Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

After finishing the first Layton adventure, Curious Village, I immediately started longing for a sequel to the quirky puzzle adventure. Neither as explicitly casual as Personal Trainer: Walking nor as "gamer-friendly" friendly as Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Professor Layton straddles a middle ground between the two, being friendly to non-gamers, but containing enough challenge and extra content to appease the hardcore. I've been waiting a long time for Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, but the game still lives up to my expectations in every way. For those new to the series, the game relies on critical thinking, intuition, and logic to move forward, in lieu of timed button presses or other sections that require good hand-eye coordination. You work your way through a progressively difficult gauntlet of puzzles; some of them relate directly to the story (like searching for possible escape routes a murderer may have taken), while others are random, contextless puzzles presented by the game's eccentric townsfolk (like moving a stack of pancakes from one plate to another, but keeping the biggest on the bottom).

Does this mind-binding puzzle sequel wear out its welcome?

"While I did not have a very long opportunity to play Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, the little amount of time that I did have was both interesting and fun. Beyond the puzzles found in the game, players with a broadband Internet connection who connect their Nintendo DS to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will get access to downloadable bonus puzzles. A new puzzle will be available each week for 33 weeks after the game launches. This should extend the game's replay value considerably. We will have more on Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box as its August 24 release date approaches."

"I thoroughly enjoyed Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. Whether it is the presentation, the voice acting, the new puzzles each week or the puzzles themselves, Professor Layton is a high quality product that keeps you thinking throughout the entire experience. If you happened to enjoy its predecessor, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, you are sure to love the Diabolical Box. With two more unreleased games on the way, I can't wait to get my hands on the next one."

"Instead of being isolated in the quaint little village of St. Mystere, Professor Layton and his young apprentice Luke are now riding with style, across a fictional European landscape on a luxurious train known as the Molentary Express. "