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Video games are cool, but which games are truly cool?
Madden is cool, Call of Duty is cool. We also know that, but what about other games? Do other games even exist?
Spoiler alert: Yes, they do.
New video games come out at least weekly. One of these new games is “Professor Layton and the Last Specter” for the Nintendo DS.
This is the fourth game in the puzzle-adventure series to hit the states since the series began in 2008; since then, a new game has been delivered every year. In Japan, the series has over six games with more on the way. An anime movie based on the series was released in Europe and Japan, a testament to the popularity of the professor.
These games follow Professor Layton and his boy sidekick Luke Triton on various quests to solve mysteries. Through the quests, Layton and Luke meet interesting characters who need help with their own little puzzles.
The series is great for children, teenagers, adults and even elders. They offer unique storylines and very many interesting puzzles. The series has gone on to be one of the DS’s top sellers, standing at 10 million copies sold as of a year ago.
“Professor Layton and the Last Specter” was released in North America on Oct. 17. The game has over 150 puzzles and includes a bonus role-playing game called “London Life,” which allegedly adds over 100 hours of gameplay to the main adventure.
“London Life” is one of the best mini-games I have ever played. While I don’t know if the game actually has 100 hours of gameplay, it is a lot of fun. It also isn’t much of a role playing game, or at least not in the traditional sense.
The game is very similar to games like “Animal Crossing” or “The Sims”: players walk around doing small favors for people or playing various mini-games in order to buy clothes and furniture for your apartment. You can also buy bigger apartments to house all of your furniture.
But how is the main game, “Professor Layton and the Last Specter”? Fantastic.
If you have played any of the other Layton games and enjoyed them, you will undoubtedly love this game. One of the only faults of the game is that it is too similar to every other game in the series, but this is also true for multiple successful Nintendo franchises, such as the Legend of Zelda and Metroid series, known for games of repeating play styles, yet both having marked their 25th anniversaries earlier this year.
My personal favorite aspect of “Professor Layton” is the art style. The game has a 16-bit look, similar to games like “Earthbound” for the Super Nintendo. Every character has a unique look to them and each landscape is beautifully hand-drawn. It all looks like it was painted and is very beautiful.
A few cut scenes are amazing and make me wish the Professor Layton movie came out in America. The game’s story is also interesting and likely to get just about anyone hooked.
Each puzzle is unique and ranges from easy to mind-numbingly difficult. The game also boasts a very appropriate learning curve — by the time you get farther into the game you will see pattern in the way you solve puzzles. All that’s needed is a little thinking outside the box.
All and all, I highly recommend “Professor Layton and The Last Specter” for just about anyone. The difficult puzzles and the sensational art style will make anyone smile, and the “London Life” side-adventure is the perfect gift to fans who want more once the main story is over.
