[Fifty]

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/DS/Pr...ws.asp?c=13637

Looks like it gets released in the West (well, US) on 24th August. No mention of a European release yet.

Edit : http://www.shopto.net/DS/GAMES/DSPR1...cal%20Box.html

ShoptTo have gone with the 28th for the EU version.

[Uzeless]

Looking forward to this! First one was brilliant!!!!

[Fifty]

Originally Posted by Uzeless

Looking forward to this! First one was brilliant!!!!

Yeah, me too.

Not much on the horizon for the DS that excites me - probably only this, the third Layton and the new Zelda.

[Scott23]

I know about Prof Layton and curious village, what is the other prof layton?

[Flashy]

^^^I think the third Layton, The Last Time Travel, was released in Japan last year. There is also a fourth in development, titled The Devil's Flute.

[brumhee]

I think over here it is renamed to Professor Layton and Pandoras Box scheduled to release around 25 September. I have seen it on pre-order for about £21.

I have only just started playing the first one and am hooked. Really a great game and the puzzles are varied enough to keep you engaged. I just hope they have some great new ones for this and not just variations on the orignals.

[cas398]

Originally Posted by Fifty

Yeah, me too.

Not much on the horizon for the DS that excites me - probably only this, the third Layton and the new Zelda.

Yeah I guess we've got a couple of months really before the Christmas onslaught comes. It's a bit dry at the moment but I'm looking foward to this. The girlfriend has completed the first (with a bit of help from moi may I add ) but I've only touched the surface so I'll have to completed in the coming weeks.

[Fe_man2000]

this is out in the US - I am a few hours into it and its better than the first one I think ((which I really enjoyed as well) - it has some additional minigame that you build apon as you collect items as well as the 150 odd puzzles in it.

[AfxTwn]

Well I just thought I'd chip in with an alternative view on this game as it seems to get nothing but high praise from everyone. I have to say I can't stand these puzzle/brain-training type games and can't understand the huge mass appeal of them. I know I'm going to be in the minority on this and I'm not purposely trying to start a heated arguement (Lord knows I hate it when that happens on forums) but I do feel it's important to show the alternative viewpoint for these games as they do tend to get over-hyped (annnd breathe!!!).

I bought the first Prof. Layton game after avoiding the various Brain Training games like the plague, I thought this one would be different as it had an interesting storyline and some puzzles to tie everything together. How wrong I was! It seems like the storyline was just an excuse to jump on the bandwagon of this latest trend of game developers trying to justify their existence (and their almost non-stop release of hardcore shoot-fests) by pretending to be helping to educate the consumer.

The games just remind me of my horrible schooldays being stuck in Maths and facing a stupid question along the lines of: "If Timmy has 16 apples and he needs to get to town which is 7 and 3/4 miles away and he only has a motorcycle's sidecar to travel in, how fast does he need to go?". Aaaaaaaaargh!!!!

Why, why, why, why, why do people love these games? Most of the people who I know that own these games seem to enjoy pointing out how far they have progressed in the game and what their current Brain-age is as though this is somehow a good way to make up for the fact that they didn't get any A-levels or go to university. Either that or they absolutely love to point out how thick I am because I can't complete or answer a certain puzzle/question. Which incidentally the game does as well.

I am going to be biassed here primarily because I am very bad at these games as I was terrible when I had to do them at school but I can't understand why anyone who has left school would want to do them all over again other than to show off and to get a small victory over their friends and/or family.

The first game started great and had some good voice-acting which for some reason was then ditched and you spent the rest of the game reading through page after page of text with the odd little cut-scene. I just found that when I couldn't do a certain puzzle I was left feeling stupid and annoyed and had to go through the same feelings again when I was told by my friend either how to do it or that he had done it quite quickly/easily.

Yes I know I have some deep-seeded childhood issues/difficiencies that I need to sort out but I still think this and other games in this genre are just a big con-job and vastly over-hyped. And on that bombshell, I shall now go and cry to my therapist!

[Noggleboggleman]

Each to their own and all that!

For the record, I can't stand Brain Training etc, but I loved the first Professor Layton and I am enjoying this one too (although I've only put 30 mins or so into it so far). In fact, the first one is the only DS game I've ever completed!

I think I like it so much because I can play on my own or with my gf and we can both enjoy the storyline and puzzles.

That said, if you don't like the sort of maths puzzles you mention in your post, then there is no point in looking at this as they make up most of the game.

[cas398]

Originally Posted by AfxTwn

I am going to be biassed here primarily because I am very bad at these games

If you don't like cheese, don't eat cheese. If you can't play darts, don't play darts... I'm sure you get my point.

I don't personally "love" these type of games but it is nice to test your brain once in a while. Learning is a life long process it doesn't and shouldn't end when you finish (or drop out) of school.

[Fe_man2000]

I can see your point but what I like about this game is that its not trying to con you into thinking your doing yourself any good (e.g brain training) by doing some sums - its a game and has some nice logic puzzles and spot the differences etc. Also can be picked up and put down very easily and played with your partner on a journey - its a good DS game basically.

But your right if "I have 3 pots each containing 2 litres of water, how can I get all the water into blah blah" type of puzzle arent your thing then of course this game isnt for you - its not pretending to be anything else.

[AfxTwn]

Well I already figured I would be in the minority of one on expressing my negative views on this game. I will concede however that perhaps this game isn't as bad as the plethora of brain training-type games in that it doesn't have patronising adverts fronted by celebrities.

