Slitherlink (NDS)

[Jonster]

I remember something about this popping up before, but isn't there a website where we can play aload of picross puzzles online?

I could do something to pass the last hour at work by!

www.griddlers.net

Was so hooked on this while I was supposed ot be doing uni work.

[MW_Jimmy]

Toggle Upper screen between overview, and useful hints that you can page through with R

Toggle Whether "Wrong" Numbers are highlighted in red

Show Options: Press B to return to game or Y to quicksave. It will automatically save when you complete a level, but this lets you resume a level part way through (or you can close the lid and make your DS hibernate).

I usually leave it on "draw line", and double click when I need a cross. You can also use the dpad.

The first thing I always do when starting a new puzzle is hit that second button on the touchscreen to turn the values red, and work through the zero values and then 3 values respectively.

Im suprised in Slitherlink in that:

1) The touchscreen interface is largely useless. The d-pad + direction make the ideal input method much like Chu Chu Rocket.

2) It's far more addictive than I imagined it might be.

To say I've played it a lot it prehaps an understatement. I do wonder which menu you go into to "spend" those stars though. I think Ill wait until somebody gives instructions in english until I attempt it.

[therev]

1) The touchscreen interface is largely useless. The d-pad + direction make the ideal input method much like Chu Chu Rocket.

I think the touchscreen's great, but I didn't until I recalibrated it.

[Flappy Tengoku]

I do wonder which menu you go into to "spend" those stars though. I think Ill wait until somebody gives instructions in english until I attempt it.

You don't. They automatically unlock later puzzles when you've accumulated set amounts.

[Joyrex-J9]

There's an irritating tutorial which my wife found a bit baffling to get through at first, but it turns out you can skip it altogether.

Here's my full set of instructions to get you going. It's really playable for a non-Japanese speaker, so I hope nobody is put off by Joyreux's post.

Thanks!

I've got into the game now, it's really nice. A good way to waste a few mins on the train...

[Halo]

A nice version called Loopy here:

http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/

Cheers for that link. 'tis awesome but I'm too cheap to buy a DS

[Joyrex-J9]

Arrrgh it's like crack!

This DS version is better than the PDA and PC freebie versions - as these both rely on randomly generated puzzles which veer from too easy to too hard, and don't "flow" as well.

[Rudderless]

I still don't think it's quite as good as Illust Logic. But it is mercilessly addictive.

[frumious]

Blimey thats a brilliant little collection of games and puzzles, and the version of slitherlink is brilliant as it has a "solve" option to show me where I was going wrong. Top stuff.

Boo hoo, I linked it first, where's the respect of my peers?

[___]

I've spent quite a lot of time playing the version on this page (which, by the way, has simple yet complete versions of pretty much every puzzle type ever, all written using some standard portable front-end), made by an acquaintance of mine:

http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/

Gadzooks, that's **FiRE**.

peerRespect++;

I want this for the bus - order placed with Play Asia.

[Pistol]

It's a bit good this Slitherlink lark innit! I wish I'd come across Graham's mini-guide sooner mind, my first five goes on the game were spent trying to figure out how to complete the tutorial

Once I'd finally got through it I rattled off ten on the trot. Ace game.

There's an irritating tutorial which my wife found a bit baffling to get through at first, but it turns out you can skip it altogether.

Here's my full set of instructions to get you going. It's really playable for a non-Japanese speaker, so I hope nobody is put off by Joyreux's post.

First thing you get is choice of two buttons: these are the two save slots.

Choose the left one, and you get a text entry screen to enter your name. Pick your favourite Japanese characters.

Once that's entered, "OK" is the leftmost button at the bottom.

You get a dialog: choose option A

Then choose the top button to play a game.

You then get a choice of diffculty levels, the top one is the place to start.

It starts a one-time only tutorial. Skip through the first set of instructions with R.

Once the tutorial begins you can skip it entirely by pressing Start.

