deKay's Gaming Diary

The ending of this was much less dramatic than at least the last two Layton games. It didn’t matter, especially since this is a prequel, but I kept expecting something… more. That didn’t happen. Never mind though.

Something else odd was how much easier the puzzles were in this one. I’ve not done them all yet (I think I’ve completed about 105 out of the 155 main ones), but I’m sure that the final few puzzles in the other games have been worth 80 and 99 picarats. Highest here was just 60, and I don’t think I’ve seen any over that yet either – not even the (usually harder) hidden puzzles. I might be wrong, but I certainly didn’t struggle on any.

Aside from two side puzzle ones. Oh my do I hate those. I’m still stuck on the UFO SOS one, but one involving pipes, which could supposedly be completed in about 30 moves, took me over SIX THOUSAND. Urgh. Hate them.

I’ve a few more train and fish (um, that makes sense if you’ve played the game) puzzles left, about half the weekly puzzles, and of course the remaining 50 or so main game puzzles, but as usual I’ll leave them for a while and come back another time.

I was so torn about getting this. I nearly bought the US version simply because it has Professor Layton’s London Life included (the UK version doesn’t), but then I’d have to put up with “Last Specter” (shudder) on the box, and Luke’s US voice, which may cause me to snap something. The obvious solution would be to buy both versions – this for the main game, and the US one for London Life. This may yet happen.

I’m not very far in yet. Just 5 puzzles, in fact (6 if you include the puzzle with the ropes that isn’t a puzzle), but it’s all very familiar so far. Which is good, because I like Professor Layton games

I’ve not posted in a while, aside from to mention Yakuza 3 and Old World Blues, but I have still been playing games. Here’s a round-up of what’s been going down over the last few weeks:

Professor Layton and the Lost Future (DS)

I actually completed this at the start of the year, but as I did with the previous two games once the story was done I left the remaining puzzles until near the release of the following game. So, with that due in November, I went back to Lost Future. I’ve already mopped up all the story puzzles, the sticker book, the parrot delivery puzzles, and the toy car, and have done most of the bonus extra puzzles too.

As usual, the puzzles I struggle with are the slide-a-block-through-other-blocks ones, one of which (having checked online afterwards to see how poorly I did) can be completed in just 9 moves. Took me almost 3500. Yes.

Urban Champion 3D (3DS)

It’s a weak title, sure. It’s certainly not a “NES classic”, but somehow, it’s addictive. I’ve made it up to (I think) Area Champion, but then died. You don’t seem to lose your rank when you die though – you just have to start from the first round again.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (3DS)

The only 2D Zelda game I’ve not completed. In fact, I’ve barely played it. But I put some time in and once you forget it’s a Zelda game and look at it as a Metroidvania game with an overworld and semi-random, realtime battles, it makes a lot more sense. It’s brutally hard though!

Metroid (3DS)

Another one of the NES games us 3DS “ambassadors” got for free. It’s hard. Like, really hard. And there’s no map. I sort of like it, but the difficulty is really putting me off.

Balloon Fight / Mario & Yoshi / NES Open / Wrecking Crew (3DS)

Other NES games that I’ve played for an hour or so each, but not really invested too much time in yet. Wrecking Crew is ace, and NES Open is still a pretty competent golf game.

Let’s Golf 3D (3DS)

Enjoying this. The 3D is pointless (as in, it barely has any effect at all), but it doesn’t really matter. I’m about 35% through Career Mode now, and am starting to get used to the courses. The arctic and aztec ones are particularly difficult! I like the different game modes too, like Closest To The Pin and such.

10 Second Run (3DS)

It’s actually DSiWare, but I don’t have a DSi so it falls under 3DS. So there. Loved it at first, with its super-quick runny-jumpiness, but sadly – just like other games of its ilk (N+, Super Meat Boy) – it became far too hard to be enjoyable. I’ve completed about 38 of the 50 levels, and although I know there are 5 or 6 more I could probably manage with perseverance, some just seem completely beyond me. Boo!

Bomberman Live! (360)

I was online this evening at the same time as some ugvm/BETEO people who were playing this, and I thought I’d join in hoping my useless “broadband” connection could take the pace. It held up for the first few rounds, but by the end of the first tournament the lag was causing me to blow myself up far too frequently, and by the end of the second tournament I was been told over the headset that I’d died before I actually noticed on-screen. Rubbish.

And I’d have beaten all-comers if it wasn’t for Sky! *shakes fist*

Kirby’s Fun Pak (Wii)

The SNES game on the Wii, to be more accurate. Mainly played because my daughter sometimes tells me to play Kirby games, and so this appeases her, but it is good anyway. Only one game mode left to complete, I think, though.

