Sudoku, the little number game that we see everywhere these days, hit the PlayStation Store for download last winter. For the uninformed, Sudoku is a puzzle game in which you arrange the numbers 1 – 9 in nine 3×3 blocks. The rules are pretty simple: you can’t have the same number in the same row or column, or have a number twice in the same 3×3 block. Once you get good enough you can try your hand at solving puzzles within a strict time limit; in some countries there are even tournaments in which some of the quickest Sudoku players compete against each other. Sumo Digital has taken its PSP Sudoku game and added some really fun and glitzy visuals for this PS3 debut, Go! Sudoku.
Starting with one free pack of puzzles to give you a taste of the action, the full game consists of three other packs of different difficulties (costing $2.99 each). The free pack contains 520 puzzles, while the Mild pack contains 380 puzzles, the Difficult Pack 200 puzzles, and the Fiendish Pack 100 puzzles. It’s a smart system considering the amount of puzzles you receive with each, giving you the ability to slowly grow your collection as your puzzle-solving skills improve.
The game sports four modes of play, two single player modes and two online modes. The “Solo Classic” mode allows you to see how long it takes you to solve the Sudoku puzzles, while the “Solo Arcade” mode pits you against the clock to see how many you can complete in a certain amount of time. Don’t worry though – for every row, column, or block you complete you gain a bit of time back on the clock.
Remember to practice, practice, practice before going into the online game modes. The “Versus” mode follows the same rules as “Solo Classic", only in competition with up to four other players online. The “Battle” mode follows things in a similar way with up to four players as well, but instead follows the rules of “Solo Arcade.”
Go! Sudoku adds a good chunk of flash and flare to a typically plain game, even boasting 1080i video resolution. If you’re not in the mood to spend the extra cash for the higher difficulty packs but want a simple, fun little game to wrap your mind around, at least download the free pack – it does sport 520 puzzles and all of the game modes, after all.