April2013
News Fantasy Life Trademark Appears in the U.S.
Can you hear the people sing?
Level-5 may be concluding business with its most famous character, Professor Layton, but it's a studio that does more than whimsical puzzle titles. Another release that's achieved sales success in Japan is Fantasy Life, an adventure RPG collaboration with Brownie Brown (the Nintendo subsidiary now known as 1-UP Studio)...
March2013
News Fantasy Life Trademark Emerges in Europe
Now the trademark officer will fight some monsters
Fantasy Life, the adventure RPG collaboration between Level-5 and Brownie Brown (the Nintendo subsidiary now known as 1-UP Studio), has enjoyed a successful launch in Japan. It was practically a sellout in its first week at the end of 2012, and has gone on to accumulate nearly a quarter of a million...
News Youkai Watch Releasing This Summer in Japan
One to watch out for
Level-5's latest project is Youkai Watch, a 3DS game about a young boy who acquires a special wristwatch that allows him to see ghostly creatures in his environment. Using his own ghosts he can battle them and stop townsfolk from being haunted - such a nice boy. Youkai Watch has now been given a more concrete release, with...
News Inazuma Eleven GO Galaxy Announced for 3DS in Japan
We're counting down the years to localisation
During the recent Nintendo 3DS Direct in Europe, it was announced that the third entry in the Inazuma Eleven handheld series would be coming to Europe this summer. As it's the 3DS version (not DS) it seems to be the enhanced edition that was part of a trilogy release in Japan — no trilogy was...
News Launch of Professor Layton's Final Adventure Falls Below Series Heights
Only his 3DS debut performed worse in week one
Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies is likely to already be on the wishlists of a number of puzzle fans in the West, arriving in Japan as the sixth main-series title starring the tea-drinking and fashionable hat-wearing academic. It'll bring a conclusion to the prequel trilogy and, if Level-5 sticks...
News U.S. Trademarks Suggest Guild02 eShop Localisations
Hopefully, anyway
In a recent Nintendo Direct focused on the Japanese market, Guild02 was confirmed for the region, a trio of eShop downloads — as opposed to the retail release of Guild01 — published by Level-5 and produced by some of the most respected names in the industry. With three of the four Guild01 titles arriving in the West as...
News Liberation Maiden Takes Flight to iOS
Flying solo from 3DS
In a surprising development, former Guild01 compilation game and current eShop download, Liberation Maiden, has made the jump to Apple's iOS platform. We say that this is surprising, but it's now just one of a number of 3DS titles that have gone in either direction between the Nintendo handheld and smartphone/tablet devices...
February2013
Video Professor Layton's Final Adventure Looks Suitably Epic
Hits Japanese stores on 28th February
It could be a good while before those of us in the West get to sample the delights of Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies, apparently the final adventure with the famous hat-wearing puzzle solver. It arrives in Japan in just a few days, so as a result the promotional videos are going into overdrive...
January2013
News Level 5: Fantasy Life Will Become A Series
Not just a fantasy
Cutesy 3DS title Fantasy Life has been selling like hot cakes over in Japan with so many copies sold in its first week that the game has reportedly sold out. It's unsurprising then to learn that, during a recent interview with Famitsu, Level 5 has earmarked Fantasy Life as a new franchise for the studio saying it will be made...
News 3DS RPG Fantasy Life Already Sold Out In Japan
Hopes of a Western release boosted
Level 5 has a few 3DS games out in Japan that are yet to be confirmed for Western release. Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney has been out since the end of November and just before the New Year the ultra-cute Fantasy Life was made available in both physical and digital form. Fantasy Life is actually developed by...
December2012
News Level-5 Responds To SEGA's Legal Threats Regarding Inazuma Eleven
"We've concluded that there is no patent violation"
Japanese developer Level-5 has responded to SEGA's recent legal campaign to have the company remove its Inzauma Eleven series from sale due to an alleged patent infringement. SEGA is claiming that Level-5's soccer RPG features a touch-driven interface which violates two of its patents. The...
News Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney Receiving Weekly DLC In Japan
Extra content for the next 24 weeks
Level-5, the developer behind the Professor Layton games, has gotten into the habit of being rather generous to us by extending the life of its games with free weekly DLC. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, for example, has been offering a new downloadable puzzle every single day since its launch and will do...
News SEGA Takes Legal Action Against Level-5 Over Nintendo DS Patent Dispute
Inazuma Eleven to blame?
