Sometimes the best games aren’t about innovation, but combination. Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Nintendo’s newest title for the DS, falls in that category.
Part puzzler and part story-driven adventure, the game features Professor Layton and his sidekick Luke as they make their way to the town of St. Mystere to find the hidden treasure of a wealthy baron. The town and its inhabitants are provincially old-school, with nary a telephone, much less a TV.
So, what do the townies do for fun? Brainteasers, of course.
With over 130 mind-benders, the game takes 15 hours to complete, which is an amazing amount of time for a portable game. And with DS’ built-in Wi-Fi, you’ll be able to download even more puzzles. While your brain might be hurting for answers, the touch screen allows for great variation and ease with the types of challenges Layton & Co. face. Some are simple point-and-clicks while others test, say, your Pictionary skills.
The look of the game pays homage to The Triplets of Belleville, and that’s just fine with us. No laser guns, no WWII shoot-'em-ups, not much of anything in what is usually par for the course in a videogame. Just some endearing characters and wicked puzzles. It takes a Village...to have this much fun.
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