I bought Professor Layton and the Curious Village when it came out back in February of ’08. It’s one of my favorite games on the DS, and I can’t wait for the sequel to (hopefully) be released later this year. I’m thrilled that Nintendo has made the puzzler the focus of a recent ad campaign, with Lisa Kudrow and a pal solving a couple of the game’s brainteasers together. The commercial seems to be working. A few weeks back, Layton actually edged out the newest Pokemon game in the sales charts—no mean feat for what is essentially a collection of logic and math puzzles. Maybe, though, the commercials are working too well.
Our local Walmart is undergoing renovations. We were doing some shopping there over the weekend, so I decided to check out the expanded electronics section. Giving the game case a once-over for any clearance deals, I saw they were selling Professor Layton for $34.88. Surprising since it was only $29.99 when it came out over a year ago, and I recall seeing it in a clearance bin in that same store last summer for $10. I don’t know how Walmart decides on in-store pricing, but gouging older (possibly less price-savvy) DS fans who don’t know they can get the same game online for under $30 is pretty shady. I’m not going to blame Lisa Kudrow for the price hike, but I will embed her ad after the break.