Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Level-5 Matrix Software (iOS, Android) |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo DSiOS, Android
|
Director(s) | Tatsuya Shinkai |
Producer(s) | Akihiro Hino |
Composer(s) | Tomohito Nishiura |
Series | Professor Layton |
Platform(s) | Nintendo DS, iOS, Android |
Release | Nintendo DS iOS, Android |
Genre(s) | Puzzle, Adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, [a] known in Australia and Europe as Professor Layton and Pandora's Box, [1] is the second game in the Professor Layton series by Level-5. It was followed by a third game, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future . The game follows Professor Layton and his self-proclaimed apprentice Luke as they travel cross-country by train to solve the mystery behind a mysterious box that is said to kill anyone who opens it. [2] An enhanced mobile port of Diabolical Box, subtitled "HD for Mobile", was released on December 5, 2018. [3]
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box is an adventure/puzzle game. The player controls the movements of the eponymous Professor Layton and his young assistant Luke through several locations, unlike in the previous game which is confined to just one town. Along with completing many different types of puzzles, players must explore different areas, solve mysteries, and aid the Professor on his quest.
The puzzle menus for this game are very similar to those in Curious Village. Puzzles include brain teasers, sliding puzzles, logic puzzles and others. The player is presented with each puzzle and its value in "picarats", and is given unlimited time to solve it. Each puzzle has three hints available for it, but the player must spend one "hint coin" to see each hint. Hint coins are limited; the player starts with ten, and more can be found by searching the game's locales. Once the player feels they have the answer, they enter it, either by selecting an answer, drawing a circle around a specific part, or entering the answer through character recognition on the Nintendo DS's touchscreen. If the player is correct, the picarats are added to their total score, and they are sometimes rewarded with an item. If the player is incorrect, they can retry the puzzle indefinitely, though the first two times they are wrong, the value of the puzzle will decrease by approximately ten percent each time. Optionally, a player can quit a puzzle at no cost and try another, though certain puzzles are mandatory to progress. Once a puzzle is completed, the player may retry it at any time via the game's menus.
As a reward for completing a puzzle, the player may earn one of three categories of item. Hamster toys are collected to help Luke give a morbidly obese hamster a workout; pieces of a shattered camera that Sammy accidentally dropped can be assembled to repair it; and players can earn tea ingredients to brew new recipes and serve cups of tea to Luke, Layton and people they meet.
By completing all 138 puzzles in the main game and each of these additional puzzles, the player could access 15 bonus puzzles for 153 puzzles total (excluding the downloadable puzzles). The game was compatible with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing players to connect to the internet and download new weekly puzzles. The first unlockable puzzle was made available on the day of the game's Japanese release, and one new key had been released every week thereafter for 33 weeks, with new keys being released on Sunday. Since May 20, 2014, it has been impossible to download the additional content, since the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service was terminated on that date. [4]
There are also two bonuses in "The Hidden Door" that are only available after the player finds one unique code each in the game's predecessor and sequel. Other bonuses include a soundtrack, cut-scenes, soundbites, character profiles, and scenes from the game.
Dr. Schrader, Professor Layton's mentor, reportedly has come across the mysterious Elysian Box, fabled to kill anyone who opens it. When Layton and Luke pay Dr. Schrader a visit, they find him unconscious on the floor and no sign of the box. A train ticket for the Molentary Express is the only clue of the box's theft, and the two prepare to follow on the next train out to head towards the town of Folsense, listed in Schrader's diary as the origin of the Elysian Box. They are followed by Inspector Chelmey, tracking down the crime, and Flora, who sneaks aboard the train but is eventually discovered by the pair.
The train makes a stop in Dropstone, a town celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of its founding. As they enjoy the celebration, Layton and Luke learn that the town's founder, Sophia, also had an interest in the Elysian Box, but she died the year before, and her granddaughter Katia continues to seek it out. Don Paolo, Layton's arch-rival, kidnaps Flora and disguises himself as her, leaving her behind in Dropstone as the train departs.
En route to Folsense, Layton, Luke, and "Flora" are knocked out with sleeping gas by the train's conductor. They awake to find their train car separated from the rest of the engine at the Folsense station. As they enter the town, they are struck by a brief wave of nausea, and "Flora" feigns illness to stay at the hotel. Layton and Luke explore the town and learn it was founded on top of rich mine deposits by Duke Herzen and his sons, Anton and Fredrich. Some fifty years ago, upon discovery of a new vein of gold, strange incidents began to occur around town, and many of its citizens left. Fredrich left with his part of the family fortune and founding the Molentary Express, changing his name to hide his identity. They also learn that Dropstone's founder Sophia was also a former resident, evacuating with several of the citizens to form the nearby village. The remaining citizens point to the central castle over the mines, where they claim that Anton remains to this day as a vampire.
