The Professor Layton for SSB4 thread!

[Curious Villager]

As much as I would love to agree. Professor Layton is sadly a third party franchise as it is owned by a third party company, even if the games have been really faithful towards Nintendo consoles, so long as the company that owns the series is third party, that's what the franchise will be as well.

Nintendo does publish the Layton series in Europe and America though, but Level-5 does the whole publishing itself in Japan.

I do agree though, the Professor Layton series is one of those third party franchises that feel like they really fit in with Nintendo and the rest of its colourful series the most, just like series such as Megaman and Sonic the Hedgehog etc. But I guess that's just a matter of opinion.

 

[ChikoLad]

As much as I would love to agree. Professor Layton is sadly a third party franchise as it is owned by a third party company, even if the games have been really faithful towards Nintendo consoles, so long as the company that owns the series is third party, that's what the franchise will be as well.

Nintendo does publish the Layton series in Europe and America though, but Level-5 does the whole publishing itself in Japan.

I do agree though, the Professor Layton series is one of those third party franchises that feel like they really fit in with Nintendo and the rest of its colourful series the most, just like series such as Megaman and Sonic the Hedgehog etc. But I guess that's just a matter of opinion.

I feel they could get away with it though, seeing as the Official Nintendo Website lists Professor Layton under the "Nintendo Characters Hub", yet Sonic and Mega Man are not.

But yeah, Layton is the only newcomer I really want now whom I feel may actually have a serious chance.

Also, his reveal trailer would be amazing because it could mean some other characters would be drawn in this art style:

 

[Rasumii]

Should Luke be included in his moveset at all you think?

 

[ChikoLad]

A Layton/Luke tag team has tons of potential, but it'd be pushing it to expect him to also be incorporated as playable. Layton could do enough alone anyway. But, a Luke Assist Trophy would be top notch!

 

[D-idara]

I feel they could get away with it though, seeing as the Official Nintendo Website lists Professor Layton under the "Nintendo Characters Hub", yet Sonic and Mega Man are not.

But yeah, Layton is the only newcomer I really want now whom I feel may actually have a serious chance.

Also, his reveal trailer would be amazing because it could mean some other characters would be drawn in this art style:

OH GOD OTHER NINTENDO CHARS DRAWN IN A LAYTON-STYLE TRAILER, YOU'RE A GENIUS!

 

[Pacack]

OH GOD OTHER NINTENDO CHARS DRAWN IN A LAYTON-STYLE TRAILER, YOU'RE A GENIUS!

I want to see Marth, Link, and Peach in that style really badly. Honorable mentions go to Zelda, Ike, Captain Falcon, Pit, and Ness. Ness actually might rank up there with the other three now that I think of him, actually.

 

[Curious Villager]

I feel they could get away with it though, seeing as the Official Nintendo Website lists Professor Layton under the "Nintendo Characters Hub", yet Sonic and Mega Man are not.

Huh....? Well that is certainly a bit odd. Even Inazuma Eleven (another one of Level-5's series) is in there. I wonder if that's a mistake on Nintendo's part or if they partly co-own the rights to the series.... (Which is most probably very unlikely) Guess I'll look into it a bit further I suppose.... Thanks for bringing it to my attention though.

Should Luke be included in his moveset at all you think?

Not sure about it really, although ever since Rosalina was revealed, I have been thinking about a puppet master-like playstyle involving Luke and maybe a few others too but I think that might detract a little from the uniqueness of Rosalina and Luma's playstyle.

I think I'd settle for an assist trophy with Luke for now.

I want to see Marth, Link, and Peach in that style really badly. Honorable mentions go to Zelda, Ike, Captain Falcon, Pit, and Ness. Ness actually might rank up there with the other three now that I think of him, actually.

Ness (and Lucas) does feel like he'd really fit at home the most in Layton's art style, heck the spin off game London Life was developed by the same guys who developed Mother 3 if I recall correctly, it even has the same art style as that game.