In one of the strangest turn of events we've witnessed for a while, Japanese publisher SEGA is suing Professor Layton studio Level-5 over the use of touch control patents on the Nintendo DS handheld. Japanese news site Yomiuri Online broke the news, revealing that SEGA was taking action to protect two patents it had...
November2012
News Crimson Shroud Confirmed for 13th December Release On 3DS eShop
Third Guild01 titles gets a confirmed date
Level-5 has confirmed that Yasumi Matsuno's Crimson Shroud will launch on the North American and European 3DS eShop on 13th December. This is the third game to be taken from the Japan-only Guild01 collection, with Liberation Maiden and Aero Porter having already made the jump to the west. The fourth game...
News Yasumi Matsuno Steps Away From Level-5
Taking a well deserved - but not permanent - break
It has been announced that Yatsumi Matsuno has left Level-5, the developers behind the Professor Layton series. Matsuno tweeted to his followers that he was retiring from the company due to personal reasons which he didn't state. Matsuno had only joined Level-5 in June last year and had been...
News Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney to Receive Director's Cut DLC
There's no objection from us
Siliconera has reported that Level-5 is planning to release a director's cut in downloadable content form for its upcoming puzzle adventure crossover, Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney. The DLC, which will be available some time after the game releases in Japan on 29th November, features an unedited script of the...
October2012
Movie Review Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva
A true gentleman never disappoints his fans
Puzzle 001: How do you adapt a best-selling puzzle series for the big screen? The answer? Bring the puzzles along for the ride. For most movies, shoehorning in memorable gameplay elements hasn't always worked out as planned — the first-person shooting segment from Doom was lampooned by many viewers, and...
News Professor Layton Puzzles His Way To Seventh Place in UK Charts
Anything but puzzling
According to UKIE's video games chart information for last week, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask has debuted in seventh place in the UK. The game, which is the fifth title in the beloved Professor Layton series, was released last Friday (26th October) in Europe, and has been warmly received by critics. While seventh...
News Penélope Cruz Has the Answer in Professor Layton Advert
Cruz control
Movie star, Oscar winner and one-time moustache-wearer Penélope Cruz has returned for another stint at Nintendo advertising, this time turning her considerable talents to Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask. During a break in filming, Ms Cruz and her sister Monica are playing the latest entry in Level 5's puzzle series. Penélope...
News Takumi: Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney Has a "Double Layered Story"
Who could object to that?
Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney arrives in Japan at the end of November, which will lift the lid on one of the year's most intriguing cross-over titles. Combining the two different worlds — and their distinctive styles — within a medieval setting may sound slightly crazy, and that's probably because it is. That...
Rumour Youkai Watch Coming To 3DS
New Level-5 IP looks promising
According to the latest edition of Japanese magazine CoroCoro Comic, Youkai Watch is heading to 3DS; the game was first announced by developer Level-5 one year ago at its Vision event. Youkai Watch is all about a boy who wears a special watch that allows him to see and interact with ghosts, and similar to...
Competition Test Your Professor Layton Knowledge Via This Facebook Quiz
Enroll at Gressenheller University today
To celebrate the forthcoming release of Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (or Mask of Miracle, depending on where in the world you happen to be) Nintendo has created a UK-based Facebook quiz which allows you to test your knowledge of Layton's world. If you're clever enough to solve all of the tests,...
News Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask Trailer Showcases New Features
"Every (downloadable) puzzle has an answer"
With only a few weeks until its Western release, Level-5 and Nintendo have released a brand new trailer for Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, which shows off a handful of new features. Taking full advantage of the 3DS hardware, Layton's latest adventure is fully rendered in 3D, and comes jam-packed...
September2012
News Witness Layton's 'Last Adventure' In New 3DS Trailer
Yet another Level-5 trailer
Today Level-5 has most definitely been leading the pack at Tokyo Game Show, showing off all its upcoming 3DS titles and wowing the crowds with gorgeous new trailers. Earlier today we reported the newly released trailers of Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney and Fantasy Life, and now we bring you the brand new trailer for...
News Take a Look at Level-5's Fantasy Life TGS Trailer
It's all kinds of cute
Level-5 is keeping itself very busy at the moment, with the development of the upcoming Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney, as well as possibly the cutest RPG you will ever come across, Fantasy Life. The new trailer from Tokyo Game Show shows off the customisation features, some of the 20 playable jobs (such as a fisherman,...
