Welcome to Delfino Island, a dolphin-shaped isle that’s home to a massive festival that apparently takes place only once per half-century. Zack is a magician who’s set to perform for this festival, but the whole shebang is in danger of being canceled due to a spate of very odd events taking place all over the island. The culprits are the “ombras,” cute little black imps that are only visible to certain people. Zack has the power to find them, and if he can solve the puzzles they pose to him, he can help Delfino’s inhabitants figure out the mystery and move on with the festival.
So goes the story of Zack and the Ombras: The Phantom Amusement Park, a new Nintendo DS game announced by Konami this week. Zack is, to be blunt, heavily inspired by Level-5’s Professor Layton series — as Zack, you explore the island, talk to residents, and tackle one of the game’s 180 puzzles whenever you come across one of the crafty ombras. The only real twist: The puzzles here are much more action-oriented than Layton’s, often requiring you to rearrange items and perform other tasks within a given time limit.
The game, which is directed by Junko Kawano (best known for her work in the Suikoden series), is due out October 28 in Japan for 4980 yen. No US release has been announced yet.
