Picopict

Pictobits has received a positive reception. It holds an aggregate score of 83/100 and 84.64% from Metacritic and GameRankings respectively. This made it the 37th best Nintendo DS game and the 1,201st best video game on GameRankings. For the weeks ending June 10 and June 17, Pictobits was the 10th best-selling DSiWare game. It was the 15th best-selling DSiWare game for the week ending June 24, and 18th for the week ending July 2. It ranked 20th the next week, falling off the charts the week afterward. Nintendo Lifes Brody Olimar called Pictobits one of the first great title on the DSiWare service, commenting that it was a good value and had nothing to complain about. Nintendo Life also named it the best Nintendo DSiWare game of the year. Giant Bombs Brad Shoemaker commented that it looked like the "best thing on DSiWare". In his review, Shoemaker called it a "tough, rewarding puzzle game that will take you a while to master, and even longer to unlock all the available content". N-Sider's Matt Behrens called it one of the best Art Style games, along with Cubello. He added that if they make more DSiWare like it, he would recommend the DSi to more people. Nintendo World Reports Nick DiMola called it one of the DSiWare and Art Style games, calling it a "fun but challenging" game. Developer of the Bit.Trip series, Gaijin Games, praised it for its music and its "simple yet intuitive" gameplay. Though they criticized it for its touch controls and its difficulty level, they add that players become more skilled as the game goes on, making the latter not much of a problem. Official Nintendo Magazines Chris Scullion praised it for its retro graphics and music, as well as calling it "fiendishly addictive" and a "great value". However, they noted it as a "very difficult" game. In his impressions of Pictobits, IGNs Craig Harris called it "one of the most ambitious "match three" style puzzle games I've ever played". Harris later reviewed it, calling it "unique, clever, fast-paced, and highly addictive". IGN awarded it as the Game of the Month for the Nintendo DS in May 2009, commenting that players will "have a hard time putting this unique puzzle game down". They also nominated for best Nintendo DS puzzle game of 2009 for both their award and the readers' choice award. They ranked it as the fifth best DSiWare game as of April 7, 2010. Stephen Totilo gave it overwhelming praise, citing specifically its challenge, old-school presentation, and the abundance of content; he adds that he could not come up with any cons, wishing that they would make a 16-bit sequel. In a later article, he praised the composers YMCK, who he forgot to mention in his review. He suggested that Picopict had the best video game soundtrack of 2009 up to that point. He later called it one of his favourite games of the first half of 2009. In an article on fine art, Totilo discussed designers' urge to create games with realistic appearances, praising Pictobits as a "rare modern game with retro graphics". Kotakus Brian Ashcraft listed it on his "DS and DSi gift guide", calling it a game with a "Tetris twist" and an "artsy retro style". He also praised it as one of the best values for the DSiWare, recommending it for anyone who gets nostalgic for the Nintendo Entertainment System. UGO Networks' Paul Furfari called it "pure retro love packaged in a clever puzzler", commenting that comparing it to Tetris is a "disservice" due to it putting "enough twist on the falling block formula to provide a stylish and full experience" as well as the inclusion of an NES theme and YMCK-made retro music. In another article, he included it in his list of 25 video games that went overlooked in 2009, commenting that its chiptunes give it a "ton of character". Game, Set, Watch's Eric Caoli commented that it was "criminal" that Picopict did not end up on many game of the year lists in 2009. In discussing the Art Style series, GamePros Dave Rudden commented that it was one of the series' games that seemed like a "potential classic". GamePro called it a "great downloadable hit" for the DSiWare. GameSpy's Brian Altano called it "highly recommended". PALGNs Adam Ghiggino called it "totally awesome", calling its gameplay "addictive and unique". 1UP.coms Steve Watts recommended Pictobits for Nintendo fans. In spite of all the positive reception, Pocket Gamers Jon Jordan commented that it wasn't the "most welcoming or spectacular game in the DSi Shop" due to its "plonky music" and "8-bit inspiration". Eurogamers Tom Bramwell, in his impressions of Picopict, commented on the presentation, calling the visuals "warm" and the soundtrack "immersive". Similarly, GameSpots Tom Mc Shea found fault in the title; while he enjoyed the Nintendo cameos and the concept behind the game, he found the controls imprecise and the difficulty too high.