CrossworDS

Thanks to the new Nintendo Channel I was able to download a demo of CrossworDS onto my DS before trying.  I played through a couple of puzzles and I was hooked.  I purchased it the next day. I've previously played the New York Times Crosswords cart for the DS and although I found the puzzles of a very high quality I wasn't a fan of the clunky interface.   That's not to say New York Times Crosswords isn't worth it; it is and I highly recommend it at a $19.99 price point.

Between the two crossword titles however I prefer CrossworDS.  The only flaw with the game is the impossible to google title.

The fit and finish of this game is what you'd expect from a Touch Generations tite (yes I wrote "tite"):  gold of the purest percentage.  The input system is very good and will seldom make a mistake once you learn its quirks (enter a lowercase i instead of an uppercase I for better results for example).  If you're riding a shaky bus it is difficult to enter text without errors. The game uses the "hold like book" orientation of the DS that feels great for a text game like this.  There are 1000 puzzles here that gradually ramp up in difficulty.

As a bonus two other games are included: Anagrams and Word Search.  To be honest, I've been hooked on the Anagrams lately and haven't done a crossword in the last couple of days.  The two extra modes don't feel like add ons at all but something I'd have paid for separately.

The best part of the whole deal is the price point: $19.99.  You simply can't miss with this title.

The demo is still available through your Wii if you're still on the fence but if you have even a passing interest in word games and especially crossword puzzles this title must find a space on your shelf as soon as possible.

 Strong buy.