Mystery Stories

I am the first to admit it; the Professor Layton games have done for the DS what Lara Croft did for the Playstation one (until she turned into a bit of a tired old bird). The trouble is, everybody is comparing every mystery/puzzle game invented with the somewhat debonair Hershal Layton and his never ending pot of mind benders! The two professor Layton games are the best puzzle/mystery games ever to grace the DS, and sadly they have set the bar very high. So what of Mystery Stories? Well, it's a 'seek & solve' which basically means you have a list of items to find in a certain location in varying formats. I love the way that the rooms are so messy too! Makes me feel quite tidy really! There are a lot of different locations to explore and the developers have tried to keep things fresh by having the player search for items by listening to a sound, or by going off descriptions and pictures and also combining objects and searching via torch light. I like the game, but I bought it knowing full well that it would be nothing like Professor Layton so I was not disappointed with it.

I think I should point out that this is not a story driven game (like Hotel Room Dusk for example where the story is everything). The story line is secondary in my opinion and to be honest, I haven't paid much attention to it. The still photos which appear in sequence along with the dialogue between the search levels I find quite amusing and the mini games are pretty good (although you have the option to skip them which sort of kills the challenge). I thought the graphics were very good, and I didn't have any problems finding the items given the small screen, plus there are plenty of hints available. I find this game very relaxing (some would say boring),especially when feeling stressed and it doesn't make me head hurt as much as Professor Layton! You also have the option to have the timer on or off. I choose off because I don't want any pressure with this game. If I want to feel under pressure I shall play Elite Beat Agents! Also the music is worth a mention. Blistering guitar (for some reason it reminds me of Miami Vice!)accompanies you missions but the only downside to that is the fact that it is the same track and doesn't change but at least it sort of rocks and it doesn't bug me either.

There are two main sections to the game. The first half has you searching for Mayan artifacts (along with the usual saws and hammers of course!)in temples and such like so it has a very mystical feel and the second half is set in Berlin which has a train station level and city/park areas to investigate so the game does stay fresh. There are also a copuple of hotel levels and I particularly enjoyed these (there is one section where you have to search for about 20 different types of ladies underwear (including thongs) so no, the game is definitely not for three year olds!) The mini games don't repeat themselves like they do in Amazing Adventures: Forgotten Ruins (very simialar game though) and on the whole, it's a decent enough game, but if you are looking for a game just like Professor Layton, then you will have to play the Professor Layton games again, because there is no game on the DS quite like them. On the postive side, more Layton games are planned and hopefully, we will see more other games attempting to equal their success, which means better games for DS users!

Some recommendations for puzzle adventure game fans: Both Secret Files games. Hotel Room Dusk. Another code; Two Memories. Phoenix Wright Ace Attourney. Broken Sword Shadow of the Templars and I have heard that other games of a similar vein are: Time Hollow, Cate West, Runaway The Dream of the Turtle, Undercover Dual Motives, the CSI games, Unsolved Crimes, Ankh Curse of the Scarab king, Chronicles of Mystery and also for survival horror fans there is Dementium The Ward and of course Resident Evil. Not really short on games for the DS! I am also looking forward to the release of A Christmas Carol on Friday 6th of November too - it looks brilliant!

If you want a nice, relaxing game that is easy to pick up and play and looks OK albeit slightly repetative, then go for this. If you want a maths work out and challenging puzzles or a complicated, intriguing story line to follow, this is not the game for you!

This is my first hidden object game for DS so cannot give you a comparison against others games on the market BUT suffice to say this is great.

There are two different ways to play the game either Adventure, takes you through all levels or Free Play, allows you to access already played locations from the adventure mode.

Concentration is required as some objects are quite well hidden and not easy to spot but you do find a great sense of satisfaction when you complete a level.

As you move through various levels you can gain extra time and hints so if you really are struggling with an object you can get a pointer as to it's hiding place.

Great fun for kids and adults alike, my 8 year old daughter thinks it's fantastic.

I have been playing this for just over a week now, and have only just got to the Berlin levels of the game. For the size of the DS screen, it is a pretty good attempt at hidden object games, something I didn't think would be possible on the handheld device.

Seeing the other reviews where they commented on it being a female lead - I don't have to dress up in skirts to play it, so it doesn't matter! :0)

And for the one who said it was just clicking around, they obviously didn't play it very much, as after the first couple of levels, you lose time if you click randomly around the screen!

The hidden object levels do get a little repetitive after a while, but my old eyes can't handle playing for too long, and the different modes give more variety than similar PC games.:0)

Highly recommended!