Picross DS

"So, which pixels should I fill in today?"

Picross (nonu.): A pictorial crossword that requires players to use logic to fill tiles in order to complete an image on a symmetrical square grid, based on numbers given on the side and on top of the grid.

That is the basic premise of the game. So what is so exciting about filling squares on a square grid on a not-so-square screen? Nothing and everything.

To some, the game is about as exciting as watching grass grow (maybe even less so). To others, this game is yet another example why non-game games are so popular on the DS. Granted, Picross DS is not the first in the line of Picross puzzle games that spanned (console) generations, but with the use of the stylus and WiFi ability, Picross DS is somewhat easier to control and more challenging.

Gameplay

Picross is a relatively easy game to learn. All you need is logic and some deduction skills to work out which squares to fill on the grid in order to form a picture of something. That something could be a land animal, a creature of the sea, a musical instrument, food, plants, etc. You will be amazed at how much stuff you can make with so few pixels.

You are presented with a square grid. It could range from a 5 x 5 grid in beginner's mode, to 20 x 20 grid in harder mode. Some numbers are written across the top and on the left side of the grid. You are to use logic to determine which square(s) on each row and column are to be filled. Let's say the number on a row is 4 6 1. That means starting from the left, there is a line 4 squares wide, followed by at least 1 blank square, then a 6 squares wide horizontal line, followed by another blank space at least 1 square wide, then 1 square.

You can mark off any squares that you know cannot be filled, much in the same way as minesweeper, marking off tiles that you know is a mine. Taking the previous example of 4 6 1, let's say that you have filled the first 4 squares of a line on the left, you can safely cross off the fifth square because you know that there is at least 1 square separating the 4-square line and the 6-square line. Crossing off the wrong squares will not incur any penalties except for stupidity.

Once you have filled the required squares on a line, the numbers will be greyed out. That is an indication that you have filled all the required squares on that line, and no further tiles are needed. You can then cross off any remaining squares on that line so you will not fill them accidentally. Depending on the game mode, filling the wrong square can result in a time penalty. First mistake will earn you a 2-minute penalty, 4-minute for the second mistake, the third one and beyond is an 8-minute penalty. Make too many mistakes, and you will be overtime, which means the picture will be marked as incomplete even when you have finished it.

Once the Picross is completed, you will be rewarded with a colour animation, though somewhat (intentionally) pixelated.

All Picross puzzles are sorted into different themes, for example, electrical appliances, land animals, sea creatures, etc. Each theme section contains fifteen puzzles separated on three rows. Once you have completed each row of puzzles, you have access to a mini game, something of a breather before you tackle the next five. It can be catching the sliding blocks, sketching a pattern, and others.

There is also a free mode where you will not be penalised for marking the wrong square. In some ways, it is easier as you do not have to worry about stepping over the time limit, but if you got just one square wrong, you will not be able to complete your picture.

Besides the normal Picross puzzles, there are also other modes, including Daily Picross, My Picross and WiFi Picross. In Daily Picross, it is further split into different games. You must complete one game for a certain amount of times before you can unlock the next one. It is similar to Time Attack, where you are presented with five short Picross. The aim is to complete all five in the shortest time. Your results are marked on a graph so you can track your progress.

In My Picross, you can create your own Picross puzzle for friends to try. It also holds all the Picross that you have downloaded, either from friends or off the internet. Unfortunately, it can only hold a maximum of 100 puzzles. You must delete some to make space if you want to download more, which comes to my next point.

WiFi connection allows you to swap puzzles with friends (friend's code required), challenge friends, or download new Picross from Nintendo as they are made available. There are literally several hundred Picross available for download. But because of the limited spaces available, you will have to make the painful decision on which Picross to delete.

Moving onto the DS, Picross DS allow you to use the stylus to play. Just choose the option you want to use (mark off unneeded squares with an 'X', for example) using the D-pad (or the buttons for left-handers), and then touch the desired squares with the stylus. You need to be careful where you tap, because while you can cross off a whole row of squares faster, you can make mistakes by overstepping onto a nearby square that can result in a penalty. It depends on your style of play, but I find buttons to be easier. Using a stylus, you need to zoom in before you can fill the squares.

It might not look like anything when you first started, but as you fill in the squares, the picture slowly emerges. Completing the picture gives you a sense of great satisfaction that will propel you to do the next one, and then the next one after that, and maybe one more after that. It is that addictive.

Graphics

How graphical appealing can squares be? Well, it can get surprisingly appealing. Each theme has its own tile pattern. For example, the sea creature theme uses tile pattern that looks like the sea, plants has a rose pattern, etc. Once the picture is completed, you are presented with a short colour animation of the complete picture, somewhat like an animated icon. The icons are surprisingly cute looking.

Sound

So how do you make a solely graphical game soothing to listen to? Well, you don't. You get a choice of four BGM options, and one of them is 'Off'. All of them are repetitive, and depending on how long it takes to solve the puzzle, you could be hearing it many many times over. And the music starts all over again for the next puzzle. It is fairly hard to do music for this type of games, but a choice of three BGM seems a bit thin.

Sound effect includes the sound of filling the tiles and time penalty. There are others, but frankly, you would not notice the difference if you mute it. Picross is one of those games that you can play in complete silence.

Replay Value

Each puzzle is different, and each puzzle is just as addictive as the previous one. Even when you have solved all the puzzles on offer, you can always download more from Nintendo as they are made available, or create your own to challenge some friends.

Picross is one game that you can pick up whenever you want. There is no story to follow, so even if you leave it by the wayside for several months, you can come back to it any time and not feel guilty about dumping it for something better.

Overall

With the DS market being overrun by the likes of brain training, sudoku, and crossword games, Picross stands tall in among the competition. Having spanned across multiple generations, it must be doing something right. And it has.

It is a great game to play when you are not doing sudoku. In some respects, it is actually better. To me, at least, it is more satisfying seeing pictures coming to life than seeing a bunch of number inside squares.

The overall presentation of the game is clear, simple and easy to navigate. It gives you great satisfaction once you have revealed the image. Using logic only, it is a brain trainer of sort that trains your logical reasoning. There should be no guessing, but no doubt some of us will do just that in some of the more testing grids.

There are over a hundred puzzles within the game, and that is not counting the downloadable contents, which adds a couple hundred more. The ability to create your own Picross also adds to its long life. The only letdown is the music and limited storage for downloadable contents.

Be prepared. You will not be putting Picross down any time soon.

Good:

* Hundreds of puzzle to keep your brain active
* Downloadable Picross
* Ability to create your own Picross

Bad:

* Lack of music
* Limited storage spaces for extra contents

Score (out of 10)

Gameplay: 8
Graphics: 8
Sound: 5
Replay: 9

Overall: 8

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/23/08

Game Release: Picross DS (EU, 05/11/07)