'Pokemon Picross' Release Date Rumors: Free-to-Play Game Launch Announced, Players to Solve Puzzles
Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are set to release the puzzle game "Pokemon Picross" very soon. According to Vine Report, the official Pokemon website announced that the new Pokemon game will made available for free on the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld consoles via the Nintendo eShop.
"Pokemon Picross" is a casual puzzle solving game which will entail players solving puzzles in order to reveal portrait of various Pokemon from the hit game series. It will arrive specifically on Dec. 3 and it will be a crossover with the popular "Picross" games that have come to the handheld as of late. Some may think that it's a simple gameplay but it's actually harder in execution.
It will also have a twist to the mechanic, as reported by International Business Times. It will not only unveil portraits of Pokemon but the character can be captured by the players and can add it to the collection. The game is free but gamers can avail the rare stones containing magical powers called Picrites using real money. Through the Picrites, players can access more areas and unlock new levels in the game. Aside from buying it with real money, the Picrites can be obtained for free by clearing up a level in the puzzle.
Players can easily level up in the game by taking advantage of each skilled acquired by every Pokemon. For example, Lucario's Hyper Scan skill can examine the grid as well as fix incorrect squares. Squirtle's Blue Force skill can change the color of hint numbers to blue on rows with squares that can be filled in.
"If a certain Pokémon uses their skill even once, they will run out of power after you exit a stage. Pokémon will recover from their out-of-power status as time passes," Pokémon's official site noted.
There is a total of 12 different skills that can players can make use and each skill will have corresponding effects. Over 300 puzzles are also featured.