Pokémon Picross (GBC)
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The subject of this article has no official English name. The name currently in use is a fan translation of the Japanese name. |
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This article is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this article to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Post-game Safari content, Super Game Boy frame, Staff/credits listing, puzzle listings |
| Pokémon Picross | |
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 Title screen of the Pokémon Picross prototype | |
Basic info
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| Platform: | Game Boy Color (enhanced for the Super Game Boy) |
| Category: | Puzzle prototype |
| Players: | 1 player |
| Connectivity: | None |
| Developer: | Jupiter Corporation |
| Publisher: | Nintendo/The Pokémon Company |
| Part of: | Generation I |
Ratings
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| CERO: | N/A |
| ESRB: | N/A |
| ACB: | N/A |
| OFLC: | N/A |
| PEGI: | N/A |
| GRAC: | N/A |
| GSRR: | N/A |
Release dates
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| Japan: | N/A |
| North America: | N/A |
| Australia: | N/A |
| Europe: | N/A |
| South Korea: | N/A |
| Hong Kong: | N/A |
| Taiwan: | N/A |
Websites
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| Japanese: | N/A |
| English: | N/A |
(Japanese: ポケモンピクロス Pokémon Picross) is a puzzle game for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. A picross, from picture and crossword, is a genre of puzzle games, also known as a nonogram. It was developed by Jupiter Corporation.
While it was announced in various game magazines in Spring 1999, the game never officially released.
In September 2020, a prototype ROM of the game was posted online. Despite being a prototype, the ROM is fully playable from start to end, and even includes credits.
Gameplay
Pokémon Picross is a nonogram puzzle game where players are presented with a grid of squares, and tasked with using a hammer and chisel to punch out the correct squares to reveal a solution image. Number clues are displayed on the outer edges of the grid's rows and columns, offering information as to how many squares should be punched out per row or column.
Each square can be either punched out, revealing a piece of the image beneath; or marked with an X, indicating that the square should not be punched out. Once all of the correct squares have been punched out (marking all "X" squares is not necessary), the puzzle will be considered complete - the solution image will be zoomed out, gain color, and display its name.
However, unlike traditional nonogram puzzles, the punched-out squares do not themselves form an image - instead, they reveal a layer below the grid that contains the outline of the image.
Puzzles
At the start of a puzzle, the player is offered a hint - if they accept it, they then must time two button presses to determine one row and one column of squares that will each have their solutions revealed. After this (or declining the hint), the puzzle will begin a countdown timer depending on its size:
- 10x10 puzzle: 20 minutes
- 15x15 puzzle: 30 minutes
- 20x20 puzzle: 70 minutes
- 30x30 puzzle: 90 minutes
Additional hints can be requested from the pause menu, however each will deduct 5 minutes from the puzzle's timer.
If a square is incorrectly punched out, it will be automatically corrected to an X, but time will be deducted from the puzzle's timer. The time penalty will increase with the amount of mistakes in a single puzzle attempt:
- First mistake: -1 minute
- Second mistake: -2 minutes
- Third mistake: -4 minutes
- Fourth mistake and onwards: -8 minutes
However, squares incorrectly marked with an X will not be corrected, and will not incur a time penalty.
If a puzzle's timer reaches zero, whether naturally or through penalties, the attempt is considered a failure and the player will need to try the puzzle again from scratch.
A tutorial on puzzle mechanics is available in the "Tutorial" option in the game's main menu, and is narrated by Professor Oak.
Four-quadrant puzzles
10x10 and 15x15 puzzles are played on one screen, while 20x20 puzzles are played as four separate 10x10 quadrants, each with their own separate number clues. 30x30 puzzles play similarly, as four separate 15x15 quadrants.
The top-left quadrant is always the first quadrant the player must solve.
When a quadrant is solved, the overall timer will pause, and the quadrant will display its own solve time instead. The player is then prompted to choose any of the four quadrants to attempt next. If an already-solved quadrant is selected, then it can be re-attempted for a better solve time without resetting the other quadrants. However, this retry feature is disabled for puzzles appearing in area 8 onwards, as well as the safari area
Once all four quadrants have been solved, the overall puzzle will be considered solved.
Safari Puzzles
The "Safari Picross" mode makes several changes to the rules:
- Puzzles will not offer a hint at the start, nor can hints be requested. Incorrect punch-outs will still incur time penalties, as normal.
- The hint option in the pause menu is replaced by "?start". When this is enabled, incorrectly-punched-out squares will neither be corrected nor incur a time penalty. When the mode is disabled, the player may choose to keep or discard the changes they made while in the mode.
- If the changes are kept, then they are saved to the grid's current state. Any incorrectly-punched-out squares will be corrected and incur time penalties, as usual.
- If the changes are discarded, then the grid will return to its state from before the mode was enabled.
- If the changes would result in the puzzle being correctly solved, then the mode is automatically disabled and the puzzle will be considered solved.
- On four-quadrant puzzles, the player is not notified when a quadrant is correctly solved. They will only be notified once all four quadrants are correctly solved.
Map
Upon completing a puzzle, it will be marked with a Poké Ball icon on the map screen. If the puzzle was completed within the puzzle's specific "par time", then it will be marked with a Great Ball instead. During a puzzle attempt, if the remaining time is still within par range, the puzzle's timer will use white text; if the par period has passed, the timer will play a sound cue and then switch to black text.
Selecting an unsolved puzzle on the map will instantly start it. Selecting an already-completed puzzle will offer the choice to replay the puzzle or view the puzzle's "data" - its entry in the Pokédex or gallery.
