Professor Layton: I say, Luke, this blog post reminds me of a puzzle!

If I had to recommend one game series to non-gamers with DSes, I'd have a hard time choosing, but one series in the running would be Professor Layton. In this trilogy, we follow a very British professor with a nice top hat and his self-styled apprentice, Luke, as they run around solving mysteries and puzzles. Lots and lots of puzzles. Sometimes the puzzles are relevant to the plot. About 86% of the time, they aren't. In fact, you can sum up a lot of time in the game as follows:

Professor Layton: You there, random villager, may we please find a random snippet of information? The fate of this city may depend on us.
Random villager: Eh... I dunno. Solve this puzzle first, will ya?
-- Puzzle no. 437--
*Layton/Luke solves the puzzle*
Random villager: Gee, thanks! I don't know anything about what you're talkin' about, but why don't you go to that alleyway?
*In that alleyway*
Luke: Hey, look, there's some garbage!
Layton: I say, Luke, this garbage reminds me of a puzzle!
--Puzzle no. 438--

I wish I was kidding, or exaggerating, but the good professor can relate literally everything to a puzzle. I mean, that garbage thing? In the first game, a cat torturing a possibly-dead mouse reminds Layton of a puzzle. In the second game, if the pile of garbage didn't remind him of a puzzle, it was only because they found a hidden one in the garbage. And in the third, there are at least three puzzles about banana peels. So why do I love the series so much? Despite this quirk, it's a really FUN series.

This happens more often than I can count.

As I mentioned, the Professor and his apprentice basically run around to random villages, discovering dark secrets, getting in trouble, and solving puzzles. There usually happens to be some justification for why everyone around you keeps asking you to solve puzzles for them, but really, apart from sarcastic gamers poking fun at this fact, it's not a problem. I mean, you're playing a game about a guy who solves puzzles. You expect to have puzzles thrown at you. To not have puzzles thrown at you is to be Mario, suddenly unable to jump. The puzzles are usually either based in math, logic and problem-solving, or careful rereading of the question, though there are classics like figuring out what the heck this piece of chocolate with letters and bites means without hints, sliding blocks back and forth, or hitting every square on a chessboard using only the knights. Which were, by the way? REALLY IRRITATING, Professor. To help with your frustration, hint coins are hidden throughout the area, found by tapping interesting stuff with the stylus. (You'll also find hidden puzzles like this.) You get three of these per puzzle, as well as a "super hint" in the third game if you're REALLY stuck. Of course, the hints aren't always useful, like in the above- my favorite is when, instead of helping, you're "treated" to trivia about the history of this type of puzzle. *Eyeroll* This is what the Internet is for- plenty of strategy guides, some with pretty pictures, are available to provide ACTUAL game help.

The games also feature minigames, like helping a pet hamster get in shape, adding stickers to a picture book, decorating hotel rooms, and brewing tea. The tea one is probably my favorite due to the hilarious lines when you screw up a recipe:

Luke: P-Professor! There's smoke coming off this tea!
Layton: We may have unwittingly invented a drink that should never have been.

--

Luke: Sorry Professor. I don't think I can choke down another sip.
Layton: That's quite all right, Luke. No one should ever feel obliged to drink something as rank as this tea.

--

Luke: Professor, this tea is... foaming!
Layton: Oh, dear. I suppose that's a clear sign that this tea isn't fit for human consumption then.
Luke: I don't understand. We checked all the ingredients. Why all this foam?
Layton: I'm afraid I have no answer there, Luke. But perhaps we can use it to clean the floor.

Apart from the obsession with puzzles, the Layton games really do have great stories- my favorite goes to the second, Diabolical Box. After the death of the professor's mentor, the pair are caught up in the mystery of a seemingly-cursed artifact, the Elysian Box, linked to his death... and several others in its sad history. They find a ticket for the famous "Molentary Express", a luxury train, board it, and adventuring ensues. Important cutscenes are animated, often with voiceovers, leading to at least one really spectacular showpiece scene per game- the least spoilerish would be one in game three where Layton MacGyvers a coin-spewing machine gun out of a slot machine. And apart from the occasional ridiculous plot twist (apparently, recurring villains can be such masters of disguise that height differences don't matter), you will be entertained. The last game even manages to pull off a serious tearjerker with a look at Layton's past and the reason why he wears his signature hat. You know, in between the corny puzzles, epic fights, and the occasional feat of awesomely-broken physics.

My favorite moment in the series is probably the ending of Diabolical Box. Now, from a story perspective, while it's sad, it doesn't inspire quite as many tears as game three, Unwound Future, not to mention the sheer epicness that had taken place minutes before, but there's one thing Diabolical Box definitely does best: music. The series has a distinctive accordion-based score, adding to the feel of the semi-Victorian, steampunk-esque setting, which is great, provided you like accordions. However, I'd probably have just mentioned that if it weren't for the end theme of Diabolical Box, Iris. It's a beautiful little song, played first as the characters finally untangle the mystery of the Elysian Box, music-box style, then in the end credits in this gorgeous arrangement. If I ever come up with a list for favorite video game music, this would probably be on the list among the Zelda and Square Enix. As for the rest of the sound, voice acting is pretty good, particularly since you hear Luke and Layton (and, in the third game, several other characters) when they solve puzzles. There are few sounds in video gaming more wonderful than a good trill of victory, and adding Luke and Layton's "Another puzzle solved" voice bits just makes them even nicer. As for graphics, it's best described as sort of anime styled, with a helping of adorable.

Luke and Layton, here pictured NOT being reminded of a puzzle.

Conclusion? Professor Layton is one of the best game series for the DS. Sadly, due to the bulk of translation and localization work, it's taken years for the first three games to be released. There's a fourth one available in Japan, but while we've gotten confirmation about the games for the upcoming 3DS, we've heard nothing about number four. Please, Level Five?

Final score:
Gameplay: Fun, but occasionally maddening. You will probably want a strategy guide at some point.
Story: While it is occasionally ridiculous, the moments of pure awesome make up for it.
Sound: Wonderful mood accordion. The puzzle theme may be stuck in my head for all eternity, but I really don't mind.
Graphics: I want these characters in plush form. I love good 2D graphics.
Kid-appropriateness: Apart from about one instance per game of minor violence, there's not much to worry about, provided you don't mind references to death. However, the game requires decent reading skills, so it really can't be played by anyone under six.
Other notes: While you catch on to gameplay quickly, and each game has its own self-contained story for the most part, there are just enough spoilers in each game that you should really play them in order. And they're usually fairly important ending ones. Also, there are a couple bonus codes from different games. However, if you can only pick one, my personal favorite would be Diabolical Box.
Conclusion: 9.5.
Find copies of the first game, Professor Layton and the Curious Village here, the second, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, here, and the third, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, here.