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Professor Layton and the Figurine of Want
Gamers certainly aren't strangers to memorabilia, doubly so for figurines, but this Professor Layton statue from NCSX has one thing going for it those others don't: you can actually afford it. We're used to seeing those high-dollar Samus statues and Capcom's ridiculously-priced (and ridiculously nice!) Street Fighter series, so when we caught wind of this $30 Professor Layton companion, we knew we had to post it up. So ... yeah, that's what this is. What? You were expecting more? OK, here's a riddle: What's 120 words, loves you and thinks you're the sexiest person on the planet? Head past the break for the answer! [Via Go Nintendo]
Review: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
After more than a year, Nintendo has deigned to grant the second Professor Layton game to a DS audience clamoring for gentlemanly puzzle adventure. Is Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box worth the wait? Unless, for some reason, you were expecting a dramatic reinvention of the gameplay, yes. To be clear, this is not the Zelda II of the Professor Layton franchise. It features the same combination of woodgrained old-world feel and Osamu Tezuka-style character designs, a similarly puzzle-minded citizenry, and a storyline intriguing enough that, somehow, the player manages to be drawn into a world that ostensibly exists only as a puzzle delivery system. There was absolutely no reason to change the formula after the magical Curious Village, and developer Level-5 knew it. The Layton series is proof that almost any activity can be grafted into a video game to make an engaging experience. These games do for brain teasers what RPGs have done for menus. %Gallery-64964%
Professor Layton arrives in Europe on September 25
Europeans had a long wait for Professor Layton's first adventure -- just under 9 months, to be exact -- but for the second installment of the series, the wait will be much shorter. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, which is set aboard a cross-country steam train, will be available in Europe on September 25, just one month after its US release. We understand that two pieces of data do not make a trend, but if this continues, Europeans may get their hands on the third game only days after their American counterparts.
Amazon lists Professor Layton 2 for August
If you're the type that's inclined to believe retailer release dates, then take a look at what Amazon says about Professor Layton's second outing, The Diabolical Box. The online retailer has the game pegged down for August 24, which is just three months away. This is a good thing, considering that, for the longest time, we've been feeling like young Luke there, glazed over and stunned, staring into that half-opened glowing box of doom. Just what new adventures lay ahead? It looks like we'll find out soon enough.[Via GoNintendo]
GDC09: Professor Layton 2 planned for North America and Europe this year
Okay, let's take stock. We got a new Zelda, the Wii "Storage Solution" (which is actually better than Nintendo originally made it out to be), and arcade games and Final Fantasies on Virtual Console. How could this GDC get any better for Nintendo fans? How about Professor Layton 2?At Level-5's panel, director Akihiro Hino showed a list of current projects, including Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, an English translation of the name of the second Layton game. Later, during the Q&A, someone asked Hino if the sequel was being localized for North America and Europe. Hino responded that he wants to release all six Laytons (including the new trilogy), and that Diabolical Box is indeed in the midst of localization -- he hopes to have it out in six months.
DS Daily: Whither Professor Layton?
So, uh ... we all bought Professor Layton and the Curious Village, right? If not, trust -- you are really missing out. But that's not the point of today's morning chitchat. No, instead we'd like to ask a burning question: where the hell are the other two Layton games? We hoped to see them announced at E3, but it didn't happen. Think the second one will be announced before the end of the year?
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/25-3/2
The DS dropped to third in last week's hardware sales, as the PSP inched its way to first. (In case you haven't been keeping track, Wii sales have been above those of the DS for quite some time, but the PSP and DS keep flip-flopping for the week's best selling portable.)Hardware: PSP: 73,706 Wii: 64,535 Nintendo DS: 51,922 PlayStation 3: 13,520 PlayStation 2: 10,986 Xbox 360: 2,282 In the software chart, though, Nintendo's portable dominated once again. There were fourteen DS games to hit the top thirty last week, three of which made the top ten. Most of note is the new release Soma Bringer, a game that many of us outside of Japan have been coveting. It debuted in fourth, and was the top seller for the dual-screened handheld last week.Meanwhile, Professor Layton 2 and Animal Crossing slipped back into the top thirty, while Harvest Moon and Etrian Odyssey II managed to remain in the top ten. Check after the break to see a whole lot of DS games in boldface.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/11-2/17
The DS reclaimed second place for hardware, managing to inch past the PSP on this week's chart. A bunch of new releases helped the handheld's sales, as fifteen of the top thirty games last week were DS titles. Hardware: Wii: 78,583 Nintendo DS: 62,362 PSP: 59,645 PlayStation 3: 17,637 PlayStation 2: 11,266 Xbox 360: 2,198 The top contender for the dual-screened portable last week was the Japanese dating sim, Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 2nd Season, which beat everything except Smash Bros. and Wii Fit. Meanwhile, After-School Boy and Doraemon Baseball were knocked out of the top thirty, but remained in the top fifty (along with Rune Factory 2). Overall, though, it was a great software week for the DS. If you want to see why, check out the numbers after the break.
Another Week In Japan: Hardware and software numbers 1/28-2/3
It's a sad day for the DS in Japan. As Media Create's hardware figures from last week were released, we found out that not only the Wii topped the DS (like the week before), but also the PSP managed to overtake the dual-screened handheld. Hardware: Wii: 94,473 PSP: 72,528 Nintendo DS: 67,472 PlayStation 3: 41,796 PlayStation 2: 12,115 Xbox 360: 6,060 According to Media Create, the DS only had one game in the top ten (Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games). That's not surprising, since there were many new releases on other systems, but it's far from the DS dominance that we're used to. Still, it was nice to see some low-key games like After-School Boy, Taiko Drum Master, and Doraemon Baseball getting love in Japan. Check after the break to see the full list of software rankings from last week.
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/31-1/6
The big news with last week's sales numbers is not that the DS managed to top 300,000 again, but that the New Super Mario Bros. broke five million in Japan. Not only that, but the game took the sixteenth spot in today's Famistu chart. Also showing legs is Mario Kart DS, which sold 68,000 copies to take the number eight spot. While it's no surprise that Mario Kart does well week after week (after week), we didn't expect it to make the top ten. We're also happy to see some new DS blood enter the ring, with Rune Factory 2 selling 56,000 in its debut. The rise in sales from the previous week was most likely due to the New Years holiday, which is a popular shopping period in Japan. These numbers are almost certainly not sustainable, though, so we should see a big difference next week. Of course, we fully expect that the DS will end up on top, as always, with a smattering of its games in the top ten. Check after the break to see the numbers, with NSMB sales tacked on for good measure.
