Nintendo DS

It's like Picross, but in 3D!

HIGH A fantastic sequel to a great puzzle game.

LOW The step-by-step progression to reach harder puzzles.

WTF That's supposed to be a horse!? Really!?

Game Description: Picross 3D is the single player sequel to the popular Picross DS puzzle game. The original game was a number-based grid puzzle that challenged players to reveal a hidden picture. Picross 3D ratchets up the challenge, moving the action into three dimensions. Blending the logical challenge of a sudoku puzzle with the excitement of discovering hidden images, Picross 3D is a must-have for any puzzle fan on the DS. Additional features include multiple categories of puzzle challenges and wireless functionality that allows puzzles to be shared both via the Internet and over a local Nintendo Wi-Fi connection.

Kids aside, the Wii is the console that has clearly been making the biggest push towards casual gamers. Wii Fit has sold like gangbusters, but it seems logical to assume that Nintendo would want to sell a few copies to casuals who might be inclined. With those two things in mind, the recent trend of Nintendo increasing the difficulty of their games seems to run counter to their strengths.

For me, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is a giant, growling contradiction in terms.

Every year I attend the behemoth celebration of digital entertainment and culture, and I just can't process the massive, public scale of this thing. The towering screens and throngs of people tell me that this is a business like any other—one that's loved by millions of people, and one that makes millions of dollars. Games are more popular and more prevalent than ever—without question. If that's the case, and it is, then it's ironic that it's always felt like such a solo endeavor for me over the years.

Yes, gaming is social and I've spent countless hours playing and discussing it with my friends and colleagues, but at the end of the day, games remain a lovely pastime that's processed by yours truly as the quest of a man alone. It's time spent by myself. If you rearrange the letters of "Quality Time" (and delete a few) you get "Quiet"... So, the loud, flashy marketing blitz that is the Electronics Entertainment Expo stands in the face of my lifetime of experience.

So, with these overwhelming feelings running through my head as a counterpoint to the throbbing crowds and masses of fans eager for their electrons, I submerge into the depths of E3 to bring you my news and impressions; the halting, limited coverage of a solo gamer set adrift on the convention center floor.

Enjoy.

That elusive, Sasquatch-like gargantuan has slipped into the woods once more. Yes, despite its immense size and broad scope, all three days of E3 managed to disappear without warning. Somehow, somehow, the darn beast got away from me with some of its treasures locked away; with some of its stones left unturned... Ah well, now that it's over, I've something to look forward to—next year's show.

No one wants to be outdone in life, so it would seem that keeping up with the Joneses will never go out of style.  A perfect example? The PlayStation Move. Since its announcement, the Move has never seemed more than a "me too" device to compete with Nintendo's massive Wii marketshare.  The official word, of course, has always been "Just you wait, Joe Gamer."  Well, now's its time to shine­—it’s time to put it all out on the line.

So, E3 2010's in full swing. It's been a pretty busy week so far and I haven't had time to watch the full press conferences given by the big three, but I hardly feel like I need to. With as much information coming down the twitter feed, I'm already perilously close to overload. I'm not going to comment too much since we are going to be recording a podcast this weekend focusing solely on the convention, but I did want to call out one thing: PlayStation Plus.

Every year I attend the behemoth celebration of digital entertainment and culture, and I just can't process the massive, public scale of this thing. The towering screens and throngs of people tell me that this is a business like any other—one that's loved by millions of people, and one that makes millions of dollars. Games are more popular and more prevalent than ever—without question. If that's the case, and it is, then it's ironic that it's always felt like such a solo endeavor for me over the years.