The Professor Layton for Smash Ultimate support thread! See OP for where to meet us next after the boards close. Thank you for all your support!

[Curious Villager]

Some unfortunate news regarding the Curious Village HD easter egg picture Curious Villager posted. I did some digging on the tumblr post, and one user pointed out that 'Smash' symbol might just be a reference to the Big Ben sticker found in the real life version of the notebook that you can purchase.

However, something strikes me odd. I am curious as to why in the game, that sticker is in a minimalist design. While the notebook in the game is simplistic in general... they made Katrielle's charm in detail, replacing the UK heart sticker which was detailed to begin with. They also kept her symbol intact. So why does the Big Ben sticker look so simple? They could have retained some of its original properties such as the colors, and Level-5 has the money for animation. Then again, maybe they were lazy. As the rest of the notebook is missing some properties from the real one like the pink stripes.

They're also a bit different. Here's a comparison (I even flipped the picture to compare):
View attachment 168398View attachment 168400
If you notice, the line that crosses, where the word 'London' is supposed to be in the game one is narrower toward the left side, the real one does not have that.
Here's the Smash logo if you wanna add to the comparison.

This is all just silly speculation with no merit, but it's fun to look at. I'm probably buying too much into this though, but it could be a hint with how different the sticker is in the game and being more similar to the Smash logo than the real one. The Layton twitter was dropping hints for CVHD, wouldn't be too far fetched if the game devs were dropping hints for other titles that involve Layton in the game. But anything regarding Smash would have to be kept really low profile and minimum due to NDAs from Nintendo, so Level-5 can't say anything. But something like this would be a perfect way to subtly hint Layton in Smash, especially since I haven't really seen anything about this 'easter egg' until now.

And if it is a hint, and since the sticker is in Kat's notebook... could that mean she is in Smash instead of her father? (Lucina was picked in Smash 4 instead of her father, Chrom. That could be a possibility.) Suppose it is a Smash reference, why would Katrielle have it and not Hershel? Or maybe her dad is in, and she tags along as an echo fighter? Again, I feel like I'm just grasping straws with little to no basis, but it's kinda fun to talk about such trivial things. xD This thread hasn't been so active after all.

I'd totally be down for a Kat echo, by the way.



I always felt like Layton would be the same height as either Cloud or Bayonetta. Maybe Ike. I don't think his hat would matter much, since... well we have characters who wear hats like Mario who I don't think their apparel is affected by hitboxes.



Akihiro Hino was also in good terms with Satoru Iwata, who no doubt was close with Sakurai. Iwata stated how he and Hino had a lot in common as developers. Iwata was also the reason why Nintendo invested in publishing the Professor Layton series overseas. If you're curious about the source behind these, it's this magnificent interview... another Iwata Asks with Akihiro Hino. This part of the interview talks about the Professor Layton series and and the next part after it talks about its impact around the world and Europe. I recommend it to all of you here to take a good read at it, because you learn some interesting stuff such as what I stated above. From the interview, it really seems like Iwata respected the Layton series and was possibly a fan. And I think as tribute for his wonderful contributions to Nintendo and gaming after his passing, Hino and Sakurai could do something with Professor Layton and his series being added to Smash.

And I'll leave this fun tidbit, there was a rumor a few years back that Iwata possibly wanted Hino to succeed him as Nintendo's president! Imagine that, Level-5 could have merged with Nintendo and Layton would have most definitely been in Smash by now.

Oh I see, I had no idea about that notebook actually existing in real life. It's more than likely just that yeah, a shame, would have been cool if they did subtly hint something but I understand that they will have to keep NDA's if Level-5 did have content in Smash and even subtle hints like this could break out easily.
Though it is odd by some of the design decisions they made for it but I guess they wanted to keep things minimalistic.. Either that, or like you said, they where too lazy to add a few extra colours to make it look more like the actual sticker...

If it was a tease, I doubt they'd tease Kat for Smash though since Sakurai most likely had no idea of her existence during the project plan since she wasn't officially revealed until like the end of 2016 I think. (Plus the Prof would kind of take priority) She'd be a good candidate as a potential echo for Hershel though.

It's nice to know that Iwata was a big fan of the Layton series too. I know Satoru Shibata and Miyamoto really respect the series too. If only we knew what Sakurai thought of the Layton series though. He made a lot of columns talking about all sorts of games he played, though I don't know if he ever talked about the Layton series before. Might be worth taking a look into...

Hino as a potential president of Nintendo sounds interesting, though I don't know how that would have worked out as he and Nintendo kind of work on different philosophies. Nintendo tends to be a bit more conservative as a company and while Hino is a bit more of a risk taker, he can get a little carried away whenever he hits a jackpot. Though there is no doubt that he and his company are very creative when it comes to new ideas. But yeah. Pretty sure we already got our new president of NoJ recently so if he was elected, I guess it didn't really pan out.

 

[PK Bash]

With regards to his top hat - the way I worked around this was to adjust the proportions of it, making it a little shorter and fatter, like some very early art for Curious Village. Mario makes a top hat work fine in Ultimate so hopefully it won't be too much of an issue.

I would attach the concept art I had sketched up, but my scanner is broken apparently, so sadly no art.

But I've been sitting on this post long enough, and I certainly won't be around to drop it next weekend, so let's just do it now regardless.

I give you my masterwork: a somewhat comprehensive imagination of Professor Layton as a Smash character.

Playstyle:

Spoiler

Layton is a counterpoking character. The moveset given here is designed to give him options to control how the opponent can move around the stage by means of stage control, as well as encourage the opponent to move to Layton as opposed to the other way around. The rest of Layton’s kit is by and large intended to compliment this core idea of Layton’s reactive and defensive, counterpoking playstyle.

Specials:

Spoiler

neutral B: a block puzzle spawns behind Layton and gradually pieces itself together in the shape of his top hat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMTjMTFf8P4

When the move has finished “charging” (about 4 seconds), pressing the B button again will give Layton a powerful “finishing” move, which lingers on stage where Layton positions it and erupts when it comes into contact with an opponent. Visually, the complete puzzle will look similar to the Layton seal when planted on the stage.

The longer the puzzle has been left on the stage, the weaker the move gets. The puzzle disappears after a short amount of time.

Layton cannot store the charge of this move. The move is however cancellable by letting go of B – Layton will draw his top hat over his eyes in the “incorrect” animation, putting him in some lag and leaving him vulnerable.

