The Prof makes a welcome return.
I am now a few hours into this game and feel I have a good enough experience of it to review it now. If you've played the first game then this will feel familiar. The product illustration for this product has a different title, but I believe that is the American version of the game.
It follows the same method of gameplay with a few tweaks. As before there is a plot to link the various puzzles into a common theme - but the truth is that this is essentially a collection of mini-games. To aid the story we are treated to some animated sequences which are even more impressive than the ones in the first game. In fact, the quality of the animation is so good that you find yourself wanting to watch more - and it wouldn't be surprising if eventually the characters appear in another format such as an animated TV series or film!
Although this is an attractive game, it isn't designed for youngsters. There is a lot of reading and the puzzles can be difficult, very difficult! This is one of those games which you can't help but love even when it's frustrating you to the point that you'd quite happily flush your DS down the toilet.
The background story gives the game an edge over other puzzle type games but you can easily get by if you pay little attention to it, this means that the game is perfect to pick up and play for a little while and doesn't require mammoth playing sessions. To be honest you'll probably require regular breaks from the game!
In a nutshell: A game in the spirit of Nintendo's aim to produce games for those the gaming industry traditionally doesn't appeal to. This game is beautifully crafted and is genuinely brain teasing. Although there are many puzzles, they are varied enough to prevent the overall game from being boring. Too many collections of mini-games start to feel stale as the games begin to look repetitive - but not here, it feels fresh and maintains a level of excitement. A perfect alternative for those who have tired of the Brain Training series of games.
Fantastic Game, easier puzzles but so much more to do
I have just completed this fantastic game and had to let everyone know how marvelous it is. If you are lucky enough to have played the first game then expect more of the same - relentless puzzles and incredible cut scenes (although in this case they are all saved up for the end, but what an end!). If you are new to the Layton franchise then look forward to some ingenious puzzles and some really frustrating, but ultimately satisfying, mini games.
Our adventure starts in London, quickly moves to Paris and then we join the Molentary Express on its journey through to the village of Folsense and it's mysterious secrets. Folsense itself is bigger than St Mystere from the first game and the puzzles are spaced out more, which means more exploration. The puzzles start off rather easy and do seem easier then the first Layton adventure, but the difficult puzzles are obtained once you have mastered the various (really good fun too!)mini games.
The mysteries keep on coming in this game and there are more of the unusual characters we encountered from the first game (including a few old faces, like Granny Riddleton and her puzzle shack).
All in all, expect more of the same in the sequel. This is a game that should be on every discerning DS owners wish list.
Cup of tea anyone?
An Excellent Sequel
This is an excellent follow up to one of the DS's best titles. For the uninitiated, the Layton games are a mix of brain teasers and puzzles, mixed with a graphic adventure that follows the tale of the Professor investigating the disappearance of an old friend.
There are more puzzles in this than the original, and the game is a little longer, and it must be said the puzzles aren't quite up to the high standard of the original. There are a lot of puzzles similar to one another, and many of them are run-of-the-mill sliding block or arithmetic puzzles. That's not to say it isn't fun - it's still of a very high standard, it's just the first game set the bar so high.
On the positive side, the presentation and plot are a big improvement on the original. Likewise, the various minigames you can play while exploring, give some much needed variety to the proceeding.
I'd certainly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the original. If you haven't played either though, I'd recommend 'Curious Village' over this one as your first purchase.
Note: This review was based on the identical 'Professor Layton & The Diabolical Box', which is the North American version and is identical in all but name. Unlike some other reviewers here, I paid to import this game by post - downloading ROMs from the net is both illegal and I'm sure highly offensive to the people who put effort into creating this software.
About Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (Nintendo DS) detail
- Amazon Sales Rank: #9 in Computer & Video Games
- Brand: Nintendo
- Published on: 2009-07-31
- Released on: 2009-09-25
- Rating: Universal, suitable for all
- ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+
- Number of discs: 1
- Platform: Nintendo DS
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .62" h x 4.93" w x 5.75" l, .25 pounds
Features
- Professor Layton and Pandora's Box
- A riveting new mystery and more than 150 new brain teasers, riddles and logic puzzles to challenge and delight players.
- Increased amounts of voice work and beautiful animated movie scenes compared to the original.