During the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, Japanese developer Level 5 made a huge comeback following some uncertainty about its future. To mark the occasion, the studio announced the latest entry in its flagship franchise,Professor Layton, the puzzle adventure game series that has sold over 17 million units worldwide.Professor Layton and the New World of Steampromises to be the comeback of Layton and his apprentice, Luke Triton, and is seemingly a Nintendo Switch exclusive.
Not counting the fantasy-set crossover with Phoenix Wright in 2014, the last major adventure with Layton and Luke was 2013’sProfessor Layton and the Azran Legacy, the final entry in the prequel trilogy that began with 2011’sProfessor Layton and the Last Specter. The final chronological entry was 2010’sProfessor Layton and the Unwound Futureon the Nintendo DS. Given that Layton’s previous adventures are all restricted to past Nintendo handhelds, now is the perfect time forLevel 5to remaster and re-release the previousProfessor Laytongames.
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Why A Professor Layton Collection Makes Sense
Debuting on the Nintendo DS in 2008,Professor Layton and the Curious Villagesparked a revolution upon release. The game’s genius blend of addictive puzzle-solving and gripping storytelling made it a massive success and helped make Level 5 one of the most beloved Japanese game developers at the time. The game was followed by two sequels,Professor Layton and the Diabolical Boxin 2009 andProfessor Layton and the Unwound Futurein 2010, all three of which are considered some of thebest Nintendo DS gamesof all time, and remain some of the system’s best-selling titles.
The series was quickly followed in 2011 withProfessor Layton and the Last Specter, a prequel that helped contextualize how Layton and Luke first met while introducing a new character named Emmy. Keeping up the annual release schedule of the series wasProfessor Layton and the Miracle Maskin 2012, which introduced 3D visuals and environments, leading to further investigation mechanics. The prequel series concluded in 2013 withProfessor Layton and the Azran Legacy, which delved further into the professor’s backstory, before leading directly intoCurious Village.
TheProfessor Laytonseries was praised upon release for its clever implementation of the Nintendo DS' mechanics with its puzzles, often focusing on the use of the touch screen and the two screens. Despite this,Professor Laytondeveloper Level 5has brought the original trilogy to mobile platforms in recent years, remastering the visuals and animated cutscenes in HD for the first time. These remastered games serve as a great basis for a potential Nintendo Switch collection. While adapting some of the series' touch-screen-focused puzzles would be cause for some concern, Level 5 already has experience with this, as the studio successfully ported the 3DS spin-offLayton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracyto Nintendo Switch in 2019.
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How A Professor Layton Collection Could Benefit The Switch’s New World of Steam
TheProfessor Laytonseries has historically been heavily story-centric, with the series even earning itself an animated film in the form of 2012’sProfessor Layton and the Eternal Diva. While theLaytonseries includes some of thebest games for fans of true crime, what really kept fans coming back for six straight years was the exciting storytelling, punctuated by shocking twists and memorable characters.
Given thatThe New World of Steamis the first entry to push the series forward since2010’sUnwound Future, following through on that game’s tease at a sequel reuniting Layton and Luke, it’s hard to imagine the game being a suitable starting point for newcomers unfamiliar with Layton and Luke’s history. With this and the fact that the previous titles have already been remastered in HD for mobile devices, a remaster for modern platforms such as the Nintendo Switch feels like a no-brainer.
Finally, Level 5 has yet to revealwhenProfessor Layton and The New World of Steamwill release. The game’s incredibly brief appearance at the most recent Nintendo Direct, along with no sign of a release window, implies that it’s highly unlikely that the game will arrive on Nintendo Switch in 2023. If this is the case, launching a collection including the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy would give fans at least a year to catch up on Professor Layton and Luke’s adventures beforeNew World of Steamfinally picks up fromUnwound Future’s ending.
Professor Layton and The New World of Steamis currently in development, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
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