kyōju}} series is a [[Puzzle video game|puzzle]] [[video game]] series for the [[Nintendo DS]] and is developed by [[Nintendo]] and [[Level-5]]. The series currently consists of four games and one film. At least two more games for the [[Nintendo 3DS]] and at least one more film are due for |
The {{nihongo|'''''Professor Layton'''''|レイトン教授|Reiton-kyōju}} series is a [[Puzzle video game|puzzle]] [[video game]] series for the [[Nintendo DS]] and is developed by [[Nintendo]] and [[Level-5]]. The series currently consists of four games and one film. At least two more games for the [[Nintendo 3DS]] and at least one more film are due for 2011/2012. The first three games are about Professor Layton and Luke's adventures together. The next three games and the film are prequels and are about how Luke and Layton met and their "original" adventures. Although only the first trilogy is available outside of Japan, Level 5 has stated that eventually the other games and films will be localized. |
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Each title is based in a series of puzzles and mysteries given by the citizens of towns that the main characters visit. It is not necessary to solve all the puzzles to progress, but some are mandatory and at certain points in the game a minimum number of puzzles must be solved before the story will continue. |
Each title is based in a series of puzzles and mysteries given by the citizens of towns that the main characters visit. It is not necessary to solve all the puzzles to progress, but some are mandatory and at certain points in the game a minimum number of puzzles must be solved before the story will continue. |
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Revision as of 21:28, 28 October 2010
| Professor Layton | |
|---|---|
 The logo of the Professor Layton series. | |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle, adventure, interactive novel |
| Developer(s) | Level-5 |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS |
| First release | Professor Layton and the Curious Village |
| Latest release | Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (feature film) |
The Professor Layton (レイトン教授, Reiton-kyōju) series is a puzzle video game series for the Nintendo DS and is developed by Nintendo and Level-5. The series currently consists of four games and one film. At least two more games for the Nintendo 3DS and at least one more film are due for 2011/2012. The first three games are about Professor Layton and Luke's adventures together. The next three games and the film are prequels and are about how Luke and Layton met and their "original" adventures. Although only the first trilogy is available outside of Japan, Level 5 has stated that eventually the other games and films will be localized.
Each title is based in a series of puzzles and mysteries given by the citizens of towns that the main characters visit. It is not necessary to solve all the puzzles to progress, but some are mandatory and at certain points in the game a minimum number of puzzles must be solved before the story will continue.
The series has gone on to be one of the most successful Nintendo DS exclusive series, with the lifetime cumulative sales of Professor Layton games standing at 10 million units sold as of October 2010. [1]
History
Professor Layton was a direct result of Akihiro Hino's childhood love of Akira Tago's popular Mental Gymnastics series of puzzle books, which have sold more than 12 million copies to date in Japan.
The main character in the games is Professor Hershel Layton, a renowned archaeologist and a well-mannered gentleman. He is called to solve various mysteries in different places. Professor Layton is always accompanied by his apprentice Luke Triton, a cheerful and curious boy who brings a touch of humor to the story of Layton. According to Hino, Layton is partly inspired by the character of Phoenix Wright of the Ace Attorney series, wanting to improve over the "bad points" of Phoenix's character in developing Layton.[2]
Games
- Professor Layton and the Curious Village (レイトン教授と不思議な町)[3]
- Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (レイトン教授と悪魔の箱)[4]
- Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (レイトン教授と最後の時間旅行)
- Professor Layton and the Specter's Flute (レイトン教授と魔神の笛)
- Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle (レイトン教授と奇跡の仮面)
There was also a "Friendly Version" for The Curious Village, from which all weekly puzzles are unlocked, as well as the game being slightly easier for those who were troubled previously. For Diabolical Box, the Japan-only "Level-5 Premium Silver/Gold" collections on Nintendo DS included an exclusive side-story, "Professor Layton and the London Holiday" (レイトン教授とロンドンの休日) in addition to the actual game and another Level-5 game, Inazuma Eleven. The Holiday in London includes ten puzzles, some of which are from the first game, and a short storyline, set in Professor Layton's London office, in which he reminisces about his previous adventures around the world.
A new mobile phone Professor Layton game is intended for release around the same time as the fifth game. However it is unknown when the game will be released in North America.
Professor Layton VS Gyakuten Saiban is a crossover game between the Ace Attorney series and the Professor Layton series; it is being co-developed by Capcom and Level-5 for the Nintendo 3DS. It is described as a combination of the two game styles - puzzle solving and crime investigation. Shu Takumi, the main writer of the original Ace Attorney games, will be writing the script for this title.[5]
Setting and characters
The game takes place in and around contemporary London. The titular character is Hershel Layton, a professor of archeology at a local university and with a keen intellect and insight into solving puzzles. He is often followed by his assistant, the young Luke Triton, who also is adept at solving puzzles. Following the events of The Curious Village, Layton is joined by Flora Reinhold who helps to tend his university offices but also seeks to go on Layton's adventures. Layton's mysteries often run him into the police chief of Scotland Yard, Inspector Chelmey. Layton also encounters Don Paolo, a gifted inventor and self-declared nemesis of Layton due to losing the love of his life, Claire, to Layton's charms.
