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Picross 3D
Text Review
I could be alone on this, but it sometimes takes a bit of courage for me to try out new puzzle games. I’m not always patient when it comes to steep learning curves and mastering unfamiliar forms of puzzles. After spending enough time with Picross 3D, I’ve learned that I really need to get over my naïve mindset, because it’s nothing like that. Picross 3D is a highly addictive, easy to understand puzzle game for the Nintendo DS with an appropriate scale of challenge and a cute presentation.
In case you don’t know about Picross or how to play it, imagine chipping away at a solid brick of clay to form a shape, like an art project. Now imagine chipping away at cubes instead of clay, and you figure out which cubes to remove by a set of numbers displayed on the sides of the cube. These numbers will tell you what cubes to “mark”, and thus, which ones to remove. By marking cubes, you can gray out the numbers, which means that you’ve secured a correct portion of cubes on that side. Most early puzzles will always have a number of cubes you can mark at the beginning, giving you an early frame of reference. In case my explanation is terrible, you should know that Picross 3D will tell you everything you need to know with a number of simple tutorials, example games, and introducing important techniques.
The game’s rules are very basic, but it might take time for the game to “click” with you and fully understand the principles. However, once you do, you’ll quickly become hooked, and you’ll be flying through puzzles like crazy. Beating a puzzle will reveal the object, and the object will “come to life” through an animation. It’s like a reward for the work you’ve done to bring that object out, and those objects are added to a collection that you can view later. The fun is mostly found by completing the challenges of each puzzle, but the result is also rewarding as well.
Chipping the blocks is a very easy process in the beginning, but later on, you’ll have to take your time observing the puzzle before taking a single action. Picross 3D introduces the star system relatively early, where you’re awarded with stars by beating the puzzle before the time limit and without making mistakes. These stars will open up bonus puzzles and will unlock the more difficult puzzles, and with 350+ puzzles to complete, you’ll have quite a lot to do. Sometimes it’s easier to make a couple of mistakes (five mistakes total for a game over) just to give yourself a clue on where to start. Practice makes perfect after all, and there’s no shame in retrying a puzzle.
Picross 3D is a very creative and fun puzzle game. The gameplay is basic and easy to understand, and while it can take a bit of time to wrap everything around your head, you’ll be taking down puzzles with ease when you’re ready. Of course, there are still plenty of challenging puzzles, and if 350 puzzles aren’t enough, you can download new puzzles and create your own for local players to try out. If puzzle games aren’t your thing for whatever reason, don’t worry about it. With how well the game eases you into its learning curve, you’ll build plenty of confidence and motivation to get through the many fun puzzles in Picross 3D.
- Jason Lange
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform(s): Nintendo DS
In case you don’t know about Picross or how to play it, imagine chipping away at a solid brick of clay to form a shape, like an art project. Now imagine chipping away at cubes instead of clay, and you figure out which cubes to remove by a set of numbers displayed on the sides of the cube. These numbers will tell you what cubes to “mark”, and thus, which ones to remove. By marking cubes, you can gray out the numbers, which means that you’ve secured a correct portion of cubes on that side. Most early puzzles will always have a number of cubes you can mark at the beginning, giving you an early frame of reference. In case my explanation is terrible, you should know that Picross 3D will tell you everything you need to know with a number of simple tutorials, example games, and introducing important techniques.
The game’s rules are very basic, but it might take time for the game to “click” with you and fully understand the principles. However, once you do, you’ll quickly become hooked, and you’ll be flying through puzzles like crazy. Beating a puzzle will reveal the object, and the object will “come to life” through an animation. It’s like a reward for the work you’ve done to bring that object out, and those objects are added to a collection that you can view later. The fun is mostly found by completing the challenges of each puzzle, but the result is also rewarding as well.
Chipping the blocks is a very easy process in the beginning, but later on, you’ll have to take your time observing the puzzle before taking a single action. Picross 3D introduces the star system relatively early, where you’re awarded with stars by beating the puzzle before the time limit and without making mistakes. These stars will open up bonus puzzles and will unlock the more difficult puzzles, and with 350+ puzzles to complete, you’ll have quite a lot to do. Sometimes it’s easier to make a couple of mistakes (five mistakes total for a game over) just to give yourself a clue on where to start. Practice makes perfect after all, and there’s no shame in retrying a puzzle.
Picross 3D is a very creative and fun puzzle game. The gameplay is basic and easy to understand, and while it can take a bit of time to wrap everything around your head, you’ll be taking down puzzles with ease when you’re ready. Of course, there are still plenty of challenging puzzles, and if 350 puzzles aren’t enough, you can download new puzzles and create your own for local players to try out. If puzzle games aren’t your thing for whatever reason, don’t worry about it. With how well the game eases you into its learning curve, you’ll build plenty of confidence and motivation to get through the many fun puzzles in Picross 3D.
- Jason Lange
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform(s): Nintendo DS
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