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USA TODAY introduces a puzzle pack for Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Smartphone devices that unites Sudoku and Kakuro in five exciting puzzle games with new puzzles every day! Play Sudoku, Kakuro and variations - Sudoku mini, Sudoku X and Sudoku Fusion.
- Sudoku: The classic Sudoku game, availaible at 5 different difficulty levels every day
- Sudoku Mini: Bite-sized puzzles with a 6x6 grid, using the numbers 1-6 only
- Sudoku X: Same as Sudoku, but you have to solve the diagonals too!
- Kakuro: Works as crossword, but the givens are substituted with sums
- Sudoku Fusion: Combines the Sudoku grid with a Kakuro style sums puzzle (aka Killer Sudoku)
Game features include
- Challenging and unique puzzles straight from the USA TODAY puzzle experts
- A 60 day archive of puzzles
- List and eliminate choices by putting multiple numbers in a cell,
and rapidly switch between pen and pencil modes by pressing the same
number twice.
- Convenience features like UNDO, REMOVE EXTRAS and SHOW ERRORS to make it easier for you to solve puzzles
- Hints and cheats to help you out when you are stumped!
- A puzzle timer to keep track of your solving time, and a high scores features to record your best times.
- Partially solved puzzles are automatically saved to resume later.
Navigating the Menu Options
- Navigate
the Main Menu options using the LEFT and RIGHT (or track wheel)
controls. Choose to play one of 5
different number-based grid games
or
learn
About
USA TODAY Sudoku Fusion
- Navigate the sub menu options using the LEFT and RIGHT (or track wheel)
controls. Choose daily puzzle to fetch current date puzzle or choose one of 30
puzzles in your current Archive, view High Scores to
see your best times or read Tips to learn the game.
Playing the Game
Navigate across the screen (UP, DOWN, LEFT and
RIGHT) using the track ball, track wheel or arrow keys on your phone.
A highlight box will indicate which empty square you are on. If you
would like to temporarily store multiple values in a square, select the
square and then press the different number keys. The square will
immediately take on multiple values. Use '0' to clear the last value
you entered, or use any one of the entered numbers to select that and
discard the rest.
Pen and pencil modes help you keep track of entries that you are sure
of and entries you are doubtful about. All entries first appear in
'pencil' mode. Typing the number again switches to 'pen' mode. You can
type the same number again to switch back once again to 'pencil' mode.
When playing the game, you can press the track ball, track wheel or fire key, and get the menu options.
You can select the various Hint and Solve options to aid you in solving the puzzles.
Show Errors help you to find out the cells with wrong values. Undo regains
the previous operation that was done. Fill cells helps to display all the
possible values that can be entered in a grid.
Sudoku:
Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each
row, column and 3x3 box.
Sudoku Mini:
Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 6 appear once in each
row, column and 3x2 section.
Sudoku X:
Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each
row, column and 3x3 section. The diagonals also must include numbers 1 to 9.
Kakuro:
Insert numbers from 1-9 in to the empty cells to tally up to the sum listed in
the triangles (across or down). Each number must appear only once in a sum, and
just like a crossword there's a grid of filled blocks and clues to solve.
Sudoku Fusion:
Fill in the color matched squares with numbers 1-9 so that they add up
to the number clue appearing in the first empty color square. As you complete
the sums, ensure each 3x3 section includes each number from 1 to 9 as in Sudoku.
When all the sums add up and the sections are complete, the puzzle is
solved.
Key Assignments & Navigation Short Cuts
- Use the arrow keys/trackwheel on your phone to move across the puzzle (UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT).
- Use the number keys on your phone to enter a number in the square.
- Press the "0" key to clear a number from a square.
- If your phone has a track wheel, then you can press the "ALT" key whlie moving the track wheel to navigate LEFT-RIGHT, while without the "ALT" key, the track wheel navigation is UP-DOWN.
General:
- Pen and pencil modes are
useful to keep track of entries you are certain about and those that
you are unsure about. When you first make an entry on the grid, it is
in the pencil mode. Typing the same number again, enters the number in
the 'pen' mode. You can type in the number once again, to switch back
to the 'pencil' mode.
- If
you would like to temporarily store multiple values in a square, select
the square and then press the different number keys. The square will
immediately take on multiple values. Use '0' to clear the last value
you entered, or use any one of the entered numbers to select that and
discard the rest.
