Picross 3D: Round 2

 3DS
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 45
  3. Negative: 9 out of 45

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  1. bahamut_zero
    Dec 12, 2016
    10
    Definitely my favourite puzzle game right now. A step up from Picross 3D. The new mechanic with blue and orange boxes adds a new layer of complexity to picross solving. The presentation is absolutely gorgeous
  2. buildz
    Dec 30, 2016
    9
    3D: Round 2 is an inventive follow-up to the DS original that expands on the gameplay whilst refining elements from the original to provide a compelling package for fans of the puzzle genre, regardless if you are a Picross master or not.

    ('+' refers to a good element about the game; '=' refers to a mediocre element; '-' refers to a bad element) + The gameplay is refined and expanded    3D: Round 2 is an inventive follow-up to the DS original that expands on the gameplay whilst refining elements from the original to provide a compelling package for fans of the puzzle genre, regardless if you are a Picross master or not.

    ('+' refers to a good element about the game; '=' refers to a mediocre element; '-' refers to a bad element)

    + The gameplay is refined and expanded from the original, now adding both blue and orange cubes that have to be correctly identified and filled in before a puzzle is finished, unlike the original. The issue of puzzles being hard to track is fixed with the addition to mark cubes (an element only just added to the 2D Picross games). Furthermore, the tedious removal of rows/columns with a '0' on them is alleviated with the Bomb feature, which removes them all in only a few seconds.
    + The game is well geared towards both fans of the original and newcomers, with 3 difficulty settings and a Hint feature, allowing anyone to complete puzzles and make progress with the title.
    + The variety of puzzles is decent, with many different objects making up the large amount of content on offer, including much more Japanese objects than before, which is a positive.
    + The game has a large amount of replay value, as the game has a ranking system determined on how fast you complete a puzzle, the amount of errors you make, and the difficult at which you chose to play it. Better medals are offered for higher scores, and these help unlock more puzzles in the game.
    + The aesthetics are good, with nicer, higher-quality backgrounds and more interesting musical themes accompanying the action.

    = The gameplay can get stale if played for too long. The occasional 'Construction Challenge' or 'Time Trial' puzzles appear now and again, however, these don't help too much.

    - The removal of a puzzle creator is disappointing, but understandable, as the removal of said feature has allowed for more puzzles to be included in the main game.

    9/10    … Expand
  3. Jarmfam
    Nov 28, 2016
    10
    Picross 3D: Round 2 deserves much more praise than it gets. It has amazing review scores, but even the announcement of it in the Nintendo Direct was less than 15 seconds long. If you have the money to buy this game, get it. The franchise needs all the attention it can get for another sequel.
  4. andvil82
    Sep 19, 2016
    10
    ZERO USER REVIEWS?!? FOR A PERFECT 10 OF A GAME?!?

    Allow me to be the first lowly common man to laud this masterpiece. That soothing SNES-SimCity-esque soundtrack. The snap of breaking blocks akin to cracking the top of a creme brulee. The bloops and bleeps of marking cubes only to eventually paint them a permanent shade of mango or cobalt. So many satisfying elements that combine    ZERO USER REVIEWS?!? FOR A PERFECT 10 OF A GAME?!?

    Allow me to be the first lowly common man to laud this masterpiece. That soothing SNES-SimCity-esque soundtrack. The snap of breaking blocks akin to cracking the top of a creme brulee. The bloops and bleeps of marking cubes only to eventually paint them a permanent shade of mango or cobalt. So many satisfying elements that combine to make of the most well-rounded puzzle games I've ever played.

    Round 2 picks up where the brilliant Picross 3D left off, only this time we are introduced to a new mechanic: the blue and orange blocks. This new feature is a welcome addition and adds just enough of a twist to make it feel like an actual sequel instead of "Picross 3D: More Puzzles." If you've played a Picross title before don't hesitate to switch the difficulty over to Hard the first chance you get. The two lower difficulty settings are simply too easy unless this is your introduction to the game. If you HAVEN'T played a Picross title before, this is a great starting point. If you keep the game on one of the easier settings you will get the hang of solving puzzles in no time. The best part of having multiple difficulty levels is once you finish the game on easy, you can switch to medium or hard and have a completely new experience playing all the way through a second time. I've seen people say that $30 is too expensive for a title like this but I think it's perfectly justified. Even if you're completing the puzzles as fast as possible, it'll take at least 30 hours to completely clear everything.

