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The fourth game in the series, released for the Nintendo DS in Japan during 2009 and North America on October 17, 2011. It will be known in Europe and Australia as '''''Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call'''''. It is, chronologically, the first game in the series, in which Layton stumbles upon a mysterious, dark and foggy town known as Mist Haley, where there are legends of a great, shadowy giant who protects the region whenever his flute is used to summon him. However, recently, the figure has turned against the village, and it is up to the Professor, a young boy of the village named Luke Triton heavily involved in the legend of the Specter, and a former colleague named Emmy Altava, to figure out why the ghost has changed as it has. Together, they investigate the village and the Last Specter, and, while doing so, solve another 170 puzzles. The game also includes an RPG called London Life, which was co-developed by [[Brownie Brown]].
The fourth game in the series, released for the Nintendo DS in Japan during 2009 and North America on October 17, 2011. It will be known in Europe and Australia as '''''Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call'''''. It is, chronologically, the first game in the series, in which Layton stumbles upon a mysterious, dark and foggy town known as Mist Haley, where there are legends of a great, shadowy giant who protects the region whenever his flute is used to summon him. However, recently, the figure has turned against the village, and it is up to the Professor, a young boy of the village named Luke Triton heavily involved in the legend of the Specter, and a former colleague named Emmy Altava, to figure out why the ghost has changed as it has. Together, they investigate the village and the Last Specter, and, while doing so, solve another 170 puzzles. The game also includes an RPG called London Life, which was co-developed by [[Brownie Brown]].


====''The First Movie ~ The Eternal Diva''====
====''The Eternal Diva''====
{{main|Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva}}
{{main|Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva}}
The first movie based on the games, released in Japan during 2009 and in the United Kingdom during 2010. Chronologically, the events in the story take place after Last Specter, though the story is told as a flashback at some point between Curious Village and Diabolical Box (being the events of the flashback story took place 3 years prior). Emmy joins with Layton and Luke on a journey to meet Janice Quatlane, a previous student of Professor Layton experiencing success as an opera singer. One of her friends, Nina, a seven-year-old girl, claimed she had found eternal life. While investigating, Layton, Luke, and Janice become trapped on the ship, the Crown Petone, and are forced to cooperate with Descole's plans to restore the lost city of Ambrosia. Meanwhile, Emmy investigates mysterious disappearances of children around London. Many characters from the games make a cameo appearance, as does the Elysian Box itself. Over the course of the movie, the cast will solve four puzzles.
The first movie based on the games, released in Japan during 2009 and in the United Kingdom during 2010. Chronologically, the events in the story take place after Last Specter, though the story is told as a flashback at some point between Curious Village and Diabolical Box (being the events of the flashback story took place 3 years prior). Emmy joins with Layton and Luke on a journey to meet Janice Quatlane, a previous student of Professor Layton experiencing success as an opera singer. One of her friends, Nina, a seven-year-old girl, claimed she had found eternal life. While investigating, Layton, Luke, and Janice become trapped on the ship, the Crown Petone, and are forced to cooperate with Descole's plans to restore the lost city of Ambrosia. Meanwhile, Emmy investigates mysterious disappearances of children around London. Many characters from the games make a cameo appearance, as does the Elysian Box itself. Over the course of the movie, the cast will solve four puzzles.

As of the 1st of February 2011 the official Japanese Professor Layton Movie Website no longer worked, as updating had began for the 2nd Layton Movie, on the 18th April 2011 it reopened hosting links to various Layton merchandise. The 2nd movie's release is pencilled for Winter 2011, and current preparations are being undertaken on the home website. <ref>layton-movie.jp</ref>