- When playing the
game, you can press the SOFT KEY marked Menu and select “Hint” from the
options to get the solution for an individual square or “Solve” to
solve the entire grid.
Sudoku, Sudoku Mini and Sudoku X:
- Try not to guess - it can lead you up paths that can make
the puzzle virtually unsolvable. Simple logic is all that is
required. Ask yourself questions like: 'if a 5 is in this
box, will it go in this column?' or 'if a 6 is already in
the row, can a 9 go in this square?' Look for the lone
number - if there is only one place for a number to go, then
it is true for the box, the row and column it is in. If two
squares in a section contain an identical pair of numbers
and no other squares in the group contain those two numbers,
then other numbers in those two squares can be safely
excluded. Think of a puzzle as a maze. Easy and moderate
puzzles offer a straight path to completion. Tough puzzles
may have dead end and multiple paths.
Kakuro:
- Look for the sets which have the lowest number of
combinations. These are normally 2 and 3 square sets.
Certain numbers and combinations can only be made with 1
combination of numbers. For example, a set of 4 squares with
a total of 10 can only be made with a combination of 1, 2, 3
and 4.The only 2 digits that can combine to make 16 are 9
and 7 (8 and 8 is not allowed as the same number is
repeated). There is never a 2 digit 18 combination because
you need either 2 nines or a 10 and an 8, which isn't
allowed. Start with combinations having very low or very
high totals for the number of digits, especially where they
intersect. A 3-digit 23 intersecting a 2-digit 16 can only
be 9 as the only possibilities are 6-8-9 and 7-9.
Sudoku Fusion:
- Look for the sets which have the lowest number of
combinations. These are normally 2 and 3 square sets.
Certain numbers and combinations can only be made with 1
combination of numbers. For example, a set of 4 squares with
a total of 10 can only be made with a combination of 1, 2, 3
and 4.The only 2 digits that can combine to make 16 are 9
and 7 (8 and 8 is not allowed as the same number is
repeated). There is never a 2 digit 18 combination because
you need either 2 nines or a 10 and an 8, which isn't
allowed. Start with combinations having very low or very
high totals for the number of digits.
What is Sudoku?
A
popular game in Japan since 1986, Sudoku has become a global sensation.
In Japanese, "Su" means number, while "doku" means single. In the game
- no column, row or box can contain a repeated number, hence the name.
Who can I contact if I have a question?
For further support, please email us at sudoku@skava.net
I
like to keep track of multiple potential numbers for a given cell while
solving sudoku puzzles, how can I do that in this mobile version of
Sudoku?
If you would like to temporarily store multiple values
in a square, select the square and then press the different number
keys. The square will immediately take on multiple values. Use '0' to
clear the last value you entered, or use any one of the entered numbers
to select that and discard the rest.
What are pen and pencil modes?
Pen
and pencil modes are useful to keep track of entries you are certain
about and those that you are unsure about. When you first make an entry
on the grid, it is in the pencil mode. Typing the same number again,
enters the number in the 'pen' mode. You can type in the number once
again, to switch back to the 'pencil' mode.
Can I partially solve the puzzle and continue later?
Yes,
you can end the game anytime you like, and when you restart the
application, it will ask you to “Resume Game”, whereby you can continue
from where you left off.
I solved the puzzle but my time did not come up in High Scores. Why?
To
make sure your time shows up in High Scores you should not make use of
“Hint” or “Solve” menu options. If you use hints or use the “Solve”
option, then your time will not be recorded in the High Scores section.
What does the check mark next to the puzzle numbers in the “Pick Puzzle” screen indicate?
The
check mark appears for all puzzles that you have solved yourself, or
you have used the “Solve” menu option to see the solution.
How many difficulty levels of puzzles are supported in this game?
The game has puzzles of five different difficulty levels, from Level 1, the easiest, to Level 5, the hardest.
I get a network connection error when I try to fetch a puzzle
Please make sure you have internet
connectivity in your Windows Mobile device. If you can browser the internet, you should be able to download puzzles.
Is the product available on other devices?
Yes, you can buy the BlackBerry version from:
This mobile game was created by the puzzle game experts
at Skava and uclick LLC.
Please contact sudoku@skava.net for futher support.
Application Copyright © 2005, Skava Inc.
Puzzles Copyright © 2005, uclick LLC.
USA TODAY Logo and Trademark Copyright (R) 2005 USA TODAY
All Rights Reserved.
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