On returning to the hotel, Layton and Luke find that the remainder of the train's contingent has arrived, and Chelmey has arrested a conductor named Sammy as a suspect in the theft of the box and Schrader's death. Layton proves him wrong, revealing Don Paolo after exposing his disguise. Don Paolo escapes but leaves behind the Elysian Box. Layton and Luke open it but find the box is completely empty, so Layton eventually suggests visiting Anton to solve the mystery.
At the castle, the surprisingly young Anton initially welcomes them as his guests, but when they start to ask about the Elysian Box, he becomes suspicious and at one point ties the pair up, though they are able to escape. During the escape, the pair find a large hole in the basement of the castle, along with some strange machinery. Layton discovers the mine, which is connected to the castle basement, but finds the effects of the nausea worsen as they get closer to it. In spite of this, the two return to Anton and find Katia along the way. Upon mistaking her for Sophia, Anton challenges Layton to a fencing duel. Anton eventually tires from the duel: this leads Katia to break it up, revealing Anton to be her grandfather in the process. She also tells everyone that her grandmother left Folsense to protect her and Anton's unborn child (who would grow up to be Katia's mother) and that Sophia and this child had died some time ago. Unfortunately, Anton lashes out with his saber in rage and disbelief, cutting a chain holding the chandelier in place and causing the castle to collapse. Everyone makes it out in time before the building falls into the mine, caving in the exposed mine shaft in the basement. Layton explains that when the mine was discovered fifty years ago, it released a hallucinatory gas that affected everyone in Folsense; as the gas disperses, Anton is revealed to be an old man, and Folsense an abandoned, desolate town. Layton suspects a quantity of the gas was in the Elysian Box, causing those that believed in the myth to actually succumb to death.
Anton is suddenly reminded of his fiancée, Sophia, and that he has commissioned the box to hold a message to be sent to Sophia in Dropstone after her departure, but it had been stolen so many times he had lost hope Sophia received it. Luke opens the special compartment and reveals that Sophia had gotten the box and left her own note to Anton, stating her love for him and Katia's relationship to her. Anton welcomes Katia with open arms, wanting to love her as much as he had Sophia, stating that he has to get to know Katia before he can join Sophia in death. The group returns to Dropstone, where Flora is located. As Layton and his friends return to London, they learn that Dr. Schrader had only fallen into a temporary coma from his exposure to the gas from the box, and has now fully recovered.
After the credits, the game ends showing "to be continued" along with a picture of Layton and Luke standing in front of a time machine, alluding to the premise of Professor Layton and the Unwound Future .
The Professor Layton series was announced to be a trilogy immediately following the announcement of Professor Layton and the Curious Village within Japan. [5] By this time, Level-5 had already decided upon the Japanese names of Curious Village and Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, but were originally planning to entitle the second game "Layton-kyōju to Yū-rei Jima no Himitsu". (ゆうれい島のひみつ, – Yū-rei Jima no Himitsu, lit. "Professor Layton and the Secret of Ghost Island") These plans were eventually cancelled due to the staff thinking that it was too strange for an English gentleman to try and survive on a desert island, and the story was changed to that of Diabolical Box. [5]
Level-5 learned several lessons from the critical response to Curious Village. Critics had often claimed that the puzzles in the games were too disjointed from the game's plot, so in Diabolical Box, they attempted to make the puzzles more relevant to the game's narrative. [5] The puzzles within the series from Diabolical Box onward tended to use English more than Japanese. This was coincidental, but allowed the game to be translated without replacing as many puzzles. [5] Level-5 also tried to update existing systems within the game, such as the Professor's suitcase and minigames; ultimately, Diabolical Box used up nearly twice as much data than its predecessor. [5]
The music of the game was composed by Tomohito Nishiura with the entire soundtrack later released on an album titled Layton Kyouju to Akuma no Hako Original Soundtrack, in Japan only. The puzzle theme is similar to the original but with additional percussion. The ending theme song "Iris" was sung by Salyu, though it was omitted from the album. The international release of the game utilizes an instrumental version, though it similarly was not included on the album either due to not have being created at the time.
