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[cooljeanius]

Searched and couldn't find an Official Thread for Picross 3D, so I decided to make it. I know it's a little late for an Official Thread, but it's not late enough for a LTTP thread yet. Second official thread I've made, used the format from my Fossil Fighters thread.

Basic Information:

Platform: Nintendo DS
Bundled Materials? No
Release Date: May 3, 2010 (North America) (already out!)
ESRB Rating: E with comic mischief (see section below for full ratings description)
Genre: Puzzle
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Control method: D-pad and touchscreen (or buttons and touchscreen if you're left-handed)
Perspective: 3D (duh)
Multiplayer? No, but you can send puzzles you've created (or built-in ones) to other people as a demo
Casual or Core? More on the casual side. It is a Touch Generations title, after all.

Nintendo's Official Press Release:

Picross 3D Invites Puzzle Lovers to Explore a New Dimension of Fun

New 3-D Puzzle Game for Nintendo DS is Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Put Down

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starting today, puzzle lovers across the country have an irresistible new pastime to discover and share with friends with the launch of the Picross 3D™ game for the Nintendo DS™ family of hand-held systems. The title combines number-based deductive logic, hidden 3-D objects and fun wireless features to create a truly unique portable gaming experience. Sudoku fans, crossword devotees and anyone with a passion for puzzle-solving will instantly enjoy the addictive brain-teasing challenges of Picross 3D, which is playable anytime and anywhere on the nation’s top-selling hand-held game systems.

Picross 3D starts players off with a solid block of cubes that is marked with numbers and contains a hidden object. To solve each puzzle, they must use logic and numerical clues to eliminate cubes and reveal the object. The game includes more than 350 unique puzzles, but the action doesn’t end there. Players can create and share their own puzzles or use Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to download additional puzzles, which will be released in sets following the game’s launch.

Picross 3D offers several options for connecting and sharing wirelessly. Using a local connection, multiple players with their own game cards can trade custom puzzles quickly and easily. With DS Download Play, they can also send a sample puzzle to another player without the need for a second game card. Users with broadband Internet access can use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to download fresh puzzle packs from Nintendo and submit their own custom creations in themed puzzle challenges. Selected puzzles will be made available as free downloads to Picross 3D players in North America.

“Picross 3D is incredibly addictive and even more fun when you can take on the challenge with family and friends,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Now that players can share their creations and regularly access new content, there’s even more for puzzle fans to enjoy.”

A free downloadable demo version of Picross 3D is now available via the Nintendo Channel for the Wii™ console. For more information about Picross 3D, visit www.picross3d.com.

Wikipedia Article:

Picross 3D, known in Japan as Rittai Picross (立体ピクロス?, literally "Solid Geometry Picross"), is a puzzle video game developed by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory for the Nintendo DS. It was first revealed at Nintendo's conference on October 2, 2008.[2] It was released in Japan on March 12, 2009, in Europe on March 5, 2010 and in North America on May 3, 2010. It uses similar nonogram mechanics to Picross DS, but it puts it in 3D. Outside of Japan, the game is part of Nintendo's Touch! Generations brand.

Gameplay

While Picross presents a rectangular grid of squares, which must be filled in to create a picture, Picross 3D uses a rectangular prism made of a number of smaller cubes, and must be chipped away in order to construct an image in three dimensions. Each row or column has at most one number corresponding to it, and many do not have any numbers at all; the number indicates how many cubes the row/column should contain when the picture is complete. If a number has a circle around it, it means that, while that number of cubes is the total amount in the row/column, they will be split up into two groups (for example, a 4 with a circle around it will be in two groups of either 1 and 3 or 2 and 2). If a number has a square around it, the cubes will be split up into three or more groups. If there are no numbers on a row or column, there are no rules concerning how many cubes belong there.

A paintbrush may be used to mark cubes that definitely will remain in the image, or a hammer to chip away at the unnecessary cubes. If an attempt is made to break a cube that is part of the image, the game will count this as a strike. If the player receives five strikes, the player receives a game over and will have to start the puzzle over again . Early on, the game will show players "technique" tutorials to help them refine their puzzle-solving skills.