The key with this attack is to know when to charge it, and once charged, position it perfectly by squeezing the opponents movements and forcing them into it – or away from it, which Layton can cover with another move.

Planning and preparation is key here! With that in mind, the move feels very “Layton” and a suitable centrepiece for the character’s moveset.



Side B: Sliding Block
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ5U-rN7Veg

Yep, those are Tetris blocks! Would be a brilliant Easter Egg for our puzzle game representative, no?

Pressing side B spawns a moving block that functions identically to Villager’s side B (or Samus’ missiles in Ultimate) – but no riding the blocks here!

This gives Layton a decent long-range option that forces some kind of reaction from the opponent and – most importantly – draws them into Layton.

This is obviously going to be a neutral tool, and allows Layton to manipulate the opponent’s movement from afar, giving him an advantage in the long range game.

Down B: Counter
https://youtu.be/iXTT7kWcNvQ?t=15 (be a little aware of spoilers here)

Boring option? Maybe – but it fits both his character and the intended playstyle very well.

This move is a simple counter that Layton can use to put an over-aggressive player back in their place, as well as give him another defensive option (to make up for his lacklustre jab) to mix up between.

Up B: Glider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hkbvs5ATws

Layton should not have to build the glider beforehand!

Up B gives Layton a great horizontal recovery (distance and speed wise) that can of course be angled upwards (though it moves much slower going up).

This move has to have notable startup and endlag/landing lag – we do not want Layton to be able to time people out all game by just sailing from point a to point b. Layton will be vulnerable during flight, but hopefully smart flying will keep him safe.

Grounded Normals:

Spoiler

Jab (A): a single point. There is no jab 2 and 3. I know it’s ironic that Layton does not have a “gentleman” jab combo, but I didn’t think it would fit his character at all!

The jab is functional but not amazing, and I can see it working like Ganondorf’s.

Forward Tilt (side A): a fencing lunge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljuCI0Nf2O4

I don’t think Layton should use an actual sword, but this is not that important and a matter of taste.

The move will obviously have some lag to it, we don’t really want this to be an amazing poke but it should be serviceable in that role – I would prefer it to be primarily a KO option at high %s (130%+).

Up tilt: https://youtu.be/zrUZLZnh1cM?t=15 – see Layton’s heavy, overhead swing at 17 seconds.

Functionally, this is an anti-air. Should have potential to combo into forward tilt at least some of the time (though this would not be the case for Kat, if she is an Echo Fighter – hers should send much more vertically as she is not a fencer).

Down tilt: Borrows a sweeping kick from Emmy Altava.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr3NEqkMcc8

Imagine this roundhouse, but very low to the floor.

Layton’s would obviously be significantly slower, and much less effective! I could see this as a combo starter, or to set up a juggling situation.

Aerials:

Spoiler

Neutral air (A in the air): Layton does a somersault – a nod to his innate athleticism.

Functionally, this move serves a crucial role as a viable out of shield option for Layton – hitboxes should emerge no later than frame 5 and cover his entire body (and should do decent damage to trade well with other moves) in order to give him a good defensive option when Layton is being pressured.

Forward Air: strike
https://youtu.be/-CpSoOAKu3o?t=8

Should be a decent midrange footsies option.

Back Air: https://youtu.be/zrUZLZnh1cM?t=18 – specifically, the broad slice at 0:23
second reference: https://youtu.be/azwJUIfF1uM?t=180 – again, the broad slice.

A little like Mega Man’s, but not a multi-hit. Also a kill move.

Up Air: Remember Ike’s up air in Smash 4? Basically that.

For Layton’s up air, we want a move that is able to control a lot of space above him (especially considering his slow up tilt and relatively thin up smash) in order to take advantage of the opponent’s more restricted movement that his specials set up.

Serves an important role to take advantage of Layton’s pressure game.

Down Air: Layton does a backflip and then kicks down sharply with one leg at the end of it.

Naturally, this is his spiking attack. Noticeable startup (i.e. the backflip).

I imagine the kick part of this move visually to look a lot like Simon Belmont’s Down Air. Maybe it could have a similar bounce-off?

Smash Attacks:

Spoiler

Forward Smash: a hefty accusatory point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXTT7kWcNvQ (spoiler warning again for the plot twists of each game – just watch the first one, that’s the one I want!)

His strongest Smash attack, of course.

Up Smash: a red “!” bursts from above Layton.

The hitboxes on this move line up with the up smash of Marth or Shulk – a hitbox on the ground to launch the opponent into the main hit (the “!”) above Layton.

Down Smash: Layton slams two moving blocks down on either side of himself.

Not a notable Smash in any way – serves the common DSmash niche of covering both sides of the character using the move.

Final Smash: Puzzle Solved

Spoiler

First of all, we get a nice cinematic where Layton does his accusatory point (spoilers again but absolutely worth it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXTT7kWcNvQ ), which catches opponents to be hit by the main part of the Final Smash.

Then we get this classic scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNarlVNOn0s

As far as I’m concerned, no alternative for a Final Smash will suffice. THIS is Layton through-and-through. This is what he’s all about, it sums him up perfectly and catches the badass feel of the character and also the most satisfying moments of the gameplay.

It has to be this.

Grab pummel and throws:

Spoiler

Layton’s grab is one handed, for the nearest reference to how I imagine it, think of how Shulk grabs.

Pummels – either get Luke (or Sherl for Kat) to do the pummelling, or get those little yellow circles that appear in Investigation Mode when you tap the screen in the old DS games – so long as Layton isn’t actually punching anyone, we’re ok here.

Down throw: remember that one fanart of Layton judo-throwing Wright?

Yes please.

All other throws: a multiple choice puzzle appears (Each button has an arrow on it) and they flash in sequence, finally lighting up the corresponding option to the throw input by the player. The opponent is whisked rapidly in that direction.
Up throw could be a kill throw at really high %s if necessary.

Other:

Spoiler

Other moves include things like get up attack from the ledge or wake up attack (from when your character is in a hard knockdown). These are not important and are fairly simple – a kick or a swing of the sword will suffice.

The only important one I want to cover here is Dash Attack - https://youtu.be/WjBH-K0KXlE?t=44 – this diving roll, adapted so that Layton lands on his feet, would fit Layton’s Dash Attack like a glove. You could make this a solid burst option for Layton if so desired.