I actually wouldn't mind them doing like they did with Megaman's artwork and maybe remake this artwork but instead of having Layton surrounded by the Villagers of St.Mystere, its him being surrounded by the currently revealed playable characters. (And with maybe Megaman standing next to him instead of Luke)

 

[AEMehr]

I was thinking about what Layton would like in Smash, and the idea of him being completely stylized to the point where it seemed like came out of the 2D animations used in cutscenes and the movie (at least in the Wii U version).

 

[Curious Villager]

I'd imagine Layton looking about as colourful as Toon Link, but stylized more like the artwork, so maybe closer to the art style of how he looks in Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy.

At least, I think he'd look something like this for the 3DS version.... For the Wii U version he'd look a bit more brightened up with a few extra details here and there like they did with Toon Link.

 

[ChikoLad]

I imagine Wii U Layton would look much like those Layton action figures, just without the plastic points of articulation and what not. Which is in line with what Toon Link looks like on Wii U.

 

[AEMehr]

I'd imagine Layton looking about as colourful as Toon Link, but stylized more like the artwork, so maybe closer to the art style of how he looks in Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy.

At least, I think he'd look something like this for the 3DS version.... For the Wii U version he'd look a bit more brightened up with a few extra details here and there like they did with Toon Link.

Oh wow, I completely forgot how astounding the models are in Azran Legacy.
Something more akin to that would be perfect for the 3DS version.

 

[Rasumii]

February 28th is so close.... Yet so far...

I actually wouldn't mind them doing like they did with Megaman's artwork and maybe remake this artwork but instead of having Layton surrounded by the Villagers of St.Mystere, its him being surrounded by the currently revealed playable characters. (And with maybe Megaman standing next to him instead of Luke)

That would look awesome!

I think Layton would fit it in great with the Smash Bros cast. If he gets in, I don't care who else they put in. They could put in Magikarp and I wouldn't care since we have Layton.

Also, if I remember correctly, didn't Level-5 and Nintendo have a deal at some point where they said they would only make Professor Layton on Nintendo? That could be why he's listed as a Nintendo character. That's the only thing I can think of right now.

 

[Curious Villager]

Also, if I remember correctly, didn't Level-5 and Nintendo have a deal at some point where they said they would only make Professor Layton on Nintendo? That could be why he's listed as a Nintendo character. That's the only thing I can think of right now.

On further research, that doesn't seem to be the case. Level-5 really has full ownership of the IP. Although they used to have a partnership for the IP sometime during the span of the series but then Level-5 broke the deal. So the series is no longer within a partnership with Nintendo.

I think this guy from a website called NIWA had something interesting to say on the matter.

There currently seems to be some sort of confusion among a lot of people concerning the ownership of the Professor Layton series. Some people seem to agree that Professor Layton is an intellectual property (IP) of both Nintendo and the series' developer Level-5, whilst others claim despite Nintendo's significant contribution to the series, Nintendo does not own the Professor Layton IP at all!

I looked around, and checked which statement is more accurate. Turns out this confusion is mostly due the fact Professor Layton is exclusive to Nintendo consoles, and the series is entirely localised and published by Nintendo in both the United States and Europe. However, legally speaking, the Professor Layton is more or less a third-party series!

Nintendo never published the games in Japan; publishing in Japan was handled by Level-5 themselves, but since the company isn't that big enough they asked Nintendo to help them localise the games elsewhere. If any of you people check disclaimers and indices on any of the games' packagings and official media, you'd notice Professor Layton is copyrighted only to Level-5. No mention of copyright to Nintendo whatsoever, even outside of Japan (with exception of the Nintendo DS trademarks). Therefore, Nintendo does not legally own the Professor Layton IP anywhere in the world.

Keep in mind that Level-5 is an independent, private Japanese video game developing company, and is not a subsidiary of Nintendo at any extent. Level-5 had released dozens of games for different consoles, not just Nintendo ones, and many of these games still remain Japan-only releases. Although, I recently heard that the first game in the sports RPG series, Inazuma Eleven, will finally see release outside of Japan in 2011 (by Nintendo), but only in Europe so far.

I'm honestly not sure really. But I think the series is fully owned by Level-5 and that it's fully a third party series with no share to Nintendo.

Why the series is apparently in the Nintendo characters hub along with Inazuma Eleven on the official Nintendo website, I have no idea.

