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Professor Layton DLC already on the cartridge

by Griffin McElroy { Mar 22nd 2008 at 1:30PM }

We're sure that many of you inquisitive DS owners out there have spent countless hours with your eyes peeled to your handheld's twin suns, waiting for Nintendo to post the latest downloadable brainteasers for Professor Layton and the Curious Village. This same group of puzzle junkies may be upset to learn that what they're actually downloading is a code to unlock puzzles which are already on the game cartridge -- essentially meaning that there's a set number of puzzles on the game (162, to be exact).

GoNintendo discovered a supposedly complete list of the game's riddles to back up this claim. You can check out every single puzzle featured in the game, and even choose to sneak a peek at every solution as well -- an action we can't help but feel would be frowned upon by the eponymous scholar and his pint-sized associate.

Professor Layton DLC already available

by Scott Jon Siegel { Feb 11th 2008 at 4:55PM }

Wow, that was quick. Professor Layton and the Curious Village on the DS has only been out in North America for a day, and already downloadable content for the title is available through the DS's Wi-Fi Connection service.

Using the game's Wi-Fi service, players can download the first of many extra puzzles, pictured above, which developer Level-5 promises to deliver on a weekly basis. This same feature is included in the Japanese version of the title, which has seen consistent weekly releases of new puzzle content since its release nearly one year ago. All told, that's a lot of extra puzzle bang for your buck.

[Via DS Fanboy]

Professor Layton sequel already 'confirmed' for U.S.

by Griffin McElroy { Feb 10th 2008 at 4:30PM }

Game | Life is reporting that the last page of the instruction manual for Professor Layton and the Curious Village, a game we're sure will hit American shores with the force of a malnourished hummingbird, reveals that the sequel (which is already available in Japan) will eventually head to the states. A password entry feature in the first game requires a code from the second game to unlock -- the American instruction manual confirms this, saying that the password "will be revealed in the sequel."

We're giddy like schoolgirls over Professor Layton, but if the first game doesn't sell in the U.S., can they really justify publishing a sequel for our unrefined store shelves? Well, other than the sequel we already have -- the Circuit City exclusive adventures of Professor Lipton, Professor Layton's long lost, yet incredibly refreshing second cousin.

Professor Layton and the awesome promotional flyer

by Chris Greenhough { Jan 10th 2008 at 5:00PM }

It saddens us to say that none of us are wealthy people. If we were, we'd fund the purchase of a ludicrously expensive high-end color printer, which we would then use to print this fantastic promotional poster for Professor Layton and the Curious Village. We'd laminate it, pin it proudly to our wall, and then do the same for all of our friends.

Yes, even the promotional material for this game rocks. This flyer was circulated as part of a recent Nintendo email, and is just like the game it promotes: inventive, quirky, and a little bit different from the usual promotional baloney we encounter.

Hit the break for a far bigger version, and see how quickly you can solve the puzzle.

Gallery: Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Continued →

Start solving Professor Layton's puzzles early in these new screens

by Chris Greenhough { Jan 2nd 2008 at 10:30AM }

For the last few months, we've had no choice but to pore over screens and scans of Professor Layton and the Curious Village that contain nothing but indecipherable kanji. But no longer! This morning, Nintendo issued the first batch of English language screenshots from Level 5's professorial puzzler.

Rather than showing off the game's beautiful manga art, all three depict some of the puzzles we'll encounter when the game hits North America in February, and Europe ... heck, whenever.

Check the new shots out in the gallery below, or go past the break for a clip from The Office that we couldn't help but be reminded of upon seeing the wolf/chick puzzle to the right.

Gallery: Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Continued →

Reggie chats up Wii-to-DS downloads, downloadable puzzles in Professor Layton

by David Hinkle { Dec 31st 2007 at 12:00PM }

Finally, we get some kind of information regarding downloads for our DS from the Wii. Reggie took part in an interview recently with the NY Times to discuss the success of the Wii and DS. Both are doing well, but thankfully this piece focuses more on the DS.

Reggie first goes into Wii to DS downloads, which will come via the Everyone's Nintendo Channel. Reggie doesn't go into exactly when we'll be able to mess around with the new Channel, so sadly we're still a bit in the dark. Light at the end of the tunnel comes in the form of downloadable puzzles in Professor Layton. With the game coming in February, we're assuming it'll arrive sometime around then.

[Via Go Nintendo]

Layton's got a puzzle to solve

by David Hinkle { Dec 15th 2007 at 4:00PM }

This trailer shows the good professor put on his puzzle-solving hat as he cracks the case in Professor Layton and the Devil's Box. Frankly, we don't care much about which puzzle the man is solving (some stuff with tiles and keys), but care a great deal as to where it's being solved. Like, right here in the United States. Where we live. So we can go buy the game.

Professor Layton and The Charming Introductory Sequence

by Chris Greenhough { Dec 4th 2007 at 12:00PM }

Will our shameless pimping of all things Professor Layton ever stop? Never! Or at least, not until we get our western mitts on all of the games that make up Level-5's adventure game trilogy. Until that happy day arrives, we shall continue to bounce around in eager anticipation like demented children overloaded on tartrazine, pausing only to gorge ourselves on footage of the games in action.

The video above is the opening sequence to Professor Layton and The Devil's Box (the second entry in the trilogy, which released to a rapturous reception in Japan last week), and is jam-packed with all the lovely, understated anime stylings that have characterized the Prof's adventures to date. We want!

