Over the years, we at Hudson have not only been the source of all things Bomberman, DECA SPORTS, and other fun break-out gaming experiences; but we’ve also played host to providing some of the most engaging Sudoku experiences on portable devices like Nintendo DSiWare™ and iPhone®.

 

For the past three months, we’ve been proud to partner with the National Sudoku Championship, put on by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Taking place on the 24th of October, the big day has finally arrived. Thousands of Sudoku lovers from across the country converged on Philadelphia to compete in the National Sudoku Championships! Hudson was there in full support of the event rounding out the entire experience with playables of Sudoku Student (available for download on Nintedno DSiWare), as well as hosting a mini-tournament during the event! But the real story here wasn’t about our games, or even the game of Sudoku itself. What’s truly amazing is the amount of heart and soul that each and every one of the contestants and their supporting family and friends put into the game. 

Gamers line up to try their hand in the Hudson Sudoku Bonus Round!

 

As the age range of the competitors ranged from 9 – 92, there was quite a bit of diversity in the crowds playing. Of course, when one of the Sudoku rounds is occurring, it gets as quiet a s a library in that convention center. But that doesn’t stop families and friends from rushing up in excitement once their favorite Sudoku player wraps up with their puzzle. Signs were made, people!

 

Sudoku is more than just a game to these contestants. Take Kevin Cunningham. At the age of 12, Kevin’s been playing Sudoku for the past three years. He takes an enormous amount of pride in being the top player in his family, but this boost in confidence not only happens inside the home, but outside as well. As a result of finely honing his Sudoku techniques over the years, Kevin feels more confident when he sits down in class. He has the mentality that regardless of the challenge or problem that lies in front of him, he knows that he can find the answer. He knows that with enough hard work and focus, he can achieve what he wants to achieve. That’s powerful stuff. And it’s partially thanks to a 10x10 black and white grid with numbers to fill in.

The Championship overall, was a ton of fun for everyone involved. Tammy McLeod of Southern California ended up pulling off a stunner when she defeated last year’s champion, Thomas Snyder. Although Thomas had finished his final puzzle significantly faster than Tammy, Tammy ended up having fewer mistakes and pulled off the victory! Hudson congratulates Tammy for pulling off an amazing victory at the tournament. She not only walked away with a nice cash prize, but also a spot on the US team for the World Sudoku Championship, as well as an iPod® touch loaded with Hudson’s own nikoli Sudoku. Incidentally, both Tammy and her husband have been involved in the video games industry as Tammy was formerly at Midway and her husband currently designs multiplayer maps for Infinity Ward. Videogames!