Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle

Overview

Professor Layton is a series relatively new to Nintendo. It started off with Professor Layton and the Curious Village and has gained popularity ever since. The series also has a movie called Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva which has been released in Europe and Japan. There is also three books (Professor Layton and the Wandering Castle, Professor Layton and the Phantom Deity and Professor Layton and the Illusary Forest) and a mobile game (Professor Layton and the Mansion of the Death Mirror), but these have only been released in Japan. This is the fifth installment in the series, but chronologically, it is the second game. Players follow the titular Professor Layton, helping him solve the puzzles and riddles he comes across during his adventures. Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle will be the first Professor Layton game on the Nintendo 3DS. The Professor Layton series is currently made up of games only on the Nintendo DS/3DS.

Professor Hershel Layton is a professor of archaeology who is incredibly adept at solving puzzles. The previous games in the Professor Layton series have all revolved around the titular professor making his way through strange lands, solving all kinds of puzzles. Along with his trusty apprentice Luke Triton, he tries to help people as best as he can, drink some tea, and lead a good life. Each game has held more than 100 puzzles for players to solve, and the focus of each game is solving these puzzles while advancing the storyline.

The game was a launch title for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan and not only that, it was the best selling game of the Nintendo 3DS's first day of launch selling 117,000 copies! It will be released elsewhere late 2012.

Gameplay

Professor Layton and The Mask Of Miracle's gameplay is similar to that of all previous iterations of the Professor Layton series in that the main gameplay in the game involves the player solving puzzles using logic, memory, visual perception, and critical thinking. Each puzzle is varying in difficulty, based on the amount of points each one gives. Professor Layton first must find clues by investigating an area before solving puzzles. Only a fraction of the total amount of puzzles is needed to complete the game, although special features are unlocked if the player completes all puzzles in the game. Some puzzles will trigger by trying to help someone, a foe quizzing Layton with a puzzle, or Layton himself ruminating over previous puzzles he has encountered.

Professor Layton - 17 years ago

There is also a subplot in this game where you play as Layton when he was 17. In some videos it shows Layton and Lando entering a cave while searching for hint coins. The two plots are linked in some way. This part of the game will most likely be at the beginning of the game.

Pet

In this game Layton will have a pet rabbit, and there will be certain parts of the game that will allow the player to control it. Although it is unknown whether the rabbit will be at Layton's side when exploring the world, it is confirmed that the pet rabbit will be available to use in some puzzles, and will be needed to solve these puzzles.

Robot

In this game you must find the 4 missing pieces of the robot to build it. When you complete your robot, you must control it to land on a exact place while avoiding obstacles.

Puzzles

The obvious thing that is different is that the puzzles will be in 3D. Not all puzzles will need 3D but it is a bonus for some. While you are doing a puzzle, you control it on the touch screen (you can use the circle pad for some) and view it on the top 3D screen. It is unknown how many puzzles will be in the game. You can also use the the motion sensors for some puzzles as well. The memo section shall also be there to help you figure out hard puzzles.

WiFi Puzzles

There will be new downloadable puzzles (once every day) for a year after release. This adds up to a whopping 365 extra puzzles. It is currently unknown if there will be more puzzles after the first year. There will be the usual hint availible after the puzzle is released. It is most likely these puzzles will be given out with SpotPass.

Changes in Series

The most noticeable change has to be the gameplay. Layton and co. will now be able to look around them and use their hands to interact with different things. Also, the map is now on the bottom screen and Layton is on the top, allowing the characters to take advantage of the full 3D found on the top screen. Another noticeable difference in the game is that instead of the screen blacking out before entering a new area the screen will now shoot through the previous location. Another difference is, when the characters are talking, they move around. In the previous games, there would just be a screenshot of the character when they are talking.

Characters

• Professor Hershel Layton - This is the main character of the series. He is a professor of archaeology at Gressenheller University in London, England. In his spare time he often likes to solve puzzles and drink tea. Sharon Leidle was his girlfriend back when he was 17. It is also known that he never planned to be an archeologist until Lando Ascad, his best friend in college, changed his mind.
• Luke Triton - Layton's apprentice and son of Clark Triton. He accompanies Professor Layton throughout his adventures. He is 11 years old. He leaves Professor Layton at the end of the Professor Layton and the Lost/Unwound Future but is unsure if he will ever meet Professor Layton again.
• Emmy Altava - This 25 year old assistant to Professor Layton has quite the fighting spirit. She always brings her camera around with her. She became Layton's assistant in Professor Layton and the Last Specter/Specter's Flute when Dean Delmona appointed her without Layton's consent. She owns a yellow motorcycle called the "Emmycycle" and also owns a two-seated aeroplane.
• Sharon Leidle - Sharon Leidle was Layton's girlfriend back in college. She writes to Layton to ask him to come to Montdol.
• Lando Ascad - Lando Ascad was Professor Layton's best friend back in college. He got him started in archeology, and he also was good friends with Sharon Leidle.
• Jean Descole - The enemy of this trilogy. He is a scientist and is known for making strange looking fighting machines. The reason of why he hates Professor Layton so much is currently unknown.
• Inspector Clamp Grosky - The officer of this trilogy. He is the complete opposite to Inspector Chelmey from the first trilogy; he is a very active man who boasts about his strength. He loves his hair and always has it pointing outwards.

Future Installments in series

Level 5 has confirmed that they are working on Professor Layton 6. Right now, all we know is that it will be on the Nintendo 3DS, like it's predecessor. It is likely that Europe and North America won't be getting Professor Layton 6 until 2013 because the fifth part in the series has still not yet been released in North America or Europe. But Level 5 have announced that after over a year of the game being in Japan, it will finaly be released elsewhere in the world. Two more Professor Layton movies have been confirmed. The Professor Layton Movie 2 is expected for release in 2012. The third movie will be a live-action movie. Level 5 has also opened an office in North America and are planning to open one in Europe some time this year. This means there will be faster localisation of games. It is unknown if Level 5 is making a third Professor Layton trilogy, however it is hinted at the end of the third game, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future/Lost Future. Level 5 is also creating a Professor Layton game for the iPod/iPhone/iPad, though the release date has not been announced yet.

Reception and Sales

Famtisu have reviewed this instalment of the Professor Layton Series and they gave the game 32/40 stating that the puzzle solving doesn't use 3D too much." however Famtisu reports that "investigating a screen with depth feels good."

This instalment of Professor Layton as been very successful in Japan and has made its way to the number 3 spot on the list of most sold games in the country (as of 15th March), therefore selling many copies and gaining the title of the most popular 3DS game on sale (in Japan as of 14th March).