====''The Mask of Miracle''====
====''The Mask of Miracle''====
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The fifth game in the series, scheduled for release as a launch title for the [[Nintendo 3DS]] on February 26, 2011 in Japan, and was confirmed for an eventual release in North America, Australia and Europe at [[E3 2010]]. Professor Layton and Luke follow Jean Descole to a place known as Montdol in search of a powerful mask said to have created the city. Professor Layton is forced to recall his past in order to uncover the secret of the mask in the present. The truth is hidden deep within the Mask of Miracles. Level-5 claims that the game will have daily puzzles available for download over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for a full year.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=137630 | title = Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle - announcement trailer | publisher = [[GoNintendo]] | date = 2010-09-29 | accessdate =2010-12-30}}</ref>
The fifth game in the series, scheduled for release as a launch title for the [[Nintendo 3DS]] on February 26, 2011 in Japan, and was confirmed for an eventual release in North America, Australia and Europe at [[E3 2010]]. Professor Layton and Luke follow Jean Descole to a place known as Montdol in search of a powerful mask said to have created the city. Professor Layton is forced to recall his past in order to uncover the secret of the mask in the present. The truth is hidden deep within the Mask of Miracles. Level-5 claims that the game will have daily puzzles available for download over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for a full year.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=137630 | title = Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle - announcement trailer | publisher = [[GoNintendo]] | date = 2010-09-29 | accessdate =2010-12-30}}</ref>


====''The Second Movie (Working Title: The Towering Silence)''====
After the announcement on the official [http://twitter.com/HershelLayton Professor Layton Twitter] on August 8th, the film went into production with the premise that it would be based between the 5th ([[Professor_Layton_and_the_Mask_of_Miracle|Mask of Miracle]]) and 6th (Probbably the Eternal Diva) Games.


====''Layton-kyōju VS Gyakuten Saiban''====
====''Layton-kyōju VS Gyakuten Saiban''====

Revision as of 22:18, 31 August 2011

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 releaseProfessor Layton and the Curious Village
Latest releaseProfessor Layton and the Mask of Miracle

Professor Layton (レイトン教授, Reiton-kyōju) is a puzzle adventure game[1] series for the Nintendo DS developed by Level-5. The series consists of five games and one film, and at least two more games for the Nintendo 3DS and one more film are due in 2011/2012. The first three games are about Professor Hershel Layton and Luke Triton's adventures together. The next three games and the two films 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.[2]

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.[3]

Games

  1. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (レイトン教授と不思議な町)[4]
  2. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (レイトン教授と悪魔の箱)[5]
  3. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (レイトン教授と最後の時間旅行)
  4. Professor Layton and the Last Specter (レイトン教授と魔神の笛)
  5. 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.

Timeline of release years
2007 – Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Professor Layton and Pandora's Box
2008 – Professor Layton and the Lost Future
2009 – Professor Layton and the Last Specter
2010 –
2011 – Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle
Layton-kyōju VS Gyakuten Saiban

A new mobile phone Professor Layton game is intended for release around the same time as the fifth game. However it is unknown if and when the game will get an international release.

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.[6]

Setting and characters

File:Layton and Luke.jpg
Professor Hershel Layton (left) and his assistant Luke Triton (right), the main protagonists of the series

The game takes place in and around contemporary London. The titular character is Hershel Layton, a professor of archeology at the fictional Gressenheller University, who prides himself on gentlemanly conduct and puzzle mastery. He is often followed by his self-proclaimed apprentice, the young Luke Triton, who also proves 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 a gifted inventor named Don Paolo (aka Paul), who is a master of disguise; he claims to be the nemesis of Layton, due to losing the love of his life, Claire, to Layton's charms. During the prequel trilogy, Layton's former assistant, Emmy Altava, joins up with him and Luke.

Plot

The games and other media in the Professor Layton series do not have any overarching structure or direct connection to each other, but do follow a chronological order through the appearance of reoccurring characters met in earlier works. Template:Professor Layton chronology

The Curious Village

The first game in the series, released for the Nintendo DS in Japan during 2007 and localized elsewhere during 2008. Layton and his young 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, in which he stated that anyone who found the Golden Apple hidden within the town would be entitled to his entire fortune. Upon entering the town, it is clear to both of them that the curious village holds many more secrets than they had expected. They solve their way through 138 puzzles to discover the truth behind St. Mystere.

