Howdy guys, User has returned with another review! This time, I'm reviewing Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box for Nintendo DS. First off, I LOVE this series! So I'm excited to review it! So, enough of me. Let's get on with it.

OVERALL: 8.5
This is the second game in the Layton series (The first one isn't in the VGR...) Control wise, it's basically a point and click game, puzzler, and a graphic novel. You tap around the touch screen to do all sorts of things. Like talking to someone, finding hint coins, and all that. You tap the shoe icon to move from place to place. And you tap the trunk to go to your inventory. There you can save, read the journal which updates every so often, play minigames, and re-solve puzzles. I'll get to the minigames in a minuet. Puzzles are the main aspect of this game. Not jigsaw puzzles, more like what you would find in a brainteaser book. You can find them in different ways; talking to people, or finding hidden puzzles. Also, important events in the story will be played out in puzzle form. In each Layton game there are 2 different minigames that are unlocked when you come across them in the story. The minigames in this installment are the Hamster, and the Tea Set. In Hamster you are given a chubby little hamster. And it's your job to get him into shape! You have to strategically place toys for him to run to. Tea Set I'll get to later.

GRAPHICS: 7
It's animation, and graphics have only improved slightly since Curious Village (The first game). The backgrounds all look hand drawn, and all the characters are very memorable, and all unique. And the cutscenes...They are beautifully animated! A bit pixely at times though...But that gets better in later games.

SOUND: 8
This game has a BEAUTIFUL soundtrack! It really sets the mood for whatever you're doing. I still hum the song for the puzzles, and Folsence. Seriously, YouTube the soundtracks to any Layton game, you won't regret it. Unfortunately, the voice acting for the cutscenes leaves more to be desired. But that also improves throughout the series!

ADDICTIVENESS 3
?It's really best through the first playthrough. After that, you know the story, and the answers to the puzzles. So unless you have a short memory, it will be a few months for you to forget. Then hopefully forget so you can play it again.

STORY: 9
The story, in a nutshell is...Professor Hershel Layton gets a letter from his mentor Doctor Shrader. In the letter he says that he has recovered the Elysian Box. An artifact said to kill whoever opens it. Layton, appropriately worried, hurries off with his apprentice Luke to Shrader's apartment. When they arrive he is laying on the ground with a torn up train ticket in his hand, and the box gone. After the police arrive, Layton decides it's best to go to the train station and go wherever the ticket was for. The board the Molentary Express, a luxury train, filled with rich people and business owners. But what does this trip have to do with the box? And where do vampires fit into the story? You'd have to play to find out. It gets really emotional towards the last chapter of the game.

DEPTH: 7
This game is only deep to a few degrees. Most of it comes from the previously mentioned Tea Set. In the last 2 or 3 chapters you get it, and a few ingredients. You get more ingredients, and Hamster toys, from solving puzzles. The Tea Set will cause random characters to have white lines over their head. When you talk to them they will say a few things hinting at what tea you should make them. Also, there are plenty of Hint Coins, (It's exactly what it sounds like. Hints cost you a coin.) and hidden puzzles. When you leave some areas, you can't ever go back to them. The unfound?Hint Coins are gone forever, but the hidden puzzles, and any puzzles from people, will be stored in Granny Riddleton's Shack. Which isn't that hard to find in each main area. Also, you can make the characters in your party talk about something if you tap the right thing (Like a sign, the train, an exposed pipe, a mirror, etc.).

DIFFICULTY: 7
This game's difficulty lies entirely within it's puzzles. So it's difficulty depends on your intelligence, and thinking. Even with a bunch of hint coins, you still need to work that large head muscle of yours. The puzzles start out easy, but progressively get harder. Just like any other game!

Well that's it. My second review! Sorry I gave a lot of things the same rating. But I feel it was an appropriate rating for them. Thanks for reading!