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One of the best around...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 33 / 35
Date: August 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Having tried a raft of sudoku games for the DS, I eagerly awaited Platinum Sudoku.

Not THE best, I think that still goes to Brain Age's Sudoku. But definitely hands down better than others I've tried. I'd give it a 4.5 if I could, but it's just short of the mark of being a 5.

The execution is nice and clean. There is a a choice between using handwriting recognition to fill in the answers (or jot in a note!) or you can use the number pad available to the right (my preference, as it's faster.)

There are other simple games which they call "challenges", as well as Kakuro. I am not a big fan of Kakuro, but it's a nice touch.

There are many customization options to choose from at the beginning. As you unlock levels, you are given backgrounds and other games to play.

One of the custom options is one I wish I could turn off. At the start of Platinum Sudoku, you're offered your choice of a male or female guide. You can turn off the coaching offered during the game, but as another reviewer stated, the "Awesome!" cheer at the end of a game is a little juvenile. My choice would have been to be able to choose no guide at all, but it's a small point.

I'm a little puzzled by the tutorials. For those just learning sudoku, the tutorial gives a good basis for solving puzzles. However, the "Lessons" portion seems to be locked until you solve a certain number of puzzles. I've finished quite a few puzzles so far, but they are still locked. Having lessons (like hints and tips on more complicated solving strategies) seems rather odd to me.

There is a multiplayer option, but unfortunately you need a second copy of the game, no game sharing.

All in all, I think it's a solid game module, and it's the one I'd recommend to all ages and levels.

Not Quite

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 22 / 22
Date: November 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The DS is potentially the ultimate platform for electronic Sudoku, but other than Brain Age past games have been abysmal. While Platinum Sudoku does get a lot of things right and adds features not present in Brain Age, it still has a somewhat clunky interface.

As it should be, the important action takes place on the touch screen. The top screen shows information like a game clock (a nice touch) and how many of a particular number you've gotten already. (I should mention that unlike Brain Age's "sideways" format, in Platinum Sudoku you hold the DS in its normal horizontal orientation.) You tap a square to select it. Good. However, you have to tap it again to write the number in. There is also a number pad mode, where you can tap a square to select it then tap the number to go in that square. I find this easier, but I still much prefer Brain Age's single-tap to write the number in.

The game does allow you to make small notations (important for more difficult puzzles); however, you have to tap an icon to switch to notation mode (or "draft mode" as they call it), then tap a square to highlight it, then write or tap the number to go in that square. When you want to write the final number in a square you have to click the icon again to get out of notation mode. I found it cumbersome to have to switch in and out of modes to make simple notations.

Most of the features (like fonts, music, background graphics, and the puzzles themselves) come with a few selectable options but have more that need to be "unlocked" to gain access by completing puzzles. This would be okay if it were just the puzzles that needed to be unlocked; however, it's annoying that you need to unlock interface elements too. I found the over-sized default font a little difficult to read, and when I tried to switch to a more legible font the one I wanted to use was locked.

There is audio in the form of sound effect and background music; however, I find the sound effects useless. For example, when you are handwriting a number there is an irritating "pencil scratch" sound. However, if you choose to tap the number instead there is no audio feedback at all! An audio cue to confirm I hit a number would have been nice. The background music is selectable and can be turned off. I actually liked a few of the choices, and thankfully the volume of the background music can be set independently of the sound effects.

The biggest advantage Platinum Sudoku has over Brain Age is the number of puzzles--20,000,000 for Platinum Sudoku vs. only about 100 for Brain Age. Platinum Sudoku has other features not included in Brain Age like hints, changeable graphic "skins," displaying possibilities in squares, highlighting rows, and more, almost all of which can be turned on or off or adjusted in the options screen. Most of these features are geared towards beginners, and did not appeal to me. (There is a convenient "Newspaper Mode" which turns off all of the hints at once.) Platinum Sudoku also includes Kakuro, although I don't play Kakuro and can't comment on it.

Platinum Sudoku is a huge improvement over previous DS Sudoku games, but still lacks the smooth interface of Brain Age. If you're a big fan of Sudoku and you've exhausted the puzzles in Brain Age then Platinum Sudoku is probably worth the purchase for the huge number of included puzzles. Novices might also like Platinum Sudoku for the beginner's tips and options. For me I'll probably stick to Brain Age and Sudoku books, and keep hoping that Nintendo will release a serious Sudoku game with the core Brain Age interface.

I like this one - but has a few tweaks

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 14
Date: August 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a good Sudoku and Kakuro game. It follows the main Kakuro rule where there is only one logical solution. The part I really think is kind of un-necessary is the image of the boy or girl saying "that was awesome" when you complete a puzzle. The OCR needs a bit of tweaking as it doesn't always recognize when you write a number. Overall, I think it's a keeper.

