Picross DS

"I liked it on paper, I still like it on my DS."

Let's start this review with a warning: this game requires logic and knowing how to count. If you lack the first or forgot how to achieve the other, this game isn't for you. I'm enclosing this because you wouldn't believe the kind of complaints I've received when recommending games to friends ("There's too much to read", "You never said I needed a mouse to play an RTS game!" ...)

So, here's the principle of this puzzle game. Basically, you're faced with a grid with numbers on the left and above it. These numbers indicates the number of cases you have to colour in the column or line they face. Once you've coloured everything correctly, you can admire the drawing you created. Maybe you've already seen the paper version of the game in your favourite crosswords magazine.

Is the game any good?

Graphics: --/10

It would be a bit unfair to rate the graphics of the game as all that is presented is a grid and, once you solve the puzzle, the pixelated representation of whatever it was you just drew.

Gameplay: 6/10

Using the stylus, you can either colour a case or put a little cross in it to show it's not to be coloured (the same way you would put flags on some cases in minesweeper to avoid clicking here by inadvertence). Or at least, you'll do that on 5x5 and 10x10 grids and switch to the buttons on larger grids. Why? Because the latter grids are too big and you'll be asked to zoom in to be able to colour anything.

The problem with that is that you can't see the whole grid while solving a large puzzle, which is something I find quite annoying. And I often found myself missing the case I wanted to colour or making mistakes while I was attempting to drag the grid with the stylus to see another portion of it. On the other hand, you don't have to zoom in to colour the biggest grids if you use the buttons.

So, in the end you'll just switch to using the buttons. That's a shame because the stylus was very convenient for the earlier grids but that zoom function is just too annoying to use to bother with it.

Sound: 7/10

Yes, the music is very repetitive and no, you won't be amazed by a sound rivalling with a symphonic orchestra. But the songs and sound effects aren't intrusive and you have the impression that something is missing when you turn the music off.

Difficulty: 9/10

The game is progressive, starting with a tutorial explaining the basics and then presenting you with 5x5 and 10x10 grids that are quite easy to solve. Then you'll move on to 15x15 and finally 20x20. While in the earlier grids, your errors will be sanctioned, nothing will be said in the later ones, labelled "Free". This is indeed a progression in difficulty as, when you errors are sanctioned, you know you made a mistake. When nothing is said, you can colour a whole grid without noticing that one mistake you made in the beginning.

For the later grids, you'll also have a "hypothesis" tool: you'll decide arbitrarily that a case is coloured and see where it takes you. When leaving that mode, you can choose to apply the changes or erase it all.

So, the game is well balanced, starting with small and easy puzzles to get you used to the rules and then moving on to grids that will have pull out some hair.

Lifespan: 10/10

You are given more than 300 puzzles to solve in the main mode and the ones labelled "Free" will take quite some work to solve. Just that would have been enough as it'll take you some weeks to complete those. But you can also download new puzzles online via the Nintendo Wifi. So far, Mario Picross Pack 1 and 2 are available for the EU version but, judging by the online content for the JP version, there's more to come. And if that isn't enough, there is also a Picross editor to make your own puzzles and then trade them online with your friends. So, the lifespan of this game is potentially infinite.

There is also a multiplayer mode which I haven't tested (online or via Bluetooth) and a "Pircross of the day" mode that asks you to solve 5 easy Picross per day to unlock some bonuses.

Overall: 7/10

I like these puzzles and I would have given the game a higher score if I didn't have that complaint to make about the gameplay. The puzzles are well designed and I find this game entertaining.

Buy/Rent?

I'd advise you to give the game a try to know if you like that kind of puzzle game. If you do, go for it, it's very good.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/23/07