Professor Layton and the Curious Village
by John Walker on Feb.19, 2008, under The Rest
New review up on Eurogamer, for one of the most lovely DS games yet.
Professor Layton is a top-hat-wearing fellow who has a penchant for puzzle-solving. He has heard word about a mysterious village containing a special puzzle revolving around an object called The Golden Apple. Travelling with his young companion, Luke, he enters the curious village to discover a town populated by people obsessed with puzzles, and a lot of peculiar secrets. It’s a puzzle game, but with one heck of a story.
February 20th, 2008 on 11:31
Long have I been reading your reviews since way back in the early days of PC Gamer. And many a game has been bought on your recommendation. We seem to share the same passions for puzzlers and point n clickers. However, it is for encouraging me to buy Slitherlink that I am most grateful. Not only does it never leave my DS for longer than the few days it takes to play some other less addictive title but it has also re-ignited that strange lure of discovering exactly what all of the weird foreign menus and symbols in import games do. Luckily I have a bit of an advantage working for a Japanese company. When I get totally stuck there’s always someone her to translate things for me. Anyway, just wanted to see if you have any other recommendations from the Hudson series of puzzle games. Illust logic + colour and Nurikabe are my latest puzzling vices. Picross DS was a little disappointing as it left me feeling like my old Tsunami puzzles on paper were actually more satisfying but illust has now easily sated my pipctorial puzzling cravings. And Layton has just arrived too so I should be thoroughly puzzled up until well into the next year. Even if I am still seriously tempted to just buy the entire Hudson puzzle series.
February 20th, 2008 on 15:22
Hey Conrad – I’m glad I’ve been useful : )
My top two recommendations would have been Nurikabe (my current obsession) and Illust Logic DS +, so you’re already on top of things.
I’ve written a piece for the next NGamer all about Japanese puzzle games, so check that out when it appears.
Be warned, about a third of the Hudson series don’t translate – they require fluency in kanji. They would be Vols 2, 7, 8 and 13. A further two are Sudoku, which I’m sure no one needs any more of. But still, they’re well done. Vol 6 is a very poor Illust game, and if you didn’t like Picross DS, you’ll not stand it. I can’t bring myself to play it after Illust Logic DS +.
I’d say Vol. 12 Akari is also worth playing – it’s Light Up, and it’s another great implementation. Vol 10 Hitori is also well made, and very playable, but possibly the least entertaining of the best.
Vol 4 Kakuro doesn’t work for me. It requires too much planning stages ahead, rather than always being able to find the next correct move like Slitherlink and Nurikabe. However, if you don’t mind that, it’s another superbly made game.