Zenduko
Zendoku is the brainchild of Eidos and Zoonami. The premise is simple really; you play Sudoku and fight an opponent at the same time. There is no story behind the madness though you can play through the quest of a featured character. Their tales are little more than a veil to cover the fact that you're simply playing Sudoku and are eclipsed by shoddy stories ripped from fighting games. If you have played one puzzle fighting game then you really have played them all because in the end Zendoku doesn't bring much in the way of fresh material to the table.
Gameplay
Have you played Sudoku? Surely you must at least know about it. If you own a Nintendo DS then you have undoubtedly been subjected to the addictive numbers game in some form. Whether it was in Brain Age or one of the umpteen releases of Sudoku, the chances are good that somewhere along the line you have played it on the DS. The saturation of the game on the market has obviously led to profitable endeavors. If not, why would publishers keep releasing them?
Zendoku takes a somewhat different approach to Sudoku than you might have expected. Instead of throwing a grid with numbers at you (the classic Sudoku is available here though) you're faced with a grid full of various images.
Sudoku is a game where there are nine grids of nine blocks stacked together to form a square. The goal being that you place numbers (or images) in appropriate spots so that each grid and row has numbers one through nine. Like any form of Sudoku the game begins with some predetermined blocks already filled. This gives you a starting point and from then on there is a lot of thinking along with some trial and error.
In Zendoku you begin each match with a Sudoku board displayed in front of you. As you fill grids, lines, and complete sets of images (once again that nine number pops up) you'll launch attacks at your opponent. If you make a mistake then you take damage. To be quite honest the game does not require a lot more summary than that. It's simplistic to a fault and is merely a thinly coated version of Sudoku with some puzzle battle paint slapped on. Any attempts at depth in the system or customizing your character were left to the wayside so you're just left with a straight forward match with every single encounter.
On the flipside, however, your opponent also has a Sudoku board that they are filling at the same time. Likewise they can attack you and when that happens Zendoku stops the Sudoku and breaks out a mini-game. There are different kinds of attacks that you'll face in this regard. Sometimes you'll have to use the stylus to brush debris from the screen, block punches, or turn a wheel in order to get back to the action. Infuriatingly enough there is also the need to blow into the microphone in some of these games. While titles like Brain Age give you the option to limit the kinds of mini-games you face, Zendoku doesn't. I looked like an idiot blowing into my DS, I couldn't take the game out in public for this reason, and to be quite honest I got a bit winded. When one opponent hit me with four blow attacks in a row I was getting lightheaded. And I'm not even a smoker!
The Quest portion of the game doesn't last entirely long and it's over after a couple handfuls of battles. You'll also unlock some characters in the process but unless you plan on playing with wifi I don't see that there's much point. Though I do have to admit that having a friend blowing into their DS and looking silly is better than doing it by yourself.
The Classic Sudoku action is unfortunately not up to par with the rest of the pack. You are unable to jot notes or practice numbers as far as what number you think a box may contain. This means that unlike pen/paper version of Sudoku or other digital versions you're going to find yourself at the end of the puzzle with no turns to take. No matter which difficulty you try you're invariably going to be left hitting your head against a wall.
In the end Zendoku just isn't a complete Sudoku package. It may be a fun option for kids but adults or serious gamers looking for a title that will satisfy will be left in the dark. The battle action isn't as strong as other puzzle combat games and the classic rendition of Sudoku just doesn't hold up to scrutiny. If you've become bored with typical Sudoku and you want to see why a puzzle combat attempt would be like you may get by with a rental but otherwise there's no point in bothering.
Graphics
No matter how you color it, gussy it up, or slap limited animation onto it there's no way around the fact that Zendoku is Sudoku. That means you're going to be staring at a simplistic looking grid with small numbers/images and occasionally you'll be treated to an attack animation. No matter what though there really is nothing to get excited about with the presentation. Still, for another version of Sudoku I do have to say that Zendoku at least offers enough quirky personality to make it somewhat interesting.
Sound
The sound effects and music get repetitive after a while but they do offer some quality. Again, like the visuals, the audio direction in Zendoku is straightforward and rather minimalist in approach. Some soft Asian sounding music plays in the background, characters grunt and cheer, and blips of all varieties come from the speakers. Nothing really stood out during the game but nothing was entirely off-putting either.
Conclusion
If you're in the market for a childish version of Sudoku that is mildly entertaining then Zendoku is a decent option. It's a good way to introduce kids to the game and it will certainly stimulate their minds while providing some entertainment. It's not as quite as dry as Brain Age in terms of presentation but compared to other titles there's nothing very groundbreaking here. The battles can be fun though blowing into the microphone gets old quickly and the Classic version of the game just doesn't hold its own. Zendoku is worth a rental but there's not enough substance here to warrant a purchase.