The Ace Attorney Investigations games varied up the traditional AA formula with full map explorations and moving around the environment was rather fun. I think if Layton did something like that I'd like to see something closer to the Monkey Island games combined with the traditional puzzles of a Layton game. A combo of map-based inventory puzzles, minigames, and the usual would make for a fun twist in my eyes.
One of my favorite little obscure gems was Another Code: Two Memories on the DS. It and Hotel Dusk had really lovely adventure game elements that could nicely fit into a new Layton in my eyes.
Nobody talks about Cing enough. They made artful games and the Kyle Hyde games in particular deserve so much more.
Monkey Island is definitely the way - maybe it could also take a leaf or two from Zack & Wiki's book if anyone else played that game? Tragically underplayed game destined for nothing but obscurity, but it's super smart and I could see a console Layton using similar ideas.
I'm sure you can set your mind racing on the possibilities!
Yeah perhaps Pokemon wasn't really the best example to give considering its current state.... But yeah...
I do hope that Level-5 will put in the effort to reinvent the wheel for the series. Perhaps they are going to try something new entirely as the old gameplay format won't really work too well on the Switch. The series was predominantly touch screen based, and while the Switch does have a touch screen, they will have to also make it work in docked mode, which might cause some complications for the game, and Level-5 themselves acknowledged that.
So perhaps yes, they might opt to overhaul the gameplay style this time around. Maybe not too drastic as to not alienate older fans, but perhaps something a bit more different this time. Like you said, perhaps this time we can actually move around the map freely and explore every nook and cranny. Check suspicious area's with a magnifying glass in first person mode. Maybe solve puzzles in a whole new way by directly interacting with them perhaps something like Zelda.
I guess it remains to be seen how they will handle things this time around.
I think a hybrid of more traditional Layton puzzles as well as these sort of overworld interaction-based puzzles would blend really nicely in a new Layton.
I'd also like to see more in the vein of "Objectionable Puzzle" from Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright, where the puzzle actually has multiple phases to it. I'd like it to be a little bit more interesting than just pressing a button to shout "Hold it!" to move to the next phase, though!
I always thought the RPG mode by Brownie Brown in The Last Specter was cool.
Also, Level-5 burns out series way too fast.
Seriously, it's a wonder that they brought back Inazuma Eleven in the first place.
Ah yes London Life, which ironically those of us in and around London never got to play. Always been fascinated by it. Is there enough there to sustain a full Layton style game?
