Worth Your Simoleons is a weekly installment I will be doing that will take a look at games, dvds, nerdy buys, and gaming accessories that may, or may not be, worth your money. So, without further ado, here is volume one of Worth Your Simoleons:
Every once in a while a game comes along for a system that really defines why everyone and anyone should immediately drop what they're doing and run to the local game store to buy both console and game. For the Nintendo DS, I wholly believe that game is Professor Layton and the Curious Village and it is definitely worth your money!
Professor Layton and the Curious Village is about a puzzle solving detective and his young sidekick who are called into a job in the town of St. Mystere to find the recently diseased Baron's fortune, which was hidden amongst a number of puzzles. While in the town they find themselves trapped as the only bridge in and out of town breaks, and a number of odd things begin to happen: a murder, a kidnapping, and strange noises coming from the tower in the north part of town. You're charged with the duty of finding the Reinhold fortune, solving the mystery of the shadowy tower, discover the culprit of the murder/kidnapping, and all the while solving hundreds of puzzles thrown at you by the citizens of St. Mystere. And NOTHING is what it seems. Quite frankly, the game's got more twists and turns than Chubby Checker in a blender.
Now, let's talk mechanics. Professor Layton and the Curious Village has some very impressive cut scenes that remind me of the old Tin Tin cartoon, complete with voice acting. There are literally hundreds of puzzles you need to solve, found everywhere in town from talking to people to clicking on chairs, lamps, and candles. The puzzles themselves range from obvious to near impossible, but at all difficulty levels they are extremely fun and very satisfying once you do find the answer! You can find hint coins in the game to help you with some of the more difficult ones, but there are a limited number of coins so don't waste them! The dialog is surprisingly good, along with a fantastic storyline. The characters are memorable to say the least as well! The music used in both the general game and while solving puzzles is unique, and has quite the "french renaissance" feel to it. And the length of the game will still have you playing at well over 20 hours.
Granted the game has been out a while, but I think a lot of people make have passed this title up, chalking it up to child's play given the box art. I am here to tell you that for $29.99 (amazon.com) this game is a must have for any DS owner!
