Just when you think you’re out, they pull you back in. That’s how I often find myself feeling with Jupiter’s Picross series of games. Each time a new one comes out, I binge on it for hours on end until all of the puzzles are solved. I then tell myself that I probably don’t need another Picross game, a stance I am able to hold only until the next one comes out. What can I say? Jupiter keeps bringing in irresistible themes, and Picross S Konami Antiques Edition is the latest in that line.
For those who have done enough Picross puzzles to exhaust the novelty of the basic concept, a lot of the appeal in new releases comes from the kinds of pictures you’re making. We’ve seen developer Jupiter tackle popular manga, anime, and even the fine arts. Its most prolific theme, however, has been in tie-ups with other video game publishers. Somewhat amusing when we consider the first few Picross games were Mario games, I suppose. The current line started with a collaboration with SEGA, and subsequent entries covered Namco, Capcom, and SNK. While we all hold our breath waiting for Data East, Jaleco, and Taito, we’ve been given a Konami-themed Picross to keep us busy.
One interesting thing about this one is that Konami has done its own Picross-style game before, featuring puzzles based on its classic titles. Pixel Puzzle Collection is a rather capable mobile nonogram game, and it’s worth checking out if you haven’t before. As for Jupiter’s take, most aspects of it are quite familiar if you’ve played any of its other Picross games. You get 150 standard Picross, 150 Mega Picross, 5 Clip Picross, 30 Color Picross, 5 jumbo-sized Extra, and 30 Time Attack puzzles. New to this entry is a Music Player mode where you can listen to the 10 different pieces of music drawn from classic Konami games. There are extensive tutorials and plenty of control options. You can even use the Switch 2’s Joy-Con Mouse controls if you’re playing on that console.
The presentation has been getting steadily better with these releases, and I really like what was done for this one. As you’re doing puzzles, you’ll see various games being played in the background. If you find that too distracting, you can turn the animations off. If you’re playing the Extra puzzles, the character in the borders will actually react to what you’re doing. There’s enough music here that it doesn’t get too repetitive, and you can choose which tracks you’d like for each Picross mode or simply choose to shuffle or loop all of the tunes. The chosen pieces are good ones, and there’s nothing here as maddening to listen to on a loop as the Mappy track in the Namco edition.
As for the puzzles themselves, they’re terrific. You get a nice variety of puzzles ranging in size from 10×10 all the way up to 40×30, and the subjects are drawn from a huge range of Konami’s classic games. There are some proper deep cuts in here, and it’s nice to see such a vivid celebration of Konami’s history. It would be really nice if all of these games were available on modern platforms for people to play, but that’s not really Jupiter’s problem. It’s nice to see Blades of Steel show up in any form, I suppose. I think there’s something to be said for a game that makes you want to bust out your old consoles and relive those memories a little more fully, and that’s just what Picross S Konami Antiques Edition does.
Really, it’s hard to criticize this all that much. Jupiter has got Picross down to an art form by now, and the only general issue across any of its releases is that there are an awful lot of ways to scratch your itch for this kind of puzzle now. There’s an enormously high chance that if you’re interested enough in Picross to be reading this review, you already have a bunch of Picross games already in various states of completion. There’s nothing really new here beyond the theme and some spit-shine, but I’m not sure what else could reasonably be added anyway. We’re just at that point now, I suppose.
Setting that aside, I think Picross S Konami Antiques Edition has plenty to offer to both Picross and Konami fans. For the former, it’s a whole new batch of puzzles to work your way through. If you’re the latter, this is a great way to relive your happy memories of Konami classics from the past while potentially getting into a whole new kind of game. Those who fall into both categories can dive in without fear, as this is another excellent package from the good folks at Jupiter.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch
Review Copy Provided by Jupiter Corporation
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