Animations:

Spoiler

Key to the capturing the “feel” of a Smash character is their animations – and the Layton series offers plenty to use as references to make Professor Layton look and act like the Professor Layton we all know and love.

Dash animation: https://youtu.be/WjBH-K0KXlE?t=25 OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKSm6rtfIKA

Both of these scenes offer suitable references for Layton’s dash.

Ledge hang and neutral get up: https://youtu.be/azwJUIfF1uM?t=120

standing animation (minus the sword): https://youtu.be/azwJUIfF1uM?t=145

Rolls and dodges can be based on this sequence generally: https://youtu.be/azwJUIfF1uM?t=176

Launched and knocked down animation: https://youtu.be/azwJUIfF1uM?t=395

Double jump: https://youtu.be/azwJUIfF1uM?t=180 – specifically, look at Descole’s jump to disengage Layton here – I could see that as a double jump animation for Layton.

Taunts and idle animations and whatnot are super easy - you can reuse all the different poses Layton uses when talking to NPCs, for a start!

Final note: alt costumes
On the whole, I think the alt costumes supplied by Curious Villager (if you know where that post is, let me know and I’ll link it here!) would fit perfectly. But there is one more that I want to see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6ojD5Eua64 – I would be ecstatic if this costume made it in, what a great reference that would be!

---
Well, I think that covers more or less everything. I feel like this moveset fits the character of Layton as well as the whole series quite nicely, and provides an excellent framework for an echo fighter Katrielle. I’m very much open to suggestions if you feel anything here isn’t quite Layton, or that there is a more suitable alternative.

Thanks for reading, and let me know your thoughts!

 

[King Sonnn DeDeDoo]

With regards to his top hat - the way I worked around this was to adjust the proportions of it, making it a little shorter and fatter, like some very early art for Curious Village. Mario makes a top hat work fine in Ultimate so hopefully it won't be too much of an issue.

I would attach the concept art I had sketched up, but my scanner is broken apparently, so sadly no art.

But I've been sitting on this post long enough, and I certainly won't be around to drop it next weekend, so let's just do it now regardless.

I give you my masterwork: a somewhat comprehensive imagination of Professor Layton as a Smash character.

Playstyle:

Spoiler

Layton is a counterpoking character. The moveset given here is designed to give him options to control how the opponent can move around the stage by means of stage control, as well as encourage the opponent to move to Layton as opposed to the other way around. The rest of Layton’s kit is by and large intended to compliment this core idea of Layton’s reactive and defensive, counterpoking playstyle.

Specials:

Spoiler

neutral B: a block puzzle spawns behind Layton and gradually pieces itself together in the shape of his top hat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMTjMTFf8P4

When the move has finished “charging” (about 4 seconds), pressing the B button again will give Layton a powerful “finishing” move, which lingers on stage where Layton positions it and erupts when it comes into contact with an opponent. Visually, the complete puzzle will look similar to the Layton seal when planted on the stage.

The longer the puzzle has been left on the stage, the weaker the move gets. The puzzle disappears after a short amount of time.

Layton cannot store the charge of this move. The move is however cancellable by letting go of B – Layton will draw his top hat over his eyes in the “incorrect” animation, putting him in some lag and leaving him vulnerable.

The key with this attack is to know when to charge it, and once charged, position it perfectly by squeezing the opponents movements and forcing them into it – or away from it, which Layton can cover with another move.

Planning and preparation is key here! With that in mind, the move feels very “Layton” and a suitable centrepiece for the character’s moveset.



Side B: Sliding Block
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ5U-rN7Veg

Yep, those are Tetris blocks! Would be a brilliant Easter Egg for our puzzle game representative, no?

Pressing side B spawns a moving block that functions identically to Villager’s side B (or Samus’ missiles in Ultimate) – but no riding the blocks here!

This gives Layton a decent long-range option that forces some kind of reaction from the opponent and – most importantly – draws them into Layton.

This is obviously going to be a neutral tool, and allows Layton to manipulate the opponent’s movement from afar, giving him an advantage in the long range game.

Down B: Counter
https://youtu.be/iXTT7kWcNvQ?t=15 (be a little aware of spoilers here)

Boring option? Maybe – but it fits both his character and the intended playstyle very well.

This move is a simple counter that Layton can use to put an over-aggressive player back in their place, as well as give him another defensive option (to make up for his lacklustre jab) to mix up between.

Up B: Glider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hkbvs5ATws

Layton should not have to build the glider beforehand!

Up B gives Layton a great horizontal recovery (distance and speed wise) that can of course be angled upwards (though it moves much slower going up).

This move has to have notable startup and endlag/landing lag – we do not want Layton to be able to time people out all game by just sailing from point a to point b. Layton will be vulnerable during flight, but hopefully smart flying will keep him safe.

Grounded Normals:

Spoiler

Jab (A): a single point. There is no jab 2 and 3. I know it’s ironic that Layton does not have a “gentleman” jab combo, but I didn’t think it would fit his character at all!

The jab is functional but not amazing, and I can see it working like Ganondorf’s.

Forward Tilt (side A): a fencing lunge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljuCI0Nf2O4

I don’t think Layton should use an actual sword, but this is not that important and a matter of taste.

The move will obviously have some lag to it, we don’t really want this to be an amazing poke but it should be serviceable in that role – I would prefer it to be primarily a KO option at high %s (130%+).

Up tilt: https://youtu.be/zrUZLZnh1cM?t=15 – see Layton’s heavy, overhead swing at 17 seconds.

Functionally, this is an anti-air. Should have potential to combo into forward tilt at least some of the time (though this would not be the case for Kat, if she is an Echo Fighter – hers should send much more vertically as she is not a fencer).

Down tilt: Borrows a sweeping kick from Emmy Altava.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr3NEqkMcc8

Imagine this roundhouse, but very low to the floor.

Layton’s would obviously be significantly slower, and much less effective! I could see this as a combo starter, or to set up a juggling situation.

Aerials:

Spoiler

Neutral air (A in the air): Layton does a somersault – a nod to his innate athleticism.

Functionally, this move serves a crucial role as a viable out of shield option for Layton – hitboxes should emerge no later than frame 5 and cover his entire body (and should do decent damage to trade well with other moves) in order to give him a good defensive option when Layton is being pressured.

