Slice It! Review (3DS eShop)

Do you consider yourself a samurai among slicers? Do you leave no pizza asymmetrically divided in your wake? Then Slice It! might have a challenge made for you.

The goal of Slice It! is straightforward. Each puzzle provides a shape or design that the player must cut into a certain number of separate pieces using full cuts from one side to the other. A set number of slices is required to be made each round, and there are no shortcuts by using fewer moves.

While puzzles begin easy, the difficulty begins to ratchet up pretty soon; more complex designs will begin to appear. Some puzzles will also ask for the final results to be identically shaped or, while not the same shape, very close in size. The ability to think ahead before starting to slice becomes very helpful.

Although the game originally emerged on mobile, the 3DS version is splendidly adapted for the system. Players will hold the 3DS "book style," like Brain Age, with the left screen displaying all the side info and the right screen freely open for operating. Surprisingly, unlike Brain Age, there doesn't appear to be a mode for left-handed people. It's still playable this way, but the information screen will read upside-down.

The stylus will be used to perform all slices, and it feels quite accurate and intuitive. The Circle Pad can be used to nudge the line for a more accurate cut. It's awkward to use the Circle Pad at the bottom of the screen, but at least the option is there. The screen is also lined like graph paper to make eyeing up slices easier.

Even with the precision of the stylus, there can still be some annoying moments now and then. Sometimes, when slices intersect, the tiniest sliver of an extra piece will be created and count against your target goal. It's bogus when this happens, but the game does highlight that these miniscule bits and slices can be undone at any time without penalty.

There are 200 puzzles total in the two main episodes of Slice It!, providing much to do. There's also a mini-mode that gives you 30 seconds to complete as many one-slice puzzles as possible. Completing 20 in this mode will provide an extra hint to be used in the episodes, but it's not the easiest feat to accomplish. Use your hints sparingly!

Extra bells and whistles include some gift puzzles unlocked through the course of the game, extra skins to change up the doodly presentation, and some accomplishments to strive for. A bouncy, piano-backed soundtrack fits the game well, but doesn't have a lot of variety.