Happy New Year & Picross DS
Happy New Year everyone. I’ve been a little tardy on my posts lately, but it’s been a bit hectic despite the holiday. Some things are coming up that will be the subject of a future post.
I did get to play a few games over the holidays, although not as many as usual. I’ll be posting about those games separately.
Yesterday I got something of a pleasant surprise. One of my Christmas gifts from playasia.com came in late. It was Picross DS for (shockingly) the Nintendo DS. I’m glad it came as I was just on the verge of buying it; I love this kind of game.
What is Picross? It’s short for Picture Crossword and is similar to Sudoku. You are presented with a grid wherein a series of numbers labels each row and column. Each number represents a run of filled in squares on the grid. You must cross reference the various number series and use logic to determine which grids are actually filled in. When you win, you are rewarded with a cute picture. (Oh boy!)
This game appeals to me on a lot of levels. I get my endorphins through thinking and this game gives me bursts of 30-40 minutes of intense concentration. It’s also based on pure logic. A square is filled in or it isn’t. There is no luck. There is no chance. There is no opponent bluffing. There is only certainty. I think that appeals to me because while life in general is uncertain, mine is particularly so and it’s nice to have something to be unequivocal about, even if it’s just a stupid box on the screen. I also enjoy it because I’m very good at this kind of game; I rarely make mistakes. Everyone likes to play challenging (or at least engaging) games that they’re good at. Lastly, I simply think that there is something about this game that reflects my own approach to things and I appreciate that.
On the down side, Picross DS’s music can get a little repetitive, although you can shut it off. Also, the zoom in feature is a bit cumbersome as you progress to later levels. That said, those issues aren’t terribly significant.
Picross DS also comes with WiFi support so you can play with your friends online and download new puzzles. There is also an editor so you can make and trade your own. It also has two other features of note which I haven’t really tried out yet: a daily challenge mode which lets you play a quick game once per day and it marks your progress over time as well as a download mode where you can play with a friend even if they don’t have the game.
If logic puzzles that encourage rigourous, compartmentalized analysis appeals to you, you’d do well to pick up Picross DS. If you’d rather have your teeth pulled than play something like this I encourage you to heed your own counsel.