Professor Layton and the Curious Village

PLATFORM (Nintendo DS)

PUBLISHER (Nintendo)

PRICE $30

ESRB RATING (E for Everyone)

PLAYERS (1)

Any parent concerned that video games turn their children into mindless drones need to go to the store right now and purchase a copy of Professor Layton for the Nintendo DS.

The game is a combination of the old PC point and click type adventures, and Brain Age's quick but challenging puzzles. This story is driven both by cut scenes and by the player searching around the scenes with their DS Stylus for hints, items, and also interacting with in game characters who almost always offer up a puzzle for players to solve.

Puzzles can be as simple as word problems, which are illustrated visually to help players puzzle completion, to as complex as lower level algebra.

Most puzzles help move forward the plot, which involves Professor Layton being called to the Curious Village in order to help find the inheritance for the family of a wealthy man who loved puzzles.

Some puzzles may be over younger players heads. Heck, some puzzles may be over parents heads. What cannot be denied about this game is that it tickles your brain in ways that are often challenging, but always rewarding.

A large part of the fun of this game comes from getting stuck on more challenging puzzles. This will often lead you to ask for help from someone else. This turns this single player game into an exciting group experience, as people tend to stay around one consulted to see what puzzle will come next.

Professor Layton is a momentous success that manages to be both enlightening and engrossing. It should not be missed by anyone.

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PLATFORM (Nintendo DS)

PUBLISHER (Nintendo)

PRICE $20

ESRB RATING (E for Everyone)

PLAYERS (1-16)

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