Picross DS is my latest puzzle addiction on the Nintendo DS. If you like logic problems and you have a DS, skip the Brain Age nonsense and get Picross!
I've been a big fan of grid logic puzzles since I was about 10. Picross, actually a nanogram logic puzzle game, isn't quite as satisfying for me as those were, but it comes pretty close. A nanogram puzzle is essentially a cross between a grid logic puzzle and sudoku. You are challenged to use numerical clues given outside a grid to fill in the puzzle. After using logic to solve it, a rather low-res picture is revealed. Picross DS goes one step further rewards you with a cute, pixelated color animation after solving each.
Each game is timed, and the penalty for making a mistake is an ever increasing time penalty. The puzzles start off easy and fast, but get increasingly difficult and time-consuming. The time penalties are harsh to discourage cheating, but enable you to make the odd shot in the dark and improve your skill level over time. This is a great benefit over logic puzzles on paper in that I found it difficult to improve when I was very young. I'd often hit a wall and there was no easy way to test a theory. Sure, full solutions were available at the back of the book, but since they didn't step you through the logic that preceded them, that was useless in helping me improve.
The direct tactile access to the puzzle through the touch screen makes this game intensely satisfying. Accidental taps are rare, since they force you to use a zoomed view for larger grids. This view is a little annoying at times because you end up wasting a lot of time scrolling around to find out where you can make your next move. I expect it will get worse since I've only made it up to the 15x15 grids and there are 2 difficulty levels higher than that. Ultimately, the small touch screen on the DS necessitates an approach like this.
Since this is really my only complaint about this great game, perhaps I'll solve it by making a picross game for the upcoming iPad! Sweet.
