Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box Review

A year ago Nintendo released a new and innovative game for the Nintendo DS. Professor Layton and the Curious Village was an adventure game with a focus on solving puzzles using the DS touch screen. With a strong European flavor, complete with “a significantly greater amount of voice work and animated movie scenes,” according to Nintendo. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box promises to be a step above the last game.

I got a chance to play a ten minute demo of Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box at E3. The game starts with an opening cinematic in true storybook form. The animated cut scenes as well as the British voice overs are extremely well done. The story tells of the death of Professor Layton’s mentor, Dr. Schrader. A mysterious box that is rumored to kill all that open it is the prime suspect behind the death of Dr. Schrader. It is your job to solve the mystery.

I admittedly never got a chance to play the original game. After playing this quick demo, I think that I will have to go back and play the first. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box features a new mystery as well as more than 150 new brain teasers, riddles and logic puzzles to challenge players. The touch screen is obviously the strength of the DS platform and it is used liberally in Professor Layton. You will use the touch screen for not only the puzzles but also to navigate throughout the world.

While I did not have a very long opportunity to play Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, the little amount of time that I did have was both interesting and fun. Beyond the puzzles found in the game, players with a broadband Internet connection who connect their Nintendo DS to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will get access to downloadable bonus puzzles. A new puzzle will be available each week for 33 weeks after the game launches. This should extend the game’s replay value considerably. We will have more on Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box as its August 24 release date approaches.