Nintendo of Europe’s decisions over release dates for games are sometimes inexeplicably bizarre - like the time it held of 1080 Snowboarding on the N64, because they thought no one would buy it in the summer. Another concerns Professor Layton and the Curious Village. It’s been out in Japan since February 2007(!) and will finally reach European shores on November 7, 2008.

The Curious Village involves the game’s eponymous character and his assistant Luke searching the village of St. Mystere for the “Golden Apple”, a treasure claimed to be left by the late Baron Reinhold for anyone that can deduce the puzzles that he left behind to find it. The player moves the pair through the village to talk to villagers and search areas, often leading to puzzles that the player must solve, using optional but limited hints, in order to progress in the game.

There are over 120 riddles to solve, in what has to be one of the Nintendo DS’ finest games. If you haven’t already imported it from the US (it launched there in February 2008), make sure you snap it up when it finally arrives in Europe.