Picross 3D: Import Preview - News
by VGChartz Staff , posted on 25 July 2009 / 2,324 Views
After the excellent Picross DS (one of my favorite DS games), when I heard Nintendo was planning a sequel to that game, it definitely caught my interest. Released in Japan as Rittai Picross (which could be translated like "Solid Body Picross") and to be released in the West as Picross 3D, I got my hands on the Japanese version of the game, so here are my impressions about what to expect when this game releases in North America later this year.
The original Picross DS is based on the newspaper Picross game. It consists of a grid of variable size, with clues every row and column that tells you how many of the squares in that particular row or column are "painted". The objective of the game is to decipher with the clues all the painted squares of the grid, that end up revealing a picture. It involves a Sudoku-like thinking, evaluating possibilities and certainties, and I recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who likes Sudoku.
The original Picross DS...
The new Picross 3D involves a similar concept, but with the big twist that it's all now in 3D, so instead of clearing a grid of squares, you now have to clear a prism of variable size composed of boxes.
You have numbers written on some boxes that tell you how many painted boxes there are in that row or column, plus, if the number is alone, the painted boxes are adjacent, if there's a circle around the number, the painted boxes are split in two groups (so, a circled 3 means there's a group of 2 painted boxes, some empty boxes and a single painted box) and if there's a square around it, it means they're split in three or more groups.
...is now on 3D
The puzzle is cleared when you've erased all the non-painted boxes; you do this by tapping the boxes with the stylus while holding Up on the D-Pad (if you're right-handed) or the X button (if you're
left-handed). Similarly, you can mark boxes you think are sure to be painted tapping them while holding Left or Y. You can freely rotate the prism by dragging the stylus, it's a very intuitive way and it works perfectly, allowing you to check puzzle from all possible angles (and believe me, you'll need to check it from all sides). With bigger puzzles you're introduced to two plumbob-like (the ones from The Sims) things that stand on
the sides of the prism; by dragging them you can "cut" it, allowing you to see the inner boxes; this is important to use well since it allows you both to evaluate the hints better and to paint/erase unreachable boxes.
With the transition from 2D to 3D, it's logical that things get more complicated, as the game doesn't seem as intuitive as its predecessor. Fortunately, the game has a very soft learning curve, introducing concepts one by one, starting with a plain 5x5x1 prism and adding stuff like split rows (the ones where the painted boxes are split in groups) and the plumbobs to cut the prism later on when you're more familiar with the game. It also has a big tutorial where it explains solving mechanics both written (something that my Japanese knowledge wasn't enough to understand) and with interactive and very straight-forward tutorials, so no one will have any trouble in getting into this game. Still, players will have to get accustomed to rotating and thinking in 3D, as you'll often have to watch the puzzle from different angles to find out where is that block you can erase or paint.
Each completed puzzle reveals a blocky figure that becomes animated after you finish it, it's fun to watch the Lego-like representation of pretty much anything (I've come across alphabet letters, a joystick, a toaster and a dog, so there's definitely variety). The game looks pretty basic, it doesn't shine with the graphics, but it performs without a single hitch in the frame rate, even when turning the puzzle in every single direction. The sound is also simple, the music is hardly notable and is mostly there so the game doesn't play on mute.
After completing the puzzle, you get an animated representation of what you solved
The difficulty depends on the skill of the player. If you're a hardened Picross solver, you'll find most of the puzzles are pretty straightforward, while newcomers might find the game challenging (though, as I said before, the flat learning curve is very helpful). Most puzzles feature a 5-lives mode, you lose one life when you try to erase a block that's painted in reality. You'll also come across time challenges, where you have to solve the puzzle before the set time (which I found too forgiving) and No-Miss challenges, where if you lose a life you gotta start all over again.
In my experience, Picross 3D is a great puzzle game, that offers a very interesting twist on the Picross-style puzzle. While the concept itself is sure to raise a few eyebrows (I myself admit I was skeptic of a 3D version of Picross) and the presentation is a bit too simple, the end is a game that's as enjoyable and addictive as its predecessor, and that will offer lots of fun for anyone interested in some brain-teasing puzzles. If you don't feel like waiting for it, the game is very import-friendly, with simple menus and an interactive tutorial that will teach you the gameplay even if you don't know a single word of Japanese. Otherwise, I suggest keeping an eye on this game when it gets localized later this year. With more than 360 puzzles of varying difficulty and complexity, this is sure to keep you entertained for a lot of time.
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Picross 3D rules my world
Im still playing it imported from JP)
still love it more n more
@viewtiful_jon
Yeah, it'll be confusing for the first hour, after that it becomes second nature and you'll fall in love with it. Put it simply, if you liked Picross DS, there's no way you can not like this
Picross is my favorite DS games. I go to sleep playing it almost every night. This is my most anticipated DS game for good reason.
Picross is the best DS game, cant wait for this to come. The one screenshot makes it look confusing but im sure it will be awsome.
Picross is a bomb
another simple graphic puzzle game with a great experience of gameplay
I bet everybody will get addicted playing this game
Picross 3D is addictive as hell
cant wait for the US Version
I have played the japanese version and it;s amazing
I'll play again as soon as US version comes out although it's the same puzzle from JP version
I dont mind playing all over again
plus DLC every week so many puzzles to be added to your memory
SO REALLY FUN!
I recently discovered Picross and I have become a great fan.
