Picross S: Genesis & Master System Edition

If you know anything about the Picross franchise, then you probably already knew what to expect with this entry before even reading this review. Picross S Genesis & Master System Edition is more Picross, just with Sega characters, and… that's about it. It feels like a bit of a missed opportunity that Jupiter didn't try doing a little more with the IP, but it's also tough to say no to a new batch of a few hundred Picross puzzles themed around Sega's 8 and 16-bit libraries. We'd give this one a solid recommendation, but perhaps with the caveat that those of you who already have a few entries may want to pause before buying yet another new entry in the series. Trust us, there will be more.

As usual, Jupiter has delivered a solid title with Picross S Mega Drive & Master System edition. The Nostalgia is big with old character favourites some hidden gems in the available soundtrack. This title is a definite recommendation for puzzle lovers.

“But what is Picross?” I hear you screaming into the internet ether. Picross is a Nonogram puzzle game created in 1987, mere weeks after I was born and completely irrelevant to my birth, but just as important.

Picross S GENESIS & Master System edition is exactly what it promised to be: a puzzle game with elements from both consoles. There's nothing necessarily wrong with that, as fans of the franchise can feast on hundreds of new puzzles that will keep them busy for hours on end. The presence of SEGA makes the game more interesting than any other release in the series on Nintendo Switch. However, for a title that deals with such important intellectual property and that is the ninth release in the hybrid console franchise, its shallow design ends up disappointing. Since 2017, developer Jupiter has ignored basic quality of life enhancements that would make its nonogram collections even better. This would have been a good time to introduce them, along with ways that better illustrate the classics represented.

Picross S Genesis & Master System Edition is a solid offering with a welcome layer of nostalgia. However, the amount of missed opportunities is hard to overlook, especially weighing the fact that there are far superior unofficial Picross titles for Switch.

The amazing Color Picross puzzles are few and far between, and the fact that normal and Mega picross puzzles share the same images is a disappointment. Not to mention the fact that there are literally four tunes in the entire collection! This is less of a love letter to Sega and more of a skin deep collection of Sega-esque nonograms, so don’t expect fanservice in here. Expect just a ton of fun picross puzzles to solve and keep your addiction in check.

If you're a puzzle gaming fan, you're probably well-acquainted with the Picross franchise...

Like the oodles of Picross S games before it, Picross S Genesis and Master System Edition is another great entry in the series. It still lacks touchscreen support, but if you have any fondness for Sega in the late '80s and early '90s, this is a treat to solve all these nostalgic puzzles. I only wish this was more than just a Sega-skinned Picross S game, but if quality nonograms with a reliable interface is the biggest problem I have with this game, maybe it's not actually a problem.