And now for the stunning conclusion in our continuing series, playing and reviewing import Picross games when we probably should have waited for Nintendo to release Picross DS in the United States.
Like the aptly named DS Puzzler Numplay Fan & Oekaki Logic and Puzzle Series Vol. 6: Illust Logic, Simple DS Vol. 7 is a collection of Picross puzzles. Essentially math/logic puzzles that—when solved—reveal a picture, they can be additive, encouraging you to clear "just one more" level.
With somewhat sloppy touchscreen controls and pictures that are recognizable less than half the time, this particular collection could be considered lackluster. However, with 1000 puzzles to choose from, the game becomes a kind of Picross buffet where quantity trumps quality. It also helps that many of the puzzles are in color, the most of any of the Picross games I've played to date.
As an added bonus, 1000 Sudoku puzzled are also included. In a pleasant surprise, the interface and handwriting recognition work quite well in this mode, providing essentially a lifetime supply of Sudoku, even if it is a bit on the easy side.
All in all, if you like Picross or Sudoku, you'll find more than plenty to enjoy. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go play a game without the words oekaki, picross, puzzle or logic in its title.
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.