The New York Times' crossword puzzles have long been hailed as some of the most challenging in the fast-paced world of brainteasers. Morn after morn, they continue to command the rapt attention of the unemployed and the elderly. Not everyone has the luxury of spending extended periods of time at the breakfast table, however. Now that Mobliss has brought the Times' daily crossword to mobile, there's no excuse to not engage in this wholesome pastime. Every morning, you can download the latest puzzle and complete it at your leisure. The mobile puzzles are faithful representations of the newspaper originals, and entering answers into them is no more difficult than it would be with paper and pen. Crossword fans are going to love this game. As for everyone else, there's really nothing fancy or exciting here to draw new initiates into the fold.
New York Times' Crosswords doesn't sport some sumptuous interface; you can enter you answers, and that's about it. The game's primary asset is that it lets you download each day's crossword--along with its solution, should you want it--and incrementally complete the puzzles, saving each time you make progress. These crosswords are every bit as challenging as you'd expect, and they will likely send all but the most educated users seeking Google aid.
In the game, you can choose to cycle through the clues numerically or opt to just manually navigate the grid. The latter approach is the more organic, and it's probably what most players will find comfortable. Text is entered, using the number pad, in the same way that SMS messages are composed. Erasing an incorrect solution is as easy as pressing the "back" key. In all, New York Times Crosswords' interface is intuitive and natural.
Animation and sound are two features wholly absent from New York Times Crosswords, but it is unlikely that these frills would have provided a better crossword experience. The simple digitization of the country's most challenging crosswords is enough to make this title recommendable. Again, this is a niche release that will appeal to crossword fans looking for a way to complete puzzles on the go. There are no surprises in the game, just challenging puzzles culled from the pages of The New York Times.
