Professor Layton And The Lost Future (Nintendo DS)

Professor Layton and the Lost Future

This is the third game in the Professor Layton series and is just as enjoyable as the last two instalments. I really enjoy these games as I like that you have to solve puzzles in order for the game to progress, the game also has around half an hours worth of video throughout the game showing bit's of what the story is about.

The story behind this installment of the game involves Professor Layton and his young apprentice Luke going to witness the unveiling and demonstration of a new time machine. Something goes wrong and people start to disappear.
Receiving a letter from himself ten years in the future Luke and the Professor go in search of a little clock shop in London, It's in here they find another time machine which will transport them to the future.

Right through the game requires you to solve puzzles and whilst some are easy other can be more trickier. To solve the trickier ones there are hints to help you, but in order to access the hints you will need to use your coins, the hint coins can be found in various locations throughout the game, usually hiding in a chimney pot/sign post/tea pot etc, you simply tap on the item with your stylus and a coin may very well pop out.
Unlike the two previous games this one has the three normal hints and then the super hint, one, two and three each require you to use one hint coin but the super hint requires two coins!
Using the super hint does however practically solve the puzzle for you.

When you solve a puzzle you will be given Picarats, these are points and solving the puzzle first time around will mean you will gain the full points ie. 30/30, if not some Picarats will be deducted.

Another reward for completing puzzles are mini games, there are three mini games available in the game, one is a sticker book mini game which requires you to place the stickers in the correct place to make a story, the second being a parrot game where you are required to train the parrot to perform certain tasks and tackle obsticles, the third is a toy car game where you need to direct the car through a maze using a selecion of different directional indicators.

It's a fantastic game that I have played three times and still I love it just as much as I did the first time I played it. The series of different puzzles keep the game interesting and it's nice to see the story unfold.