Sudoku to boost PSP numbers

Sony this week quietly continued its push to plant the PSP in the pockets (or at least handbags and backpacks) of new gamers with the announcement of Go! Sudoku, giving fans of the Japanese newspaper import 1,000 new puzzles to contend with and the promise of customisation, multiplayer and downloadable content. It's due out on the PSP in Europe this December.

Along with TalkMan and the PSP's multimedia functions, Sudoku seems to be aimed as much at non-gamers as the usual crowd. There are four difficulty levels, as well as detailed tutorials and a help system that gives novices five chances to input the right number in a puzzle before going it alone.

Multiplayer Sudoku will allow up to four players to compete or collaborate in pass (think hot-seat), versus and battle modes, and it'll also be possible to merge records of best times with other PSPs wirelessly. There's also a degree of customisation available - while the game will come stocked with animated background themes, music and sound effects, it will also allow players to supply their own wallpaper images from the PSP's photo directory.

Beyond the basic puzzling, there's also a Time Challenge mode, and the WiFi support include the option to transfer up to five puzzles to a friend to try out - similar to the downloadable demo options in many current PSP titles - with the promise of downloadable content from Sony itself in 2006, including new puzzle packs.