Professor Layton & the Curious Village for Nintendo DS Reviews by Gamers

Professor Layton and the CURIOUS VIllage is a great game from start to finish. IT will challenge you with logic puzzles,and slide puzzles. Professor Layton also comes with a unique storyline that will keep you guessing until the end.

"Professor Layton and the Curious Village" may sound a bit childish and odd, and that's a good thing. Within minutes you will find the art styles and characters charming and warm. The whole atmosphere is like that of a mystery novel from the twenties. Professor Layton plays the role of sherlock holmes and his apprentice Luke is his wattson.
The gameplay takes the form of an old styled click-through adventure with brain-age type puzzles littered throughout it. The puzzles are challenging for adults or children. They accomplish this by using base logic puzzles more than high math skills. Whenever you run across a math puzzle you can almost be sure of a trick question.
The puzzles are challenging without being frustrating, a difficult task. And whenever you do correctly figure out a puzzle, it has a detailed explanation of WHY that is the correct answer, keeping you from ever feeling cheated.
Overall the story and click-through aspect of the game does a great job of breaking up the puzzles and vice-versa. Within a couple hours of play (out of 18 game play hours for me) you will be hooked and need to play more to find how the story ends.
They didn't use the dual-screen aspect enough to warrant a higher score, but this is a true sleeper hit and if you like puzzle games or brain age than it warrants a purchase or at least a rental.

Okay, I bought this game (big mistake there) not too long ago because I heard nothing but good things about it; so I decided to give it a shot. I'll admit the graphics look cool and plot seem alright, but what got me frustrated about this game were the puzzles! I know it's a puzzle game and all and I do enjoy a good puzzle game now and then, but seriously, these puzzles are more for high school to college level! They really need to change that E rating to a T at least! I'm not kidding! These puzzles are so complicated I can see kids getting absolutely frustrated that they'd want to throw their DS out the window. Not to mention that most of these puzzles are irrelevant to the story and are REALLY weird!
For example, "using some matches, show us what a dog would look like after being run over?" Are you serious!? Why would I know that, let alone want to? This is suppose to be for kids!? Again, T rating at least!
Anyway, bottom line: If you want to challenge your brain with hardcore puzzles with a cute storyline, this game is right for you. But if you're looking for a simple yet somewhat challenging game with a nice plot, move along!

The graphics were great. But thiis game made my brain hurt! If you're into optical illusions and thought provoking puzzles you'll love it. It was just a little too stressful for me. I use my DS to help me relax, not twist my head into knots.

Good game, engaging puzzles, solid story. Very fun over all, but NO replay ability Good to rent not so good to buy.

hi if you think about getting this game be sure to get it!!! its great for all ages even if your young and puzzles might be hard just ask someone to help! i loved it and so did my brother! thanks and be sure to try it out!!!!!!!!!!:)

I am a huge fan of logic puzzles and brain teasers, and these puzzles don't disappoint. I love the variety of puzzles and the amount included. There is a story that runs through the game that leads you to the various puzzles, and I do wish it was a little faster and that it didn't take so long to actually get the game going. But other than that, it's a great game and a great challenge!

You use the stylus to do everything in this game. You walk around and talk to people, collecting clues and useful items. Almost everyone you talk to needs help with a puzzle or 2. Some are easy, some are almost impossible, but they all help your brain think outside the box. It's not necessary to solve every puzzle to continue in the game, but you might miss a collectible or important information if you don't. If you go on line you can access even more puzzles to try your hand at. One of the main things you can collect are pieces of a painting that you can put back together like a jigsaw puzzle. The one thing I don't like about this game is the story recap every time you start up the game. It would be nice if there was a skip option.

This game is not for young kids. I'm a 20-something who likes playing games like Diner Dash and Cake Mania and received a DS for my last birthday. I've been having a hard time finding games that aren't for little kids and this was perfect. It has over 100 logic puzzles, many are impossible to solve without using your hint coins. I enjoyed it a lot but I know my 13 year old brother wouldn't say the same, too much thinking, not enough action for him.

I love puzzle games. I miss adventure/puzzle games, and this game was easily the most excellent puzzle game I've played in a very long time. The puzzles are varied and well designed. The developers obviously thought them through; you very rarely come up with an answer they haven't thought of. The hints are perfect. They don't give you the answer, but provide enough information and aide to get through without cheating online. The overall mystery is cute, but pretty easy to catch onto about half way through the game. This doesn't really detract from the game, but tends to make the remainder of the puzzle solving all about the puzzles and less about the plot line.

I recommended it to my mom, and she loved it, too. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good puzzle.

The thing about this game is the temptation to play just one more puzzle which is then overtaken by the temptation to play yet another one after that.

The game's story line is nothing spectacular. There are a few twists and turns here and there but the puzzles are the meat of this game. I found myself staring at the screen in complete frustration numerous times before the answer finally came to me.

The animation is very, very good. Unfortunately there isn't much of it, mainly in the beginning and the end. But when it happens, it is very beautiful.

So if you are tired of games that don't tax your mind, then this is the game for you. You'll swear at it man times but in the end it was a fun, challenging game.

There is no shortage of mini-game collections these days, and while Professor Layton's core game mechanic is solving puzzles, it is far from just another puzzle game.

The game takes place in a little village called St. Mystere, where the town's patriarch has passed away and the famous Professor Layton, along with his side-kick, Luke, must help the townspeople solve the mystery of the man's inheritance. Things aren't what they seem, though, and in no time Layton and Luke are up to their ears in drama and intrigue.