Once you're playing,

the buttons on the bottom screen (most of which are labelled with clear icons, not Japanese) are:

Draw Line

Draw Dotted Line

Draw Crosses

Eraser

Toggle Upper screen between overview, and useful hints that you can page through with R

Toggle Whether "Wrong" Numbers are highlighted in red

Show Options: The top option quits the grid, useful if you arse it up and want to start over. Press B to return to game or Y to quicksave. It will automatically save when you complete a level, but this lets you resume a level part way through (or you can close the lid and make your DS hibernate).

I usually leave it on "draw line", and double click when I need a cross. You can also use the dpad.

[cantonarv]

You can get Nikoli's Slitherlink books from Eat Japan for £4 each, with each one having about 100 puzzles in. Whether you want to play the game on paper is another matter.

I dont think thats a good comparison.

I can buy a pack of cards for $2 or a Solitaire game for $30 - so what would be better value?

The version of solitaire i have on my phone is perfect in what it does does that mean its a 10/10?

[Massive Invisible Dog]

I dont think thats a good comparison.

I can buy a pack of cards for $2 or a Solitaire game for $30 - so what would be better value?

The version of solitaire i have on my phone is perfect in what it does does that mean its a 10/10?

Yeah. This isn't Solitaire.

[cantonarv]

Yeah. This isn't Solitaire.

Are you sure?

[ThePixelbarks]

www.griddlers.net

Was so hooked on this while I was supposed ot be doing uni work.

You star! ... Gah, doesn't work at work >.<

To the people who bought it, where's the best place to buy slitherlink and get a fairly quick delivery?

[pauc]

If your not a member of Yesasia you can use the coupon SA3OFF to get a few benjamins off, with the free delivery comes to thirteen notes.

Mind you because of the free delivery it'll take a while, but you could upgrade your delivery option if you fancy it.

Otherwise, playasia?

[Chuck the Plant]

Got this now a week or so back. And although I was playing Phoenix Wright 1 and Kirby, it hasn't left my DS slot since.

Marvelous stuff:

The way you think that you got all the logical red lines ticked, and there's lots of open spaces left, but your stuck.

And then you find one cross or red line you overlooked, or can deduce by following it's effect. And slowly you can make your way from one cluster to another.

In the Eurogamer review, the reviewer was talking about giving gender and character to each number. I look at more like a map (Advance wars style), where you slowly uncover areas from the fog of war. Maybe it's the green background.

Oh, I prefer to play it in overview mode (press 'select' and then 'left shoulder button'), with d-pad and abxy. This goes way faster then just stylus, where I often miss the lines or have to correct a faulty line.

I'm just halfway through 10x10; I haven't dared to look at the 17(18?)x10, or the even bigger ones. 'Completion' now already feels really satisfying, and that's just for the 10+ minutes. It's slowly taking over my life.....

I'm afraid to buy Puzzle Quest now.

[Meatball]

It's bloody addictive aint it. I've always loved trying to excercise my measly grey matter working out puzzly stuff and i'm loving this.

I'm currently struggling with Level 11 of the 10x10's however. Taken me 1hr 40mins so far I've got all the numbers covered and just have to join the ends of the loop. Doing this as the loop is at the moment puts lines on two sides of a 1 though. Stupid game

I've had a try of the No.6 Picross game too, wich also seems to be getting good feedback here, but haven't managed to figure it out yet. I'll keep trying.

Please do a tutorial for that too Graham_S

[Graham S]

I've had a try of the No.6 Picross game too, wich also seems to be getting good feedback here, but haven't managed to figure it out yet. I'll keep trying.

Please do a tutorial for that too Graham_S

It might have to wait, as Slitherlink still has me hooked and I'm now onto some big grids. It's so pleasing, chipping away at the grid, obeying all the constraints. Every so often you figure out a new basic trick to add to your repertoire. You don't have to remember some long chain of reasoning to make progress, you can always concentrate on a manageable section. You don't have to guess. And then suddenly your line breaks out, slithers around a whole long section between the islands of "0"'s and "X"'s and you get a satisfying rainbow animation, a Completed! sign, a good time, and a load of stars.

