What's The Story?
With every entry in the Professor Layton series, we've been treated to a whole host of puzzles and riddles that have teased and tested our mystery-solving skills. However, each of the games has also featured a storyline capable of keeping us hooked right up until the very last moment.
So as a new Professor Layton adventure arrives in stores this month on Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, what kind of features can you expect to see? Has anything changed that you need to know about? And above all - what's the story?
Well, as with most of the entries in the franchise, the mystery all kicks off with a letter. In Professor Layton and the Mystery Mask, our hero receives a cryptic communique from a childhood friend that leads him to a carnival city called Monte d'Or, where he is to look into the bad behaviour of an enigmatic villain known only as the Masked Gentleman. Once again, the Professor is joined by his assistant Emmy and his young apprentice Luke just in time to see the town's latest party ruined by the shadowy menace.
However, in addition to Luke and Emily, there are some other faces that you may be less familiar with. This includes Randall Ascot, the professor's best friend from childhood, makes an appearance having not been seen for 18 years after disappearing on an expedition. There's also Angela Ledore, another old friend who is behind the letter that brings Professor Layton to Monte d'Or in the first place, as well as her husband Henry who is a major player in the town. Then, of course, there is the Masked Gentlemen - the master of the dark miracles who you'll hopefully get to find out much more about as the mystery unfurls.
As the series has gone on, its creators have upped the ante in terms of how many great puzzles and riddles there are to test players' brains and powers of logic and deduction. Of course, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is no different, as not only do you get 150 brand new games with the title itself, you'll also get a new set of mini games in the Professor's Trunk and 365 additional Daily Puzzles that are being distributed through the Nintendo Network. These are set to be made available one at a time, on a daily basis for a whole year from the day the game is launched. All of which means this latest Professor Layton adventure has even greater longevity, something that has also been demonstrated by Mario over the years!