Pokemon Picross

It’s a perfect gateway drug to nonogram puzzles if you’ve never tried them before. And if you’re a Picross vet hankering for more, this is well worth diving into as long as you’re okay with the fact that, if you want to play this free-to-start game without mindlessly repeating puzzles ad nauseum, you’re going to have to spend some money.

Pokémon Picross succeeds flawlessly with its goal of making an easily accessible Picross title with additional appeal for people who are used to the puzzles.

Pokémon Picross is still a very competent Sudoku game and the added layer of “catching ‘em all” is fun and offers a bit more to the core experience.

Picross with Pokémon. That's all this needed to be, and that's what this appears to be at a glance, but further inspection reveals much more. The murals provide long-term motivation. The missions provide short-term reward. The mega rows encourage nonstandard nonogram logic over rote processes. Aside from the strangely disguised pricing scheme, the new additions to Pokémon Picross exceed expectations.

This isn’t the best Picross game. The original Picross for DS is still better. Picross 3D (also for the DS), which has you solving logic puzzles in three dimensions, is way better...But this is still a fine game. And, if you enjoy Picross but don’t put it on a pedestal like I do, you may find some more enjoyment from the Pokémon elements than I did.

If you're willing to part with $30, this Picross rocks. [Issue #19 – January/February 2016, p.24]

The Picross gameplay is still entertaining. Add Pokemons and what you get is a quite fun ride.

If you enjoy Picross and love Pokémon – get this game. [03/2016, p.73]

A high quality Picross game that can shine brightly even without original ideas, due to more than enough “truly free” content to satisfy an eager player. Microtransactions are still quite significant though (even if limited), so take that into consideration when you get the game.

If you're looking for a game that you can play casually without paying, look elsewhere. If you're willing to pay up, this is the best entry in the Picross e sub-series yet.

It is a Picross game at its core, but Nintendo has found enough ways to integrate the Pokemon mythos that it feels fresh and new. While it's certainly strange that you're essentially penalized for challenging yourself, and the asking price to access all the content may feel too steep, it is a creative take on the classic puzzle type. For Picross devotees or Pokemon fans, it's certainly worth exploring.

Pokemon Picross takes two familiar things and combines them into something new and fresh. The 3DS has no shortage of great puzzle games, yet Pokemon Picross can easily stand out among the crowd, especially if you're a fan of either of its two elements.

I love the idea of Pokémon Picross, and it is executed well. The core game got its hooks into me quickly, but as a puzzle game with no random elements, it doesn’t translate well to the world of free-to-play. Even patient and skilled Picross players will find their entertainment held hostage behind paywalls.