The album scored slightly higher than its predecessor. Square Enix Music Online gave it a score of 7 out of 10, criticizing that "there are no masterpieces on this score, even though the variety and entertainment is much more enhanced [over Curious Village's]." [6] RPGFan Music stated "At 75 minutes, this one disc is packed with goodies, though one might also argue that it's packed with filler." [7]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Elysian Box Theme" | 2:09 |
2. | "In London" | 2:28 |
3. | "Puzzles Remixed" | 3:33 |
4. | "The Molentary Express" | 3:24 |
5. | "Suspense" | 3:54 |
6. | "The Village of Dropstone" | 3:32 |
7. | "An Uneasy Atmosphere" | 2:45 |
8. | "Folsense" | 3:12 |
9. | "The Town's Past" | 3:25 |
10. | "Time for a Break" | 2:34 |
11. | "The Dark Forest" | 3:06 |
12. | "Into the Depths of the Dark" | 2:38 |
13. | "Unspoken Feelings" | 3:07 |
14. | "The Somber Castle" | 2:26 |
15. | "The Ball" | 1:51 |
16. | "The True Folsense" | 0:36 |
17. | "Iris (Music Box Version)" | 3:09 |
18. | "The Elysian Box Theme (Live Version)" | 3:34 |
19. | "Folsense (Live Version)" | 5:23 |
20. | "Don Paolo's Theme (Live Version)" | 4:05 |
21. | "Time for a Break (Live Version)" | 4:24 |
22. | "The Town's Past (High Quality)" | 3:25 |
23. | "The Dark Forest (High Quality)" | 3:06 |
24. | "The Somber Castle (High Quality)" | 2:28 |
Total length: | 74:14 |
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | 84/100 [8] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
1Up.com | A+ [9] |
Adventure Gamers | [10] |
The A.V. Club | A− [11] |
Edge | 7/10 [12] |
Eurogamer | 8/10 [13] |
Famitsu | 34/40 [14] |
Game Informer | 8.25/10 [15] |
GamePro | [16] |
GameRevolution | B [17] |
GameSpot | 8.5/10 [18] |
GameSpy | [19] |
GameTrailers | 8.8/10 [20] |
GameZone | 8.6/10 [21] |
Giant Bomb | [22] |
IGN | (US) 8.5/10 [23] (UK) 8.4/10 [24] |
Nintendo Life | 9/10 [25] |
Nintendo Power | 8/10 [26] |
Nintendo World Report | 9.5/10 [27] |
Official Nintendo Magazine | 92% |
VideoGamer.com | 8/10 [28] |
The Daily Telegraph | 7/10 [29] |
Wired | 8/10 [30] |
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box was released in Japan during November 2007, nine months after the release of Curious Village. Following this, Nintendo began to localize the series internationally; Curious Village was released in 2008, though Nintendo had not officially announced the localization of Diabolical Box. The manual of Curious Village, however, implied an eventual release of the second game while mentioning a feature in which passwords are exchanged between Curious Village and Diabolical Box for bonuses in both games. [31] [32] In March 2009, at the Game Developers Conference, Akihiro Hino listed Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box as an English title for the game. [33] At an interview following the conference, he confirmed that the name was the official English title and that the localization was currently being worked on, which he hoped to be finished in about six months. [33]
The game was released in North America during August 2009, as Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. It would be released in PAL regions during September of the same year, as Professor Layton and Pandora's Box, [1] where it would become the fastest-selling Nintendo DS game ever released within the United Kingdom. [34] [35]
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box received "favorable" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. [8] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of two nines and two eights for a total of 34 out of 40. [14]
The A.V. Club gave it an A− and said that "even if the relatively short game doesn't have much replay value, there’s an incentive to keep picking it up for some brain exercise." [11] Wired gave it a score of eight out of ten and said, "While Diabolical Box's gameplay, animation and plot are quite a bit like its predecessor's, slight improvements make this installment of the Professor Layton saga even more enjoyable than the last." [30] However, The Daily Telegraph gave it a score of seven out of ten and said that it "still has more charm and character than most and—despite the hiccups—provides a challenging, fun and satisfying puzzle experience for players young, old—and everything in between." [29] 1Up.com gave the game an A+ and said that, while the developers could have given gamers Curious Village again, "Diabolical Box shows that the game's developers aren't content to just sit on their laurels – they take a wonderful game, and make it even better." [9] VideoGamer.com gave the game a 8/10, stating: "If you liked Mysterious Village and need more, or if you just want something genuinely fresh and original for your DS, Pandora's Box is the answer you're looking for." [28]
During the 13th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box for "Portable Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Original Story". [36]
As of July 9, 2008, the game sold 815,369 copies in Japan, according to Famitsu. [37] [38] IGN gave the game Editor's Choice Award, and rated it the eleventh best Nintendo DS game as of 2010. [39] GameTrailers gave the title its best puzzle/parlor game of 2009 award. [40]
Upon its release to Western countries, the game sold more than 1.26 million units by September 2009. [41]
Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!, known as Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? in the PAL regions, is an edutainment puzzle video game. It was developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. Nintendo has stated that it is an entertainment product inspired by Tohoku University professor Ryuta Kawashima's work in the neurosciences.