As you search the town for clues, you must solve a myriad of puzzles ranging from simple number games to logic tests that will have your grey matter crying uncle. In addition to the main "campaign" there are several side quests. Completing the side missions grant you rewards like a mechanical puppy that sniffs out hidden treasures in the game.

Although you might expect the puzzles take centre stage here, the story and its characters have so much charm that you will likely find yourself working out "one more puzzle" just to get to the next leg of the adventure. On the other hand, the game also works well when you just need to kill five or six minutes.

The game also does a great job of using a variety of touch controls to keep things fresh. You will point and click your way through St. Mystere, spell out answers, and draw solutions.

Unfortunately, I can't go into too much more detail without either spoiling the plot or the puzzles but suffice it to say that Professor Layton is a must-have for both puzzle and mystery lovers.

I knew once I got my hands on this game I would enjoy every minute of it! And I was right! For those of you who love mind bending puzzles from, math, to simple find the item, to word puzzles, then this game is for you! Though I spent a couple of late nights staying up just to figure out one puzzle, it was well worth it. I'm looking forward to the sequel!

I have played this game many times, the first time I kept getting stuck, the second time i actually beat the storyline. Did not however answer all the puzzles. TO me this game is great. If you enjoy games that make you think, and are just brain teasers, and brain thinkers you will love this game. You basically just solve puzzles, to answer a big puzzle. Very fun game, I hope they come with more just like this one.

This game is really fun and gives your brain a real workout. If you like logic puzzles, this is the game for you. I really liked the animation sequences and the characters. The story line is entertaining and has a really surprise ending! The puzzles come often enough so that you always are doing something. I loved this game!

Essentially, this is a collection of little brainteaser-type puzzles, tied together with a mysterious story, but it's still more, somehow. This game is a perfect example of that old saying, "more than the sum of its parts." For one thing, there's the back-story tying everything together, which is interesting enough to keep you going. There's the beautiful artwork -- unique to the world of video games, but similar to the art in movies such as Spirited Away. There's also really beautiful music, and sweet, funny characters to make you feel at home.

The reason I'm giving it a 9 and not a 10 is that the difficulty level of the brainteaser puzzles varies wildly. Sometimes they are so so easy, and other times, they'll drive you crazy. There are a few that I felt are not actually solvable except with a wild guess. A little voice in me shouts, "unfair! unfair!" But those puzzles are few and far between. There are also hints that you can purchase with coins that you find scattered about. I was fairly stingy with hints and finished the game with several dozen coins left.

In the final analysis, I would recommend this game to older players -- say, at least high school aged -- who enjoy solving puzzles and brainteasers. I could see it as perfect even for casual gamers who just want to play for 15 or 20 minutes at a stretch. Careful, you might stay on your bus past your stop to keep playing!

If you think this game is like touch master and full of puzzle's your half right. This game has a story line about finding the golden apple.
on the way there you have to talk to all the residents of the village. you will have a puzzle to solve before any information gets let out.. some are easy and some are insane. this game is fun, if you love using your brain. just make sure you have nothing else to do for the day or two that you rent it.. you wont want to put it down.

the graphics are pretty good also. better than most.
just make sure you have a scrap paper and pencil around close when you turn it on!

good luck

This game is a lot of fun and the graphics are superb but the puzzles can be difficult. My younger childer, 7 and 10 had me help them several times. There were even some that I got a bit stumped on, but once I found the soluntion I felt quite silly I didn't figure it out. Anyway, for people who love puzzles this is a super fun game that keeps you going back for more. I found that after the kids went to bed I made my own profile and played my own game. It was a bit addicting. The sotry is cute and the animation is unique and intricate. As a family we all really enjoyed working together to figure this game out and solving the puzzles, plus the mystery and the extras that they added with it.

This is basically the electronic version of the book of puzzles you can buy at the store...with a bit of a story added in. It was a lot of fun, but I grew a little weary of all the puzzles! I got to a point where it was still a bit addictive...and yet, I wanted to get the puzzles out of the way so I could get on with the mystery. If you are looking for a mystery game, then pick a different game. If you really like puzzles, then you'll probably love the game! This game is really all about the puzzles!

This game is simply adorable. A savvy professor of puzzles and his precocious apprentice come to a mysterious town to solve puzzles and unravel a series of mysteries that pop up. The characters are amusing but a little 1-dimensional. The artwork is nice and the movies and voice-work are outstanding.

The game itself is a series of puzzles, ranging from math and logic to simple word games and riddles, some classic and some very new. And not once did I feel the game was getting stale; every newly solved puzzle felt like a little prize. The extra puzzles and unlockables are fun to find, and only occasionally tedious to hunt for.

I didn't get a chance to try out the weekly downloads, but I hear they add a nice re-playability to what's already a bargain of a game.

Good game to rent or buy. (Just don't lose heart when you get to the "tiles to form a square" puzzle. It's poorly worded but the only bad apple in the 130+ puzzles I solved).

I got this game 2 days ago and I haven't been able to put it down yet. Puzzles are fun and the story is decent. It kept me interested, although I did get frustrated once or twice. Entertaining.

This is just a plain simple good game. While I find it difficult to play many of the titles on the DS, this is by and far one of the best I've ever played. The game flows well and is challenging. Loved it!

Well worth renting!

it suks so hard your mama wownt beliv it

I thought it was an interesting game but as I watched her play it was very difficult for her to understand and play. Maybe more fun for older kids.