 

[SmashBro99]

I think it would be fun if Layton used his fencing skills in his moveset, I'd love to kick other sword users asses with Layton! xD

 

[ChikoLad]

Why the series is apparently in the Nintendo characters hub along with Inazuma Eleven on the official Nintendo website, I have no idea.

I feel it's a significant boost to his chances, even if the reasoning for him being there is unclear. It at least means Nintendo acknowledges the franchise as a significant part of it's history. It was one of the most successful DS games. His inclusion seems even more fitting as Smash Bros has a 3DS version. Seeing as Smash Bros is generally a generation behind in representation, I feel Layton would represent the DS generation better than any other character.

I feel Layton is like Mega Man - Nintendo hold no shares in the franchise, but the franchise did so much for Nintendo, and people associate the franchise with Nintendo so heavily (to the point where many think Layton IS owned by Nintendo - much like with Mega Man), that his inclusion would just fit perfectly, and would not really feel "third party".

This has no bearing on whether or not he will appear. It all depends on if the dev team see it this way or not. But I feel that Layton has a bigger shot at appearing than any other third party character besides Sonic and Mega Man. I even think he has better chance of appearing than Snake has a chance returning.

I wonder if that's a mistake on Nintendo's part

Just to clarify, this is impossible. The pages have been there for years, and are of course updated with information on new titles.

 

[Curious Villager]

I feel it's a significant boost to his chances, even if the reasoning for him being there is unclear. It at least means Nintendo acknowledges the franchise as a significant part of it's history. It was one of the most successful DS games. His inclusion seems even more fitting as Smash Bros has a 3DS version. Seeing as Smash Bros is generally a generation behind in representation, I feel Layton would represent the DS generation better than any other character.

I feel Layton is like Mega Man - Nintendo hold no shares in the franchise, but the franchise did so much for Nintendo, and people associate the franchise with Nintendo so heavily (to the point where many think Layton IS owned by Nintendo - much like with Mega Man), that his inclusion would just fit perfectly, and would not really feel "third party".

This has no bearing on whether or not he will appear. It all depends on if the dev team see it this way or not. But I feel that Layton has a bigger shot at appearing than any other third party character besides Sonic and Mega Man. I even think he has better chance of appearing than Snake has a chance returning.

I guess so, it is true that many people seem to associate the series so much with Nintendo that they tend to confuse it for a Nintendo IP (or at least they used to) like they did with Megaman which shows how close the series is with Nintendo.

I'm not sure if this necessarily boosts his chances though but I guess it's neat that Nintendo apparently sees this series almost as if it is a part of their own family. At least that seems to be the case with NoE though and if their Nintendo Direct's is anything to go by, their president Satoru Shibata seems to be very fond of the Layton series too.

Just to clarify, this is impossible. The pages have been there for years, and are of course updated with information on new titles.

I suppose you're right. It's still pretty odd though, I haven't really found the Nintendo characters hub in the American and Japanese versions of the website though (if they even have it) in order to check if they have the series there too... :/

 

[Pacack]

Can someone call Nintendo support and ask them about that? Would they give an answer?

 

[Curious Villager]

I might send them an email sometime.

 

[3Bismyname]

if Layton was owned by Nintendo, i would say he's a sure thing. i mean it is one of the most successful of the newer franchises out there. however, if he's not... oh well

 

[ChikoLad]

I'm not sure if Nintendo Support would be the place to go to for this sort of thing. Nintendo Support is more for help with troubleshooting their products. The people answering the phone/responding to e-mails are pretty low on the Nintendo job chain. Their knowledge of this sort of thing is no greater than ours, and their access to information of this kind is no different to ours.

Honestly, it doesn't really matter how Nintendo is connected to the Layton franchise. He'll be in Smash if he is, he won't be if he isn't. It would be nice to have some clarity on why Layton and Inazuma Eleven are listed on the "Nintendo Characters Hub", though for all we know, the explanation could be as simple as Level-5 paying Nintendo to put them there as promotion, or something.