    This is my first user review. I created an account at Metacritic simply to heap praise on this title. It's criminal how overlooked this title is and will continue to be.    … Expand
  5. Rainman13
    Nov 16, 2016
    10
    k k
  6. thedaarkbatty
    Sep 25, 2016
    0
    Boring as crap tbh. There is absolutely no replay value and the unlockables are horrible. No motivation to play this garbage. The game is also filled with bugs. 0/10.
  7. Rtheom
    Nov 7, 2016
    8
    I actually liked the original Picross 3D a bit better, but I've been waiting for this one ever since they made new 2D picross games, so I'm happy they got around to this.

    It introduces a new mechanic with multiple colors, which is okay, but kinda feels a bit unnecessary, and the way some of the blocks change shape when you solve their row and column can be a little more mentally    I actually liked the original Picross 3D a bit better, but I've been waiting for this one ever since they made new 2D picross games, so I'm happy they got around to this.

    It introduces a new mechanic with multiple colors, which is okay, but kinda feels a bit unnecessary, and the way some of the blocks change shape when you solve their row and column can be a little more mentally confusing than it needs to be. Not game ruining, but not needed.

    Regardless, a must-have for a fan of the original Picross 3D game, and probably for any Picross fan in general. But if you don't like those games or puzzle games in general, you won't like Picross. If you're not certain, download the free Pokemon Picross game first and see if it tickles your fancy.    … Expand
  8. ultraviper
    Oct 14, 2016
    8
    Very addicting puzzle game. However, there are a few flaws. The music gets very annoying after a while. Each series of puzzles in a "book" share a common theme... and also a common background song. So you might spend an hour on a certain book of puzzles and the same 1-minute track will be on loop the entire time. Also the game doesn't explain at all what the stamps are all about, how toVery addicting puzzle game. However, there are a few flaws. The music gets very annoying after a while. Each series of puzzles in a "book" share a common theme... and also a common background song. So you might spend an hour on a certain book of puzzles and the same 1-minute track will be on loop the entire time. Also the game doesn't explain at all what the stamps are all about, how to get them, or what they are even for. You just seem to unlock them randomly, then are congratulated when you find them all, then... nothing. And when you finish a book you are awarded a color for that book, also never explained. I've only seen silver and gold so far, but strangely silver is awarded for getting the best score on every puzzle and gold is for when I messed up somewhere.… Expand
  9. PokelucasZ
    Jan 26, 2017
    9
    A must have for puzzle and Picross fans. It's fun, relaxing, addicting, challenging if you try the hard difficulty, it has over 300 puzzles and hours of gameplay.
  10. Mutty99
    Sep 29, 2021
    10
    Man, this game is FANTASTIC.

    Perfect follow-up to the original title on the DS, which I loved a lot too, the newly introduced color system allows the player to develop a different and renovated approach to the world of 3d Picross puzzles, and has a lot of new challenges to offer.
    Masterpiece!

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best 3DS Game of 2016
27
#27 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2016
34
#34 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Games.cz
    Feb 6, 2017
    80
    Good old puzzle-solving Picross is a stepchild of crosswords, Sudoku and coloring books – but with nicer creations and a couple of interesting new ideas, what significantly deepen the gameplay and fun hand in hand with addictiveness.
    Read full review
  2. FNintendo
    Jan 30, 2017
    90
    Taking full use of the touch screen and 3D capabilities of Nintendo's handheld, this new chapter in the series is well presented and reaches that right balance between simplicity and challenge. Something for everyone who enjoys having a good mental stimulation in the form of a puzzle game.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Jan 13, 2017
    90
    Perfectly tuned difficulty curve, achievements, unique challenges, over 300 puzzles and gameplay model ideal for sessions that last either 5 minutes or 3 hours. [01/2017, p.75]
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