After Years, Lost Professor Layton Game Literally Rises from the Ashes

A once-forgotten Professor Layton game has emerged from obscurity, quite literally from the ashes. Titled Professor Layton and the Mansion of the Deathly Mirror, this mobile game has been rediscovered on an old feature phone that remarkably survived a fire. This revival comes just in time for the game’s 16th anniversary.

While Level-5 has ported several Professor Layton games to mobile devices over the years, Mansion of the Deathly Mirror stands out as a unique title. Created specifically for feature phones, it was released episodically, with its first episode premiering on October 10, 2008. Unfortunately, the game never left Japan and has been unavailable for purchase since 2014.

A Long-Lost Adventure Recovered

Almost 16 years after its debut, this elusive adventure has been fully recovered thanks to a passionate group of fans. According to Twitter user RockmanCosmo, game preservationist Yuvi successfully retrieved the game’s final three chapters from a working Fujitsu F906i unit, a Japan-only feature phone from 2008. Earlier in February 2024, the first three chapters were already saved.

A Phone That Survived a Fire

RockmanCosmo revealed that the preservation team aims to translate Mansion of the Deathly Mirror into English, though they have not specified a timeline for the project. Photos shared by RockmanCosmo show the 2008 flip phone bearing evidence of a fire, with visible ash on its exterior. Alongside the Professor Layton game, Yuvi also recovered Mr. Driller Aqua, a 2006 spin-off that was also thought to be lost.

Originally launched as a MobageTown service in 2008 (now known as Mobage), Mansion of the Deathly Mirror received a re-release in 2009 under the subtitle -REMIX-. This updated version featured new puzzles but retained the core story set between Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box and Professor Layton and the Unwound Future. The images from RockmanCosmo confirm that Yuvi recovered the original 2008 version.

The Growing Trend of Feature Phone Game Preservation

In addition to such fan-driven preservation efforts, there is a growing trend of commercial feature phone game preservation, particularly in Japan. A recent example is the re-release of Persona 3 Aigis: The First Mission, a 2006 feature phone game, which was made available for PC and Nintendo Switch in June 2024 by publisher G-MODE.

The revival of Professor Layton and the Mansion of the Deathly Mirror highlights the ongoing dedication to preserving and reviving lost gaming treasures, ensuring that these unique pieces of gaming history continue to be appreciated by new audiences.