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PicrossDS is the latest arrival in Nintendo’s
Touch Generations! series for the NintendoDS. Accompanying the
likes of
Actionloop, Sudoku Master and TetrisDS as
part of the NintendoDS’s AAA Puzzle game line-up, PicrossDS
will be familiar to those brought-up with videogames throughout the
‘80’s and ‘90’s, with one fine difference – the added benefit of
the NintendoDS’s unique Touch Screen.
PicrossDS follows the traditional rules of
Picross. The player is presented with a grid, and a series of
numbers aligning each divide along the left and top sides. These
numbers represent the number of squares on the grid that should be
filled in-order to complete the puzzle. When more than one number
is present, two separate series of squares must be filled, with at
least a single empty square between. By correctly placing a series
of squares, the player would then be able to devise where each
corresponding piece should be placed on the vertical or horizontal
axis of the same part of the grid, by using the numbers lined
atop/aside the lines of the grid.
The game eases the player into what at first seems
quite a daunting task, yet in actuality is quite a simple, and
pleasing, logical equation. To being with, the player is offered
puzzles on a five-by-five grid, before progressing to an undeniably
more challenging fifteen-by-fifteen square arrangement. When
presented with the larger grids, the whole grid remains viewable on
the top screen, while the player zooms-in on the Touch Screen to
their selected area – a confusing proposition at first, but
becoming second-nature with practice. Progressing through the
difficulty settings adds minor distractions in the form of
unlockable Mini-Games. Added challenges are available from the
bonuses of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection feature present; an
inviting, if predictable, system of allowing the player to upload
their own user-created puzzles, and download that which others have
created.
Another supplementary feature – one with which Nintendo
are clearly carving their own endearment with – is that of Daily
Picross. Within the Daily Picross gameplay mode, players are asked
to complete a series of puzzles as quickly as possible, then, in
the normal “Daily Exercise” manner Nintendo have led us to become
accustomed with, your progress is plotted on a graph, and
comparable to others.
Graphically, PicrossDS isn’t going to be winning
many awards. Relating closer to
Polarium than some of the
NintendoDS’s finer offerings such as
Mario KartDS,
Metroid Prime: Hunters or
Final Fantasy III, there
really isn’t too much that can be done with grids and numbers to
push the visual edge. Looking refined, precise and well balanced is
about as far as a title such as this can go, and this it does do
well. Sound properties, again, are not where a Puzzle title such as
this excels, but passably hum-able ditties suit the mood of play as
well as would be expected.
As the latest arrival in Nintendo’s non-gaming stable,
yet taking pretence as from having been a staple on the videogame
calendar for many years, PicrossDS successfully does it’s
job of being the newest enticing spend of that twenty-minute train
ride. Joining what’s becoming a burgeoning line-up of intriguing,
instant-fun titles for a system now well versed for pleasing
everyone, all the time, PicrossDS certainly feels a welcome
addition.
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