Picross e6 (Nintendo 3DS) Review

At this point, there really isn't much to say about Picross that hasn't been said before. It's another one of those puzzle games with a basic concept, but is addictive and fun enough to keep the old noggin' ticking over, designed with both short- and long-burst play sessions in mind.

On variously-sized grids of squares, numbers to the side of each row and column indicate how many tiles must be filled in, either with a tap of the stylus or a click of a button. Filling in the correct tiles reveals a picture that completes the puzzle. It is the kind of game anybody can pick up and get the hang of, and that has always been the beauty of Picross. Over 300 puzzles make up this package, with different degrees of difficulty, allowing anyone of any skill level to jump in where they are suited.

At sixth time of asking, there is nothing new here, though. This features the same modes as before - Picross, Mega Picross, and Micross. Mega Picross feels a little cheap, unfortunately, as the same puzzles are used from the traditional Picross mode, albeit with the change-up in solutions to each puzzle, as hint numbers span multiple rows and columns. Micross is a clever idea, where multiple puzzles end up producing an even larger image once all are solved. A few extra unlockable levels are offered if saved data from Picross e, e2 or e3 is present on the system on top of these; an incentive to get customers buying the original games, perhaps? With how compelling Picross can be, anyone diving in with e6 might just feel the need to do so.