Is that everything I’ve played recently? Probably. Except for stuff I’ve played briefly. Like, but not limited to: Outrun Online Arcade (360), Sonic the Hedgehog (360), Super Mario All-Stars (Wii), Muscle March (Wii), and various iPad “room escape” games. And the usual Words With Friends, Hanging With Friends and Carcassonne matches too, of course.

Warning: here be spoilers! If you don’t want to read them, don’t read the full post!

(more…)

Warning: here be spoilers! If you don’t want to read them, don’t read the full post!

(more…)

I’m actually feeling more and more intelligent with each puzzle completed. I’m finding I get a sense of smugness when I spot the “trick” on the trick question puzzles instantly. Then I get stuck on a hard one that is completely and utterly impossible. Bah.

Story-wise, I’ve just reached Chinatown, but the guy I’m looking for has done a runner. Puzzle-wise, I’m just over 60 puzzles in. Time-wise, that’s about 6 hours. Chapter-wise, I’m on Chapter 8 (I think). No idea how far in that means I am, but from the previous two games I’m guessing just over half-way? Of course, I’ve loads of bonus puzzles left, and most of the car, parrot and sticker book minigames left to do too.

With the previous game completely completed, I was able to move on to this one, which I got for Christmas. Unsurprisingly, it’s more of the same, only (obviously) with a different story.

I’ve only done 8 very simple puzzles so far, and not really opened the story much (I’ve only just got to the clock shop), so there’s not much there to comment on yet. However, one massive improvement to the game is how the memo function works – in the first game, you could just write over the top of some puzzles, but not all. In the second, you could bring up a memo overlay on every puzzle, and write on that. In this game, you can do the same but now have pen size and colour options, as well as an eraser – very, very useful and I’ve used all these features already. The eraser in particular was frequently missed in Pandora’s Box so I’m impressed they’ve added it here.

Aaaaaaall done. And I mean done. All the puzzles in the story, all the extra stuff like the tea set and hamster thing, all the bonus puzzles, and all 33 of the weekly puzzles. And the Curious Village Bonus done too. DONE. ALL. DONE. Everything.

I will point out this: I hate slidey shape block “escape” puzzles. Grr! And variations on Solitaire. They can sod off too. If the next game has lots of either I might get stabby.

I haven’t played this for, oooh, over a year, but I got the new one for Christmas and OCD dictates that the previous title must be exorcised of all puzzles before the new one may commence. So that’s what I was doing this evening.

I don’t know how many puzzles there are in total, but I’ve now done 129 of them, as well as a few more tea set requests. No idea where the other puzzles are though.

121 puzzles in, and I have just completed the story. There’s loads left to do, of course, but the main bit is done.

Since this is the first entry in my diary for this game, I should probably say I’ve only been playing it for a week or so. I got it for Christmas with $hlmun other games, so I didn’t play it right away.

It’s very much the same as the first game. There seem to be fewer puzzles of certain types (eg chess based, “one of these is a liar” and matchstick ones) and more solitaire based ones, but it’s not a vast departure. There’s a big improvement in the UI, in that there is now a menu function where you can write over the puzzle – very handy for maze based and maths puzzles.

I’m not sure I liked the big reveal near the end, where the mystery of the town was explained, but then, the same silliness was in the first game.

I’ll be picking off the remaining puzzles and tasks soon!

Downloaded all the downloadable weekly puzzles since whenever it was I last played it, and then set about completing them all. There was one that was a real pain, as I was convinced I had the answer right but it wasn’t. Then I realised it was a trick question!

Before going away for the weekend, I downloaded all the weekly puzzles since the last time I played it (back in January, I think). Over the weekend, I completed them all.

Well, all bar one. You have to find the net of a die in a load of die faces. And it is impossible. Fact.

Hurrah! My first game of the year completed, and the first since the birth of my daughter. It seems fatherhood and gaming can co-exist after all!

Some of the final puzzles were very hard, but I’m pleased I managed to complete all of them (well, the 113 of the 120 I found) without losing any Picorats or spending any Hint Coins. After completing the game, I went back to find some more puzzles, managing to locate all bar one. I also completed some of the bonus puzzles, and some of the weekly downloadable puzzles.

Look what Santa brought for me today!

And very nice it is too! Not had any puzzles totally stump me yet, thankfully, but I’ve had a few where I’ve thought “What?!” before realising a simpler solution exists.

So far I’ve completed 30 or so puzzles, and am on the hunt for Ramon, whereever he may be.