"Picross DS" is a slick, simple, and addicting puzzle game.
I fall in the former category. "Picross DS" is a logic puzzle game. The objective is to fill in all of the hidden squares on a grid in order to reveal a picture. The revealed pictures are usually things like animals, a cell phone, a star, etc. The pictures are simple, but solving a puzzle is rewarding. Picross is similar to Sudoku in ways. Each row has a certain number of squares to be filled in. At the top of each vertical row is the number of squares that must be filled in, and at the side of each horizontal row is the number of squares that must be filled in. With a little careful logic, you can figure out each puzzle. It is not a guessing game.
You have a time limit of 60 minutes to complete each puzzle. That seems like a lot of time, and it is, unless you frequently make mistakes. Trying to fill in a square on the grid that is not part of the picture will result in a time penalty. Depending on how long you have been working the puzzle, the game will penalize you 2-8 minutes. If a puzzle is too tricky or intimidating, you can use the game's hint system. The hint system will fill in one vertical row and one horizontal row on your puzzle. The hint system should not be needed for the earlier puzzles. The first set of grids are 5 squares across and 5 squares down. After the 5x5 grids are completed, you move on to a 10x10 grid, then to the 15x15 grid, which is the grid in which a majority of the puzzles in the game are on, and finally to the 20x20 grid. There are more than 100 puzzles in the game. I have completed at least half of that, and am still unlocking new puzzles. The game has a lot of meat, considering that it was released as a budget title.
"Picross DS" is a simple and stylish looking game. It's a puzzle game that does not need flashy graphics and sound to prosper. The music could be more varied though. There are 3 little soundtracks that the player can choose to listen to while trying to complete a puzzle: Jazz, bosanova, and Reggae. The tunes are catchy and I find myself humming them from time to time, but it gets repetitive. There should have been a few more tracks. "Picross DS" is a perfect fit on the Nintendo DS, though it doesn't really utilize the system's unique features in many ways. You can use the touch screen to glide across and poke the squares with your stylus. When the larger puzzles come into play, you have to zoom in when you use the stylus and touch screen, which can be tedious and confusing. At that point, I switch to the d-pad, which is a more comfortable control method for completing larger puzzles. The game has wi-fi capabilities that allows you to play anyone in the world or your friends via friend codes. Online play pits you against an opponent whom you must race against in completing a puzzle. It's fun....but be prepared to take a beating if you are a beginner.
The DS is the handheld for great puzzle games and "Picross DS" fits in perfectly. It's a puzzle game that can be enjoyed in short bursts thanks to its quick save feature, which allows you to stop and come back to any puzzle you're working on. It is a great game to play while reclining on the couch with a cappuccino or your beverage of choice. "Picross DS" was a budget title when it was released a few years back. I found my copy used for $8.99 at Gamestop. If you can find a copy for a good price, and you enjoy puzzle games, then "Picross DS" just might be a great choice for you.