Plot
Template:Professor Layton chronology
The Curious Village
In the first game of the series, Layton and his apprentice Luke are invited to the town of St. Mystere by the family of late Baron Augustus Reinhold to figure out the secret behind his last will and testament where he stated that whoever solves the mystery of the elusive "Golden Apple" will inherit his entire fortune. However, it does not take long for the duo to find that the mystery around the golden apple is just one among the many secrets involving its estranged inhabitants.
The Diabolical Box
The main story revolves around Professor Layton and his young apprentice Luke traveling to meet Layton's mentor, who has sent them a letter about a mysterious box. Layton's mentor writes that he wishes to have Layton take care of his information if anything were to happen to him. Professor Layton and Luke rush to the mentor's home to find him dead under mysterious circumstances. From there the pair travel to discover the secrets of the "Diabolical box". Their only clue is a train ticket with no destination. The game contains 138 puzzles in the main story. However, there are a complete total of 153 puzzles to be unlocked. The European and Australian version of this game is entitled Pandora's Box. It is substantially the same but a few puzzles are different.
The Unwound Future
Layton and Luke go see a demonstration of new invention known as the Time Machine. A new mystery also unfolds when Layton receives a letter supposedly sent from Luke ten years into the future. Chronologically, the game is the last adventure in the series, but not the last game released. The game was unveiled at E3 2010 and was released on September 12, 2010 in the US. The game was released in Europe on October 22 2010. The European and Australian versions of this game are entitled Professor Layton and the Lost Future.
The Specter's Flute
Announced on March 11, 2009 by Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, it appears to be the first installment in a new trilogy of prequels, set when Luke first became Layton's apprentice. The story starts when Layton stumbles upon a mysterious fog-enshrouded town, home of the legend of a great giant who menaces the countryside whenever the Specter's Flute is played. The young Luke plays a key role in this legend, and so does Remi Altava, a female colleague of Layton's and a new main character introduced in the game. The game was released in Japan in November 2009.
The Mask of Miracle (working title)
Announced on November 25, 2009 by Level-5, this will be the fifth game in the Professor Layton series but take place after The Specter's Flute. Professor Layton and Luke follow Jean Descole to the mysterious Casino City in search of the mask he wears. Casino City was created by the powers of the Mask of Miracle. Layton and Luke must uncover the truth about the Mask of Miracle. The Truth is hidden deep within the Mask. The game was showcased during E3 2010 as a Nintendo 3DS title, as Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle. It will be one of the Nintendo 3DS's launch titles in Japan.
Gameplay
The game is essentially a collection of puzzles with exploration sections between them. The player, as Professor Layton and Luke, explore their environments in a Point-and-click adventure game fashion using the DS's touchscreen. This can be used to talk with non-player characters, learn more about the environment, moving between different areas, or to find hint coins that are used during puzzles. Often, when interacting with a person or object, the player will be presented with a puzzle, valued at a number of "picarats", a type of currency with the game. Solving the puzzle correctly will earn the player that many picarats, but a wrong answered will reduce the value a small amount on subsequent attempts down to a minimal picarat number. In order to progress the plot, the player is required to solve specific puzzles, or to solve a minimum number of puzzles or gain a minimum amount of picarats. When the player leaves an area due to progression of the plot, puzzles they have yet to find or solve are collected into another location where they can return and attempt to resolve later. Curious Village contains 135 puzzles. TheDiabolical Box and Unwound Future contain 153 puzzles each (Plus a special puzzle obtained via the use of codes found in the previous game).
The puzzles take the form of brain teasers and are only loosely tied to the plot. All puzzles were created for this series by Akira Tago, who is famous for his best-selling Mental Gymnastics series. They take the forms of math problems, logic puzzles, mazes, sliding-block puzzles, and brain teasers. The games give the player the opportunity to bring up a translucent memo screen they can write on using the stylus to work out their answer before submission. If the player is stuck, they may spend one hint coin to receive a hint. Each puzzle has three hints available, and within The Unwound Future, the game introduces "super hints" that nearly solve the puzzle for the player but which can only be bought with two hint coins and after the three other hints have been revealed. The puzzles are not timed, though for puzzles such as mazes or sliding blocks, the player may be challenged to complete the puzzle in a limited number of moves.