Once a 3D image is completed, the player will be rewarded with a short animation regarding the image, and it will be placed onto a background with other images that may have been constructed; there are many backgrounds available to fill in, each holding a certain theme. Depending on how quickly the puzzle is completed, and whether or not any blocks were broken that should not have, the player will be rewarded with up to three stars, which will go toward unlocking bonus puzzles. In addition to tutorials and standard puzzles, the game will occasionally present players with either "Time Challenges", which imposes different time constraints on puzzle-solving, or "One Chance Challenges", wherein the player may not make any mistakes at all.

Reception

The game was the third best-selling game during the week of its release in Japan at 38,000 copies.[3] It sold an additional 29,000 copies and 16,000 copies its second and third weeks respectively.[4][5]

Full ESRB Ratings Description:

Picross 3D

Platform: Nintendo DS

Rating: Everyone

Content descriptors: Comic Mischief

Rating summary: This is a puzzle game in which players reveal a hidden object by removing pieces from a three-dimensional shape. Some of the objects are "brought to life" via animations: a "Judo" character tosses a competitor to the ground; a T-Rex falls apart after being attacked by a man with a flashlight; a dragon uses its tail to whack a tiny humanoid figure.

Screenshot:

Reviews:

1Up gave it an A-:

With hundreds of puzzles, even more available for download over wi-fi, and an editor to make and share your own, Picross 3D is just too clever for a DS puzzle game fan to pass up.

Gametrailers gave it an 8.7/10:

Picross 3D comes with a surprisingly comprehensive package, improved controls, and gameplay with more depth--literally. If you're a fan of traditional Picross or similar puzzles like Sudoku, you shouldn't miss Picross 3D.

IGN gave it an 8.5/10:

Despite a disappointing shift in visual style, Picross 3D is another enjoyable and habit-forming puzzle game that is perfect for the DS. It's very satisfying to reveal each stage's hidden object and you'll find yourself returning to many puzzles in order to get a perfect rating. If you're looking for your next DS addiction, this is a good pick.

Nintendo life gave it a 7/10:

There's no denying that Picross 3D is a diverting and addictive game, but at the same time it fails to surpass its two-dimensional predecessor. The leap to 3D has certainly added an extra challenge, but it has also made the rules more complicated, and at the same time diluted the purity of Picross DS's comparatively direct logical problems. Nevertheless, the game offers hours of content for those willing to persevere, and for anyone who has already played Picross DS to death, Picross 3D will provide an engaging new challenge.

Metacritic score: 82

My Impressions:

I like it so far. The logic kind of reminds me of Minesweeper. I've finished 130 puzzles so far, and I'm still in the "Easy" section. Haven't gotten a 1-star yet. The times I've gotten strikes were either when I was going too quickly, or when I read the number on the wrong side of the cube. Sending the demo to someone else only sends one puzzle, so you have to close out of it to send another. Also, the puzzle editor is kind of a pain to use. You can only insert cubes if they're attached to pre-existing cubes, so I ended up adding a lot of cubes just to delete them later. Also, it's hard to know which way your object is going to end up oriented at first. It might not seem like this would matter, but it does, because rotation is limited. As far as actual gameplay goes, the only thing I could ask for would be a 3rd slicer, in the direction that doesn't have one yet. It had that "one more puzzle" feeling going for it at first, but it's settled down now so I can do them at a more reasonable rate. I like doing a puzzle right before falling asleep at night. I would recommend picking it up if you haven't yet.

 

[goldenpp72]

I like the game a lot but I get the impression you have no choice but to guess at some points, true or false?

I'd rather be wrong

 

[TelemachusD]

I like the game a lot but I get the impression you have no choice but to guess at some points, true or false?

I'd rather be wrong

You're wrong.

 

[parasight]

Definitely wrong. Love this game. Hopefully we get a sequel on 3DS.

I must say it is a little frustrating though when I hold the wrong button and hammer a block I meant to paint.

 

[Absoludacrous]

I like the game a lot but I get the impression you have no choice but to guess at some points, true or false?

I'd rather be wrong

I'm through level 6 in normal right now and haven't had to guess yet.

 

[WowBaby]

It's a great game. And, no there's no guessing.

