Nikoli's Pencil Puzzle

$30, Nintendo 3DS

Teaches: logic, math, grids, memory, follow directions

CTR Rating: 75%

CTR Review

If you already like puzzle Sudoku, this collection of 600 puzzles for one player could keep you interested. If you're new to the genre, however, you might want to skip this title. There's little help, and the tutorial mode requires reading the instructions. Games include Sudoku - the classic numbers game in 3D; Bridges - link all the islands on the screen with bridges, making sure to match the on-screen numbers to the amount of islands you are connecting together; Boxes - divide the board into rectangles where each piece has to be included with the digit that will be the size of the boxes; Museum - light up an entire hall without overlapping the lighting with the limited number of lights given to you; and an exclusive unlockable 3D puzzle created specifically for the Nintendo 3DS. The game lets you utilize either the stylus or the control pad, and features dual screen support with the lower screen displaying the game and the upper screen showing the pieces in 3D. Developed by Hudson Soft for Konami. There are three game-save slots.