Topic: Picross e impressions

Downloaded this.

500 yen (so will likely be 4.99 USD in the US - not sure how the british price system works) for 15 Easy Picross puzzles, 60 Normal Picross puzzles, 60 Free Picross puzzles and 15 Extra Picross (extra hard Free Picross) puzzles. The game supports both button and stylus controls - with the stylus, you can either switch between chisel and marker with on-screen buttons, or hold the joystick/D-pad/button cross down for chisel or up for marker (I found this really clunky). Sadly, there's no buttons for permanently switching, you have to hold. You have the option of enabling graying-out of lines where you've chiseled everything, and a weird, triggerable navigation mode that points out your next possible moves (sounds like cheating to me). The 3D effect makes a 3D "room" behind the picture on the top screen, but given the nature of the game, and how you're focusing and constantly scanning the screen, this WILL just make you dizzy (and the effect is pretty boring anyway), so I'd advise turning it off.

The levels all have generic "clean" backgrounds, and there are no themed groups of pictures, just a random selection.

Compared to Mario's Picross... disregarding Easy Picross (which is just a boring tutorial) that offers 128 normal picross puzzles and 64 (clunky to select) Free Picross puzzles for 400 yen (4$), vs this game's 60 Normal and 75 Free puzzles for 500 yen (5$). This game also has more controller options, and looks prettier (and has those terrible 3D effects you want to turn off). Neither are terible deals, and it's hard to recommend one over the other - they both offer different packs.

Is there any type of puzzle creator feature or the ability to download new puzzles from the Internet like in Picross DS or 3D?

None. It's just a bare-bones compilation of puzzles.

Wouldn't be suprised to see a cart release of Picross for the 3DS, though, with features like that included.

Forgot to mention, the largest puzzles are 15x15, so none of those mega-size boards you can find in certain other releases here, unfortunately.

Is this coming to the States? If so I will get it.

I don't see why it wouldn't. Picross is reasonably popular in that region as well, and there aren't that many 3DSware games they can potentially bring over. It's not a hard game to localize, either.

_{Easy Picross in Mario's Picross is not a boring tutorial... It's 64 puzzles!}

I recently got Mario's Picross and I really enjoy it, seeing how Picross e sounds inferior (less puzzles, clunky controls, higher price) I guess I can live without its release.

As i said, the game also allows you to use the exact same control system as Mario's Picross, And though it could've worked better, the stylus control scheme is still preferrable over that.

(and 64 boring and easy puzzles are 64 boring and easy puzzles. This game only has 12 of them before moving over to the real deal, which is an absolute plus)

Actually, the last 16 or so easy puzzles are just like the Kinoko ones (15*15 and less full rows and columns of emptyness).
I wish i could do the Star ones without completing the Kinoko ones first though.

Anyway this is not a thread of Mario's Picross so I'll just shut up.