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Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask review: Mask of makeovers
Professor Layton has become one of my favorite series over the course of five games, but I never think of it as such until another one drops in my lap. The same low-key quality that makes each game such a relaxing, rejuvenating bit of comfort food also makes it easy to forget when one isn't in my DS at that very moment.It's a shame that I should take something like a Layton game for granted. They're universally lovely experiences, and I revel in the genuine unwinding that I get to do while playing one.They're also formulaic. That's not a negative judgment – the formula works well. It just makes it difficult for me to evaluate them against each other. But Level-5 took some chances with Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask in the transition from DS to 3DS, ranging from minor interface and presentation tweaks to surprisingly dramatic breaks from the familiar formula. The real achievement is in making a game that still feels fundamentally like Professor Layton while also experimenting.%Gallery-169523%
Professor Layton, Style Savvy, and more new 3DS trailers
Along with a sudden influx of 3DS release dates, Nintendo quietly sneaked out new trailers for some of the newly dated – and newly announced – games. Above, experience the intrigue and drama of Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask.After the break, feel the appropriate emotions as you watch trailers for Style Savvy: Trendsetters, Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone, and the eShop release Crosswords Plus.
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask debuts on 3DS in Nov.
The next chapter in super sleuth Professor Layton's life debuts on the 3DS later this year. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask will launch on the 3DS in November. And to support the game following launch, Nintendo will release one downloadable puzzle every day, for a full year. These puzzles will be available as free downloads.
Professor Layton 3DS to arrive in Europe next year
The Professor Layton titles traditionally take their sweet time heading across the continent from Japan to the EU, and the series' first 3DS entry, called Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle in Japan, is no exception. It arrived in the land of the Rising Sun last February, and hasn't been released in Europe or North America yet. But it looks like one of those releases is planned: The end of a trailer for Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call in Europe teases that players should "get ready for an all-new Layton next year."Presumably, that's the 3DS title (though the name usually changes on the trip over), and that tease means we'll see it out sometime in 2012. We haven't seen quite as much confirmation on a North American release, but since the last title hit Europe this week and North America last month, 2012 is a good bet for us 'mericans as well. After all, it's not like Level-5 doesn't want to release it here, it's just that translation can take time.
Professor Layton series surpasses 11 million shipments
Why does Level-5 continue making Professor Layton games? It's a mystery unworthy of even the apprentice puzzle-detective Luke Triton: they sell in large quantities. Giving an indication of how healthy those sales are, Level-5 announced that it has shipped 11.47 million copies worldwide of the four DS Layton games. Nintendo recently announced that 1.9 million copies of Unwound Future had been sold.In honor of the continued success of the series -- and the February 26 launch of the 3DS's Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle in Japan -- Level-5 will host a live webcast on Ustream, in which staff and voice actors will give speeches and the game will be shown. This event will take place on February 24 from 7PM to 9PM Tokyo time. The first 500 listeners will even receive a Mask of Miracle charm.[Image: Inside-Games]
3DS Japanese launch lineup announced, along with BlazBlue for later in 2011
As expected, Nintendo revealed the Japanese launch lineup for the 3DS at Nintendo World 2011, and -- as expected -- it's about 10 games. Eight, to be specific. The games that will be available on the Japanese launch date of February 26 include: Winning Eleven 3DSoccer (5,800 yen/$70) Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (4,800 yen/$58) Samurai Warriors Chronicle (6,090 yen/$73) Tobidasu! Puzzle Bobble 3D (4,980 yen/$60) Nintendogs + Cats (Toy Poodle & New Friends, French Bulldog & New Friends, Shiba & New Friends, 4,800 yen each) Ridge Racer 3D (6,090 yen/$73) Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D (5,040 yen/$61) Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle (5,980 yen/$72)In addition, Nintendo's list of 2011 games reveals some new titles, including BlazBlue Continuum Shift 2, ports of Tales of the Abyss and Raving Rabbids Travel in Time, and a third game in the DS's Tank Beat series.[Update: Famitsu posted pictures from the stage, showing box arts and prices for many of these games. We've updated the list with prices; check Famitsu for box arts. Keep in mind that Japanese game prices are usually higher than American prices; DS games typically retail for about 4,800 yen/$58.]