Forward Air: strike
https://youtu.be/-CpSoOAKu3o?t=8

Should be a decent midrange footsies option.

Back Air: https://youtu.be/zrUZLZnh1cM?t=18 – specifically, the broad slice at 0:23
second reference: https://youtu.be/azwJUIfF1uM?t=180 – again, the broad slice.

A little like Mega Man’s, but not a multi-hit. Also a kill move.

Up Air: Remember Ike’s up air in Smash 4? Basically that.

For Layton’s up air, we want a move that is able to control a lot of space above him (especially considering his slow up tilt and relatively thin up smash) in order to take advantage of the opponent’s more restricted movement that his specials set up.

Serves an important role to take advantage of Layton’s pressure game.

Down Air: Layton does a backflip and then kicks down sharply with one leg at the end of it.

Naturally, this is his spiking attack. Noticeable startup (i.e. the backflip).

I imagine the kick part of this move visually to look a lot like Simon Belmont’s Down Air. Maybe it could have a similar bounce-off?

Smash Attacks:

Spoiler

Forward Smash: a hefty accusatory point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXTT7kWcNvQ (spoiler warning again for the plot twists of each game – just watch the first one, that’s the one I want!)

His strongest Smash attack, of course.

Up Smash: a red “!” bursts from above Layton.

The hitboxes on this move line up with the up smash of Marth or Shulk – a hitbox on the ground to launch the opponent into the main hit (the “!”) above Layton.

Down Smash: Layton slams two moving blocks down on either side of himself.

Not a notable Smash in any way – serves the common DSmash niche of covering both sides of the character using the move.

Final Smash: Puzzle Solved

Spoiler

First of all, we get a nice cinematic where Layton does his accusatory point (spoilers again but absolutely worth it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXTT7kWcNvQ ), which catches opponents to be hit by the main part of the Final Smash.

Then we get this classic scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNarlVNOn0s

As far as I’m concerned, no alternative for a Final Smash will suffice. THIS is Layton through-and-through. This is what he’s all about, it sums him up perfectly and catches the badass feel of the character and also the most satisfying moments of the gameplay.

It has to be this.

Grab pummel and throws:

Spoiler

Layton’s grab is one handed, for the nearest reference to how I imagine it, think of how Shulk grabs.

Pummels – either get Luke (or Sherl for Kat) to do the pummelling, or get those little yellow circles that appear in Investigation Mode when you tap the screen in the old DS games – so long as Layton isn’t actually punching anyone, we’re ok here.

Down throw: remember that one fanart of Layton judo-throwing Wright?

Yes please.

All other throws: a multiple choice puzzle appears (Each button has an arrow on it) and they flash in sequence, finally lighting up the corresponding option to the throw input by the player. The opponent is whisked rapidly in that direction.
Up throw could be a kill throw at really high %s if necessary.

Other:

Spoiler

Other moves include things like get up attack from the ledge or wake up attack (from when your character is in a hard knockdown). These are not important and are fairly simple – a kick or a swing of the sword will suffice.

The only important one I want to cover here is Dash Attack - https://youtu.be/WjBH-K0KXlE?t=44 – this diving roll, adapted so that Layton lands on his feet, would fit Layton’s Dash Attack like a glove. You could make this a solid burst option for Layton if so desired.

Animations:

Spoiler

Key to the capturing the “feel” of a Smash character is their animations – and the Layton series offers plenty to use as references to make Professor Layton look and act like the Professor Layton we all know and love.

Dash animation: https://youtu.be/WjBH-K0KXlE?t=25 OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKSm6rtfIKA

Both of these scenes offer suitable references for Layton’s dash.

Ledge hang and neutral get up: https://youtu.be/azwJUIfF1uM?t=120

standing animation (minus the sword): https://youtu.be/azwJUIfF1uM?t=145

Rolls and dodges can be based on this sequence generally: https://youtu.be/azwJUIfF1uM?t=176

Launched and knocked down animation: https://youtu.be/azwJUIfF1uM?t=395

Double jump: https://youtu.be/azwJUIfF1uM?t=180 – specifically, look at Descole’s jump to disengage Layton here – I could see that as a double jump animation for Layton.

Taunts and idle animations and whatnot are super easy - you can reuse all the different poses Layton uses when talking to NPCs, for a start!

Final note: alt costumes
On the whole, I think the alt costumes supplied by Curious Villager (if you know where that post is, let me know and I’ll link it here!) would fit perfectly. But there is one more that I want to see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6ojD5Eua64 – I would be ecstatic if this costume made it in, what a great reference that would be!

---
Well, I think that covers more or less everything. I feel like this moveset fits the character of Layton as well as the whole series quite nicely, and provides an excellent framework for an echo fighter Katrielle. I’m very much open to suggestions if you feel anything here isn’t quite Layton, or that there is a more suitable alternative.

Thanks for reading, and let me know your thoughts!

Well done! This is very good framework for Layton, and nice job using video based inspirations.

If I did have one critique it would be that I feel his special moves are a little bit too based around sliding block puzzles. I think the sliding blocks have a place in his move set due to how common they are in his games and easy to implement into a moveset, but I feel I feel having two tile block special moves kind of represents the Layton games more like a tile matching game like Tetris or Puyo Puyo when the games are mainly based around brain teasers. Not sure how to easily represent brain teasers and puzzles outside of blocks, but I feel block manipulation fits other potential smashers better. I was also a bit surprised that you didn’t include the slot-machine gun somewhere into his move set.

But besides those minor complaints about thematics, this is very good moveset. The normals and aerials are well thought out and I feel the "counterpoking" playstyle really does a good job of not only representing the mindset of the games, but also Layton himself.

 

[Curious Villager]

Speaking of sliding block puzzles. You know how Mr. Game & Watch now has this thing where his opponents stock icon shows now instead of themselves when thrown.

It would be a fun little thing if this was implemented into Layton's moveset as well, if his throws include the sliding block puzzles, the block with the character in could also be represented with their stock icon.

I should probably rig Layton so I can give him a more proper looking pose rather than the generic T-pose he's currently stuck in, I should do some planning a concept model for his stage too but that will have to wait.

