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Picross (DS)
by autumnleaf
Picross is a really addictive and fun puzzle game for the DS, based heavily on the Japanese puzzle game Hanjie.
Rather than explain all of the rules (which can be found on the net) I will just give a brief summary: You are given a grid within which a picture is contained. You make the picture by painting in the correct grid ... squares. There are number clues on each row and column which tell you how many squares along the line and in which order. The user will have to cross reference columns and rows to determine which cells must be filled in.
There are easy puzzles to begin with which will allow the player to ease their way into the game and the rules, there is little to worry about if you know nothing of Hanjie, this game is very easy to get in to and quick to pick up. You will have to start establishing your own rules as you progress through to harder boards, with larger grids.
You play against a timer, which gives you a set amount of time to complete, but if you ever fill in an incorrect tile then you will incur a time penalty. If you exceed the time penalty, you can still complete the board, but you will not get a nice flashy graphical representation of your picture, in essence you will have to do it again in order to complete it properly.
The game can be played using the stylus or the control pad and buttons. I much preferred the latter option as I tended to accidentally hit the wrong tile with the stylus, and you can zoom in and out easily using the buttons.
Overall, I would recommend this game to anyone who has a DS, it is really good fun and will give hours of enjoyment.
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The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)
by autumnleaf
Spirit Tracks is the sequel to the first DS Zelda game Phantom Hourglass and it is equally as good.
Whilst the formula for the game is very similar to the previous game, and in fact, every other Zelda game, in that it is mostly a combination fetch quests and dungeons, the biggest difference here is how you travel around the ... map. Whilst there are still on-foot parts, the majority of the trekking to and from place is done via a train. New track sections open up as you play the game, controlling your progress. These sections are quite fun, and the ability to toot your horn at will is quite satisfying. In these sections, you will have to deal with some enemies, change the direction of the track junctions and complete other side-quests to keep it interesting, although I did find these sections start to drag after a while.
The difficulty is a little harder than the previous game, but this is a good thing. I did find some of the track sections a little frustrating at times where you have to avoid enemies, and death means having to re-do it, but for the most part, it is all good fun and you can progress it a reasonable speed.
The controls are as good as in the previous version as are the graphics and music. This is another top-quality Zelda game that I would recommend to anyone that enjoyed the previous game or anyone that is after a new adventure.
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The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
by autumnleaf
Phantom Hourglass was the first DS Zelda game and it used visuals close to those of WindWaker on the gamecube; bright and colourful cell-shaded graphics. I love the way the visuals and music really come together to make you feel like a child again, on a wonderful adventure.
The touchscreen controls work very well for this ... game, something I was originally concerned about. But my fears were put to rest after 5 minutes with the game. It is very simple, hold on the screen to move somewhere, or strike across an enemy to swish your sword at them. Holding a trigger button allows you to use your secondary weapon, which usually consists of you drawing a path for a bomb or boomerang, which works very nicely.
The quest is quite long but feels a little drawn out in places. It is never quite enough to put you off playing, but having to return to the temple after each dungeon gets a little tiresome, even though you can fast track your way through it with your latest collected items.
The sailing parts for the game are good fun and are not as lengthy as in WindWaker. Simply draw a path on your map and you boat will take you there automatically. This is a nice idea and transporting is much more speedy this time around.
My only real complaint is to do with the difficulty, this is much easier than most Zelda games and whilst that might be a good thing for more casual gamers that are thinking of getting themselves into a big adventure, more seasoned gamers may find themselves waltzing through with no real problems.
There is also a fun multiplayer mode that can be quite competitive. It is good fun for a while to distract you from the main quest from time to time.
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