Here’s something a little different, I’d like to review a game available on the Nintendo Switch Online’s SNES app. Let’s discuss Mario's Super Picross (マリオのスーパーピクロス)!

Originally released in Japan back in Sept 1995, Mario's Super Picross never actually came out Stateside. It was only just made available to US audiences for the first time in Sept 2020, a full 25 years later! As a free game to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, you might not have even noticed this one. And since it hasn’t even been translated into English, maybe you chose to ignore it even if you did.

To understand the numbers, check out the fourth column and second-to-bottom row. The numbers indicate spaces to be cleared. So for that row starting from the left: there are 9 squares to chisel away, then 2 squares together, and finally a single square on its own. By comparing the horizontal and vertical numbers, you can slowly chip away at a puzzle until it’s complete. — To understand the numbers, check out the fourth column and second-to-bottom row. **The numbers indicate spaces to be cleared.** So for that row starting from the left: there are 9 squares to chisel away, then 2 squares together, and finally a single square on its own. By comparing the horizontal and vertical numbers, you can slowly chip away at a puzzle until it’s complete.

But I didn’t ignore it; I was pumped for Mario Picross! As part of my gradual transformation into an old man gamer, I knew I had to dive deep into this game. (After all, man cannot live on Dr. Mario alone…Or can I?) So you might be asking yourself: What the hell is picross anyway? And you know, that’s a fair question.

Picross is a grid puzzle with its game board divided into cells, kind of like Minesweeper. Cells have three states: covered, uncovered, and flagged; again, just like Minesweeper. There are numbers along the grid’s X & Y-axises, kind of like sudoku. (At least I think that’s like sudoku…I’ve honestly never played it.) You use the use the numbers on the side to determine which cells to uncover, and which cells to leave alone.

The cursor you’re controlling looks like a little chisel, and the overall aesthetic seems to indicate that you’re an archeologist digging up ancient relics. The archeology imagery seems to have been stronger in the Game Boy version of Mario's Picross—a game which did come to North America, by the way—than it is here. But the chiseling away at a slab in order to reveal an image remains the core gameplay.

Eventually, when you’ve uncovered all the correct cells, the game board transforms into a pixel art mosaic image, which is pretty fun. Sometimes the resulting pixel art is animated, which is a bonus treat.

You don’t really need an English translation for this one, to be honest. It’s quite playable without understanding all the text.

Each stage has a time limit you’re working under, trying to complete the puzzle before it runs out. And if you uncover the wrong cells, time is deducted as a penalty. So make one too many mistakes and it’s over; you’ll have to try again.

All in all, Mario's Super Picross is a super chill puzzle experience. If you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, I definitely recommend trying it out. Just kick back, relax, and enjoy an ideal no-stress experience for COVID Times.

I’m here to get jacked and play puzzle games…and I’m all out of puzzle games.