Mario Super Picross was a puzzle game released on the Super Famicom. This title never made it to North America. There was a similar title for the Nintendo Game Boy released. After that, the whole genre of Picross never really picked up in North America. Such a shame as this style puzzle can be quite interesting. For now, let us look at the Super Nintendo, fan translated, Mario Super Picross.

Nonogram puzzles, easy to learn, hard to master

Nonogram puzzles are simply number puzzles that create images. Simple, but still, images. Later entries in the Nintendo Picross series featured 3D objects.

The puzzles feature numbers down the side and across the top of a grid. The numbers are a clue as to where to fill in boxes to create the image. Easy puzzles are often quite easy with hard puzzles being stupid hard.

Each set of numbers requires at least one blank space between it and the other blocks on that line. Simple. Right?

Add in the fact that there are two sets of numbers and things get complicated rather quickly.

The Nintendo touch

Nintendo is known for taking tried and true genres and turning them into bigger and better things. This could be simply adding Nintendo owned characters to a game like Tetris. Nintendo knows what they are doing.

Unless we are talking about re-releasing games on their digital stores. Mario Super Picross on Super Nintendo was released on Nintendo Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online. Why? Because they released the game in Japanese. There is no official translation.

Mario Super Picross is missing something

The one thing about Mario Super Picross that sucks is, it is missing that Nintendo touch. The title screen is the only place you see anything directly “Nintendo”. Other than that, it is simply nonogram puzzles. I do not believe Nintendo even slipped in any of their own characters within the 300 puzzles.

Such a missed opportunity. I know in later Picross games, they did much more to “Nintendo-ify” the release.

If you are a fan of nonogram puzzles, you may want to skip Mario Super Picross and go with one of the newer entries.

Grab the patch file from ROMHacking.net

Fit that Picross or nonogram itch on Amazon or eBay.

Carl Williams

It is time gaming journalism takes its rightful place as proper sources and not fanboys giving free advertising. If you wish to support writers like Carl please use the links below. https://www.paypal.me/WCW https://www.patreon.com/CarlWilliams