Game of the Week: Professor Layton and the Curious Village | Video ...

The first entry in the renowned puzzling-adventure series, Professor Layton and the Curious Village arrived on DS in 2008. It was the very definition of a surprise hit, the odd premise redeemed by fantastic gameplay and a relentlessly charming aesthetic. But who is this top-hatted maestro, and what makes his exploits so engrossing?

Layton is an archaeologist, legendary for his ability to tackle logic puzzles and brainteasers of every sort (an odd way to become legendary, but let?s not get pernickety about the premise). He is sought worldwide by those needing the aid of his talents, and one such request serves as the catalyst for the game. Lady Dahlia writes to him, explaining the bizarre inheritance issue surrounding her late husband?s will. He has stated that the person who solves the mystery of the Golden Apple will receive his fortune. These enigmatic words are the only clue, enough for our hero to set out for the village, St. Mystere, desperate to solve the peculiar riddle.

You navigate the world map via a point-and-click-esque interface. Layton is not controlled directly, rather you touch the screen to interact with people and objects in your particular area or to proceed to the next one. A map on the top screen of the DS shows your relative position in the world as a whole. All in all, it?s a stylus-flailing adventure from beginning to end, with the buttons unused throughout.

The puzzles, of course, are the stars of the show, and a hallmark of the series. The residents of the village are addicts like the professor himself, and will challenge him with a doozy at every opportunity. Suffice it to say, you couldn?t so much as ask to use the toilet here without having to answer some fiendish brainteaser or other first. When conducting a full-blown investigation, then, you can expect a relentless brain-barrage. There are over 130 puzzles in The Curious Village, each created under the watchful eye of Akira Tago, real-life puzzling wizard. (the title of his successful series of brain-bending books translates to Head Gymnastics, which is nigh-irrelevant but rather fantastic-sounding nonentheless.) These range from riddles, shape matching challenges, picture-based questions, some simple maths, and more. Much like the unhinged WarioWare games, just about every conceivable manner of using touch control is catered for here.

It?s a concept that?s been touched upon in gaming, but rarely to this extent. The true wonder of Professor Layton?s quests is how deftly the puzzles are interwoven with the story. It?s a little tenuous at times, I?ll concede, (?Luke! that door reminds me of a puzzle! That ladder reminds me of a puzzle!?) but to keep players transfixed with such an irregular driving force is a real feat. The presentation is a wonder too. Every character, from our hero and his apprentice Luke Triton to the inconsequencial extras, are brimming with life and oozing charm. This combines with the music, the delightfully quirky graphical style and the thrilling narrative to create an unparalleled experience indeed. There?s so little in gaming like it, and certainly nothing that matches it. The series is perhaps the biggest portable triumph in recent years, and deservedly so.

ke$ha earl csco big bend national park leon russell meredith vieira prop 8