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Press Release - June 10th, 2009
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 NineGaps: iPhone Game ReviewNineGaps is a tricky puzzle game with loose ties to Sudoku and Ken-Ken. The puzzle itself is a three-by-three grid of boxes with simple high school operands in between them and a result at the end of each column and row. The challenge is to place the numbers from one to nine in the grid while complying with the hints provided. Like in Sudoku, each number can be used only once within the grid. It seems easy, but it's harder than it looks! Having played it several times I can certify that you cannot work out each row or column in isolation, as you may solve part of the puzzle by using numbers which you will later need elsewhere. The key of the game is to look at the puzzle as a whole. Once you find the exact place of each number in the grid, you win. The sounds are probably the weakest point of the game. There are simple sounds for the menu interactions, congratulatory chimes when you solve a column or row, a trumpet mocking you when you make a mistake, and children cheering when you win. The game graphics are really nice. The game board is a cutely hand drawn paper board with a lot of nice touches that really add atmosphere to it. Numbers are depicted in colorful paper cutouts which can be moved along by touching, holding and then dragging to the appropriate square. You can remove them by tapping on them and placing them aside, or overwrite them by placing another number onto the piece. If you mess up the puzzle, you can reset it and start from scratch. You can play this game in easy, medium or hard difficulty levels, which will determine how many already filled-in gaps the puzzle starts with. The game also includes a time counter that shows the amount of time you take to finish each puzzle. Once you become proficient in solving them, the challenge will be in doing it in the shortest possible time. That would be your record, which will be stored for each difficulty level. As the puzzles are randomly generated, it is pretty sure you won't get the same puzzle ever. I have two suggestions for this game. The first one is to save the game status. It can be fairly frustrating when you are doing really well and close to setting a new record, and an inbound call in your phone resets the game (I speak from experience here, folks!). The second one is to add more game modes. I'd particularly like the ability to challenge other users, or a career mode with levels which would allow you to tackle more difficult puzzles as you learn along the way. Overall, NineGaps is a well presented puzzle game. At only a dollar, and with infinite puzzles to solve, it's a fun way of keeping your mind sharp.
Game InformationGame Name: NineGaps - Math Puzzle
TagsNineGaps, iphone, ipod, puzzle, game, math, sudoku, logic, mind
Resources(Actual images are bigger in case you do a Save As...)
About QuadionQuadion Technologies is an IT services company that specializes in software development. It offers tailor-made solutions as well as programming and graphic design consulting. Our multidisciplinary team operates from Buenos Aires, Argentina, where it works for both local and overseas customers. Our objective is to offer simple, agile and flexible solutions for companies needing to operate in a constantly evolving market. We use the latest technology, tools and methodologies in the solutions we provide for our clients, helping them become more competitive each day.
About The Creative FactoryWe are an area of Quadion that focuses on the development of interactive creativity. Our aim is to create innovative interactions with a strong visual presence. We are a creative team formed by young, proactive and hard-working professionals, who believe that to solve design problems in an effective way aesthetics and communication should go hand in hand.
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