Is It Super, Or Just Sudoku?

It seems like someone is always releasing a new version of Sudoku. The problem however, as I’ve mentioned before, is that Sudoku is Sudoku. The rules are set in stone and if you change them the game would no longer truly be Sudoku. So how does one version of Sudoku shine compared to another? The difference is in the interface, and unfortunately for Dvide Arts, their minimalist approach to an interface really detracts from what would otherwise be a decent implementation of Sudoku.

For the uninitiated, you can check out the basics of Sudoku here: Sudoku on Wikipedia. I’d rather concentrate on what separates this version of Sudoku from the myriad of other choices out there. The sad reality is that Super Mega Sudoku actually lacks many of the features that make Sudoku an enjoyable experience on electronic devices. Most versions of Sudoku that I have played have two options for marking squares. One is what I’d call a “notational” mode, which lets you enter several numbers at the same time in a given square. These numbers are simply your deductive guesses as to which number goes in that square. Then there is the answer mode, which is where you put the number that you’ve decided actually does belong in that square. Unfortunately, Super Mega Sudoku has no notational mode, which really makes the difficult levels unnecessarily more challenging. The nice thing about most implementations of notational mode is that it is optional, so it doesn’t affect those who want a “true” challenge.
 

The other major interface flaw – in my opinion – is in how you select the numbers. There are basically two variations on this theme. The first has you select a square and then pick the number for that square from a row of numbers at the top or bottom of the screen. The second variant pops up a floating number pad around the square that you’ve selected. The problem with the first method is that it really disrupts the flow of the game play, and this is the method Super Mega Sudoku has chosen to use. To date I think my least favorite variants of the Sudoku interface have all used this method of selecting numbers. It just doesn’t feel natural to me.

There are three types of gameplay in Super Mega Sudoku: Classic, Battle and Challenge. Classic is your standard “solve the puzzle while we keep track of the time” mode. On the lower difficulties this mode is fine as long as you can put up with the interface, but on the difficult settings I have a major gripe with Classic mode. Once you complete the puzzle the game will tell you well done or how many you’ve gotten wrong. If you get any wrong, however, the game doesn’t actually tell you which ones are wrong. After spending 40 minutes to complete a puzzle the first time around, I’m not really in the mood to try and rethink it all to determine which squares are wrong.

In Challenge mode there is no time limit, but you do have a life line. For every wrong answer you give your life line goes down, and when it runs out your game is over. The plus side of this mode is that you get immediate feedback as to whether or not the answers you picked were right. The only down side is that the check marks for correct answers and x marks for wrong answers – along with accompanying sound effects – get kind of annoying after a while.

Finally we have the one redeeming game play element: Battle mode. In this mode you actually play against the computer on the same board. You simply have to get more squares filled in than your opponent to win. The one thing that gets me about this mode is that every time the opponent fills in a square, an image of your opponent pops up on the screen – along with an almost immediately annoying laugh. Despite this little aesthetic flaw, this is by far the most entertaining mode of the three available, and the only one I don’t recall having seen in any other portable versions of Sudoku. Some way to play this mode against a human opponent would have been excellent, but it’s still the highlight of Super Mega Sudoku.
 

Graphically there’s not a whole lot you can do with a grid full of numbers. Like many Sudoku variants, Super Mega Sudoku provides the user the ability to select different skins for the board. This changes everything from the background to the font used for the numbers. There’s even a skin that changes the numbers into dominos. Some of the skins aren’t too bad, and a couple even have bits of animation, like falling snowflakes or fish swimming in the background. The problem with most of the skins, however, is that there is no clear definition between the nine main boxes and the nine sub-boxes in each main box. This makes it relatively easy at times to loose your place. The images of the old man and the girl are well done, but don’t really serve much of a purpose in the game.

The sound effects didn’t really work for me, and unfortunately the ones that are played with the most frequency also tend to be the most grating. I enjoyed the music, which was actually reminiscent of the background score from Animals Of Mass Destruction. Sadly, the music didn’t play during the game itself.

For me, Sudoku is one of the most intriguing puzzle games I’ve run across in many years. The reality, however, is that we really don’t need “just another interface” in this genre. Battle mode was a welcome addition to the standard game play, but the interface was too weak compared to many of the contenders. If you don’t already have a Sudoku that you love, Super Mega Sudoku might be worth a try. Otherwise, I don’t think this one is going to convince you to switch.

Final Score: 5/10