Not a pic-loss, but not a pic-win either.

Making the transition from "Normal" to "Free," at least, offers a respite from penalties on accidentally clicking the wrong square; without a zoom feature, this still happens far too often. But even in the game's later pages of puzzles, difficulty is the exception, not the rule. It's unfortunate that, in the rare few instances (two or three) that I had to guess what my next move would be, Picross e also lacks the "Try it Out" feature from Picross DS.

What I haven't mentioned before is Picross e's suite of "hint" features, which, while well-implemented, I avoided entirely. I want the game to help me tell it what to do -- not the other way around. (To be fair, this could be a boon to a Picross novice, which may be a better fit for this game altogether.)

Ultimately, Picross e isn't a bad Picross iteration, but it's remarkable for falling so short of the mark that Jupiter themselves set six years ago. While the sheer puzzle number is commendable, everything else - from late-game puzzle complexity, to mini-games to break the Picross monotony, to crucial game mechanics, per above - is severely lacking. Picross e is good for passing the time, but in terms of stimulating your brain, it just doesn't live up to its pedigree.

Better than: eh... it's more usable than Picross 3D, but the latter has more puzzles and a better "cool" factor as well
Not as good as: Picross DS
Who would have thought: that Picross DS would turn out to have such relatively-high production values?

Progress: Finished all 150 puzzles.