In the game’s main Picross Mode players must reveal a hidden image that lies beneath the puzzle by filling in a grid with squares and crosses to complete patterns. Variety is the spice of life and Picross DS does not disappoint with a staggering 300 puzzles available to play at your leisure. These games range from the elementary five by five grids, to highly complicated twenty by twenty grids which will keep even the most hardened gamer happy. Finishing all these challenges will keep you busy for weeks. There is no need to worry if you get stuck by one of the more devious challenges as you can opt to receive clues to help finish puzzles as well as give yourself a head start with a roulette style hint function that reveals one line of the puzzle.

Once the main game is mastered the puzzling action is by no means over. My Picross mode allows players to create their very own puzzles to challenge or share with friends. Using the Nintendo DS stylus and easy-to-use touch-screen, players can design Picross DS puzzles of all sizes. What’s more they can even design the image beneath the puzzle which is released upon its completion. Once created these puzzles can be shared with friends using the Nintendo DS wireless connectivity or the Wi-Fi Connection service.

For Players looking for a quick distraction on a regular basis Picross DS features a calendar based Daily Picross mode where players are challenged to take on several quick puzzles every day. The fun and addictive puzzles in this mode all feature the smallest five by five grids and are designed to see how quickly players can analyse and complete five small puzzles. Each days results are then plotted on a chart that shows the player’s progress over time. Playing Daily Picross DS mode for periods of consecutive days will unlock all new modes including No X's, Error Search, and Memory.