Crosswords DS is a puzzle video game developed by American studio Nuevo Retro games released by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was previously released in Australia as CrossworDS but a new OFLC entry confirmed that Nintendo Australia re-released it with a European localization. Crosswords DS features over 1,000 crossword puzzles that the player solves by using the stylus. Despite the title, it also features word search puzzles and anagram puzzles. It makes use of similar handwriting mechanics that the Brain Age titles make use of. Crosswords DS is included in the Touch! Generations series of titles, which includes such popular games as Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! and Nintendogs. The background music was composed by Fabian Del Priore.
Tetris DS is a puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Nintendo DS on March 20, 2006, in North America, April 13, 2006, in Australia, April 21, 2006, in Europe, and April 27, 2006, in Japan. An installment of the Tetris franchise, the game supports up to ten players locally, and supported online multiplayer of up to four players using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection prior to its discontinuation.
Tomohito Nishiura is a Japanese video game music composer. He works primarily on games developed by Level-5.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a puzzle adventure video game for the Nintendo DS system. It was developed and published by Level-5 in Japan and published by Nintendo worldwide. It was released in Japan in 2007 and worldwide the following year. It was re-released in Australia using the British English localisation and European artwork to replace the previously released North American localisation. Curious Village is the first game in the Professor Layton series, followed by Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. An enhanced mobile port of Curious Village featuring additional cutscenes, subtitled "HD for Mobile", was released in 2018.
Akihiro Hino is a Japanese video game designer and businessman. Starting his career as a programmer in the 1990s, he later took on roles in writing, design, directing and producing. He founded Level-5 in 1998 and remains its president and CEO.
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, or Galactrix, is a puzzle video game developed by Infinite Interactive for the PC, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade, and PlayStation 3's PlayStation Network service.
Professor Layton is a puzzle adventure video game series and transmedia franchise developed by Level-5. The property consists primarily of seven main video games, a mobile spin-off, an animated theatrical film, and an anime television series, while additionally incorporating an array of secondary titles and media, including a crossover game with Capcom's Ace Attorney series.
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, known in Europe and Australia as Professor Layton and the Lost Future, is the third game in the first trilogy of the Professor Layton puzzle game series by Level-5 and in conclusion the final game of the first trilogy. It was first released in Japan in November 2008 and was later released in North America in September 2010 and in Europe and Australia in October 2010. In the game, Layton meets an older version of his apprentice, Luke, who brings him to a terrible future he wishes him to help fix. The game received critical acclaim by critics, praise for its story, puzzles, characters, soundtrack, and has since been cited as one of the best games of the series. An enhanced mobile port of Unwound Future, subtitled "HD for Mobile", was released on July 13, 2020.
Picopict, known as Pictobits in North America and as Pictopict in Australia, is a puzzle video game developed by Skip Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DSi's DSiWare digital distribution service. It is one of seven games released for the DSi's Art Style series of video games. It was announced on January 26, 2009, was released two days later alongside Somnium, another Art Style game, and was released in North America and PAL regions in the same year, on May 18 and May 22 respectively. In Picopict, players use the touchscreen to move coloured blocks into a formation, such as a four-block line or a 2x2 square. This contributes to an 8-bit image, which consist of various Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) characters, such as Mario, Link, and Bowser.
Professor Layton and the Last Specter, known in Europe as Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call, is a puzzle adventure video game produced by Level-5 for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. Last Specter is the fourth game in the Professor Layton series, and is a prequel that takes place three years before the first trilogy, detailing how Professor Layton met his apprentice, Luke Triton and introducing Layton's assistant Emmy Altava.
Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva is a 2009 Japanese animated mystery film directed by Masakazu Hashimoto, written by Aya Matsui from a story by Akihiro Hino and produced by P.A. Works and OLM. The film is based on the Professor Layton video game series by Level-5, taking place between the events of the video games Professor Layton and the Last Specter and Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask. In the story, renowned opera star Janice Quatlane contacts her former teacher, Professor Hershel Layton, after encountering a young girl who claims to be the reincarnation of her dead friend. While Layton and his apprentice, Luke Triton, are attending one of Janice's performances, they get unwillingly pulled into a puzzle-themed battle royal where the winner will apparently receive "the gift of eternal life". According to Level-5, the film stays true to the games, with music, puzzles and characters.
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is a puzzle adventure video game developed by Level-5. It is the fifth game in the Professor Layton series, the second in the prequel trilogy of games, and the first in the series to be developed for the Nintendo 3DS. Miracle Mask was released as a launch title for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan in February 2011, becoming the best-selling game on the day of the system's launch. The game was later released worldwide in October 2012. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask Plus, an enhanced edition featuring new puzzles and added cutscenes, was released on the Nintendo eShop in Japan in February 2013.
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is a visual novel adventure puzzle video game for the Nintendo 3DS, and was developed by both Capcom and Level-5, the latter publishing it in Japan while Nintendo published it worldwide. The game is a crossover between two game series from both developers, combining the puzzle and exploration elements of Level-5's Professor Layton series, and the general trial mechanics of Capcom's Ace Attorney adventure series, the latter enhanced by the addition of a few new elements, including multiple witnesses, a concept continued with into the prequel series The Great Ace Attorney. Shu Takumi, the series director for the Ace Attorney series, assisted with the scenario designs for the game. The plot focuses on Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright, along with their respective assistants, working together to solve the mystery behind a young girl that they both encounter separately, and a strange world they are brought to through her, with Layton focused on solving puzzles and finding clues to solve the mystery, while Wright focuses on defending people who are put on trial for being "witches".
Professor Hershel Layton is the eponymous main protagonist of the Professor Layton series, created by Level-5, in which he and his apprentice Luke Triton investigate mysteries while solving various brain teasers. He also appears in an animated movie, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, and has featured in manga and novels that have not been released in English. His birth name was revealed to be Theodore Bronev in Azran Legacy.
Atamania (アタマニア) is a series of casual puzzle video games published by Level-5. The series comprises two, unrelated series of puzzle games. Tago Akira no Atama no Taisō is a collection of puzzles created by Akira Tago, a Japanese professor who has authored a series of books within Japan under the same name. Players read through stories and solve puzzles at their own leisure. Surōn to Makuhēru no Nazo no Sutōrī is based on the concept of lateral thinking puzzles, books authored by Paul Sloane and Des MacHale. The games have drawn comparison to the Professor Layton series, which is also published by Level-5.
Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy is a puzzle game developed by Level-5 for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the sixth entry in the Professor Layton series, making up the third and final part of the prequel trilogy of games and, according to Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino, it was intended to be the last Layton title to star Professor Layton himself as the protagonist. However, with the announcement of Professor Layton and The New World of Steam in 2023, this is no longer the case. The game saw a release in early to late 2013 in all territories except North America, where it was released on February 28 of the following year.
Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy is a 2017 puzzle video game by Level-5. It is the seventh main entry in the Professor Layton series and follows a new protagonist, Katrielle Layton. It was released for Android, iOS, and the Nintendo 3DS, in 2017, and an enhanced port for the Nintendo Switch in Japan in 2018, and worldwide in 2019. A manga adaptation of the game drawn by Hori Oritoka began serialization on March 20, 2018, in Shōgakukan's Ciao magazine, and an anime adaptation, Layton Mystery Tanteisha: Katori no Nazotoki File, began airing on Fuji TV and other channels in April 2018.
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam is an upcoming puzzle-adventure game by Level-5 for the Nintendo Switch. It is part of the Professor Layton series and is scheduled to be released in 2025.
Nintendo Europe has announced that Professor Layton and Pandora's Box – known as Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box elsewhere – will launch on 25th September.
Puzzle master Professor Layton and his apprentice, Luke, have stumbled upon another mystery. It's up to them to navigate their way through numerous puzzles to determine who – or what – caused the death of Professor Layton's mentor, Dr. Schrader. Was it the mysterious Elysian Box, rumored to kill all who open it? Professor Layton and Luke find a train ticket for the Molentary Express, a clue that begins their adventure.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)