Versions

Welcome to the Versions section! Here we'll discuss the differences between different versions of the game, in particular, the Japanese and English versions. We'll also tackle any future versions that will be released.
Many thanks to Maskalade for the information provided here!
Please be warned that this section may contain spoilers for the first game!

English/Japanese Version Names

Main Characters

Professor Hershel Layton
エルシャル・レイトン教授 ( erusharu reiton kyouju ; Professor Hershel Layton)

Luke
ルーク少年 ( ru-ku shounen ; Young boy Luke)

Flora Reinhold
アロマレインフォード　（ aroma reinfo-do ; Aroma Reinhold）

Don Paolo
ドン・ポール ( don po-ru ; Don Paul)

Inspector Chelmey
チェルミー警部　( cherumi- keibu ; Inspector Chelmey)

The Laytonmobile
レイトンのじどうしゃ　( reiton no jidousha ; Layton's car)

The Golden Apple
黄金の果実 ( ougon no kajitsu ; Golden Fruit)

Villagers

Franco
ダイス　( daisu ; Dais)

Stachenscarfen
ヒゲマフラー ( higemafura- ; Higemuffler)
Note: 'hige' (髭) means ‘moustache' in Japanese.

Ingrid
リーサ ( ri-sa ; Lisa)

Percy
マーク ( ma-ku ; Mark)

Marco
マルコ ( maruko ; Marco)

Ramon
ラモン ( ramon ; Ramon)

Matthew
マッシュー ( mashu- ; Matthew)

Lady Dahlia
サロメ夫人 ( sarome fujin ; Lady Salome)

Gordon
ボブ ( bobu ; Bob)

Simon
ロイ ( roi ; Roy)

Claudia
クローディア　( kuro-dia ; Claudia)

Deke
デック ( dekku ; Deke?)

Beatrice
アンナ ( anna ; Anna)

Agnes
ビクトリア( bikutoria ; Victoria)

Pauly
プーク ( pu-ku ; Pook)

Crouton
クルトン ( kuruton ; Crouton)

Flick
フリック ( furikku ; Flick)

Rodney
ロドニー ( rodoni- ; Rodney)

Lucy
ルーシー ( ru-shi- ; Lucy)

Zappone
サポーネ ( sapo-ne ; Sappone)

Gerard
キネツク ( kinetsuku ; Kinetsk?)

Jarvis
ギネス ( ginesu ; Guinness)
Note: Guinness is a brand of beer

Adrea
アドネ ( adone ; Adone)

Pavel
ポーロ ( po-ro ; Polo)

Crumm
ガント ( ganto ; Gant)
Note: Anyone else amused by this? Ace Attorney fans?

Prosciutto
プッカ ( pukka ; Pukka)
Note: In England there is a celebrity chef called Jamie Oliver. Up until a few years ago, his term for a particularly delicious dish was ‘pukka'. Cute coincidence, yeah?

Archibald
アンダルトン ( andaruton ; Anderton)

Sylvain
コーエン ( ko-en ; Cohen)

Martha
マーサ ( ma-sa ; Martha)

Giuseppe
ゼペロ ( zepero ; Zepello)

Baron Augustus Reinhold
アレン･レインフォード氏　( aren reinfo-do shi ; Mr Alan Reinhold)

Grandma Riddleton
ナゾーバ ( nazo-ba ; Grandma Riddle? (see note))
Note: A bit of Japanese wordplay here. ‘nazo' means ‘puzzle', while ‘obaba/obaasan' means ‘grandma'. So it's a combo of ‘puzzle' and ‘grandma'.

Bruno
ブルーノ ( buru-no ; Bruno)

Japanese Version Sayings

Here's some of the little things that Luke and Layton say after finishing a puzzle. Alot of these are paraphrased, because I don't know how else to translate them in a way that makes sense.

Luke

Just before solving a puzzle :

これでどうかな? (Kore de dou kana?)
How about this, I wonder?
Note: Both Luke and Layton use this one.

さあ、どうでしょう.. (Saa, dou deshou…)
Right, it's probably…

せんせい、これでどうですか？ (Sensei, kore de dou desu ka?)
How's this, Professor?

Getting it wrong

先生―!すみません･･･　(Sensei! Sumimasen…)
Agh, sorry Professor…

そんな・・・? (Sonna…?)
Like that…?

悔しいです、先生・・・ (Kuyashii desu, sensei…)
I'm mortified , Professor…

Getting it right

やった！　(yatta!)
I did it!

僕だって、先生の弟子ですからね！ (boku datte, sensei no deshi desu kara ne!)
I got it! It comes from being the Professor's apprentice, huh?

解けましたよ、先生！ (tokemashita yo, sensei!)
Professor, I solved it!

英国少年としても、とうぜんです！　(Eikoku shounen toshite mo, touzen desu!)
Being an English boy, it's natural that I solved it.
wat

Layton

Just before solving a puzzle :

ルーク！私の解答はこれだ。(Ru-ku! Watashi no kaitou wa kore da.)
Luke, here's my answer.

全てのナゾは必ず解ける (Subete no nazo wa kanarazu tokeru.)
All puzzles can be solved, without fail.
Note the similarity to ‘Every puzzle has an answer!'…Even though he can say this, and still get the puzzle wrong D:

Getting it wrong

やはり違うか・・・(Yahari, chigau ka…)
I knew it. Is it wrong?

観念だ！　(zannen da!)
What a disappointment.

これは英国紳士としての名折れだ。 (Kore wa eikoku shinshi to shite no naore da.)
For an English gentleman like myself, this is a blot on my reputation.

Getting it right

ナゾは解けるからナゾなんだ。(Nazo wa tokeru kara nazo nan da.)
The solving of a puzzle is what makes it a puzzle. (Lit: because I was able to solve this puzzle, it is a puzzle.)
No, I don't get it either.

解けたよ、ルーク。 (Toketa yo, Ru-ku.)
I solved it, Luke.

そうぜんさ、英国紳士としてはね〜　(Touzen sa, eikoku shinshi to shite wa ne~)
Naturally, that's the way of an English gentleman~
This last one? It's his catchphrase in the Japanese version. He says it EVERY FIVE FREAKING SECONDS.

Japanese Version Trivia

Luke uses the more polite ‘-masu' form and addresses himself with ‘boku' (tends to be used by younger boys and young men, especially when talking to a superior).
Layton uses plain form and addresses himself with ‘watashi'. While a genderless pronoun, it's more common for females to use it; but it gives him a kind of ‘refined' feel in speech.

All names in the Japanese game are given in English order ? ‘Hershel Layton', ‘Aroma Reinhold' etc. Japanese name order is different, with the surname coming first. This lead to some confusion on the part of the Japanese fandom, who thought that Hershel was his last name and Layton was his first.

Mainly a subjective point, but in the ferris wheel scene, the ‘Luke!' is much longer and drawn out. This has lead to it becoming something of a meme amongst the Japanese fans.

In the Japanese game it is explicitly stated that Luke is able to talk to animals. He even says ‘nyaaaan' (miaow) to Claudia. In the English version this was translated to him simply being ‘good' with animals.

Luke's bear (Mr.Bear) is called ‘Kuma-chan'. Kuma means bear. So inventive!

Don Paolo's room in the inn looks a little different in the Japanese version, in that the ash tray is FILLED with cigarette ends. I have no idea why they edited this out, given that everyone knows Don Paolo smokes even in the English version.

A cute touch of realism ? all signs and newspapers ingame in the Japanese version are actually written in English.