Sudoku Mega Screen
© 2006 Techno Source
Type the word Sudoku into a search engine, and you'll see how far the Japanese number juggling game has become. There are newspaper columns, web sites, and even versions for the Nintendo DS, inside the new Brain Games series. More recently, the game has migrated into a variety low cost LCD devices designed to provide access to an unlimited supply of brain-twisting puzzles. One of these, Sudoku Mega Screen from TechnoSource ($20, sudokumegascreen.com) comes with a touch screen feature, making it possible to drop numbers into the boxes of Sudoku's 9 × 9 grid. The game is played by first touching a numeral on a number line (from 1 to 9) and then touching the stylus tip on grid. The idea is to only use the number once—in each row, or 3 x 3 sub grid. In the puzzle-solve setting, your selection blinks if you've made a mistake, a self-checking feature, so that every numeral is used just once. Some of the boxes are pre-filled, so you do a lot of mental juggling to make sure you're not using the number more than once. Like Rubik's cubes or crossword puzzles, it can be an addicting activity. Other features include four challenge levels, a timer, Self-Correcting Mode (so you can see instantly of your number doesn't fit), and Make-Your-Own Puzzle Mode. Solving the puzzle requires persistence, time and logic. No actual math is required. This updated version includes a larger screen with back lighting illumination for easier viewing. While the screen could be easier to read, the touch feature is nice considering the price, and there's a leep mode There are beginner and advanced modes, as well as a tutorial. Runs on AA batteries.
$20, Smart Toy
Teaches: logic, puzzle solving
CTR Rating: 86%