 

[goldenpp72]

Reassuring, i didn't play TOO far in but I got that impression and had hoped if I ever missed a block it was because I overlooked something

Still a steal at 20 bucks, seriously.

 

[Vexidus]

I picked this game up at launch, having enjoyed the original Picross DS game quite a bit.

I've been really liking Picross 3D, usually playing 2 or 3 puzzles every night before bed. I've solved over a hundred so far, and I'm still on the Easy puzzles. It's kind of a relaxing game, and finally knocking out that last block is very satisfying! Getting to see the blocks come to life is pretty neat.

I'll probably continue to play this most nights until it gets too difficult for me to bother. I'm sure I have a long way to go yet though. Quite a solid pick up and play style puzzler, highly recommended for those on the fence!

 

[TelemachusD]

My only problem with the game was the time limits on some of the last few Hard puzzles. Hard 10-Gold specifically, I would run out of time every time I tried it (and when the time limit is one hour, that's incredibly frustrating). Eventually I had to abuse the quick save system to finish it.

 

[dallow_bg]

DS GotY deserved a thread.

 

[pje122]

Impressions from my girlfriend over Google Chat:

i don't think it is very difficult
and the pictures aren't that easy to determine
but its still fun

 

[seal_club]

i both love and abhor this game. i play it for hours at a time like some sort of autistic child. can't quit until i've made another fucking shape... to no real end. an unsatisfying purgatory that i fall repeatedly into on my own whim. is nobody else like this? what's wrong with me

 

[pje122]

I like the game a lot but I get the impression you have no choice but to guess at some points, true or false?

I'd rather be wrong

She says:

you should not ahve to guess
it's all logic

 

[Struct09]

I've perfected everything up through level 8 on hard so far. This game has definitely kept me busy

As for guessing, you should never have to do it

Spoiler

but sometimes it saves time

 

[jgkspsx]

i both love and abhor this game. i play it for hours at a time like some sort of autistic child. can't quit until i've made another fucking shape... to no real end. an unsatisfying purgatory that i fall repeatedly into on my own whim. is nobody else like this? what's wrong with me

That's really how I felt. I kind of gave up on it because it was too obsession-inducing. Also, it seems like the puzzles take longer than the 2D ones... But maybe that's just perceptual. I do feel that the one-level-at-a-time approach is less fun than Picross DS's theme-based, jumping-around style.

I'm also still cheezed off that there's no WFC sharing - it was really fun in Picross DS.

 

[Silver_DNA]

I got this shortly after it came out. The demo in the Nintendo Channel sold me on the game. It is a ton of fun and a great time waster.

The only problem is that I look at the tiles on the floor of work and think what I need to chip away.

 

[Calidor]

I prefer the regular one tbh

 

[JohnnyPanda]

I love it so far. I've had it since launch and play it every day to while away my commute. I'm just about done with the Normal puzzles, so I think there's like 100 stock ones to go. Clearing 0-lines is one of the most satisfying things I've done on DS so far.

 

[tokkun]

I liked the original Picross DS better. I felt like I had to spend more time employing logic and thinking further ahead in that game.

In Picross 3D, you never really need to think far ahead (which I guess may satisfy those who complained about 'guessing' in the first one) and you spend like 90% of your time just switching back and forth between the different axes.

The art is also awful, and there is a stupid mascot character.

 

[MikeE21286]

Love this game.

Only complaint is I wish I could go to the higher levels without having to play through the lower tiers. It's kinda stalled my playing because the puzzles right now are more of a grind rather than a challenge.

 

[mooooose]

This game has a ton of content, I've played a ton of puzzles and I'm still on easy. Great game.

 

[cooljeanius]

Finished all the easy puzzles today. The Construction Challenge would've been cooler if there was a shared time limit and strike count for all the puzzles. As it is it just seems like 5 separate puzzles that just happen to fit together at the end of all of them. Anyway, now onto normal...

 

[MiniBossBattle]

Love love love this game. I play this whenever my HDTV is being held captive by my wife and her reality TV shows.

 

[RoadHazard]

I liked the original Picross DS better. I felt like I had to spend more time employing logic and thinking further ahead in that game.

