Professor Layton and the Last Specter Message Board

A portion of an N-Europe review...

In the case of where everything is already done right, the lack of change isn’t that bad. With a great new story, this is Layton’s finest adventure yet.

Full review here

A portion of an NGamer review...

The continuing saga of Layton, except starting all over again at the beginning. Probably best to play the other ones first, but still a fine puzzler if you haven't

Full review here

A portion of a C3 review...

The Spectre’s Call is definitely the second best out of the four entries in the Professor Layton series so far, though, and a fantastic treat just in time for the holiday period.

Full review here

A portion of an NWR review...

Professor Layton’s escapades are a known commodity by now. The Last Specter does nothing to dilute the brand, offering the same polished gameplay and presentation the series is known for. Throw in London Life, and it is the most robust game in the franchise, more or less containing two games in one. It might not pull in new players, but it will continue to make the same players happy.

Full review here

A portion of a Siliconera review...

Seeing how Luke and Layton interact when they first meet is a treat for fans that played through the first trilogy (The Last Specter starts a second) and compared to the previous games the story is a tad heavier. Since The Last Specter is a prequel, its also more welcoming for newcomers.

Full review here

A portion of a GameXplain review...

Professor Layton has done it again. Though I don't think the game is as strong as Unwound Future, it is a great time through and through.

Full review here

A portion of Eurogamer review...

A rational mind would conclude that there's no reason to be less satisfied this time around, yet the average European gamer is going to be miffed that the rest of the world gets to enjoy something extra. Which one are you? My guess is that we're all more average than we'd like to think.

Full review here

A portion of a Dtoid review...

Last Specter is the best Layton yet. The inclusion of a warp system, lack of matchstick puzzles, and memorable cast makes it just a notch better than the Curious Village. However, the series still inconveniences players who play primarily for the story or those, like me, who want to enjoy the story first and puzzles later.

Full review here

Ever wonder how Hershel met Luke? Answers will be revealed in the latest edition of Layton!

A portion of a BitBlock review...

Professor Layton and the Last Specter is easily one of Layton’s better offerings to date. The title is jam packed with puzzle solving goodness, sure to keep you entertained for many hours. Replay Value is definitely one of Last Specter’s strong points. While I do feel a few aspects come off as slightly dated, there’s no denying that puzzle solving fanatics will find plenty to tip their top hat to here.

Full review here

The official website for Professor Layton and the Last Specter has revealed the next 33 weeks worth of DLC...but not intentionally. Some website snooping brought up the DLC, and now we know what's on the way and when.

A portion of a Game Informer review...

When gamers talk about the Professor Layton series, most have played a game or two in the series, but few have made it through the entire trilogy. Level-5 wisely steered the fourth game in the series back to the time when Layton and his apprentice first met, kicking off a new prequel trilogy. This way new players can jump in without feeling lost and veteran players can skip any missed entries without the guilt.

Full review here

A portion of a Nintendo Life review...

Professor Layton and the Last Specter is another top-quality game in a truly brilliant series. It challenges your mind in a way very few games seriously attempt to do, and the feeling you get when you solve a particularly difficult puzzle is less one of relief than it is a desire to leap ahead in the game and find the next one. Playing this game is its own reward, and we'd have it no other way.

Full review here

A portion of a GamesRadar review...

You'll love
Same variety of well-crafted puzzles
More dynamic animations
Great story

You'll hate
Some slightly spotty voice acting
Puppet minigame is for five-year olds
Not getting London Life if you're in Europe

Professor Layton and the Last Specter - full review here

A portion of a Joystiq review...

...it isn't that difficult to recommend Last Specter. In fact, being a narrative prequel -- and a generally good Layton game, this seems like an ideal starting point.

Full review here

A portion of a 1up review...

I don't know that I'd necessarily recommend London Life as a standalone release, but as a freebie with a solid story-driven puzzler it's a no-brainer. In fact, the question of whether or not The Last Specter is worth a purchase is the easiest Layton puzzle answer of all.

Full review here

A portion of a Modojo review...

What's Hot: Excellent variety of puzzles, engaging story, bonus mini games, London Life, well animated cut scenes, classic Layton gameplay.

What's Not: Similar puzzles from Layton games past, London Life grows a bit tedious.

Full review here

The Professor Layton series is consistent in the extreme; every game has a variation on the same plot, in a similar environment, acting as a vector for puzzles in the same style as previous games. There's definitely a formula.

That formulaic nature almost forces me into reviewer cliches. "If you didn't like Professor Layton before," I might say, "there's nothing here to change your mind." "Fans of the puzzle-adventure genre will be well-served here." Even the previous Professor Layton review opened with a note about how similar these games are.

But a true gentleman finds a solution to every puzzle put before him, whether it be a tangle of steel cogs or a review of a game that is almost identical to its predecessor. Luckily, I did feel that Professor Layton and the Last Specter improved on its forebears, in both perceptible and imperceptible ways. I like all the other Laytons, but I like this one just a little better. Try this puzzle and then head past the break to read more!

#kirby I used to write a thing called the Game Diary each weekday. I did it for a previous employer. I did it for my own now-dormant blog. I briefly did it for my Facebook Fan Page (hmmm... maybe I should do something there). More »

My name, voice, and hands make an appearance in this video. Can you spot it?
Last week, Nintendo invited me to a place I rarely see: the inside of a pub. The purpose was to celebrate the upcoming release of the prequel Professor Layton and the Last Specter with a bit of puzzle-solving competition among some of the press and media outlets here in San Francisco.


Courtesy of Jeremy Parish's blog of the same event.
Notice me (circled), sloughing off the somewhat graphic magic trick happening.
While I didn't lug around cameras etc. to capture the action like some (my friend and teammate for the challenge, NintendoGal, did though to great success), but I did bring my wits along, although I was clearly outmatched against some *cough cough* who had already played through the Japanese version and could conjure answers within seconds. Nevertheless, it was a good time with some British-inspired snacks and some Layton-inspired beverages.

After the battle of knowledge, it was mainly a time for socializing, which I used to play more of the game with my +1 guest, and on my way out, was given not just a copy of the game, but a nifty t-shirt that defies logic by making me look more in shape than I really am.



Loveable, loveable swag.
Without spoiling any of the story or puzzles, be reassured that the animation is again top-notch, and the picarat quests satisfying enough to effortlessly sink hours in without even realizing. The thing that really surprises me though is just how much content I keep running into.. every hour or so I unlock this new feature, or that new side-quest mini-game. Plus, the whole London Life RPG game as a bonus... I have just scratched the surface, but it's definitely one of those things that I can tinker around without pressure for ages. I may finish everything in this little DS game cart in time for the next Layton adventure (and not that crossover business, as cool as it looks), but no guarantees on that. And then Skyward Sword coming along...

Thanks to Nintendo for the invite!

Source: NintendoGal

Professor Layton and the Last Specter is less than two weeks from its stateside release. The game hit store shelves in Japan almost two years ago, but soon it will be our turn to check out Layton's latest. The game is not only the fourth entry in this quirky puzzle series, but also a prequel to the last thee titles...