Picross DS
Picross, while quite popular in its native Japan, never really made a dent in the American market. In fact, Japan saw the release of several Picross titles that never made it to our shores. However, times change, and the advent of a sudoku craze, combined with the runaway success of the Nintendo DS, has prompted Nintendo to release its latest Picross iteration in the U.S.
The game is exceedingly simple. You start with a blank square grid. Attached to each row and each column is a number. The object of the game is to fill in the consecutive boxes equal to the number next to the line. So, if you have a 5x5 grid, and row 2 has the number 5 next to it, you fill in 5 spaces. If it has more than one number, such as 1 and 3, you fill in 1 box, leave a space, and then 3. The object of the game is to fill all the squares in according to the numbers. Doing so will reveal an image, such as a crescent moon or a small animal.
And that's about it. Each puzzle must be solved within a certain time limit, otherwise you lose. There's a time penalty for whenever you try to pop in a box that is meant to be left blank. Initially, there's no problem at all. The first few puzzles can all be completed without so much as one wrong square. However, as you go along, the difficulty increases exponentially. The game does provide hints, at the cost of another time penalty.
You might be wondering why this game would be worth buying, if you can get the general gist of it in a paragraph. Well, for one thing, it's mighty addictive. Any fans of crossword puzzles or sudoku will be able to attest to the joys of simple games. Secondly, Nintendo has gone out of their way to add replayability to Picross DS. Whenever you beat a certain amount of puzzles, you get a minigame. But that's just the start of it.
Nintendo has released Picross DS with a connection to its free Wi-Fi service. There are several ways you can use it. First is to download classic Picross puzzles from the previous games (many not available in American until now). Secondly, you can play time trials against other people from around the world. And finally, the game has a create-a-puzzle feature that allows you to draw your very own images and upload them to the WFC for others to download. You can also download puzzles others have created. You can do this with your local friends via DS-to-DS multicard communication.
There is one issue with the game, however. Picross DS seems bizarrely insensitive to the DS stylus. I can't tell you how many times I was penalized because the game opted to punch out the square next to the one I had touched with my stylus, or how much time I had lost due to it not registering I was in fact touching a specific block. Nintendo does get around this by offering controls through the D-pad, but considering half of the attraction of the game is using your stylus, this is a major disappointment. It's not enough to wreck the game, but it does dampen the spirits a little bit.
The Graphics:
Picross DS is not a visually stunning game, but then it's not meant to be. The images you unveil throughout the course of the game are by their very nature crude representations, not detailed reproductions. The backgrounds are bland, probably so you're not distracted from the task at hand. Picross does what it sets out to do, but it's not big on style.
The Audio:
Pretty much the only audio is some background music to listen to as you work your way through. It's bright and cheery, but nothing memorable.
The Conclusion:
Picross DS is a simple but addicting game. While it's not much for fancy graphics or catchy sounds, Nintendo did make it a lot more replayable by connecting it to their Wi-Fi connection, and by adding a create your own puzzle feature. Although it does have a few issues with the touchpad controls, Picross DS is still one of the better pick up and play games available on the system. Recommended.