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle to offer daily downloadable puzzles
Level-5 is expanding the Professor Layton franchise into 3D with the new Mask of Miracle, but that added dimension isn't the only expansion taking place in this game. During the Level-5 Vision conference, CEO Akihiro Hino announced that the new 3DS puzzle title will have daily downloadable puzzles for a year. Previous Layton games have had weekly puzzles available through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. (And if you didn't know that, you suddenly have a bunch of bonus puzzles waiting in your Layton games!)Hino also noted that Mask of Miracle was originally developed -- and announced -- as a DS game, but added, "We redid it from scratch midway through." He also revealed that the story takes place across two timelines, with a younger Professor Layton and the present-day (in the game's world) version both solving puzzles.
Level-5 to announce 4 new projects at 'Vision' event later this month
Level-5 plans to reveal four unannounced games at its annual "Vision" event on October 19. The Japanese publisher teased as much on its official Vision 2010 website (pictured), which features four question-marked spots. Could one (or more) of these mystery projects be related to the "truly interesting things" the publisher is working on with Capcom? Oh the suspense!Tempering the teaser, the site also confirms a number of Level-5 games that will definitely be showcased -- from Ni no Kuni on both PS3 and DS to Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle for 3DS.
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle 3DS trailer marches into action
If you've wondered how the meticulous puzzle-solving "action" of the Professor Layton franchise would be bolstered by the 3DS' extra dimension, you may want to check out the Mask of Miracle trailer posted below. You know what looks great in 3D, we bet? Big, beautifully illustrated parades.
Level-5 president on making a better Professor Layton for America
With millions of copies sold, Level-5's Professor Layton franchise is an unquestionable hit. Already, the property has spawned one feature-length film, and is expanding to its fifth game in Japan. (The Unwound Future, which was released two weeks ago in America, is the third game in the series.) Who could have predicted the runaway success of the series? Not even Level-5's president, Akihiro Hino, could have seen it coming.In an exclusive interview, Hino told us that "I obviously didn't imagine the series would achieve the success it has." But, he attributes the franchise's achievements to Level-5's goal to "make an adventure game that anyone could play." Given the popularity of the games, Hino finds it unsurprising that a number of copycats have since followed, such as Puzzle Agent and Blue Toad Murder Files. "Doesn't it follow that if a game gets popular enough, similar games will start to appear?," he asked us.Nintendo eventually picked up the publishing rights for a North American release, which posed a number of challenges for the localization team. Hino admits that the first game was developed "without much consideration" for international audiences. As such, "we have had to alter and even remove certain puzzles," Hino explained to us. "The reason is usually due to their use of Japanese, or because a puzzle or joke would work in some regions but not in others. Ways of thinking, language, culture, and even religion differ from region to region, so we remove puzzles we feel wouldn't work, and try to replace them with puzzles that players from that market will enjoy."%Gallery-95768%
Rumor: 3DS Japanese launch dated Nov. 11 by German tabloid
Überpopular German tabloid Bild has put its money on "November 11" as the day the 3DS will launch in Japan. The paper also pegs the European launch for next spring, as anticipated, and prices the system at an estimated €200 ($270). Nintendo of Japan is scheduled to announce the official date and price for its newest handheld this week, on September 29 from Tokyo.The Bild article [image] also names the 3D version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 3DS and Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle as launch titles. While Bild's November date is at least a popular guess (the DS Phat, DSi and DSi XL all launched in Japan that calendar month), predictably, the newspaper has not outed its sources. (A note from Wikipedia: "The journalistic standards of Bild, or the lack thereof, are the subject of frequent criticism by German intellectuals and media observers.")The 3DS is expected to launch early next year in North America.
Preview: The 3DS lineup
Of all the demos Nintendo showed for the 3DS, most were non-interactive video displays with "Please enjoy the 3D video" on the bottom screen. This group includes Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Dead or Alive, Resident Evil, and more. But a few were games. I played most of the games available at Nintendo's E3 booth -- find brief impressions of each below.%Gallery-95389%