And yes, Layton's famous "It was you!" finger pointing scene is practically perfect for his Final Smash. It sticks to the idea of Final Smashes being quick and to the point like they now are and represents a very iconic part of the Layton series too. Bonus points if some recognisable characters from the Layton series make cameo's too such as Luke, Flora, Emmy, Chelmey, Grosky etc.
Though they might have to reuse existing 3D models for them, which some of them do except for OG Luke, Flora and Chelmey but I'm sure Level-5 can take care of that, especially if they where to edit Katrielle's Flora outfit by replacing her head with Flora's and editing Chelmey's honeymoon outfit from Azran Legacy with his regular attire. Luke doesn't have a 3D model of his original design though, unless they use his PL vs AA model, but I guess they can just make a new model for him.

 

[BluePikmin11]

Was looking over anime TV rankings recently, and I noticed that the TV ratings for the Katrielle Layton anime are doing excellent:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-11/japan-animation-tv-ranking-october-1-7/.138042

The anime is 10th place in ranking this week. That is probably because of the second half of the series premiering. I estimate that this anime has gotten 1-2 million viewers per week for the past 25 weeks. That is Level-5 for ya. :9

 

[Curious Villager]

Was looking over anime TV rankings recently, and I noticed that the TV ratings for the Katrielle Layton anime are doing excellent:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-11/japan-animation-tv-ranking-october-1-7/.138042

The anime is 10th place in ranking this week. That is probably because of the second half of the series premiering. I estimate that this anime has gotten 1-2 million viewers per week for the past 25 weeks. That is Level-5 for ya. :9

Oh wow, that's great to hear! I can only imagine how much more views the anime would have gotten if it starred Hershel. But seeing it do this well is still great to hear.

By the way, here's a fun little thing that I've always been wondering in regards to Kid Icarus Uprising.

Kid Icarus Uprising had a lot of references towards other games (mainly Nintendo games though) such as Nintendog's, Donkey Kong and Game & Watch so I always wondered whether or not this was a potential reference towards the Professor Layton series, especially since Hades usually remarks this towards Palutena whenever she figures out one of his plans.

Of course Sakurai gave Treehouse the full go ahead in terms of localization so more than likely this wasn't in the original Japanese version, but still cool of Nintendo to include this if this was meant to be a reference to the Layton series in a game made by Sakurai.

 

[fogbadge]

Oh wow, that's great to hear! I can only imagine how much more views the anime would have gotten if it starred Hershel. But seeing it do this well is still great to hear.

By the way, here's a fun little thing that I've always been wondering in regards to Kid Icarus Uprising.


Kid Icarus Uprising had a lot of references towards other games (mainly Nintendo games though) such as Nintendog's, Donkey Kong and Game & Watch so I always wondered whether or not this was a potential reference towards the Professor Layton series, especially since Hades usually remarks this towards Palutena whenever she figures out one of his plans.

Of course Sakurai gave Treehouse the full go ahead in terms of localization so more than likely this wasn't in the original Japanese version, but still cool of Nintendo to include this if this was meant to be a reference to the Layton series in a game made by Sakurai.

no i dont think that one is a reference, professor feels to general

 

[Curious Villager]

no i dont think that one is a reference, professor feels to general

I thought so too, but snarky comments like that are usually used in reference to someone such as Sherloc, Einstein or even just Detective is used more often in a general sense. Though it may just be my own ignorance talking as I can't really think of any other Professor type character in fiction it could be jabbing at, especially one in gaming and the context Its used, and the Layton series was at its peak around the time Uprising came out.

But yeah, you may just be right and it may just be a general thing. Still would be neat if it was an indirect reference though.

 

[fogbadge]

I thought so too, but snarky comments like that are usually used in reference to someone such as Sherloc, Einstein or even just Detective is used more often in a general sense. Though it may just be my own ignorance talking as I can't really think of any other Professor type character in fiction it could be jabbing at, especially one in gaming and the context Its used, and the Layton series was at its peak around the time Uprising came out.

But yeah, you may just be right and it may just be a general thing. Still would be neat if it was an indirect reference though.

it would be if it was but theres no way of telling if it or not

 

[BluePikmin11]

I have been watching the Katrielle Layton anime for the past week, watching one episode per day. Based on the first seven episodes I have seen, I can say it is pretty enjoyable. I find myself accepting the episodic slice-of-life story structure a lot. Pretty much every mystery in each episode has a heartwarming and wholesome conclusion. I found myself notably more eager to solve the mysteries together as I watched further. The mysteries are interesting enough to motivate me to putting the puzzle pieces together. Katrielle's characterization in the anime compared to the video games is far better and enjoyable with her upbeat/fun personality and silly ways of solving/explaining mysteries. Katreille's Japanese VA, Kana Hanazawa, made the journey to figuring out each mystery a lot of fun, and it made me love the main character more. I can tell that Level-5 poured their heart out into this anime. Even though it is too early to say on my end, I recommend Katrielle Layton. I am personally getting a good benefit out of watching this anime every day, as this series is currently helping me charge up my brain and my analytical/critical thinking skills for the write-ups I do here in Smashboards and the impressions I write for several anime and manga.

 

[King Sonnn DeDeDoo]

I have been watching the Katrielle Layton anime for the past week, watching one episode per day. Based on the first seven episodes I have seen, I can say it is pretty enjoyable. I find myself accepting the episodic slice-of-life story structure a lot. Pretty much every mystery in each episode has a heartwarming and wholesome conclusion. I found myself notably more eager to solve the mysteries together as I watched further. The mysteries are interesting enough to motivate me to putting the puzzle pieces together. Katrielle's characterization in the anime compared to the video games is far better and enjoyable with her upbeat/fun personality and silly ways of solving/explaining mysteries. Katreille's Japanese VA, Kana Hanazawa, made the journey to figuring out each mystery a lot of fun, and it made me love the main character more. I can tell that Level-5 poured their heart out into this anime. Even though it is too early to say on my end, I recommend Katrielle Layton. I am personally getting a good benefit out of watching this anime every day, as this series is currently helping me charge up my brain and my analytical/critical thinking skills for the write-ups I do here in Smashboards and the impressions I write for several anime and manga.

I really like Katrielle’s design as it is very charming but I’ve heard her game was a tad bit disappointing. I’m glad to hear that the anime is enjoyable, I’ll probably start watching it soon.

 

[Curious Villager]

So someone asked the other day in regards to how tall Layton would be compared to the rest of the cast. I've compiled a small height chart of what I'd think on roughly how tall he'd be. Overall heights aren't 100% to scale but I tried my best to get them as close as I could to their in game heights (Well, at least the ones from Smash 4) when standing fully upright.

