Picross e2 (Nintendo 3DS) Review

Released on the Nintendo 3DS eShop last year, Picross e was an addictive puzzler that kept the brain ticking in short bursts, and was, and still is, available at an affordable price. Picross e2 simply offers 150 all-new puzzles, plus a new gameplay mode, to pretty much make this sequel a large expansion.

Not having played a Picross game before isn't a problem; it's an extremely simple affair. Each puzzle is a grid with a varying number of squares (the more squares, the more difficult the puzzle), and numbers on each row and column indicate how many squares must be filled in, with the completed grid forming a picture at the end. This picture will either be in colour or black and white depending on whether the player completes the puzzle in less than 60 minutes or not. Tapping the wrong squares results in penalties that add on extra minutes. The tutorial at the start of the game guides newcomers through the format, and it's no understatement that absolutely anybody will be able to swiftly get to grips with how Picross e2 works. A couple of difficulty options are available, with the small selection of puzzles in the easy mode taking no time to clear, whereas the grids of the harder difficulties will pile on some pressure. The handy hint system of the original game returns to fill in some rows at the start of each puzzle if need be, but the tougher ones block its use.

As has been the case with previous Picross games on the 3DS and DS, and indeed with the majority of games of this ilk, stylus controls for the Touch Screen mean this is remarkably easy to play. The option to use buttons is there but using the stylus is preferred and allows a quicker and smoother experience. With puzzles that feature large grids and smaller squares, the odd accidental tap of the wrong tile does occur, so the larger screens of the Nintendo 3DS XL will go some way to eliminate this issue.

Apart from the ton of new puzzles in Picross e2, a new gameplay mode called Micross is introduced. It still sees players going about tackling grids in the usual Picross manner, but each completed grid actually contributes to forming an even larger picture at the end of it all. It's an interesting way to merely incorporate even more puzzles into the game so players are certainly getting their money's worth with this package.