It's the same classic Picross we've come to love, except it's in 3D!

The name “Picross” is a combination of the words “picture” and “crossword,” and that’s exactly what Picross is all about. In the original Picross DS, you used numeric clues on the rows and columns to determine “active” and “inactive” squares in a large grid, and if done correctly an image hidden within that grid would be revealed. Though it may not sound all that appealing, those who gave it a try found an extremely simple and addictive concept.

Now Nintendo has scrapped the 2D design of Picross DS in favor of a more modern approach for their latest DS offering, Rittai Picross. Just recently released in Japan, Rittai Picross - referred to as 3D Picross from now on - proves that even though the leap from 2D to 3D may have changed the design of the game, it’s still the same old Picross we’ve come to love.

3D Picross still plays very much like it would 2D, but there’s one huge difference: the image hides within a cluster of three-dimensional cubes. Besides that though, the concept remains the same. Inscribed on the edge of certain cubes are numbers that correspond to the row of the face it’s written on. If there’s a number that’s larger than one written on the cube, that indicates that there are that many active cubes clustered together in that particular row or column. If the number has a circle around it, there are that many active cubes in the row – the difference is that the cluster is separated by inactive cubes. And finally if there’s a zero, then there are no active cubes and you can simply shatter them, removing them from the playing field.

Using your trusty stylus, playing 3D Picross is a breeze. You can rotate the cluster of cubes along one of its axes in order to reveal all of its sides, and you can temporarily “paint” cubes you think are active by holding right on the D-pad whilst touching the cubes. Once you want to start removing cubes from the playing field just simply hold up and give the block a quick tap. Be warned though, by tapping on a block that’s not supposed to be removed from the cluster, the game will slap you with a time penalty.

After finally removing all the inactive cubes from the playing field, the clock stops and your image is revealed. Pictures can be anything from a chair to an animal to a letter, and each completed image image will be put in your collection for future viewing.

Depending on how quickly you complete each puzzle, and whether or not you incurred any penalties, you will be rewarded with up to three stars, which will go towards unlocking bonus puzzles. In addition to tutorials and standard puzzles, you will occasionally be presented with either a "Time Challenge", which imposes different time constraints on your puzzle-solving, or a "No Miss Challenge", where you may not make a single mistake.

While some of that information may just fly right over your head, 3D Picross has plenty of tutorials before and in between levels, so veterans and newcomers alike will soon get up to speed with the techniques needed to solve the three-dimensional puzzles.

From a visual standpoint, 3D Picross is very vibrant and very eye catchy. While playing, there are plenty of animations occurring on the upper screen and the backgrounds on the lower screen really brighten up the game. Accompanying the upbeat and cheerful visuals is a robust soundtrack full of plenty of catchy tunes.

Despite its transition in 3D, Rittai Picross is, at heart, the same addictive experience we’ve come to love. Everything about the game is done fantastically, and the wide variety of puzzles and options further extend its replay value. From the moment you pick up the game, you’ll be hooked for months on end. The charm and appeal of past versions of the game can still be found here, and that’s why Rittai Picross is the definitive version of the game - it takes everything we’ve come to love from the series and turns it all into 3D. Both newcomers and veteran players alike will find Rittai Picross highly entertaining, and even if you’ve mastered past games, there’s still plenty of fun to be had.

Rittai Picross is also the perfect pick-up-and-play game for handheld gamers. Each puzzle only takes a couple of minutes to complete, and due to the simplicity, there shouldn’t be any confusion at all while playing. Whether you want to play for a couple of minutes or an hour, Rittai Picross proves to be the ideal game to pass time. It’s addictive, fun, and above all, simple.

Though some gamers are annoyed with Nintendo’s decision to take the Picross series into the third dimension, the end result is absolutely amazing. Even with the transition, 3D Picross maintains all the enjoyment and addictiveness of its 2D counterpart while still making it feel like a brand new experience. While it remains to be seen whether or not the game will make it overseas, the lack of language barrier means anyone who fancies a spot of cubic puzzle fun can import this one with complete confidence.