Japan gobbles up Professor Layton as we watch with jealousy (sales)

by Candace Savino { Dec 2nd 2007 at 4:00PM }

While we still wait for our first foray into the Professor Layton series, folks in Japan are enjoying the sequel to Professor Layton and the Curious Village, while Level 5 enjoys some massive sales. In its first day, Professor Layton and the Devil's Box is reported to have sold 200,000 copies in Japan. Not too shabby for first day sales at all (and by "not shabby" we mean "pretty damn awesome"). Considering that the current apple of Japan's eye (Dragon Quest IV) sold a rumored 360,000 copies on its first day, Professor Layton's sales seem pretty impressive.

All this news, of course, is only more torture for those of us waiting to play the first game. We know you feel our pain.

[Via Cubed3]

Professor Layton screens and art from the future

by Alisha Karabinus { Nov 30th 2007 at 6:43PM }

On the heels of the announcement of the third and final installment in the Professor Layton trilogy, Famitsu has provided us a peek at the forthcoming adventure through time. We've included a small sampling here, but there's a wide array available at the original site, from a couple of screens to concept art -- including a rougher sketch of the setting. It's like watching the game develop right before our very eyes!

Now if only we could slip through time and pick up the localized copy of the first game ....

Continued →

Professor Layton travels through time for trilogy wrap-up

by Alisha Karabinus { Nov 29th 2007 at 3:40PM }

While we wait (im)patiently for the first of the Professor Layton trilogy, the third and final installment was just announced in Japan. Professor Layton and the Final Time Travel, which has no firm release date yet, will be set in a dark, futuristic London, and will feature time traveling. With a title like that, who'd have thought?

Any Layton addicts out there might also be pleased to learn that the franchise is going to expand into other media. Guess those games must be good -- but those of us who aren't importing will have to wait until next year to find out.

[Via Bilingual Gamer]

Professor Layton and the Excellent Screenshots

by JC Fletcher { Aug 30th 2007 at 5:10PM }

We haven't even gotten the first Professor Layton adventure yet, and we're already seeing screens of the sequel. Professor Layton and the Devil's Box looks much like the first game, which is to say, gorgeously lush.

The game's scope is expanded from that of its predecessor: the professor and his student Luke have access to a train, which acts not only as a vehicle for traveling to multiple towns (or multiple Curious Villages, if you prefer), but is also the venue for its own puzzles.

These screenshots are best coupled with IGN's preview of the game, for the complete screenshot/description package. The Famitsu page has the same information, but in a less convenient language.

DS Daily: Your E3 winner

by JC Fletcher { Jul 15th 2007 at 10:00AM }

We didn't see much in the keynote, but plenty of delicious DS content appeared over the course of E3: Brain Age 2, Flash Focus, Professor Layton, Advance Wars 2, Contra 4-- the list goes on and on. It all looks nice! But us being gamers, and this being the Internet, we aren't comfortable with anything unless it's categorized according to arbitrary value judgments.

For that, we turn to you. Which game of the pack was the winner, in your mind? And, if it wasn't Contra 4, why not?

E307: Great while it lasted

by Alisha Karabinus { Jul 14th 2007 at 7:00PM }

... but all good things must come to an end, eh? It's always nice to wallow in the explosion of news that surrounds a trade show, and even the diminished E3 was no exception. Sure, for Nintendo fans, at least on the DS side, things started out a little slowly, but once the media hit, we no longer had anything to be disappointed about! So what was tops for DS owners? Here's the best -- according to us, at least.

Top E3 trailers:

Contra 4 -- After all our Contragasms, you knew we were going to say this!
Front Mission DS -- What can we say ... we're big fans of ass-kickery.
Brain Age 2 -- We know you'll probably disagree with us here, but we can't help it. We a) dig a good, brainy challenge and b) think the selection of games looks even better than before.

Less-discussed games we desperately want right now:

Professor Layton and all his mysterious locales -- Okay, we wanted this before. But it was mentioned in passing around E3, and now we're more rabid for it than ever!
Nintendo Magic -- Another game we weren't sure would head our way, but that just sounds like fun.
Advance Wars 2 -- The first is one of the best the DS has to offer, though it seems to rarely get a mention.

Worst trailer that should have been awesome:

Insecticide, hands down. Please pass us some Dramamine on your way out.

Biggest disappointment:

Probably the missing wi-fi for Mario Party DS. C'mon, Nintendo, slip it in there! We promise not to complain about friend codes for at least a week.

E307: Advance Wars 2, Professor Layton, and other games Nintendo forgot to mention

by Eric Caoili { Jul 11th 2007 at 7:40PM }

With so much emphasis put on The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and casual games during this afternoon's media briefing, Reggie neglected to mention a few titles that I'm sure gamers would've loved to have heard about. News of Advance Wars DS 2, for instance, was hidden in a European press release, dated for the fourth quarter. Freshly Picked - Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, starring everyone's favorite cosplaying fairy, was also quietly announced for this September 14th in the same report.

On the North American side, Nintendo revealed that it will be publishing Professor Layton and the Curious Village on December 3rd, the same day Super Smash Bros. Brawl is expected to hit store shelves. Two previously unannounced titles, Nintendo Crossword and Nintendo Magic, were also listed. Follow the link below to see what other first and third-party games are due for the remainder of 2007.