In Picross 3D, you never really need to think far ahead (which I guess may satisfy those who complained about 'guessing' in the first one) and you spend like 90% of your time just switching back and forth between the different axes.

I like Picross 3D, but I agree with this. There's definitely not as much logical deduction in this game. If you get stuck it's usually just a matter of going through every layer until you find something you've missed. It's more about being thorough than it is about thinking logically.

 

[cooljeanius]

Got my first time only getting one star (wire cutters). Luckily been perfect since then, though. There's definitely more to it than just being thorough, as I went back to do some of the easier puzzles I had already done a while ago, and I found I was a lot better at them. Your skills at the game definitely increase as it goes on, or at least, mine did.

 

[dallow_bg]

I liked the original Picross DS better. I felt like I had to spend more time employing logic and thinking further ahead in that game.

In Picross 3D, you never really need to think far ahead (which I guess may satisfy those who complained about 'guessing' in the first one) and you spend like 90% of your time just switching back and forth between the different axes.

The art is also awful, and there is a stupid mascot character.

Agreed with everything.

Most cases you're switching axis and going row by row cleaning it up.
I like it, but I am much more into the original.

 

[Tinabina]

so addicted, i love it

 

[SmashBrosAwesome]

Truly a great game- and I haven't even finished the easy levels yet (currently on stage...9 I think? not sure). What amazes me is how different this is from the original Picross DS- if the developers had just copied the gameplay from the first DS game and applied it to a new set of (2D) levels, I would have been satisfied, but the fact that they came up with such a unique approach to the sequel just blows me away. I also like the fact that the levels are not categorized by theme (as opposed to the first game, where one stage of levels would be about food, and another would be about space, etc. which I disliked as it meant that the first few themes all had simplistic puzzles, limiting the amount of detail for those certain themes).

The mascot...thing needs a good punch in the face however. And I miss the daily challenges

Edit: OP, I agree with your sentiment that this is a good game to play before nodding off. Stimulating yet relaxing, I usually play it while listening to podcasts and the like.

 

[Chatin]

There actually was another Picross 3D thread, but never enough love.

I three-starred all the puzzles about a month ago. It's definitely doable, but the last couple puzzles were ridiculously close calls. Still waiting for some Nintendo-themed puzzles to be put up for DLC.

 

[MikeE21286]

Still waiting for some Nintendo-themed puzzles to be put up for DLC.

That sounds awesome. Didn't know this was a thing....are they gonna be free?

 

[Chatin]

That sounds awesome. Didn't know this was a thing....are they gonna be free?

Yeah, all the DLC is free, same as Prof Layton. There are already four or five packs of five puzzles each up for download, but they're all the same generic stuff. Picross DS had some great Nintendo-themed puzzles, and I was looking forward to this in 3D.
EDIT: We should also get some really cool user puzzles via the monthly challenges.

 

[cooljeanius]

I've started having dreams about solving puzzles in Picross 3D... It's become like Tetris in that respect. Also, about "cleaning up": I've found that while that does take up a good amount of solving the puzzle, there usually comes a point where just "cleaning up" won't get you any farther and you have to figure stuff out by logic. Then again, when I went back to some of the easier puzzles, stuff I had to figure out the first time by logic have just become "cleaning up" by this point, so idk.

Yeah, all the DLC is free, same as Prof Layton. There are already four or five packs of five puzzles each up for download, but they're all the same generic stuff. Picross DS had some great Nintendo-themed puzzles, and I was looking forward to this in 3D.
EDIT: We should also get some really cool user puzzles via the monthly challenges.

I think it's six now. For the transportation challenge, I submitted one based on Portal, but it's facing the wrong direction...

 

[cooljeanius]

There actually was another Picross 3D thread, but never enough love.

You mean this one: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=383443&page=4? I thought that was more of a pre-release hype thread that people just ended up using to post in once the game was released, didn't really think it counted as the official thread. (sorry for the double post)

 

[Stumpokapow]

I closed the other thread after cooljeanius posted a link to this one, so hopefully there'll be no confusion or anything as regards to which to reply to.

