Level-5 Confirms 3DS Layton, Phoenix Wright Crossover

Fukuoka, Japan-based game company Level-5 confirmed development of the Nintendo 3DS game Layton Kyouju vs. Gyakuten Saiban, a crossover of the popular Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright game series. The title is a mash-up of Level-5's own Professor Layton puzzle adventure game series and Capcom's lawyer-centric Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney adventure game franchise. The game was revealed at Level-5's Vision press conference today, as reported by Japanese gaming-focused website Andriasang. Andriasang said there is no official English name for the crossover game, and "Layton Kyouju vs. Gyakuten Saiban" may just be a tentative title. There are no reported release dates for the game in any tetrritory. The upcoming game will have a story that places the professor and the lawyer in a "different world," according to the report, where they will encounter a medieval city populated by wizards, witches and other fantasy characters. Phoenix Wright will be commissioned to defend a character accused of witchcraft, as Layton encounters new puzzles. Capcom originally introduced the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series in Japan in 2001 on Game Boy Advance. After the game was ported to the Nintendo DS, the game came to Western territories in 2005 and gained a loyal fanbase thanks to its unique premise and art style. The original game has seen two direct sequels, and other Phoenix Wright spinoffs have followed. Level-5's Professor Layton and the Curious Village debuted in 2007 in Japan and 2008 in North America, and the series has seen multiple popular entries in the West and Japan. During Level-5's conference, the company also gave further details on a number of other titles. The company revealed that the previously-announced "time travel suspense" game Time Travelers is coming to the 3DS, as some have speculated. The game's producer, Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino, said he expects the game to sell between 500,000 and 1 million units, the report said. The company also revealed that Fantasy Life, which was originally unveiled as a Nintendo DS title, is being reworked for the 3DS' visual capabilities. The game is being developed by Brownie Brown and is slated for a 2011 release.