Everything you ever wanted to know about Zendoku
If you've heard that Zendoku is a fusion of sudoku and martial arts, you might have wondered why. We don't blame you; on the face, it certainly seems like an unusual combination, but Pocket Gamer's interview with Zendoku creator Martin Hollis reveals the inspiration behind this unusual puzzler, and much more as well. So what's the story? It's simple, really. "Sudoku needed some ninjas," Hollis said. Frankly, what doesn't need a ninja or six?
Now that the question of inspiration is out of the way, the next logical question is: how does one mix puzzles and action? In Zendoku -- which uses symbols, not numbers -- the puzzle board, if you will, is the field of combat. Completing a row, section, or column initiates an attack -- and those attacks are played out in microgames. It all sounds good on paper, but we'll have to give it a try to see if it's any fun in action. It may be promising, but sometimes you just want to finish the puzzle, you know?