The game is divided into 15 areas, with most areas containing 15 puzzles each. The first 14 puzzles in each area may be attempted in any order, but the 15th puzzle can only be played once at least 8 different puzzles in that area have been marked with a Great Ball. To unlock the next area, at least 8 puzzles in the current area must be solved with at least a Poké Ball.
- Area 0 is the sole area in the "Easy Picross" mode, and features a tutorial from Misty regarding generic map mechanics.
- Areas 1-10 are located in the "Pokémon Picross" mode, and must be completed in sequence.
- Area 10 includes an additional 16th puzzle, which becomes available after all 150 previous Pokédex-eligible puzzles have been completed.
- Completing 8 puzzles in area 10 unlocks the "Safari Picross" mode, which includes 4 areas.
- Safari areas 1-3 only require 4 puzzles to be solved with a Great Ball to unlock the 15th puzzle. However, unlocking the next area still requires solving 8 puzzles with at least a Poké Ball.
- Safari area 4 includes only 6 puzzles. The sixth puzzle appears after completing two puzzles in that area with a Great Ball.
Pokédex and galleries
Most puzzles in the game each represent a Pokémon. Completing a Pokémon's puzzle will add them to the Pokédex, where their completed image can be viewed, their cry can be played, and their puzzle can be jumped to in order to retry it.
- Puzzles in area 0 instead feature items or objects, and are thus not added to the Pokédex when solved. There is also no central gallery to view all of area 0's puzzles at once - their entries can only be viewed one at a time from the map.
- Puzzles in Safari areas are added to the Safari gallery instead.
In all cases, puzzles that have been completed with a Great Ball will display a grayscale Poké Ball icon next to their name in their respective galleries.
Partner Pokémon
The player's current partner Pokémon will follow them on the map screen, as well as appear in the top-left of the screen during 10x10 and 15x15 puzzles, reacting to player actions such as making a mistake, running out of time, or successfully solving a puzzle. Each partner Pokémon also changes the background music and border color when playing puzzles.
The player starts with Pikachu as their partner Pokémon, and can obtain several others as they progress through the game.
| Partner Pokémon | Border color | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Pikachu | Yellow | Default |
| Bulbasaur | Green | Start of area 2 |
| Charmander | Red | Start of area 4 |
| Squirtle | Blue | Start of area 6 |
| Clefairy | Pink | Start of area 8 |
| Jigglypuff | Purple | Start of area 10 |
However, partner Pokémon do not appear in 20x20 or 30x30 puzzles - a zoom-out of the puzzle appears in their place - and the puzzle border will automatically change color depending on the current 10x10 quadrant selected: blue (top-left), yellow (top-right), red (bottom-left), or green (bottom-right). Despite this, the partner's background music will still be played.
Saving
Two save files are available. The game will automatically save to the currently-played file after successfully completing a puzzle.
Alternatively, a quicksave can be manually created from the pause menu while attempting a puzzle. Continuing from this quicksave will preserve the state of the puzzle grid - however, the quicksave will be deleted upon being loaded.
Memories
The game includes three possible animations played alongside the credits, called "memories". Each memory will automatically play once its conditions are met. Unlocked memories can be viewed again at any time from the main menu.
- Normal: Solve 8 puzzles in area 10 of "Pokémon Picross" mode.
- Master: Solve all 151 puzzles in "Pokémon Picross" mode.
Compatibility
The game was intended to work with the Game Boy Printer, as there is an option to print out Pokédex entry images.
The game also has a Super Game Boy border.
History
Though Pokémon Picross was never officially released, the SNES game Picross NP Vol. 1 released in 1999 included 12 Pokémon puzzles. Prior to that, the Pokémon Gold and Silver Spaceworld '97 demo also contained a Picross minigame.
The international versions of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver featured a game similar to picross at the Goldenrod Game Corner, Voltorb Flip.
Pokémon Picross, a freemium game for the Nintendo 3DS also developed by Jupiter Corporation, was released on the Nintendo eShop in December 2015.
Gallery
Promotional artwork
Puzzle gameplay with Bulbasaur as the partner.
Magazine Pages
External links
Some magazines featuring Pokémon Picross:
- CoroCoro - May 1999 issue (published on 15 April, 1999)
- CoroCoro - June 1999 issue (published on 15 May, 1999)
Trivia
The game has several direct references to the anime:
- Ash's hat from the original series appears as a puzzle in area 0.
- Jigglypuff's microphone marker appears as a puzzle in area 0. When Jigglypuff is obtained as a partner later on, it also sings while holding the microphone marker upon solving a puzzle.
- Upon failing a puzzle with Squirtle as the partner, it puts on black angular sunglasses and cries behind them. These sunglasses are identical to those worn by Ash's Squirtle.
- Bill has green hair, a trait that otherwise only appears in the anime episode Mystery at the Lighthouse.
- In the Master memory:
- Misty accompanies the player to various locations, alongside a Psyduck.
- Bill looks out to sea from atop a lighthouse, referencing Mystery at the Lighthouse.
- Pikachu and the player watch the full moon alongside a Clefairy on Mt Moon, likely referencing Clefairy and the Moon Stone.
- Pikachu, Charmander, and the player enter Pokémon Tower, but are frightened and quickly run back out of the building. This is likely a reference to The Tower of Terror,
- Pikachu and the player exit a power plant, and are followed by multiple Pikachu. This may be a reference to Pokémon Emergency!.
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This article is part of Project Sidegames, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Sidegames. |