 

[rollingstart]

I'm surprised this game didn't have an official thread already. Really an incredible game and the lack of people excited for it is pretty sad.

 

[Subliminal]

Considering picking this up but is it touchscreen heavy? (My touchscreen is out of wack) i loved Picross DS and you can use the dpad for that.

 

[panda21]

i think you would be boned without the touchscreen. depends how badly messed up it is.

also i love that you can set the background music to just be a rain noise.. its so motherfucking relaxing playing with that on. just wish it didnt have the stupid clock.

 

[Struct09]

Considering picking this up but is it touchscreen heavy? (My touchscreen is out of wack) i loved Picross DS and you can use the dpad for that.

The touchscreen is heavily used in this game (it's how you rotate the puzzles around and choose which blocks to chip or mark), it really wouldn't work otherwise.

 

[Minamu]

I fell in love with Picross after Giant Bomb's Quick Look a few weeks back. I'm so ready for Picross 3D now.

Here's a ton of 2D puzzles too:
http://armor-picross.skojspel.se/kluriga-spel/

Is it available for even less than 20$ somewhere? :S

 

[wazoo]

Great game. I fully agree with everybody there.

First game since Tetris (the original one), my wife is interested. Now, she play Picross3D as an addict. Thank you, Nintendo. Before, she refused to talk video games with me, now she has no time to talk with me anymore !!

 

[DjangoReinhardt]

I like Picross 3D, but I agree with this. There's definitely not as much logical deduction in this game. If you get stuck it's usually just a matter of going through every layer until you find something you've missed. It's more about being thorough than it is about thinking logically.

Funny, that's exactly what I prefer this one to the original. Once the puzzles in 2D required recursive reasoning (or flat-out guessing), I wasn't willing to put in the time. :lol

 

[cooljeanius]

Tried out the random mode. I wish it told you where to find the original puzzle so you could go back and see if you were missing any stars on it. Also, ran into my first level where the gold challenge didn't unlock automatically after doing all the other puzzles once... that darn lyre...

 

[blu]

halp. my picross world is crumbling.

does anybody know if hard:4:silver can be passed with no guessing? every puzzle in the game before this one was solvable without guessing, but this one has me stuck half way through the puzzle.

 

[nickcv]

i loved this game, but still there are not enough puzzles.

I beat it (perfect score) four times (made a new save every time) and there's really no guessing at all.

But to be honest i'd like if next time they make an hybrid game both 2d and 3d picross (i kinda enjoyed more the first game, i think it was more challenging.)

 

[Ushojax]

I bought this game at release and am still plugging through it. It's not that hard, but it's relaxing and the simplicity of it means you rarely get frustrated. It's one of the best puzzle games I've played.

 

[Bii]

I bought this game at release and am still plugging through it. It's not that hard, but it's relaxing and the simplicity of it means you rarely get frustrated. It's one of the best puzzle games I've played.

Same here. I'm on level 1 in Hard mode now. I usually do one or two puzzles a night before I turn the lights out.

 

[Oxymoron]

halp. my picross world is crumbling.

does anybody know if hard:4:silver can be passed with no guessing? every puzzle in the game before this one was solvable without guessing, but this one has me stuck half way through the puzzle.

Just did it without guessing, but it was pretty tough.

Once you get to the part where you think you have to guess, look at the row with the (5) very carefully. You'll have to think about it in a way that wasn't really required up to that point, but you can mark at least one more block on that row, and the rest of the puzzle falls pretty easily.

 

[cooljeanius]

So I checked out the first online contest results awhile ago, saw some GAFfers in the winners (BooJoh I remember). I'm up to the hard puzzles now in the regular game. They actually are hard. I must suck at logic, because I've had to guess at some. Some of the collection categories are cool now that I'm completing them.

 

[blu]

Just did it without guessing, but it was pretty tough.

Once you get to the part where you think you have to guess, look at the row with the (5) very carefully. You'll have to think about it in a way that wasn't really required up to that point, but you can mark at least one more block on that row, and the rest of the puzzle falls pretty easily.

thank you. i'll sit again tonight and try to figure it out.

 

[speedpop]

Easily one of the best games on DS. I still smack through my import copy now and then.