A few weeks ago, I started playing a little game on the Nintendo Switch SNES library called Mario’s Super Picross. I then instantly got hooked on picross-style games, which revolve around unveiling an image hidden in a nonogram by paying attention to the numbers listed on the edges of each line, stating how many tiles need to be colored in each line/column, but not which in particular. I was ready to buy older picross games for the Switch and even the 3DS, until I found out about a brand new picross game being stealth released on the Switch eShop: Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S. Granted, it’s based on the Hatsune Miku brand, which can be a no-no for a lot of people, but it’s a pretty good picross game, and that’s what matters the most.

Hatsune Miku is one of these franchises whose sole existence puzzles me. The franchise is based around a vocaloid, or in other words, a voice synthesizer software. When combined with a virtual character made to resemble an anime version of your typical Japanese idol, became an international sensation, taking what the band Gorillaz tried to do a few years prior, but to a brand new level of artificiality. With Gorillaz, we still had Damon Albarn composing, singing, and playing most instruments, alongside guests. With Miku, we have 1’s and 0’s singing to a pre-produced beat. And we ended up getting a picross game out of that. Not that I’m complaining…

You definitely do not need to be a fan of Hatsune Miku in order to enjoy this game. At its core, Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S is still a well-crafted picross game that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but excels at what it was supposed to do: deliver literal hundreds of different puzzles for players to solve, with a steady but fair difficulty curve, and some additional unlockables to make you want to complete each puzzle without making mistakes or asking for extra hints. The better you fare in each puzzle, the more stars you can earn to unlock songs and other content. Beating a puzzle at least once will unlock pictures that can be seen in an art gallery.

Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S features simple and responsive controls, offering exactly what you need from a picross game, with barely any gameplay improvements over the 1995 title I was playing a few hours prior. What I did notice right from the get-go was how lenient the game is with your mistakes. There is no time limit and you can do as many mistakes you want. Sure, you won’t get the additional star that’s handed over when you complete a puzzle without making any mistakes, but the game won’t force you to reset the puzzle unless you decide to do so. It also automatically fills an entire line with X marks on unused tiles whenever you unveil all of the necessary slots in each line.

That’s basically all the game has to offer. It doesn’t excel in its visual or audio departments, but they’re far from being bad. The unlockable concept art is decent, but one thing I did not like very much is how the puzzle images bear little resemblance to the objects they’re supposed to portray. Even a game like 1995’s Mario’s Super Picross fared better in that regard. Regarding its sound design, Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S decided not to play the titular character’s songs during normal gameplay, which might sound weird, but I for one thank the developers for that decision. If you want to listen to that kind of music, which is certainly an acquired taste to say the least, there is an entire mode dedicated to them.

I had a great time with Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S despite not being a fan of the source material. You can easily ignore the anime and idol aesthetics and enjoy what’s essentially one of the best picross titles in the market. Furthermore, it’s also one of the most forgiving games in the genre, so if you thought that Mario’s Super Picross or other related titles were too frustrating and intimidating, you should totally give this one a shot. Don’t worry, Hatsune Miku herself won’t sing during gameplay.

 

Graphics: 6.0 Picross games aren’t really known for boasting detailed graphics and it’s no different in here. Sadly, the puzzle images bear little resemblance to the objects they’re supposed to portray. The game also features tons of unlockable concept art.	Gameplay: 9.0 It’s your traditional picross game with simple and responsive controls. It’s also way more forgiving than any other picross game out there, especially the older ones published by Nintendo.
Sound: 6.0 The in-game soundtrack isn’t as egregious as what you would expect from a vocaloid-theme game. There are lots of additional songs you can unlock and listen to in a separate gallery.	Fun Factor: 8.5 Even if you’re not into vocaloid idols or anime, this is still a well-crafted puzzle game with a staggering amount of content and a perfect fit for a portable system.
Final Verdict: 8.0

Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S is available now on Switch.

Reviewed on Switch.