Overall the best Sudoku package

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: March 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Many reviewers give top nods to Brain Age sudoku, with this package coming in second. I'd have to disagree. This offers many features that I think bring it far above Brain Age.

1) Holding game unit like normal. I find the position change for Brain Age to be annoying. Especially when you could work on an advanced Sudoku Puzzle for a protracted amount of time.

2) "number pad" available for entry. You can write in (like BA) or select from a number pad. I find the number pad faster, so I really like this option. Also, it's much easier to do 'pencil' marks than in Brain Age. In BA you have to write small. And if you don't write small enough, you do it over.

3) Lots of display options. For someone who plays a lot of Sudoku it's nice to be able to customize the environment so it's easy on the eyes and has the level of 'hints' you want. For instance you can operate in newspaper mode, which shows you nothing. On easy level, you can have it show all possible solutions, which cell is easiest to solve and so on. The default for all levels is to show the number in purple if your answer is possible and red if your number isn't possible with the current entries. There're also various number fonts available, which is nice so you can find one that's easy for you to read.

4) You CAN do one-touch write entries. Other reviewers stated you can't just touch a cell and write. That is inaccurate, but there's a specific way it has to be done. If you touch a cell and lift the stylus, you can then either touch it again for a blow-up of the cell to write (like BA), or you can enter with the number pad. However, if when you first touch the cell, you start to write your number, it will automatically pop up the cell just like in BA. In BA you touch a cell to get the enlarged cell, then you write. In Platinum Sudoku, touch the cell and immediately begin writing and the cell will enlarge.

5) The lessons are great. One downside is you'll have to play a certain number of puzzles before you unlock the really good lessons.

6) Kakuro included is nice. The easy Kakuro are insanely easy, so good for a beginner

7) Bonus games. There are some bonus games that are quite enjoyable. There's a mini minesweeper game, an old-fashioned shuffle puzzle, pair match logic problem and so on. A fun diversion when the puzzles are getting tedious. There's a game called subtract that can be a serious mind bender. Unfortunately, most of the games are 'unlocked' after you play enough of the sample puzzles.

The down sides, and the reason why I didn't give it 5 stars:

1) As others have mentioned, the coaches are annoying and you can't get rid of them.

2) Character recognition is not as good as BA. I had to change the way I write my 4's & 7s to get them to register correctly. Having to be more precise in the writing is why I find the number pad entry faster.

3) Time clock disappears when you complete the game. That really irritates me. When I complete a puzzle, the first thing I want to know is how long it took me. But the minute you put in the last number the 'coach' covers the screen telling you how wonderful you did. You can find the final time by clicking on the puzzle from the menu, but I think not showing the time when you complete the puzzle is a design flaw.

4) The whole game is driven on unlockables. It gets annoying. It talks about 20 million puzzles, but you have to complete all 100+ sample easy puzzles to unlock the 5 million possible easy puzzles, and so on with medium, hard and pro. You can't even play Pro until you complete all the hard sample puzzles (around 100).

One of the things I wanted this game for was Sudoku X, which you can't get until you play the 100 Pro puzzles, which you can't get until you complete the 100 easy, 100 medium and 100 hard. That really upset me. I paid for the game and shouldn't have to complete more than 500 puzzles to play one of the advertised 'features'.

5) There are a few things about the game that are not intuitive and you have to consult the booklet. For instance, how to do the one-touch write-in method I mentioned above. Or how to save your game. Little things that are annoying as you play.

6) Puzzle ratings are sometimes way off. Some of the 'easy' puzzles are brain bendingly hard, while there are some 'hard' puzzles that you can complete in under 5 minutes.

7) Pro level is designed BADLY. Once you get to pro level, you're given 3 lives to complete the puzzle. The idea is you make a mistake, you lose a life and try again. 3 mistakes, game over. The problem comes with what qualifies as a 'mistake.' It's not whether or not your solution is correct, it's whether or not you make one contradictory entry. Not even a wrong entry. Just doesn't fit with the puzzle. For instance, if you accidentally put in a 2 instead of a 5 and don't notice, then in another grid you put in a 2 that is correct for the puzzle, but doesn't fit with your erroneous 2 from before, you lose a life. The answer you put in may be right, but since it contradicts your current solution, you're down a life. This happens to me all the time when I accidentally tap the wrong number or it recognizes the wrong written number. I mean to tap the 7 and hit the 4 and lose a life. I write in a 7 and it recognizes a 2 and I lose a life. It's so badly designed I'd almost take another star off for it.

Overall, if you're a serious sudoku player, this is a much better choice than brain age. More puzzles, better playing environment, nice tutorials, etc. It's offset like any game with some annoyances, but overall is the best package out there.

