Video Game Review: Professor Layton and the Curious Village

When I first saw the ads for "Professor Layton and the Curious Village", I was a bit skeptical. After all, who hasn't seen the dozens of games out there for the Nintendo DS that involve mind games and puzzle-solving? What can you do to add to the plethora of brain teasers out there already, and make it fun and entertaining?

But this Nintendo DS game, created by Level 5, goes far beyond anything I've seen before. You start off with the arrival of Professor Layton and his young apprentice, Luke, in the area of St. Mystere. The good Professor has been asked to solve the mystery of a missing inheritance. Once he arrives at the Village (and getting there is trouble enough!) he finds himself dealing with a murder, missing people and a variety of characters who may want to help or hinder him in his search for the answers.

Which, by itself can be easily mistaken for any number of detective games. But what makes this game unique is the puzzles that you face at almost every turn. There aren't your usual two-minute puzzles; these are brain teasers that range across the board from number games to visual puzzles to matchstick tests and are guaranteed to have you stumped or at least reaching for a piece of scrap paper. With over a hundred puzzles imbedded in the Village you're sure to spend hours searching every nook and cranny to find and solve them all - because the items you find behind the puzzles help you solve the mysteries! Along the way you can also collect "hint coins" that can be cashed in to help you solve the tougher puzzles - and you'll need them, trust me!