The Diabolical Box

The second game in the series, released for the Nintendo DS in Japan during 2007 and localized elsewhere during 2009. It is known in PAL regions as Professor Layton and Pandora's Box. It begins with the Professor and Luke traveling to meet Layton's mentor, Dr. Schrader, who has sent the pair a letter detailing his procuring of the Elysian Box, a chest rumored to kill anyone who tried to open it. Upon walking into his apartment, he is found lying on the floor, dead, with the box missing. The only clue he left behind was a train ticket for the high-class Molentary Express without a mentioned destination, which they promptly catch to begin their investigation to find out more on the fate of Dr. Schrader, and the whereabouts of his diabolical box. During their search, they encounter 153 additional puzzles.

The Unwound Future

The third game in the series, released for the Nintendo DS in Japan during 2008 and localized elsewhere during 2010. It is known in PAL regions as Professor Layton and the Lost Future. The game starts upon Luke receiving a letter purportedly sent by himself, ten years into the future, only a week after an accident in which Dr. Stahngun's failed demonstration of a time machine caused himself and the Prime Minister to vanish. He and Layton travel to a desolate part of town to investigate a clock shop, but upon walking out, find themselves to have been thrust forward into the future London, ten years from then. In their efforts to find the truth of their unwound future, they are forced to solve 168 new puzzles, and to remember a forgotten past. This game is currently the last in the series chronologically.

The Last Specter

The fourth game in the series, released for the Nintendo DS in Japan during 2009 and North America on October 17, 2011. It will be known in Europe and Australia as Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call. It is, chronologically, the first game in the series, in which Layton stumbles upon a mysterious, dark and foggy town known as Mist Haley, where there are legends of a great, shadowy giant who protects the region whenever his flute is used to summon him. However, recently, the figure has turned against the village, and it is up to the Professor, a young boy of the village named Luke Triton heavily involved in the legend of the Specter, and a former colleague named Emmy Altava, to figure out why the ghost has changed as it has. Together, they investigate the village and the Last Specter, and, while doing so, solve another 170 puzzles. The game also includes an RPG called London Life, which was co-developed by Brownie Brown.

The Eternal Diva

The first movie based on the games, released in Japan during 2009 and in the United Kingdom during 2010. Chronologically, the events in the story take place after Last Specter, though the story is told as a flashback at some point between Curious Village and Diabolical Box (being the events of the flashback story took place 3 years prior). Emmy joins with Layton and Luke on a journey to meet Janice Quatlane, a previous student of Professor Layton experiencing success as an opera singer. One of her friends, Nina, a seven-year-old girl, claimed she had found eternal life. While investigating, Layton, Luke, and Janice become trapped on the ship, the Crown Petone, and are forced to cooperate with Descole's plans to restore the lost city of Ambrosia. Meanwhile, Emmy investigates mysterious disappearances of children around London. Many characters from the games make a cameo appearance, as does the Elysian Box itself. Over the course of the movie, the cast will solve four puzzles.

The Mask of Miracle

The fifth game in the series, scheduled for release as a launch title for the Nintendo 3DS on February 26, 2011 in Japan, and was confirmed for an eventual release in North America, Australia and Europe at E3 2010. Professor Layton and Luke follow Jean Descole to a place known as Montdol in search of a powerful mask said to have created the city. Professor Layton is forced to recall his past in order to uncover the secret of the mask in the present. The truth is hidden deep within the Mask of Miracles. Level-5 claims that the game will have daily puzzles available for download over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for a full year.[7]


Layton-kyōju VS Gyakuten Saiban

Announced on October 19, 2010 at Level-5's annual vision event, this game is a cooperative project between Level-5 and Capcom, and a crossover between the Professor Layton and Ace Attorney series. In it, Professor Layton, Luke, Phoenix Wright, and Maya Fey, find themselves in a medieval world separate from both of their own, known as Labyrinth City. This world is controlled by a man known as the Storyteller, who can make anything he writes down a reality. The land also speaks tales of witches, who hide in the shadows. It will be released in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS during 2011.