Frustrating when you jump to an incorrect conclusion and a long way down the line you find out you've drawn a duff line. I usually can't recover and have to start again, which makes me cautious and plodding the next time around.

[Chuck the Plant]

Every so often you figure out a new basic trick to add to your repertoire.

I love it how they've slowly build this up (if you complete the puzzles in order). First you start with the basic skills, but then they introduce a 3 or or a 1,1,2 in the corner. And in the next puzzle you immediatley spot them and fill in the x's and/or the -'s.

...and a load of stars.

Are they functional in any way? Or are they just there to show off your effort.

[Hitcher]

Are they functional in any way? Or are they just there to show off your effort.

They unlock more.

Am I the only one who doesn't use the X's? I find the get in my way.

Currently on No.78 in the 10x10 grids and getting pretty much 4 stars for each one. The only one that stumped me so far was No.69.

[Steven]

If your not a member of Yesasia you can use the coupon SA3OFF to get a few benjamins off, with the free delivery comes to thirteen notes.

Mind you because of the free delivery it'll take a while, but you could upgrade your delivery option if you fancy it.

Otherwise, playasia?

Do you have to fanny around with Yes Asia, giving them a scan of your card for small purchases? I'd go with Play Asia, but they hit me for seventeen quid when Ouendan arrived with their system. I'm curious about this..not that curious, though.

[Brother5]

Do you have to fanny around with Yes Asia, giving them a scan of your card for small purchases?

I've never had to do that, and I've used them a few times.

[Steven]

Cool, thanks. Tried buying a Wii from them last year and the bloody hassle just made me cancel the order - faxed them, sent scans in - pain in the arse.

[Lurking Steve]

I bought (lol) this the other day and it's a really very good little puzzle. It's no TENZ, but it's a good puzzle.

It has however exposed just how bad the calibration on my touch screen is. The larger grids in particular make it particularly evident. Even resetting my calibration in the DS options desn't get a truly satisfying result - it's always slihtly off in one of the screen's four corners. It's only a milimetre or so, but it's definitely there.

Just me with a fucked screen, or is every DS ever so slightly imprecise?

[Massive Invisible Dog]

Mine is fucked up like that as well. It wasn't like that when I first got it though, and it's Australian so it isn't under warranty.

[Danster]

It has however exposed just how bad the calibration on my touch screen is. The larger grids in particular make it particularly evident. Even resetting my calibration in the DS options desn't get a truly satisfying result - it's always slihtly off in one of the screen's four corners. It's only a milimetre or so, but it's definitely there.

Just me with a fucked screen, or is every DS ever so slightly imprecise?

Mine is fucked up like that as well. It wasn't like that when I first got it though, and it's Australian so it isn't under warranty.

DS Phats? Or Lites? My old fat one is really bad now, even after re-calibration but my DS Lite is still as lovely as the day I bought it!

[Massive Invisible Dog]

Lite. And the hinge is cracked. Fucking Nintendo.

[Lurking Steve]

Lite here, too. Japanese one. Not just me, then.

It's not even noticeable in most games, but it's quite clear in Slitherlink thanks to the teeny-tiny squares and thin lines.

[Meatball]

Am I the only one who doesn't use the X's? I find the get in my way.

I don't tend to use the x's either, or the dotted line for that matter. I just try and work my way round with the solid line.

Does it affect your score or anything using the solid line straight off? Should I be using the dotted one then fill it in when I'm confident it's correct?

Little guide to No.6 Picross

Thankyou kindly, I'll see if that helps

To Steven. I think it was Yes-Asia who wanted a scan of my credit card when I bought my Jap(anese) launch DS Lite off them, which for fact fans, still has 2 good hinges and the screen callibration seems fine to me from playing Catch Touch Yoshi and Kirby Canvas Curse where I think I'd notice if it was off. It does have that very slight yellowy colour thing on the bottom screen though, but you can only notice it on the white background health & safety screen when I first switch it on. Can't have everything eh.