Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, known in Japan as Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel, was overshadowed at E3 by Nintendo's 3DS and the dozens of amazing games the publisher had at their booth. That doesn't mean we're not super excited about it, though. Coop and I have been singing the praises of the Professor Layton series for two years, and the last game, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, was absolutely fantastic. That's why I'm very pleased to hear that Unwound Future has moved from its original September 20 release date to September 12, 2010.

Normally, a game's release date moving eight days isn't a huge deal, but when it's Professor Layton, it's definitely news-worthy. I also wanted to make sure all DS owners are aware of its existence and release date so that Level-5 will continue releasing these sequels in North America. Seriously, I don't even want to imagine what a year without a Professor Layton game would be like at this point. Probably terrible.

While I run off to pre-order Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, go ahead and check out the brief press release below.

Nintendo’s Professor Layton and the Unwound Future Now Launching Sept. 12

The future will arrive sooner than expected for fans of LEVEL-5’s acclaimed Professor Layton video game series. Nintendo of America has announced a new launch date of Sept. 12 for Professor Layton and the Unwound Future™, a new hand-held adventure created exclusively for the top-selling Nintendo DS™ family of portable game systems. Previously scheduled for release on Sept. 20, the game will now be available a week earlier, treating newcomers and experienced players alike to a mesmerizing mix of mystery, time travel and puzzle-solving fun.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future places the professor and his trusted apprentice at the center of a spellbinding adventure after they receive a strange letter sent from 10 years in the future. Players must wind their way through more than 165 mind-bending puzzles as they decipher clues and strive to unlock a time-twisting mystery that threatens to plunge London into chaos. Featuring richly rendered graphics and an engaging storyline, the Professor Layton game series has sold nearly 1.4 million units in the United States.