The Nintendo Direct showcase today contained no shortage of bombshells, including a look at Splatoon 3's DLC and the upcoming Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but one reveal in particular had me on the edge of my seat: Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. Professor Layton has always been a niche series, but one that excels within that niche. The series focuses on the eponymous professor and often unwitting detective as he's pulled from mystery to mystery, discovering intrigue, mystique, complicated schemes, and a whole hell of a lot of logic puzzles. These brainteasers make up the bulk of the gameplay, but they come packaged with stories full of twists and turns and a charming art style.
The only problem? The last mainline Professor Layton game was released in 2013, and there hasn't been another since, in large part due to the series' failure to find mainstream success. Most Professor Layton fans had simply written the good professor off as dead and buried, save for a spinoff here and there focusing on some side character, making the announcement – as short as it is – a true surprise, but a welcome one.
