Puzzle No. 001 — Picarats for your Thoughts
You don’t need a hint coin to know that the Layton series is one of the most charming franchises on the DS/3DS. With the series celebrating its 10 year anniversary, I thought it’d be nice to rewind and reflect back on these ingenious games.
Created by the wonderful Akihiro Hino, the Professor Layton series began its debut with The Curious Village back in February 2007. The game was very successful, that LEVEL-5 gave birth to 7 total titles in the series following Hershel Layton’s story, including an animated film.
Critical Thinking is the Key to Success
Just because it’s a puzzle game, doesn’t mean it’s easy! Each game follows its own unique story in which you need to solve a series of strategic puzzles in order to progress. You may think it’s a walk in the park, but you’ll be wracking your brain to solve that 80 picarate puzzle. Sure, some of the puzzles are pretty basic and easy to understand, but you’ll definitely come across those tricky ones. While you’re given a plethora of hint coins, don’t go too crazy using them all.
Along with puzzle solving, each game features its own unique mini games for you to solve as you progress in the story. These are optional, but always fun to try and 100% them.
Ace Puzzle Solver, Archaeologist, and True Gentleman
Shocking as it may seem, puzzle solving is only a hobby for our genius/suave Professor. He spends most of his days as an archaeologist professor at Gressenheller University — Don’t let his soft eyes fool you, he can best you in a battle of wits and swordplay.
The first three titles in the game (Curious Village, Diabolical Box, and Unwound Future) follow Layton and Luke as they take on some of the most bizarre and and mind boggling adventures ever! All while making sure to have a spot of tea every now and then. In these games, we are introduced to many characters, one being Flora Reinhold who eventually joins the Layton crew as his newly adopted daughter.
The following three games (Last Specter, Miracle Mask, and Azran Legacy) are all prequels to the first three games. These particular ones are great for back story on our main protagonists, and gives us insight on how Layton came to be, as well as his first meeting with Luke and Emmy.
The Assistants
Hershel has taken on 2 apprentices that we know of. These two being Luke Triton, and Emmy Altava.
Luke was the first to appear with Layton in the games, and is also in every single one with him. A very clever and sensible young lad, who is gifted with the ability to understand animals. He’s also very adept at puzzle solving, thanks to his mentor.
The chemistry between these two is something that’ll warm you up. It goes deeper than an apprentice looking up to his mentor… it’s more of a father-son relationship. Layton looks out for him, and also teaches him the gentlemanly ways, and Luke really looks up to him. It’s just very endearing.
Though Luke is most known for being the Professor’s right hand man, we can’t possibly forget about Emmy!
Emmy was actually the first apprentice he took on! Appearing first in The Last Specter, the two went off to the town of Misthallery (the town where they first met Luke). While also adept with the art of puzzle solving, she is also very kind and caring. Never letting an opportunity pass by to tease Luke on who’s Layton’s “number one assistant”. She has also proven to be a worthy opponent, and can straight up kick your ass.
A Match Made in Heaven
If you didn’t know how deep my love runs for Ace Attorney… imagine it exploding when combined with my beloved Layton games.
This is the crossover game we’re all grateful for. It seemed like a dream come true that this game came to be…. I mean, can it get any more perfect than this?! As someone who is not a personal fan of crossovers in general, I am definitely on board with this one!
Both Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright find themselves sucked in the world of Labyrinthia, a medieval town that is going through many witch trials. As the game progresses, the two teams meet up and work together to get to the bottom of this mysterious town. With the professor’s cunning mind and Phoenix’s sharp deduction skills, the two will have no problem tackling any obstacle standing in their way.
The game is a perfect balance between Layton games, and Ace Attorney games. You get plenty of investigations, puzzle solving, and trials to take on, as well as some extra bonuses to spice things up.
An Ace Attorney paired up with an Ace Puzzle Solver is going to come out as gold. Make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to play this one!
Good Cop, Bad Cop
Of course when you think about any of the Layton games, you’re immediately going to think about our top hat professor. But we can’t possibly forget about another important Layton character…
That character being none-other than Alfendi Layton; the son of the esteemed Hershel Layton.
Layton Brothers: Mystery Room is a spin-off game available for iOS and Android mobile. It was released by LEVEL-5 back in 2011.
Although Alfendi may seem to be the main focus, the games protagonist is the Lucy Baker! She’s a newbie detective who was transferred to Scotland Yard to work under Alfendi Layton in the Mystery Room. The two set off on various cases to investigate murders, find clues, and determine the culprit of the hideous crimes.
At first, Alfendi seems like your typical 'good guy’, but as you progress through the game, you’ll learn he isn’t all what he appears to be. He has an interesting Jeckyll and Hyde personality, which is not at all what you’d expect from a son of Hershel. There’s a big mystery behind him, and it’s up to his perky assistant to unravel the truth.
While this game often gets looked over since it’s not part of the main Layton series, it’s definitely not a game you should pass up playing. It plays very similar to Ace Attorney investigations, as well as throwing on a bit of cross examination. It’s got an awesome jazzy soundtrack, and the overall plot is interesting enough to get you going! Plus, it isn’t very long and practically free to play.
I must admit that I was turned off at first from the thought of a spin-off Layton game for mobile, but I’m incredibly happy I decided to play it! I can honestly say it’s just as good as the other Layton games (if not more enjoyable than some… GASP)!
The Lady Layton
I’m sure you’re all aware of the upcoming Lady Layton game. If not, join the hype train and watch this stunning trailer here.
Not only are we getting a new Layton game, but we get a strong female lead! Meet the adorable Katrielle Layton, who is claimed to be the daughter of Hershel Layton. While not much is known about her or the upcoming game, she seems to take on more of a detective role…. while of course being gifted in the art of puzzle solving. She is accompanied by her dog, who she can clearly understand and speaks to, and seems to have a male assistant. She is on a quest in search of her father, Hershel, who has apparently gone missing. Other than that, not much is known about the plot.
[Not sure about you guys, but I have my doubts that she is actually Layton’s daughter. She resembles and shares similar characteristics with Luke, such as his rosy checks and her ability to speak to animals?? It’s interesting to think about, but perhaps it’s nothing to consider.]
I think we’ve waited long enough for this game. Let’s hope LEVEL-5 announces more details about this upcoming game soon!
The Love is Strong
These games are very near and dear to me, and to think I’ve been playing them for 10 years already has completely blown my mind. It’s a nice game to kick back and relax, and get those brain gears turning. They are also some of the most heart warming games I’ve ever played, with several of them reducing me to tears at the end. But with charming characters, a great story line, and beautiful music, how can you not shed a fear tears over it?
If you haven’t had the chance to play these spectacular games, I hope you do, and experience the joy and passion in them like I did.
Happy gaming!