Future entries

Level-5 has confirmed that a sixth game is being made, to take place after Mask of Miracle.[8]

Level 5 CEO Akihiro Hino has expressed interest in porting the series to Wii U.[1]

Additionally, there are plans for two further movies. One of these is stated to be an animated addition to the prequel trilogy like Eternal Diva before it, and the other is planned to be filmed in live-action.[9]

Gameplay

The puzzle interface for the Professor Layton series allows the player to work out the teaser on the touchscreen (bottom) part of the DS display while following the instructions given on the top screen. This puzzle is from Professor Layton and the Unwound Future.

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 within the game. Solving the puzzle correctly will earn the player that many picarats, but a wrong answer 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, Diabolical Box contains 153 puzzles, Unwound Future contains 168 (The latter two having another special puzzle obtained via the use of codes found in the previous game), and Last Specter contains 170.

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 Lost 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. Three volumes have been released as of June 2011.

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,[5] and taking place after the events of The Last Specter.[10] 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.[11]

Novels

Three books based on the Professor Layton series were also made, though they are still in Japan only. They consist of Professor Layton and the Wandering Castle in 2008, Professor Layton and the Phantom Deity in 2009, and Professor Layton and the Illusory Forest in 2010.

Reception

Game Metacritic GameRankings
Professor Layton and the Curious Village 85%[12] 86% [13]
Professor Layton and Pandora's Box 84%[14] 85%[15]
Professor Layton and the Lost Future 87%[16] 88%[17]

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.[18] 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 criticizes "some puzzles feeling tacked on and the music can get annoying".

Professor Layton and Pandora's 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.[19] 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, France, Germany and the UK, but it has received positive reviews in all five countries. It was released in the UK on the 18th of October, with a full English Dub.[20]

Nintendo Power listed series mascot Professor Layton as their 10th favorite hero, citing his use of brains over brawn.[21]

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.[2] Level-5 reported 11.47 million unit sales worldwide for the franchisee ahead of the release of Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask in February 2011.[22]

References

  1. ^ http://www.professorlaytonds.com/#/gallery
  2. ^ a b Westbrook, Logan (2010-10-20). "Prof. Layton/Phoenix Wright Crossover Only For Japan, Capcom Says". The Escapist. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  3. ^ Fahey, Rob (2010-10-21). "Inafune surprised Layton/Wright happened". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2010-10-21.
  4. ^ "Level 5's new game's genre is unknown? New style game to train your brain" (in Japanese). Famitsu. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
  5. ^ a b "Layton Kyoju and the Devil's Box becomes a movie quality" (in Japanese). Famitsu. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
  6. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2010-10-19). "Prof. Layton VS Phoenix Wright is real". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
  7. ^ "Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle - announcement trailer". GoNintendo. 2010-09-29. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  8. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (2009-11-25). "Level-5 Details Professor Layton Plans". Adriasang. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  9. ^ "Professor Layton Gets Sequel, Live Action Movie". Kotaku. 2010-08-30. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  10. ^ "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]
  11. ^ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-04-06/manga-u.k-to-release-1st-professor-layton-anime-film
  12. ^ "Professor Layton and the Curious Village". Metacritic. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  13. ^ "Professor Layton and the Curious Village". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  14. ^ "Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box". Metacritic. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  15. ^ "Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  16. ^ "Professor Layton and the Unwound Future". Metacritic. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  17. ^ "Professor Layton and the Unwound Future". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  18. ^ Ganatayat, Anoop (2007-12-07). "Professor Layton Tops the Charts". IGN. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  19. ^ "Nintendo DS Japanese Ranking". Japan-Gamecharts. 2010-12-05. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  20. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Professor-Layton-Eternal-Diva-DVD/dp/B003PHT5W4
  21. ^ Nintendo Power 250th issue!. South San Francisco, California: Future US. 2010. p. 41. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  22. ^ Nunneley, Stephany (2011-02-17). "Professor Layton franchise moves 11.47 million units worldwide". VG247. Retrieved 2011-02-17.