Zendoku is one of the latest games in a long line of Sudoku games. So the big question is, should you buy this latest incarnation? Zendoku has its ups and downs. The first thing you notice about any game is how it looks. Zendoku is about average in its graphics. The characters and the game overall is very cartoonish. But they are cute, and the designers did a very good job of making 17 playable characters unique, giving them all different body shapes, hair colors and styles, and clothing to fit their martial arts style.

The sounds are par for this type of game. The background music is generic Japanese video music. It doesn't distract you, but it doesn't really grab your attention either. I do like the sound it uses when you throw an attack at your opponent (or when your opponent attacks you). It sounds like you just slapped them (or got slapped).

Zendoku provides you with two choices at the beginning. You can opt for Zendoku, which is the adventure option, or you can opt for Classic Sudoku. Honestly, if you're looking to play normal sudoku puzzles, I'd recommend one of the other sudoku clones, Sudoku Fever for instance. The reason I say that is that Zendoku doesn't provide a "pencil in" functionality, which is something that I use heavily. When you do choose to play it, the Classic Sudoku Mode provides you with the opportunity to learn how sudoku is played if you're one of the people that's never seen or heard of it. It also lets you play Sudoku (with the numbers only) either timed or un-timed.

If you're bored with normal Sudoku and you're looking for something just a little more challenging, choose the Zendoku Mode. This mode is where Zendoku really sets itself apart from the other Sudoku games. At the start of it, you're given your choice of 10 playable characters. The bottom 8 players all have a different quest to go on. Choose one, and you'll play against the other seven players first, then your master. After you've beaten all of them, you'll have seven more unlockable characters to play against before you finally get to take on the last opponent to earn your grade of Doshu. After you beat each of those seven, they're unlocked for you to play as.

When you are in a battle, Zendoku has made it much more interesting than just playing Sudoku against someone. Each time you complete a column, row, or box, as I said before, you throw an attack at your opponent. The attacks are like something you'd see in WarioWare Inc: Mega MicroGames. You have a variety of quick things to perform, some of which even require you to blow into the mic. While you are defending against these attacks, you can't work on the Zendoku puzzles, so it makes it much more difficult for you to beat your opponent. When you want a break from your quest, you can also choose to play in Zen Mode, Attack Box, or Multiplayer Mode.

The top two characters you can choose are masters - they already have a grade of Doshu, so if you choose them, you don't have a quest to go on. The seven unlockable characters also do not have quests. With these characters, you can only play in the Zen Mode, Attack Box, or Multiplayer Mode. Zen Mode allows you to play Sudoku using symbols instead of numbers in a relaxed manner to try and obtain the highest score possible. You'll notice that all of Zendoku Mode is played using symbols: a panda, a flower, a temple, a sumo, a yin-yang symbol, a parasol, a heart, a snake and a sword. Attack Box allows you to practice blocking any of the attacks that your opponent throws at you. Finally if you want to play against another player, you can choose Multiplayer Mode.

Zendoku can be as easy or as difficult as you want it to be. If you just want to take it easy, play Zen Mode on easy. If you're taking the quest, the characters do get progressively harder. The first few are very easy, I could beat them without ever having to block an attack. As you get to the unlockable characters, it does get quite a bit more difficult. The final character that you have to beat to earn the grade of Doshu I found to be very challenging. It took me quite a while to beat it!

The mechanics of Zendoku are very easy to learn. You use the stylus for everything except pausing the game and blowing into the mic. To place a symbol on the board, tap the symbol first and then tap the square you want to place it in. To pause the game, press the (START) button. To choose a character to play as, just tap that character.

Overall, there are just a very few things I would have liked to see in Zendoku. One of them is the "pencil in" option that I mentioned earlier. I would also like to be able to go back and play against any of the previous characters that I beat in a quest as the character that I'm currently playing, basically replay any stage of the quest. But all that aside, I will admit to being addicted to these quests. I even took my DS to work to play, which I've never done before! For anyone who loves Sudoku and especially anyone who likes to compete in puzzle games, I would definitely recommend Zendoku.