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Sudoku Gridmaster

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5.3 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 14 critic reviews
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Based on 3 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Hudson Soft

Genre(s): Puzzle

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: June 26, 2006

Summary

Sudoku Gridmaster uses intuitive Touch Screen controls that make solving the puzzles faster and easier. Simply touch the square you want to fill in, then touch your answer on the number pad. You can also choose to forgo the number pad and write your answer directly on the Touch Screen. Sudoku Gridmaster has plenty of helpful gameplay features to help you solve even the most complicated puzzles. Beginners will love the four in-depth tutorials that can be accessed at any time—even in the middle of a game. Experts will appreciate the ability to highlight entire rows and columns with a single touch. And everyone will wonder how they survived without the ability to highlight all instances of the same number at once. The game features puzzles in four difficulty settings (practice, easy, normal, and hard), and also has a fun unlockable system where you earn stars by performing well. If you gain enough stars, you'll be able to take a test and prove your skills. Pass the test to win a special award and open up even more puzzles. [Nintendo]

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Times Online

It’s good, simple and highly addictive, though if you have a pen and a copy of The Times, it may be surplus to requirements.

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Digital Entertainment News

Sudoku Gridmaster is, in a way, both the best and the worst sudoku videogame on the market. It provides the best straightforward, “I just want to play” game of sudoku out there, but at the same time, it’s severely lacking in the options department.

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WHAM! Gaming

This game has everything a Sudoku enthusiast could possibly want – namely, hundreds upon hundreds of puzzles ranging in difficulty from quite easy, to frustratingly difficult.

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AceGamez

It's unfortunate that the handwriting recognition portion of the touch-screen controls is largely broken (thank goodness it's optional!) and the presentation is as bland as can be, featuring only three generic background color choices and music tracks each, but even so, Sudoku Gridmaster offers a ton of content and just enough addictive gameplay to make any sudoku fan smile with glee.

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GameSpot

With a fairly drab presentation and a subpar interface, Sudoku Gridmaster is a pretty weak package.

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NintendoWorldReport

If 400 puzzles sounds like more Sudoku than you could ever want, much less need, I highly recommend Nintendo's own "Brain Age" as a superior alternative. It includes only 100 puzzles, but the interface is significantly better, and you get all the Brain Age stuff in addition to Sudoku, which is really just a side offering in that game.

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eToychest

With "Brain Age" on the market already, which offers not only a large selection of puzzles, but also more variety of compelling content, there simply is nothing that makes Sudoku Gridmaster stand out as a worthwhile purchase.

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GamerFeed

The game has poor touch screen recognition (as in when I write 2 the game thinks it's 8) and the presentation is drier than Death Valley.

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GameSpy

The package isn't incredibly fancy, but Sudoku Gridmaster offers an easy way for the uninitiated to learn the ways of Sudoku.

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Deeko

If you absolutely must have a Sudoku game for your Nintendo DS, I'd recommend buying a copy of "Brain Age," even if it only contains one hundred puzzles. Sudoku Gridmaster is a decent game, but its problems outweigh any positives it offers.

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Modojo

There's no denying that Sudoku Gridmaster is a somewhat boring release, but its very clear in what it is and what it is attempting to accomplish, and I feel it accomplishes it quite well. I think it's a better Sudoku experience than what's included in "Brain Age", but that probably only really matters to those that are really into the puzzle.

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Nintendojo

Even with a budget price, Gridmaster falls short of delivering basic expectations that sudokuholics (and even novice players) have for an electronic game of numbered crosswords.

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IGN

Sudoku Gridmaster can't even figure a creative way of using the second screen, other than duplicating the same exact grid that's interactive on the touch screen.

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Games Radar (in-house)

If you've already completed every sudoku puzzle in "Brain Age" and you just can't get enough, Gridmaster is definitely easy on the wallet. But it should be your second (or even third) choice for a portable sudoku fix.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 5.3 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Merle P. gave it a4:
Yes there are lots of puzzles, and since I completed ALL the puzzles in Brain Age, I was looking for something more. This is definitely NOT it. The interface is poor, the handwriting does not recognize certain numbers easily, it does not have a left-handed option, and since it only uses one screen, it is hard to read. The way you enter clues is terrible, and if you have entered any, when you add the actual number, it does not automatically erase the clues. I hope Brain Age brings out another extended version.

The Dude gave it a7:
If all you want is a solidly designed electronic Sudoku with hundreds of puzzles then Sudoku Gridmaster is the game you're looking for. The interface is attractively designed and intuitive, and the number entry is a snap whether you use the handwriting recognition feature or tapping your selection on a number pad (my preferred method of entry). What keeps this game in the "7" range is the lack of bells and whistles, namely, a verticle play mode would have been nice, as would the ability to enter your own puzzles, but with 400 puzzles included, the latter isn't really much of a problem. Bottom line: This is a well designed game of electronic Sudoku, but that's *all* it is; however, if that's all you want then I recommend Sudoku Gridmaster without reservation.

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