Professor Layton and The Curious Village

Platform: Nintendo DS, out soon.
Verdict: Curiously, infuriatingly, entertaining.
Rating:4/5
Upon the discovery that maths can be fun (and also make a lot of money), the scientists in Japan have concocted yet another game that massages the cerebral cortex to extrapolate emotions of smug satisfaction upon the successful completion of brain tingling puzzles. In the case of brain-freeze puzzle frustration, the egg heads use quality animation, rustic graphics and a plot full of mystery and intrigue to keep the curiosity brimming.
Having found the Brain Training series to be at once a mathematically entertaining revelation (maths is fun?!) then a creeping disappointment (no it isn't), I struggled to raise the enthusiasm to match my brain age to that of a spring chicken (or at least appear to be younger than my parents).
Professor Layton though is a canny fellow. He takes us on adventures in a country that looks straight out of the French animation Belleville Rendezvous, disguising what is essentially a giant compendium of classic brain teasers as an intriguing mystery, spawned from the will of a recently deceased Lord.
As a rudimentary point and click adventure, the emphasis is on gentle exploration and constant puzzling to solve the mysteries of St Mystere. With almost every conversation with its colourful inhabitants comes a puzzle, varying in styles between maths challenges, riddles, mazes, sliding blocks and optical illusions. Such variety is certainly thankful considering their frequency and while some will be familiar and easy to solve, some will involve much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Thankfully those scientists have a handy hint system setup to keep the weak of mind going. With up to three hints per puzzle the answer can become easier to obtain but to keep the balance, hint coins are required. With a limited supply (that can be replenished with rigorous searches through the village) it's certainly no fast track to the climax of a story full of twists, turns and runaway cats.
Full of brain teasers that are genuinely fun and carried by an engaging plot and beautiful animation, Professor Layton also manages to solve the puzzle of how to make educational gaming fun and that takes more than just an equation.