Sudoku for Kids comes to DS

Here's an idea for a game that Carol Vorderman would surely be up for endorsing quicker than a secured loan or detox diet. It's a game of sudoku aimed at children – surely a guaranteed way of keeping them out of trouble with alcohol, knives and the opposite sex and getting them into methodically organising symbols into grids.

The aptly named Sudoku for Kids has been announced for release on DS in early 2008. It's described as a slick and colourful brain teaser and has animated themes such as flowers, animals, cars and planes replacing the rows upon rows of dull numbers.

The controls have also been thought out with younger gamers in mind, so shapes will be movable from one square to another using the stylus. A Time Attack mode is included for an added challenge on top of the classic game, and 21 levels in total are promised.

We caught a glimpse of a version running on the PC last year when we met up with developer Seed Studios and came away rather impressed with both the concept and the level of execution, so things certainly bode well for this version.

Publisher Lexicon Entertainment says it's the perfect combination of education and entertainment – and that it will improve logic skills through pattern and shape recognition. As long as it doesn't try to sell it to the kids with that on the box, we're pretty sure they'll love it.