Archive for December 2008
Puzzlin’ Evidence
A “Professor Layton and the Curious Village” Review
This game might be rated ‘E’ for everyone, but this isn’t a simple puzzler to give a 5 year old, or even a 10 year old. The storyline is very simplistic- the ‘twist’ can be spotted within the first hour or two of gameplay. You play as the titular Layton and his assistant Luke, going to the village of St. Mystere in search of hidden treasure. While playing through the game, composed of smaller puzzles, the plot is driven by the search for answers to several larger ‘mysteries’, which can be figured out dozens of chapters in advance by anyone who isn’t a small child. Still, the explination for some of the smaller of these mysteries seem arbitrary and a bit hand-wavey. Despite it’s basicness, it is still serves it’s function well, and the beautiful graphics and real, fully voiced animation sequences (few in nature but high in quality) more then make up for it.
The meat of the game is it’s brainteasers. Did I say brainteasers? I meant braintorturers. (This is where the not-for-10-year-olds part comes in.) The difficulty level varies wildly, and the ‘picarat’ rating system doesn’t always match up to the puzzles actual dificulty. They cover a wide variety of puzzle types, from block-sliders to logic, and your relative difficulty with them will be based entirely on how well you do with each type. Be aware that the in game hints (which cost one of a limited number of well hidden coins) are only helpful on the 2nd and 3rd hints- the 1st simply restates the instructions slightly differently, stressing the key words. A few of the puzzles are very difficult because of the entirely random nature of the answer (#67 “The Chocolate Code” comes to mind), which leads me to think that it was originally a sensible Japanese problem, which had to be entirely reworked to even halfway make sense in English. With 120 genuinely challenging puzzles and 15+ bonus puzzles, you really do get your moneys worth for the game.
This walk-through has all of the in game hints, so if you get stuck you don’t have to use up one of your hint coins. More guides and solutions can be found here. This is a more thorough review by IGN. The official site has examples of the graphics and more information about the game, including the online downloadable play.
Here’s hoping the new year brings the games sequals!…or at least consistent puzzle updates from Nintendo.
(Also, thank you mother, for buying me this game! I lessthenthree you thiiiiiiiiis much equal close paren)
A Not So White Christmas
Alas, no snow. Again.
Christmas night I wasn’t bundled up around a cozy fire, wrapped in blankets, drinking hot chocolate. No, definitely no. Me, I was sweating up a storm in shorts and a T-shirt, on a trampoline. Yep, no snow.
Christmas day was around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. 20 % chance of rain, not snow. Well, so much for dreaming of a white Christmas.
Yeah, Houston Texas is not the place to go for a snow vacation.
I’m dreaming of a not so white Christmas. Just like the ones I used to know. Where the palm trees sway. And children play, in the green lawn.
If you can’t get the real thing watch the movie- White Christmas.
What are your chances for a white Christmas?
Want to get away for a White Christmas find out the top 10 snow vacation spots.
Merry Christmas!