I'd hope Layton's hat doesn't become a part of his hitbox or else that might make him a bit too big of a target but yeah. Let me know what you think.

 

[Luigifan18]

So someone asked the other day in regards to how tall Layton would be compared to the rest of the cast. I've compiled a small height chart of what I'd think on roughly how tall he'd be. Overall heights aren't 100% to scale but I tried my best to get them as close as I could to their in game heights (Well, at least the ones from Smash 4) when standing fully upright.
View attachment 169839

I'd hope Layton's hat doesn't become a part of his hitbox or else that might make him a bit too big of a target but yeah. Let me know what you think.

I am now envisioning an attack smacking Layton's hat off, a brief lull in the action as both fighters take a moment to process what just happened (Layton realizing his hat is gone and his opponent realizing they failed to hit him), and Layton glaring at his opponent with a "how dare you" expression. And then the carnage begins.

 

[fogbadge]

I am now envisioning an attack smacking Layton's hat off, a brief lull in the action as both fighters take a moment to process what just happened (Layton realizing his hat is gone and his opponent realizing they failed to hit him), and Layton glaring at his opponent with a "how dare you" expression. And then the carnage begins.

layton's not one for glaring usually

 

[King Sonnn DeDeDoo]

So someone asked the other day in regards to how tall Layton would be compared to the rest of the cast. I've compiled a small height chart of what I'd think on roughly how tall he'd be. Overall heights aren't 100% to scale but I tried my best to get them as close as I could to their in game heights (Well, at least the ones from Smash 4) when standing fully upright.
View attachment 169839

I'd hope Layton's hat doesn't become a part of his hitbox or else that might make him a bit too big of a target but yeah. Let me know what you think.

That looks to be about the right height overall, also very nice job on that Layton model!

I’m still a bit conflicted on his hat having a hurtbox. On one hand it makes him a bigger target and it doesn’t really make sense for Layton to take damage when only the very top of his hat is getting hit. On the other, having roughly a 4th of his character model not actually being hittable could be deceptive to play against. If I had to choose I’d still probably go with no hurtbox on the hat since it makes more sense, I guess people would just have to learn to play against Layton’s odd hurtbox.

 

[Curious Villager]

That looks to be about the right height overall, also very nice job on that Layton model!

I’m still a bit conflicted on his hat having a hurtbox. On one hand it makes him a bigger target and it doesn’t really make sense for Layton to take damage when only the very top of his hat is getting hit. On the other, having roughly a 4th of his character model not actually being hittable could be deceptive to play against. If I had to choose I’d still probably go with no hurtbox on the hat since it makes more sense, I guess people would just have to learn to play against Layton’s odd hurtbox.

Thanks!

I mean, it depends on how they will be handling Mario's Tuxedo alt since he'll be wearing a top hat too. If Mario's top hat has no hurtbox then I'd say don't give Layton's top hat a hurtbox either. It would make him too big of a target otherwise, even if he's crouching.

 

[Flyboy]

How did the hurtbox work on the Mii Fighter top hat? My Layton Mii always looked pretty good with that hat so it could be a similar height.

 

[Curious Villager]

How did the hurtbox work on the Mii Fighter top hat? My Layton Mii always looked pretty good with that hat so it could be a similar height.

The Top-Hat on Mii fighters has no hurtbox, I just checked. I don't know if Mario's Tuxedo alt is available in Ultimate's demo though I'd imagine that that one doesn't have a hurt box either.

The thing with Layton's top hat though is that it isn't a cosmetic change, but a specific part of his character so It's hard to tell whether or not Sakurai would apply a hurtbox for his hat. I hope he doesn't though, heck if he feels that the lack of hurtbox on his hat would bother players then he can just give some sort of excuse to justify it like with Ness and Lucas's moves. Like his top hat being mysteriously protected by some outside force and thus Layton cannot be damaged from there, perhaps the spirit of Layton's lost love? Or something like that lol.

 

[PK Bash]

There probably will be a hurtbox on it, but it won't cover the whole hat. Hurtboxes don't have to be 1-2-1, and frequently aren't. Charizard's a good example. The hurtboxes on his head extend pretty far away from where his head actually is.
On CV's model (which looks great btw) I could see a hurtbox on his hat extending to a little beyond the red stripe, and no further than halfway up the hat.

I doubt that it would have no hurtbox on it at all. Whereas Mario's is very close to his head, Layton's is too prominent.

 

[Luigifan18]

Uh-oh. I just saw this in the General Speculation thread...

Seems like the latest Coro Coro issue is going back to the 103 stage total, as opposed to 108 in the previous issues. Thanks @DartsEnthusiast for the heads up.https://t.co/eTIHx4MnkB

— Source Gaming (@AllSourceGaming) October 20, 2018

Suddenly, new franchises look a lot less likely.

 

[Curious Villager]

Uh-oh. I just saw this in the General Speculation thread...

Seems like the latest Coro Coro issue is going back to the 103 stage total, as opposed to 108 in the previous issues. Thanks @DartsEnthusiast for the heads up.https://t.co/eTIHx4MnkB

— Source Gaming (@AllSourceGaming) October 20, 2018

Suddenly, new franchises look a lot less likely.

I'm not really expecting Layton for the base game anyway (Especially after all these Kencineroar + Square Enix rep rumours floating about) but I am a bit more hopeful in regards to him and DLC. At the very least. I hope Sakurai contacted Level-5 for some content in the game. Such as trophies and whatnot, so we'd at least know if Level-5 managed to get the ball rolling for now.

By the way, do we have any news in regards to the Level-5 Vision? I thought it would be sometime this month but I've yet to hear anything about it....

 

[fogbadge]

I'm not really expecting Layton for the base game anyway (Especially after all these Kencineroar + Square Enix rep rumours floating about) but I am a bit more hopeful in regards to him and DLC. At the very least. I hope Sakurai contacted Level-5 for some content in the game. Such as trophies and whatnot, so we'd at least know if Level-5 managed to get the ball rolling for now.

is there anything substantial going for the ken/inceroar rumours?

 

[Curious Villager]

is there anything substantial going for the ken/inceroar rumours?

There was the leaked Ken screenshot from a month or so ago that people seem to be having a hard time debunking and most reasons against it ended up strengthening it when further research was done. If it does end up being fake, then the leaker has done his homework.

