Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Osborne House

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead

Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Osborne House for DS is rated 10+.  Perhaps it should be rated 10-.  The puzzles are ridiculously easy to the point where the answer is so simple, you're stuck trying to figure out what you're supposed to do because THAT CAN'T BE THE ANSWER!  Case in point, towards the end of the game you're presented with 3 names, where all first names start with same letter and all last names start with same letter.  The solution, select those letters, which, for the criminally stupid, are also capitalized.  I finished this game in 3 hours, 17 minutes, and that included reading.

There is no difficulty progression throughout the game.  In fact, the last puzzle involves moving around boxes to cover up a fuse.  There are two minigames, both involving tapping the screen when the object of the game is roughly in the middle of the screen.  And don't worry about making too many moves to solve the puzzle, as the game doesn't penalize no matter how many moves you make.

There is one somewhat enjoyable part of the game where you're supposed to rescue the Prime Minister.  This area contains the only somewhat difficult puzzle which involves repairing a net.  This is also the only place that contains more than 2 scenes where you have to collect different items and use them together.

The writing is horrible.  Then again, considering the new Sherlock Holmes comedy, I guess Sherlock Holmes is now mainly about making fun of England.  I would assume that if a famous detective would go to the Queen or the Queen's guards and tell them there's a bomb, they would make sure to quickly get out of the way instead of making fun of him and telling him to stop causing a commotion.

The game is mostly linear, the puzzles are childishly easy and the whole thing can be completed in a few hours.  Get it for your 10 year old, as long as he hasn't played any puzzle games before.  And stay away from this yourself.  Professor Layton this is not and if you want a challenge, play submachine.