Buku Sudoku

Posted 4 years ago By - Brian Edey

When word came down the pipeline that Microsoft’s Xbox Live service was finally getting a Sudoku game (now if we can just get a “Go” game) I was excited. There is no better number based puzzle game out there and it is by far one of the most popular ones World wide, but I was worried it would be a basic game with few puzzles and costly puzzle packs. Luckily or thanks to smart developers that is not the case, the game is fairly cheap at 800 MS points ($10.00) and comes with a base 1200 puzzles and there is a free map pack with 1200 more puzzles. Single Player, Multiplayer and Co-Op game types are included with many puzzle types from smaller grids to oversized grids. Overall the entire package is complete.

Gameplay
Sudoku is always Sudoku, there are no strange variations out there like many other puzzle type of games, you fill grids up with numbers and sometimes letters never repeating the same number on a line. That is basically the entire game so you will not expect anything different from Buku Sudoku, but what makes this game special is how quickly you can enter numbers into each box, move to the next box and see what is possibly in the row or in the next box.

The controls are amazingly well set up, it is very fast to enter specific numbers and move around, and even on smaller screens the numbers are large enough and can be zoomed in on if needed. There are multiple ways to select the number you wish to enter and multiple ways to actually do anything control wise. So many it is wise to do the tutorial, plus you get some achievement points for a few minutes of time so that is always a bonus.


Graphics
Clean and crisp interface and a great visual interface make this a joy to play visually. The themes are widely different and so that makes things nice, instead of just simple color changes like other computer based Sudoku games, but if you play with a pencil and paper and dislike the colorful graphical themes there is a fairly bland one.

If there is one thing that could ruin a Sudoku game, it is how clearly you can see the numbers. But fear not, in Buku the numbers are large, clear and very easy to see, so if you are in a groove you can easily enter numbers, see where they need to go and what is already on the page.

Audio
Sometimes less is more and this is true in Buku Sudoku, good music and sound effects are part of an overall amazing package. If the music becomes boring or repetitive you can stream your MP3 collection to the Xbox 360.

Value
With 1200 puzzles in the game and 1200 more in a free (as of the time of this review at least) download pack, this is a great way to play the game if you are new to Sudoku or someone who plays it more then they should (like me) it is a welcome addition especially with the great graphics, sounds and overall gameplay. Single, Multi and Co-op player choices add to this already amazing game.


Bottom Line
Sudoku is a great game in any form and is almost impossible to screw up in any form, this version of Sudoku is simply amazing, fun and for the novice to expert player a worthwhile and cheap way to play the game. Buy it, download the free extra puzzles and enjoy it.

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