Now that I think about it, if Nintendo was given publishing rights to the Layton franchise in a certain region, then they would likely run into no issues listing them as "Nintendo Characters" on that region's website. Franchises like Kirby and Pokémon are not even developed by Nintendo's own development studios, but by studios that were hired by Nintendo to make these games (a.k.a. second party companies). And Smash Bros itself has always been developed by a second party, and now, by a third party (Namco Bandai).

 

[Curious Villager]

But didn't Level-5 already break their partnership with Nintendo in regards to the Layton IP because they wanted to self publish the series from then on out sometime around 2011?

I'm just a little lost here now...

Eh guess we'll just have to wait and see. Gee talk about a Professor Layton puzzle....

 

[S_B]

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but Layton proved an adept fencer in the 2nd game so it's established that he's not incapable of physical combat.

 

[ChikoLad]

He also shows them off in the movie. In the same movie, Luke demonstrates that he is actually a little ninja. :V

Layton also made the "Slot Machine-Gun" in the 3rd game. And in the sixth game, he proves he can commandeer a turret.

There are many more examples of Layton being a total kickass combatant.

 

[Curious Villager]

Yeah Layton has shown plenty of times throughout the series that he's more than capable of being able to hold his own during many fights.

Wether its through good old sword or lead pipe fights or by making his own weapon to use if there isn't any. (Such as the Slot Machine Gun and the Town Catapult)

Which is why I'm a little at a loss of why some people always tend to say that because they managed to make Phoenix Wright fight in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 that Layton could do so too. Of course Layton can fight.

 

[MrAmaboKcorb]

Layton would be a great third party rep. He's one of the "newer" nintendo exclusive third party characters but I still think he has a chance.
He's not as iconic as Sonic or Megaman but his history with Nintendo can't be denied.
I haven't played any of the games to completion but I have no doubt he'd be a unique character.
The only thing that would make his inclusion even better is if Phoenix Wright joins the roster.
Then we can have Professor Layton vs Pheonix Wright 2.

Count me as a supporter.

 

[Curious Villager]

Layton would be a great third party rep. He's one of the "newer" nintendo exclusive third party characters but I still think he has a chance.
He's not as iconic as Sonic or Megaman but his history with Nintendo can't be denied.
I haven't played any of the games to completion but I have no doubt he'd be a unique character.
The only thing that would make his inclusion even better is if Phoenix Wright joins the roster.
Then we can have Professor Layton vs Pheonix Wright 2.

Count me as a supporter.

Layton would definitely be great third party choice. ^_^

Haha I guess so. Having Phoenix would be pretty nice but with Megaman already in there, I doubt Sakurai would allow another Capcom character in there... ^^;

Anyway, I've added you to the supporters list. Welcome on board. Also welcome to Smashboards too. ^^

 

[MrAmaboKcorb]

I'm against third parties getting more than one rep but Phoenix Wright is an exception.

Thanks!

 

[Curious Villager]

I'm against third parties getting more than one rep but Phoenix Wright is an exception.

Thanks!

Yeah neither am I really... And you're welcome.

Also, it seems like my OP got some broken images. Guess I'll fix those later...

 

[Deleted member]

I'd wholeheartedly love Layton in the game, and he could be made a great set based on abstract puzzle-like animations. Maybe too abstract for Sakurai to consider, but there's no debating that Layton would justify that, and it's not nearly as strange as G&W or ROB in concept. Shame that he is third-party as well. Now that reminds me of a puzzle... how many top hatted professors can you fit into a Nintendo fighting game?

 

[BluePikmin11]

Given that Layton seems to be the most wanted newcomer in Europe, I think this really gives Layton some sort of edge if Ridley is noticably demanded in the West (Assuming it's the U.S.)

 

[Curious Villager]

I'd wholeheartedly love Layton in the game, and he could be made a great set based on abstract puzzle-like animations. Maybe too abstract for Sakurai to consider, but there's no debating that Layton would justify that, and it's not nearly as strange as G&W or ROB in concept. Shame that he is third-party as well. Now that reminds me of a puzzle... how many top hatted professors can you fit into a Nintendo fighting game?

Yeah I have no doubt that Nintendo can pull something very cool off with Layton in Smash Bros. Like you said, his only real obstacle is the fact that he's third party, making things a little more complicated for him.