Plus this game does actually have a storyline and is presented very well, although I still have some doubts as to whether this really is a puzzle game in the truest sense of the word. Seeing as it is mainly maths/logic questions, I wouldn't really class that as having to solve a puzzle.

A quick reply to your comment Cas that I seemed to be suggesting that learning should end when you leave school, that's not what I meant at all. I think my personal feelings on education have somewhat clouded my initial arguement and come across as me moaning about not wanting to learn things.

Anyway, before this turns into a lynch mob against me I will say that this game isn't as bad as the other games I mentioned and I apologise for using this game as a starting off point for my arguement against this genre of game as a whole.

In other news, Professor Layton is officially the best game ever and no-one should ever say anything against it ever again.

[Noggleboggleman]

Originally Posted by AfxTwn

Well I already figured I would be in the minority of one on expressing my negative views on this game. I will concede however that perhaps this game isn't as bad as the plethora of brain training-type games in that it doesn't have patronising adverts fronted by celebrities.

Plus this game does actually have a storyline and is presented very well, although I still have some doubts as to whether this really is a puzzle game in the truest sense of the word. Seeing as it is mainly maths/logic questions, I wouldn't really class that as having to solve a puzzle.

A quick reply to your comment Cas that I seemed to be suggesting that learning should end when you leave school, that's not what I meant at all. I think my personal feelings on education have somewhat clouded my initial arguement and come across as me moaning about not wanting to learn things.

Anyway, before this turns into a lynch mob against me I will say that this game isn't as bad as the other games I mentioned and I apologise for using this game as a starting off point for my arguement against this genre of game as a whole.

In other news, Professor Layton is officially the best game ever and no-one should ever say anything against it ever again.

This must be the most mild mannered and respectful lynch mob ever!

[AfxTwn]

Lol Noggle! Sorry, just previous experiences on other forums have made me overly-cautious when sharing negative opinions of an otherwise popular game.

[cas398]

Originally Posted by AfxTwn

Lol Noggle! Sorry, just previous experiences on other forums have made me overly-cautious when sharing negative opinions of an otherwise popular game.

The thing is when you know you are in the minority and you post a negative view about a highly rated game you've got to expect the worst.

I don't have a problem with you not liking any game I just feel your reason was very subjective.

Regarding the Brain Training and similar games one of the thing they have in their favour is progression. People like to work towards something as a reward, in this case a better brain age. Don't forget the DS is a very casual market so a game that anyone can pick up and play is going to be very popular.

[The Fuggler]

Out today and Morrisons seem to have it in-store for £22.

Bargain Forum - Prof Layton

[kiran_mk2]

I was looking at picking up an american version of this on ebay and a lot of the descriptions state that the cartridge isn't compatible with the DSi - is there any reason for this or are they selling flashcarts with microSD card pirates?

[captainff]

Originally Posted by kiran_mk2

I was looking at picking up an american version of this on ebay and a lot of the descriptions state that the cartridge isn't compatible with the DSi - is there any reason for this or are they selling flashcarts with microSD card pirates?

That is the most likely answer.

The other possibility is that the region locking on the DSi affects it .. .. .. .. but all my older imported US games work properly.

[rexel1]

Originally Posted by captainff

That is the most likely answer.

The other possibility is that the region locking on the DSi affects it .. .. .. .. but all my older imported US games work properly.

They will be pirated copies. DSi region locking is only on DSiware games

[captainff]

I finished the main story of Pandora's Box today after around 10 hours of gameplay and overall I enjoyed it a lot.

Negatives for me were that the puzzles were easier than Curious, with less of the really headscratching ones that didn't make sense until after you knew the answer. The story also wasn't quite as engaging even though the cut scenes were more impressive.

On now to finish the few puzzles I missed plus finding the hidden things in the game

[Flashy]

Originally Posted by captainff

Negatives for me were that the puzzles were easier than Curious, with less of the really headscratching ones that didn't make sense until after you knew the answer.

That's interesting – I'm about two hours in, my girlfriend about three hours, and we both think the puzzles are considerably harder than in the Curious Village, right from the start. This opens up the possibility that the puzzles haven't become harder, but that the two of us have become less clever...

[captainff]

Maybe Flashy .. .. .. but probably not

I think the style of the puzzles is different this time around (purely subjective opinion). Curious had the puzzle that was the letters on a standard keyboard but shifted-one-to-the-left .. .. .. nothing like that that I've encountered this time. Admittedly there have been one or two puzzles that even after I've used 3 hint coins I've still had to resort to inputting every number from 10 - 20 until I got the right one .. .. .. but not many.

I've still got to find those last few puzzles to get the extra picarats I need to unlock all of the bonus material .. .. ..

[jwyg]

i got the first one, and i and the g/f really liked it - she wants me to get teh second one for her, but i heard that a lot of the puzzles are just like trick questions, or spot the difference - is that fair?

[Flashy]

Originally Posted by jwyg

i got the first one, and i and the g/f really liked it - she wants me to get teh second one for her, but i heard that a lot of the puzzles are just like trick questions, or spot the difference - is that fair?

Only in the same way that there were a lot of puzzles about moving water between jugs in the first one - there's far more to it than limited puzzles.

If your girlfriend's anything like mine, get it for her. You'll be extremely popular with her indeed, although she'll thank you once and then you won't see her for a whole weekend, as she'll be glued to the DS.