Incineroar doesn't have anything too substantial going for it at the moment, no leaked screenshots or anything. though apparently he seems to be heavily outshining the other two starters in competitive pokemon, similar to Greninja and the Pokemon anime seems to be setting up Ash's Torracat as his main ace. So that one remains to be seen.

 

[fogbadge]

There was the leaked Ken screenshot from a month or so ago that people seem to be having a hard time debunking and most reasons against it ended up strengthening it when further research was done. If it does end up being fake, then the leaker has done his homework.

Incineroar doesn't have anything too substantial going for it at the moment, no leaked screenshots or anything. though apparently he seems to be heavily outshining the other two starters in competitive pokemon, similar to Greninja and the Pokemon anime seems to be setting up Ash's Torracat as his main ace. So that one remains to be seen.

well the ken screen shot is reasonable

inceneroar seems like sheer hearsay atm, last i heard he was the least popular of the starters

oh well they wouldnt effect laytons chances for base or dlc

 

[Curious Villager]

So here is a little something we can probably discuss. Mind you that this is only a rumour for now though it's apparently putting the whole community within a big frenzy, and if past leaks are anything to go by. This is around the time we would be seeing some legit info sooner or later, especially if the game has gone gold.

Spoiler: spoiler tag just in case for those who don't want to know the potential base lineup

By now most of you have probably seen the Grinch leak floating around very recently. It has the everyone is here mural with Shadow, Banjo, Geno, Isaac, Mach Rider, Chorus kids and Ken included.

Currently its unknown whether or not this leak is real or fake since people are still debating over it. So It's probably for the best to take it with a grain of salt until we get more info.
But suppose if it did end up being real and these are all the characters we'll be getting for the base roster, what would you think Layton's chances would be for DLC?

I'd personally hope that it is real because it addresses most of the more highly demanded characters from the Smash community, also if the exit poll last page is accurate enough to go by, it would also reduce the pool of third parties a bit thus giving Layton a bit more leeway for DLC.

Currently, I am a bit concerned that he may end up as an Assist Trophy, which (while I'd be happy to see him finally make it in some capacity) potentially might cost him his chances for DLC.

All in all, I'll try my best to drum up as much support for the Prof as I can once the DLC period starts, especially if things are really going well. Here's hoping...

 

[PK Bash]

I mean you have to really stretch to try to debunk this one. As a general rule I'm sceptical of leaks by default and try to avoid them, but it's the right time of the development cycle (you may remember ESRB? That was a month or two before launch IIRC) and there is too much here that could have gone wrong but didn't. In my head, it all lines up.

Spoiler

Shame no Layton but I wasn't holding my breath. I'm getting pretty thrilled for Isaac and Banjo though!

I'm quite happy to be wrong here and it does seem way to good to be true, but since getting Snake, Ridley, Simon AND K. Rool "too good to be true" is just a "yeah, so?" to me now lol.

We'll see I guess. I'll be honest, as much as I hate to say it, I don't see Layton as DLC in the foreseeable future. That opinion may change if/when we hear more about Layton on Switch (mainly the new games though) but I think they're going straight for the big guns for DLC, at least at first. Taki (surprised this hasn't happened already), Sora, Crono, Leon Kennedy, probably Dante or some other Sony icons if they really want to blow our minds - the beloved characters from games that are considered the world over to be the finest in their genres. DLC is going to be A-Grade appeal for this game and Layton is like 20 Picarats short unfortunately.

Won't stop me hoping for him though.

 

[Curious Villager]

I don't know, if all these characters end up making it in, then it tells me more that Sakurai is actually serious about making the fans happy rather than choosing the roster on his own whim or solely picking iconic characters just to brag and make headlines.

Not to mention that Layton's series is no slouch either when it comes to the notoriety department. 17 million is not something to scoff at (and depending on how Curious Village HD did, that number may be at least a half a million higher by now) especially for such a young franchise. For reference, Castlevania apparently reached 20 million before Simon and Richter where included and the Layton series even outsold some third parties already present in Smash in some form.

It really depends on how Sakurai will be handling DLC this time around and if he will continue to refer to the fighter ballot for his choices in order to make more fans happy. But that's just my opinion.

 

[GoodGrief741]

This slightly helps Layton’s chances. We know Layton was no slouch in then ballot, so if the roster is as heavily based on it as it appears, he might make DLC. (Plus there are all of his preexisting pros)

 

[Curious Villager]

So Hino just tweeted this.
https://twitter.com/AkihiroHino/status/1055308832266641409

On October 28th, Level Five is also the 20th anniversary! We had a great feature in Famitsu. Thank you very much for your support! And thank you in the future!

Seems like Level-5 will be featured in this famitsu column due to their 20th anniversary. There may be an interview in there that might be worth a read through but for now, I guess we can enjoy these nice artworks that came along with it.

Nice to know that the company will be celebrating its 20th anniversary soon. They have been a bit quiet in regards to any new upcoming games, especially in regards to the Layton series but hopefully they will announce something soon...

 

[Flyboy]

So Hino just tweeted this.
https://twitter.com/AkihiroHino/status/1055308832266641409

Seems like Level-5 will be featured in this famitsu column due to their 20th anniversary. There may be an interview in there that might be worth a read through but for now, I guess we can enjoy these nice artworks that came along with it.

Nice to know that the company will be celebrating its 20th anniversary soon. They have been a bit quiet in regards to any new upcoming games, especially in regards to the Layton series but hopefully they will announce something soon...

They have recently announced that they're uncanceling a horror RPG they were working on and bringing it to the Switch, so I'm guessing that'll be a big focus.

 

[BluePikmin11]

Here is the comparison from the demo version (Jump Victory) and the video that @realmemoryman3 posted. pic.twitter.com/M9umLoC4PF

— Will (PushDustIn) (@PushDustIn) October 25, 2018

Seems like the official v. 1.0 title screen might have been revealed, apparently it is the same copyrights as the E3 builds.

Meaning no Level-5.

 

[Curious Villager]

Here is the comparison from the demo version (Jump Victory) and the video that @realmemoryman3 posted. pic.twitter.com/M9umLoC4PF

— Will (PushDustIn) (@PushDustIn) October 25, 2018

Seems like the official v. 1.0 title screen might have been revealed, apparently it is the same copyrights as the E3 builds.

