Zendoku Review

Continuing the Nintendo DS tradition of casual gaming, Eidos has released Zendoku for the system. A sudoku spinoff, Zendoku replaces the 1-9 number system used in sudoku and uses icons such as pandas, swords, Yin-Yang symbols and others. At first it will seem foreign to players most familiar with traditional sudoku, but the zendoku icons quickly become just as simple and possibly even easier than the number based system.

There really is not much to write about, so I will stick strictly to talking about the zendoku part of the game (you can play traditional sudoku with time challenges if you want). Basically you select a fighter and battle against other cartoon-looking characters. Yes, you read right. You play as fighters that specialize in various world fighting techniques, from karate to boxing. As ridiculous as this may seem, it sets up the only real distinction between Zendoku and other sudoku video games.

Playing in the single-player story you will be challenged to fight a number of different fighters. Think of this as a Tetris or Mean Bean Machine. While you solve your puzzle, the computer will do the same. You have a health bar and are penalized for incorrect selections. When you complete a row or box or a set of icons, you unleash an attack. The computer is capable of the same thing. You will respond by clearing the screen of coins, breaking boxes, defending against punches and blowing out candles.

As relaxing as a game of sudoku can be, Zendoku can be surprisingly stressful when up against an opponent that fires off a number of attacks. Even though it is fun, thankfully there are more options than just the storyline, as I mentioned earlier. One of them is multi-player. Probably the biggest oversight by the developers was the lack of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection multi-player online. There is, however, single-card download play and multi-card play.

If you are looking for a decent budget puzzle title, Zendoku may be a decent option for you. It doesn’t have snazzy visuals or online play, but it boasts a good number of game options and changes the formula of sudoku enough to warrant attention. The DS touch-screen works perfectly for a game like this (I couldn’t imagine messing around with something like this on PSP). Casual gamers be on the lookout for this one.