Each game features an additional set of three unique meta-puzzles that can be accessed at any time through "Layton's Trunk". These puzzles generally require the player to complete specific puzzles in the game to receive items to use within the meta puzzle; for example, The Curious Village gives the player furniture as a reward for some puzzles, which then must be placed within a set of apartments to Layton's and Luke's exacting desires in the meta puzzle; the meta puzzle cannot be solved completely until all the furniture has been collected. Completing the game also opens a number of series of more difficult puzzles to be solved, including one that involves a curiously heavily-locked door that the player may encounter during the game. The games also can use the DS Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection features to connect to Nintendo world network and unlock additional puzzles for play for a number of weeks after each game's release.
Other media
Manga
Manga intended for child audiences has been serialized since the February 2008 special edition of Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic. The title of this manga is Professor Layton and the Cheerful Mystery (レイトン教授とユカイな事件, Reiton-kyōju to yukai na jiken), covering many mysteries in the story.
Feature film
An animation film, called Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, was produced by Masakazu Kubo, who is mainly known for producing the Pokémon films and animated by P.A. Works, the same company that develops the animated cutscenes for the games. It contains an original story, separate from the game series,[4] and taking place after the events of The Specter's Flute.[6] It has been a general success in both Japan and Singapore where the movie was released. The film was released in the United Kingdom on DVD and Blu-ray by Manga Entertainment on October 18, 2010.[7]
Reception
The Professor Layton series has been generally successful in the US, the UK, and Japan. Professor Layton and the Curious Village sold over 700,000 units in Japan in 2007. [1] The game was also the top selling game for the Nintendo DS in the United States in the first three weeks after its release. After it was restocked in the UK, sales of Professor Layton increased 54%, moving it from 10th place to fourth place.
Curious Village received generally positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Game Rankings, the game had an average score of 86% based on 48 reviews. On Metacritic, the game had an average score of 85/100, based on 57 reviews. The combination of the adventure game and "brain training" genres received mixed appreciation. Some reviewers praised the game for the successful combination with 1UP commenting on how the game's approach is much better than games where the puzzles were integrated into the environment. Other reviewers felt that these two genres do not merge well within the game; Game Informer noted that while the player is given numerous small puzzles to solve, the mysteries of the main plot are basically solved for the player. The game was noted to have little replay value; once all the puzzles were solved, there was no point in playing through them again. The presentation of the game, including both the general European animation style and cutscene animations, was appreciated by reviewers. Hyper's Darren Wells commends the game for its "clever concept, with plenty to solve and unlock as well as its fantastic presentation". However, he criticises "some puzzles feeling tacked on and the music can get annoying".
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box was considered to be a major improvement from the original. In Japan, the game has sold 815,369 copies, according to Famitsu, as of July 9, 2008. [www.japan-gamecharts.com/ds.php] The UK's Official Nintendo Magazine awarded the game a score of 92% (and consequently their Gold Award medal), praising the increased number of puzzles, animated scenes and voice acting, but complained that it could be slightly repetitive at times. IGN gave the game a score of 8.5 and also their Editor's Choice Award.
The series was popular enough to have a movie called Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva made. So far it has only been released in Japan, Singapore and the UK, but it has received positive reviews in all three countries. It was released in the UK on the 18th of October, with a full English Dub. [8]
Nintendo Power listed series mascot Professor Layton as their 10th favourite hero, citing his use of brains over brawn.[9]
The series has gone on to be one of the most successful Nintendo DS exclusive series, with the lifetime cumulative sales of Professor Layton games standing at 10 million units sold as of October 2010.[10]
References
- ^ Westbrook, Logan (2010-10-20). "Prof. Layton/Phoenix Wright Crossover Only For Japan, Capcom Says". The Escapist. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
- ^ Fahey, Rob (2010-10-21). "Inafune surprised Layton/Wright happened". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2010-10-21.
- ^ "Level 5's new game's genre is unknown? New style game to train your brain" (in Japanese). Famitsu. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
- ^ a b "Layton Kyoju and the Devil's Box becomes a movie quality" (in Japanese). Famitsu. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
- ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2010-10-19). "Prof. Layton VS Phoenix Wright is real". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
- ^ "レイトン教授映画公式サイト『レイトン教授と永遠の歌姫』" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2008-08-31. [dead link]
- ^ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-04-06/manga-u.k-to-release-1st-professor-layton-anime-film
- ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Professor-Layton-Eternal-Diva-DVD/dp/B003PHT5W4
- ^ Nintendo Power 250th issue!. South San Francisco, California: Future US. 2010. p. 41.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Westbrook, Logan (2010-10-20). "Prof. Layton/Phoenix Wright Crossover Only For Japan, Capcom Says". The Escapist. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
External links
- Professor Layton series official website
- Professor Layton movie official website
- Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva official website Template:Ja icon
| Main series | |
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| Other games | |
| Anime | |
| Related articles | |
