Nintendo has released many games for
the DS under a campaign to advertise to older or unfamiliar gamers called Touch
Generations. Many games under that title have included the popular Brain Age
series, True Swing Golf, and, most recently, Crosswords, a title that will be as
familiar to most adults as picking up the Sunday newspaper.
Word nerds are going to be losing a
lot of sleep, with this one. On top of featuring 1,000 crossword puzzles to
choose from in varying difficulty, Crosswords gives players access to other
popular word games, like Word Search and Anagrams. The game also features
handwriting recognition, so unfamiliar players will have no problem figuring out
the controls. While the recognition is only occasionally spotty, it will
recognize both lower and capitalized letters which makes playing extremely
intuitive. Nintendo has streamlined all the confusing menus, as well. So if
you’re the kind of person scared to do a hard crossword puzzle in ink, don’t
worry – there’s always the erase button!
The crossword puzzles start as
simple as just a 4×4 box but can become as complex as any newspaper puzzle. Players can also get hints, too, in the form of alternative descriptions or even
free letters. Of course, those hints don’t come without a cost. Using them
subtracts from the score at the end, which is a letter-based rating. In Wordsearch, players can also pick puzzles from an extensive database of
categories. This game also features an intuitive mechanic, allowing players to
merely draw a line over the word and highlight the letters they find. Anagrams
is also a fun mode for word nerds. Players can pick from varying difficulties
and then assemble all the possible words out of the letters given. The
interface for shuffling and moving letters is also very intuitive. All of the
games are conveniently saved (although it will only save one game for each
mode), which makes it easy, if you’re on the road, to shut down your DS and pick
up later.
The downside of Crosswords is that
the game is ultimately only a barebones package. While it does run at a bargain
price of $20, many DS owners might get tired of it more quickly than they
expected. If you love crossword puzzles, however, you won’t get bored, because
there are 1,000 of them to keep you busy. Where Nintendo really missed the boat,
however, is by not including competitive play in Crosswords. There is no
multiplayer or wi-fi feature in Crosswords, so players don’t have to worry about
“beating” any record or person. While I believe that this is a huge missed
opportunity for Crosswords, I also understand that Nintendo wants to open doors
to new players, and not scare them away with extra confusing menus. However, I
believe the game could have incorporated a simple wireless multiplayer so Dads
could compete with their daughters on a timed crossword or anagram – and have
fun with it, not ruthless competition! There’s rarely ever a justified reason in
cutting functionality. All in all, Crosswords is a very good game for the DS and
it is priced just right. A sequel could use some multiplayer and possibly
“create-a-puzzle” modes, however, to beef up what otherwise is a solid game.
Review Scoring Details for Crosswords |
Gameplay: 8.5
Writing in letters for crossword puzzles works incredibly well. Similarly, Wordsearch and Anagrams feature simple and intuitive controls.
Graphics: 6.0
A clean, minimal presentation without much going on.
Sound: 6.5
You don’t need epic sound-scapes for working crossword puzzles. Laid back, easy
listening tunes will do the trick.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.5
The goal of this was simple and achieved magnificently. More games should follow
suit.
Overall: 7.5
Nintendo had its market clearly defined with this offering, and while it’s an
extremely barebones game, it does everything it sets out to do very well.