Meaning no Level-5.

I guess that might put a dent to the recent leak if that's the final build. Otherwise Camelot, Microsoft and/or Rare would have been among the copyrights.... Unless they hid it or blurred it out or something.

Oh well, been banking for the prof as DLC anyway. So how about some playable Layton as a 20th anniversary present for Level-5, Sakurai....?

 

[BluePikmin11]

I have been thinking about it for a while that a few of my predictions may not come to pass, that being Bandanna Dee, and Layton recently.

I always had that inner thought that Sakurai might just stick to licensing gaming icons from just Konami, Namco, SEGA, Capcom, and Square Enix for Ultimate's project plan.

From those companies, icons bigger than Layton like Frogger, Heihachi, Leon/Jill, Simon, might have been bigger priorities than getting characters from other big Japanese gaming companies like Koei Tecmo and Level-5.

I am guessing that getting characters from five third-party companies is enough of a hassle already. The thought of other companies might have not come to pass at all, at least for the base game.

That might change with DLC though.

 

[Curious Villager]

I have been thinking about it for a while that a few of my predictions may not come to pass, that being Bandanna Dee, and Layton recently.

I always had that inner thought that Sakurai might just stick to licensing gaming icons from just Konami, Namco, SEGA, Capcom, and Square Enix for Ultimate's project plan.

From those companies, icons like Frogger, Heihachi, Leon/Jill, Simon, might have been bigger priorities than getting characters from other big Japanese gaming companies like Koei Tecmo and Level-5.

I am guessing that getting characters from five third-party companies is enough of a hassle already. The thought of other companies might have not come to pass at all.

That might change with DLC though.

Yeah, having to deal with Konami, Sega, Namco, Capcom and Square Enix all at once does seem like a bit of a massive undertaking for one game, even for Smash and the base game in particular. I'm guessing as well that Sakurai is probably prioritizing those five companies for the base game for now and trying to get as much out of them as his contracts will allow. Especially with companies like Square Enix that seem to be incredibly stingy when it comes to their content (We apparently still have only two Final Fantasy songs which is just... wow...).

Which is probably not even mentioning some companies in house such as GameFreak that Sakurai also has to deal with, and then there is stuff like Shovel Knight too and whatever other non playable surprises he may have in store for us. Guy certainly has a lot on his plate as is....

So yeah, you might be right, he'll probably focus more on other companies for DLC as he wouldn't have to pay them for their content within the base game, just for the DLC itself, which should go a lot easier for all parties involved.

Which is probably why I'm hoping that Sakurai will go all out for DLC and give it a good healthy lifespan rather than cutting things short. Especially since we're getting less newcomers than in the past for the base game.

 

[BluePikmin11]

Personally, one of the biggest mistakes I made for this Smash speculation period was not considering the trouble of dealing with five third-party companies for characters, the icons from licensed third-party companies that would lead to Sakurai just focusing on what he has, and letting my Layton bias get to me back in July when I made my newcomer predictions.

Layton just hits that weird limbo of real possibility, where the company Level-5 is big enough to warrant a character in Smash, with enough close ties to Nintendo, with the series being big and iconic enough to convince myself that Layton could be in.

It is a little heartbreaking for me, but at the least, I feel more confident about Layton getting in as DLC.

 

[Curious Villager]

Personally, one of the biggest mistakes I made for this Smash speculation period was not considering the trouble of dealing with five third-party companies for characters, the icons from licensed third-party companies that would lead to Sakurai just focusing on what he has, and letting my Layton bias get to me back in July when I made my newcomer predictions.

Layton just hits that weird limbo of real possibility, where the company Level-5 is big enough to warrant a character in Smash, with enough close ties to Nintendo, with the series being big and iconic enough to convince myself that Layton could be in.

It is a little heartbreaking for me, but at the least, I feel more confident about Layton getting in as DLC.

That's alright, don't worry about it Blue.

I've had a feeling that Layton's best shot might be as a DLC inclusion. Especially when Sakurai stated that we shouldn't expect too many newcomers and all the companies he's currently dealing with for the base game. (Well that and probably Vergeben's rumour spree may have also played a part in it....)

Layton's big and iconic enough to warrant a Smash inclusion and Level-5 themselves have become a huge and well respected company in Japan in their own right that I'm sure Sakurai has taken notice of as well (Well, at least enough notice to follow the head of the company over at Twitter) however, priorities and business may have just been in the way for the base game, though I'm fairly certain Sakurai will at least consider a character from Level-5 once he starts planning for incoming DLC characters.

 

[BluePikmin11]

By the way, when is the Level-5 Vision?

I heard it was this October, but I have not heard anything aside from promotion for the L5 20th anniversary.

 

[Curious Villager]

By the way, when is the Level-5 Vision?

I heard it was this October, but I have not heard anything aside from promotion for the L5 20th anniversary.

The 28th was their 20th anniversary, its the 29th midnight now over at Japan. Kinda surprised they haven't really done or announced anything other than their Famitsu feature the other day. At least, nothing much happened at Hino's Twitter page...

I'm guessing they might do it at a later date if they haven't done it yet? It's certainly quite odd though...

 

[King Sonnn DeDeDoo]

Haven’t found anything for Level-5 vision yet, but I found this cool artwork for the 20th anniversary

Layton is looking pretty snazzy ontop of Big Ben.

 

[NintenJen]

We're nearing the end of the month and no Level-5 Vision... yet. :/ I guess November then? Strange how they didn't do it on their 20th anniversary.

However! I did come across this recently published article about Level-5's future plans.

It seems like a bulk of what Level-5 has in store was in Famitsu (hopefully someone gets some scans and translate), but this paragraph from Siliconera's article has my piqued my curiosity.

"Speaking on what’s planned for Level-5’s 20th anniversary, apart from Ushiro, which has been changed to be coming to Nintendo Switch, they also have an ace-in-the-hole announcement that has yet to be revealed. The reason why it hasn’t been announced was because of the delay of Inazuma Eleven Ares and Yokai Watch 4. It would be a disservice to the fans waiting for those games if they were to announce it now, said Hino."

Could be a new Layton game, or the online game Hino wants to make as Level-5's 20th anniversary title that was mentioned after the paragraph above. I highly doubt it's about Smash though, as I am starting to lean on the camp that Layton's chances are better as DLC. It's probably about the online game, at least that's something to look forward to!