Review

Usually, when a new game is released, or at least widely talked about, I jump at the chance to find out what it's about. And when the Western world started this Sudoku-craze about a month or so ago, I looked at that game as not being as great as people were calling it. So when Astraware asked if I would be available to review Astraware Suduko, I said yes, but didn't expect to be at all amazed. Little did I know, beyond its simple surface, this game is quite complex and I have grown to really appreciate it as one of the hardest puzzle games I have ever played.

So what is it about Sudoku that makes it more compelling to me now than when I first heard about it? Honestly, I don't know. The gameplay model is quite simple: there is a 9x9 grid in which you have to place the numbers 1 thru 9. The object is that you have to put the numbers in, but within a line, a number can only appear one time. It really is quite simple. And I found myself just putting numbers in to see if they would work in a particular place or not. Of course, being a beginner to Suduko, I was not aware that the only mark that should go on the board is one's final mark. You really shouldn't make mistakes. I found this being the reason above all that I keep going back to Suduko. I want to finish a board and not make any mistakes.

And so as I played Sudoku more and more, I realized that there were little helpers to guide you along making a choice for a number that is in a line. There is this function called pencilmarks that is basically pencil marks that is just basically putting pencil marks of numbers on the board where you think they might go. Since they are only pencil lines, they do not count as an actual putting a number on the board. I found that it was at first cumbersome putting the pencil marks on the board, but have since realized how important those little marks are towards solving puzzles.

However, even with pencilmarks, I still found Sudoku to be somewhat easy. I had to find out what other manners that others went about in solving Sudoku puzzles. Within the download, Astraware provided the address to Palm Sudoku website (www.palmsudoku.com). It was on this website that I began to see just how intricate Sudoku is for just a simple grid and numbers game. There are over 13 ways that one can go about solving puzzles. Some of the more complex methods are said to only work on the most complex of puzzles. Well, this basically tickled my logic side. I have begun taking tips and items from the different solutions and using those to solve the puzzles. It's in these methods that I see how complex, challenging, and rewarding Suduko can be.

So now, I find myself playing Sudoku more than any other Palm OS game that I have on my PDAs. And now I am not so quick to judge a game just because it has mainstream appeal. Astraware Sudoku is an excellent game for beginner and advanced puzzle goers alike. If you know someone who especially likes to solve the puzzles in newspapers, Sudoku would be right up their alley. On a scale of 1 to 4, 4 being best, Sudoku gets a 4. It's a great game, and worth the time just to figure out how to count.

Purchase Info:
Sudoku can be downloaded from http://www.astraware.com/palm/sudoku/ and purchased for $9.95.