I don't want to alarm you, but if you liked the first game's mix of brain-tickling puzzles and mysterious, whimsical intrigue, you'll find more of that in the sequel. And since I personally thought Curious Village was one of the most engaging, charming, and well-produced DS games in a long time, that is A-OK in my book. The artwork and menus are the same, the flow of the game--explore areas looking for clues to the mystery while solving dozens of puzzles offered to you by the people and surroundings you encounter--is basically identical, even the puzzle-solving music remains basically unchanged.
The game has Layton and Luke investigating the Elysian Box, an old artifact that's said to instantly strike anyone dead who opens it. After the box may (or may not?) have claimed the life of Layton's old friend, the pair sets off aboard a luxury passenger train the Molentary Express in pursuit of their first shred of clues. Initially I missed the old-world charm of St. Mystere, the setting of the first game, but it didn't take me long to get in the groove of this new story. What better place for a mystery than a speeding train?
Sure, there are a few minor changes to the game, including new minigames inside the professor's trunk. The most welcome new feature for me so far is the ability to pull out a "memo" overlay on any puzzle and make notes anywhere on top of the puzzle you need. That's come in handy in more than one tricky puzzle so far. I'll be back with a review of Diabolical Box next week to fill in some more details, but since the game should be hitting stores this weekend, I'll tell you this: If you loved Curious Village and you wanted more when it was over, you're going to want to get this one as soon as you see it.