As for your puzzle. The answer is 2 I suppose? Layton and Kirby (Even though he's probably not a professor)?

Given that Layton seems to be the most wanted newcomer in Europe, I think this really gives Layton some sort of edge if Ridley is noticably demanded in the West (Assuming it's the U.S.)

Yeah depending if Nintendo even pays attention to European demand and not just Japanese and American Western demand, then I'd suppose Sakurai could at least consider him. I wonder how much his demand will hang on though after Smash 4 and the Ace Attorney crossover is released....


Anyway, Azran Legacy has come out a day or two ago for the US. For those of you who bought the game or are planning to. I wish you guys a lot of fun with it, enjoy every minute of it as it is (probably) the last Layton game as we know it...

 

[Deleted member]

Yeah I have no doubt that Nintendo can pull something very cool off with Layton in Smash Bros. Like you said, his only real obstacle is the fact that he's third party, making things a little more complicated for him.

As for your puzzle. The answer is 2 I suppose? Layton and Kirby (Even though he's probably not a professor)?

Your answer is correct! Smart thinking. On the move level just imagine what could be done using such puzzles as this one. The possibilities are truly endless. It'd take a super creative mind to pull it off in an actual game, but no one could resist it.

 

[ChikoLad]

I got Azran Legacy for Christmas, but I have yet to finish it. College has kept me busy, and until recently, I have not been able to play longer, more demanding games, and Lightning Returns is where I am pouring my hours into right now. I'll get back to Layton after that.

Also, where does it say Layton is the most requested character from Europe?

 

[BluePikmin11]

I think this post explains it:
http://smashboards.com/threads/obse...-4-by-chronobound.338160/page-4#post-16322564

 

[Curious Villager]

Bleh, should have worded that better. He's one of the UK's most wanted characters. Not sure about Europe as a whole but the series is generally very popular in Europe so I wouldn't be too surprised if he's popularly requested in certain parts of Europe too. The series is also very popular in Japan too so what I'd like to know more about is how much requested he is over there....

 

[BluePikmin11]

We really hadn't had anyone whose based on European culture, so now that we have Little Mac, we can have the Takamaru (East) vs. Layton (Middle?) vs. Little Mac (West)
It would indeed be an interesting match-up.

 

[Curious Villager]

We really hadn't had anyone whose based on European culture, so now that we have Little Mac, we can have the Takamaru (East) vs. Layton (Middle?) vs. Little Mac (West)
It would indeed be an interesting match-up.

Europe is Western too. Though the match up between Little Mac, Takamaru and Layton sure is an interesting one.

 

[ChikoLad]

I'd see it less as "Japan VS The West", and more:

Takamaru - Japanese rep
Little Mac - "AMERICAAAA, **** YEEEEAH!!!!"
Layton - British rep

Japan, America, and Britain are probably the three most popular settings for fictional material. So having those three in the game would be great.

Mario VS Sonic VS Mega Man - Battle of the Gaming Kings
Takamaru VS Little Mac VS Layton - Battle of the Cultures

 

[Mega Bidoof]

Why do they be hating' on Professor Hershel Layton?
(Layton Rap)

So yeah, Layton for Smash for the win. Please add me to the Supporters List.

 

[Pazzo.]

The best explanation I've heard for the Layton universe is that it's the Japanese interpretation of what Britain is like in the 20th century. It's a very classical, conservative portrayal and one that strongly resonates with the nostalgic, which is why it fits so well into a video game as a strong connecting theme, where there isn't room for a hugely descriptive backstory or lore. It does its job admirably filling in the gaps where exposition can't exist.

It's refreshing for me to be honest, the setting is probably one of the strongest parts of the 'story' Layton has in each game. The whimsical, quaint little English setting is really unique when you compare to most video games. It has a strong sense of self and identity. I think that's a large part of why it's so popular and caught on so well all over the world, not just in Japan. Hopefully the intense popularity he had on the DS means he'll get into Smash 4.

I'd love to see that.... But unfortunately, I think other characters are higher priority. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Layton... I'm just trying to be realistic, that's all.

I like the idea about the Layton Universe however! That would explain all the Robots-but-no-London-eye-thing....