Sudoku Gridmaster

It sometimes pays to be wary of claims that something is taking the world by storm. If you're not careful, you might end up reading the Da Vinci Code or going on the Atkins Diet and being left, after the fact, wondering what all the fuss was about.

There was a little of this in my first encounter with Sudoku, which was by the old pen and paper method. "Do you do Sudoku?" was a question I'd heard various work colleagues asking as they handed their newspapers across to someone else for help, and I wanted a piece of the action. As it turned out, action wasn't exactly Sudoku's strong suit. That said, the simple premise, portability and accessibility of this little puzzle game has got millions interested. It might not be as exciting as strip poker, but you can play it on the bus without getting kicked off, and there's no arguing with its popularity. With this in mind, there have been a few versions produced for the information age.

The most recent for Nintendo DS is Sudoku Gridmaster, featuring over 400 puzzles by the original Japanese publishers of the game, Nikoli. Now, taking something like Sudoku and turning it into a video game presents the developers with certain challenges and responsibilities. One of these, of course, is improving on the original. If the developer can't make Sudoku better on the DS than it is when it's in the paper or a book, then what's the point? All you have is a more expensive old hat. In the case of Sudoku Gridmaster, the game under performs in almost every area where it may have excelled over its less flashy cousin.

In Sudoku you're presented with a 9x9 grid. The numbers 1 through 9 fit in each of the rows, columns and within nine 3x3 areas outlined in bold on the grid. Each number must only appear once in each row, column or 3x3 grid. Each puzzle gives a certain amount of numbers to start and it's up to you to fill in the rest. Easy? Not so much. Naturally, the easier puzzles in the game have more numbers to kick you off, the harder ones less. And, in the practice mode on your DS, in addition to being easy-peasy, the squares will light up when you input the wrong number. So, Sudoku Gridmaster has been packed with levels for pros and novices alike - but it's not enough.

Two areas where Sudoku Gridmaster might have shown off are the graphics and the sounds - but it fails on both scores. Everything looks simple and clean; it works fine, but there is nothing special going on. Perhaps this is supposed to appeal to the mathematically minded? The music is boring, but not boring enough to keep from being intrusive. You get a whopping three tracks to choose from, and you have to pick at least one - there is no option to turn it off, unless you wish to turn your volume right down and eclipse any kind of sound altogether. Even then, there isn't much to miss.

The control is very basic - point here, point there - and includes a multi-tap interface as well an option to write the numbers in freehand instead of picking them from a panel. This isn't a time saver, and I'm not sure it was intended as one. It seems, more than anything, a tacked on nod to the DS; something to prove they knew they were producing a game for a unique system. There are a few other bells and whistles, such as the ability to highlight all of the squares containing a particular number at once. These are all largely unremarkable, with one exception.

While completing your puzzle, you can take advantage of the Temp Numbers Panel. This allows you to divide a square into quarters and place four possible numbers inside, ready for you to delete them as you near your answer by process of elimination. A simple point/tap system allows you to knock the numbers off and there's nary a rubber-shaving to be found when all's done. That's technology for you.

Is this a good purchase for lovers of Sudoku? Sure. 400 puzzles makes for a fat book, so Sudoku Gridmaster is at least practical. There are also unlockable puzzles to quest for, perhaps extending the overall life of the game. The sad fact is, however, is that there isn't enough to push someone who's less familiar with Sudoku into buying. While it's a good system to learn on, complete with tutorials, the Nintendo DS is just meant for grander things, and one can't escape the idea that Sudoku Gridmaster simply doesn't try hard enough.