DS Games

The Professor Layton series of games, the new Nintendo DS games is a puzzle video game series for the Nintendo DS and consists of three games with three more to be added in 2009/2010. It is the brainchild of Akihiro Hino who is the president and CEO of Japanese video game developing company Level-5 based at Fukuoka and founded in 1998. After the release of Professor Layton and the Curious Village for Nintendo DS in 2007, the company undertook a lot of diversification in the product repertoire and started self funding and publishing its creations in Japan while its overseas subsidiaries distributed its games.

Akihiro Hino’s childhood love for the “Mental Gymnastics” series of puzzle books which were immensely popular in Japan, were instrumental for the creation of this game series.
Each title is based on a series of puzzles and mysteries given by the people of the towns which the main characters visit. While it is not mandatory to solve all puzzles to progress, a minimum number have to be unraveled to progress further and for the story to continue.

The game is essentially a collection of puzzles with exploration sections between them. The puzzles are like brain teasers and are only loosely tied to the plot although the player must unravel a certain number to progress. Hint coins are used to reveal each hint, with ten hint coins being given to each player at the commencement of the game. All the puzzles were created by Akira Tago, who is famous for his best selling Mental Gymnastics series. The Diabolical box, Curious village, The Specter’s flute are part of the Professor Layton series of games with the new Nintendo DS games.

All the games in the series are compatible with Nintendo Wi-Fi connection thereby allowing the players to access the internet and solve the puzzles. The central theme characters are Professor Layton and his apprentice assistant called Luke and their exploits are the main features of the various games.