Picross 3D Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm writing this review after about three hours of play. The first hour was spent on the tutorial - and, yes,it is necessary. (I'm not sure, but you may have no choice.) Though the manual is very, very good (thank you for that), the learn as you go feature was pretty well done.

I'm in my sixties and I have played the pencil and paper version of 2D Picross games for many, many years. I've also played virtually all of Picross DS. So, I was really looking forward to this.

Overall, this game plays as is described above. It seems to be addictive and it is fun. As you can see, I've given it 4 stars. I'm glad I bought it and will probably play it to the end. This is a game you can pick up and put down and it does let you save quite frequently.

It is, as is Picross DS, a great way to learn logical thinking. Do, however, start with the previous game. It will help you a lot in learning this one. I heartily recommend both games for that purpose (regardless of any faults they may have!).

Even though I gave it those four stars, I am disappointed. It could have been much better for a whole range of players. Unfortunately it does penalize the slower players and this also penalizes the younger players who are learning the logic skills taught by this game and older players who just don't do things as quickly anymore.

Had they made this as a step-up game to Picross DS, all would have been great. Unfortunately, they added some things that were not needed. It would have been incredibly fun without them. In doing so, they took a great, fun logic game and tried to turn it into a competitive single player video game.

Here is my "Unfortunately" list:

- the designers added bonuses based on speed. Well, maybe that's not the unfortunate part. That you can't play the game any other way is the unfortunate part.

- you are limited in the number of mistakes you can make before you 'lose'. Hint: if you make a mistake, pause it and choose to replay level. That way you can still earn the stars. It's a pain to start over each time your stylus slips, but since you have to earn the stars to play all the puzzles, it's a necessary - if ridiculous - evil.

- taking too long or making even one mistake costs bonus stars needed to 'earn' extra puzzles. (Didn't we pay for all the puzzles when we bought the game?)

- the needed tutorial took twice as long as it should have. You have to watch too many graphics before you can go to the next screen. And, the tutorial is broken into too many steps. If you are capable of learning the game at all, you are capable of learning it at a quicker pace. You can take as long as you want on the example screens, so why the slow progressions that add nothing?

- and the biggie is that you will rarely have any clue of what the shape is you are chiseling out of the stacks of blocks. This is true even after you have 'solved' the puzzle. The game does show you with added colors the item you sculpted, but that is of little help on too many of the items. That the game also prints out what you've made is the only way of identifying too many of the items. Label on screen: 'Suitcase'. Me: 'Oh, so that's what a suitcase looks like to a game designer.'

It would have been a huge improvement if the 'keeper' blocks were the colors of the finished product instead of their being all one color. Showing the finished product in all its colors is not a help in enjoying the solving of the puzzles.

The game can be fun if you like logic games and are willing to take the time to truly learn the rules - and can get past the 'Unfortunate' items.

This is a ten star game without the mandatory penalty items and unlockables. Due to those annoyance factors it's a three star game. I've added back in a star because I love Picross puzzles.

With the huge number of game players reaching their sixties, it's a shame that game designers haven't figured out that speed of play doesn't have to be a required feature of a game - especially a logic game. There's no goal that the players have to 'race' toward in this type of game - so why require players to race? Make it an option and make all the puzzles available for all to play.

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Product Description:
Picross 3D is the singleplayer sequel to the popular Picross DS puzzle game. The originalgame was a number-based grid puzzle that challenged players to reveala hidden picture. Picross 3D ratchets up the challenge, movingthe action into three dimensions. Blending the logical challenge ofa sudoku puzzle with the excitement of discovering hidden images,Picross 3D is a must-have for any puzzle fan on the DS. Additionalfeatures include multiple categories of puzzle challenges and wirelessfunctionality that allows puzzles to be shared both via the Internetand over a local Nintendo Wi-Fi connection.

Gameplay
Picross 3D is a single player puzzle game in which players must reveal a 3D image hidden inside a larger rectangular block composed of smaller squares. To do this players utilize a variety of numerical clues placed upon the rows and columns of the larger rectangular form. Where they exist these clues indicate the number and possible grouping of blocks within that row or column. Where these are absent, the player must use logic and what the clues related to surrounding areas indicate to determine where blocks should be removed or left in place.

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