However, if you're only interested in seriously advanced puzzles, the poor design in the Pro level may make you consider another product.

for a beginner.. versus brain age

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: January 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I just started playing Sudoku a couple weeks back on the Brain Age 2 cart and I enjoyed playing through a few of the "easy" puzzles and learning the game. I decided to go ahead and get a dedicated Sudoku game so I picked this one up. I was a little frustrated by the fact that the "easy" beginner puzzles on Platinum Sudoku seem MUCH harder than the "easy" puzzles on Brain Age. Just to prove to myself that I wasn't crazy, I fired up the Brain Age version and was able to solve an "easy" puzzle in about 20ish minutes where an "easy" puzzle on this cart can easily take me an hour.

I realize that I am pretty much a Sudoku newbie, so this won't apply to everyone. It would have been really nice for the developers of this game to leave the lessons in the game unlocked so we newbies could get a few hints before we're made to feel like buffoons :)

Frustrating and Too Fluffy

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: March 18, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have been a Sudoku fan for about 3 years now. I do well at solving the "difficult" and "fiendish" puzzles in the New York Post Sudoku books (in my opinion are the best Sudoku books out there). I thought I'd divert from these puzzles and try a shot at Platinum Sudoku after reading some of the reviews.

So far I've spent about 3-4 hours playing and have only solved 10 puzzles. The puzzles are frustrating and challenging. The "Easy" mode is not that easy, and I've barely scratched the surface on "Medium" mode. The numbers in "draft" mode (for guessing numbers)is so small that you have to get out your reading glasses to see what you've marked. Also, the default font is incredibly hard to read and to get used to. Unless you unlock some new fonts by completing several puzzles, there's really not a good font to select. That alone makes the puzzles difficult to complete. One of the things I have to agree with many other reviewers is the stupid girl and guy that supposedly pumps you up and makes you feel like you've accomplished something after completing a puzzle. Give me a break! It would have been nice to have the option to turn this feature off, similar to the music option.

The graphics are okay, but that's not what a good Sudoku puzzle is all about.

All in all, this game will be on my "used games to sell" list. My friend has "Ultimate Puzzle Games-Sudoku Edition" and this beats out Platinum Sudoku by far. I'm also sticking to the old school version of paper and pencil with a real eraser!!

Top Notch Portable Gaming Entertainment

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 9
Date: October 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Wonderful gameplay, incredible puzzles, and fun. Just perfect for your portable gaming fix. Buy it today. Recommended!

MC White says: Check it out!!!

Not as good as I had hoped

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 08, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The number of relatively easy games is pretty low. The use of this product is not very straight-forward, and it seems to be missing some of the features that a less expensive dedicated hand-held suduko game includes.
What I was hoping for, was a large selection of games at each level of ability, with the option of assistance. That isn't what I got.

Unlockable!!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 11, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I really like doing Sudoku. This game really isn't hard to adapt to, but there are some flaws. The cheerleader is a pest. The handwriting recognizer sometimes doesn't work, especially for 4,5, and 7. The last problem I have with the game is the "locked features." I can't ever go fast enough to unlock the mini-games. Occasionally, when you complete a Sudoku puzzle, you will be allowed to sample a mini-game. It seems that you have to beat the timed mini-game once to unlock it. I can't, so no mini-games for me. Did I mention that reading the instructions for the games is on the timer?

Endless puzzles

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I really like this game. Sure, we could do without the "coach", but I just ignore them. I mainly play the sudoku puzzles. Even when you finish the levels, there is another section with endless amounts of puzzles from each level. I don't think I will ever finish them all! So, I will never get tired of this game.

I also have both Brain Ages, but I don't like writing the numbers. And I don't like the zooming in and out on Brain Age. This game, you can use buttons instead of writing. I find it is faster because it doesn't know what I am trying to write half the time. There are also options like all the possible numbers for each square automatically, but I think that is only for the Easy level. You can also do newspaper mode and turn all the hints and extras off. I think even without newspaper mode you have the option to turn hints off.

There is also a solver area where you can put in numbers and it will give you a solution. I've been tempted to use it with one of the game's own puzzles, but haven't yet. You can also make your own grid, but I am not sure how that works.

There are also mini games, but I don't really play those as much. I think the kakuro options are the same as the sudoku ones, but I don't really play that game either.

There is also a tips section, but you have to unlock those. That seems kind of backwards to me.

I recommend if this game if you just want a ton of sudoku puzzles and are not picky about the extras. You do have to finish the Easy level to get to medium and so forth. I think there are 5 levels. I forget the ones after Hard.

ETA: After the Hard level there is Pro (you have 3 lives and lose a life with every wrong answer) and Sudoku-X. I have never tried Sudoku-X and would like to, but I have to pass the Pro level (already passed Easy-Hard). That is the only thing I do not like about this game. You have to unlock the levels. It would make more sense to unlock everything at least after finishing Hard.

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