Nikoli (publisher): Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Japanese puzzle publisher and magazine}} |
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⚫ | {{Nihongo|lead=yes|'''Nikoli Co., Ltd.'''|株式会社ニコリ|[[Kabushiki-gaisha]]|Nikori}} is a |
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{{Infobox publisher |
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| name = Nikoli |
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| traded_as = <!-- or | nasdaq = --> |
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| founded = {{start date and age|1980}} |
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| founder = [[Maki Kaji]] |
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| defunct = <!-- use {{end date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> |
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| successor = |
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| country = Japan |
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| publications = Puzzles, Magazines |
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| website = {{URL|https://nikoli.co.jp}} |
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⚫ | {{Nihongo|lead=yes|'''Nikoli Co., Ltd.'''|株式会社ニコリ|[[Kabushiki-gaisha]]|Nikori}} is a Japanese publisher that specializes in [[game]]s and, especially, [[logic puzzle]]s. ''Nikoli'' is also the nickname of a quarterly magazine (whose full name is ''Puzzle Communication Nikoli'') issued by the company in [[Tokyo]].<ref name=niko>{{cite web|title=Puzzles|url=http://nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/|publisher=Nikoli|access-date=2018-01-04}}</ref> ''Nikoli'' was established in 1980,<ref name=niko/> and became prominent worldwide with the popularity of ''[[Sudoku]]''. |
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⚫ | The name "Nikoli" comes from the [[Nikoli (horse)|racehorse]] who won the [[Irish 2,000 Guineas]] in 1980; the founder of Nikoli, [[Maki Kaji]], was fond of horseracing and betting.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bellos |first=Alex |author-link=Alex Bellos |date=2017 |title=Puzzle Ninja |publisher=Guardian Books and Faber & Faber Ltd |page=3 |isbn=978-1-4521-7105-0}}</ref> |
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Nikoli's claim to fame is its vast library of "culture independent" puzzles. An example of a [[language]]/[[culture]]-dependent genre of puzzle would be the [[crossword]], which relies on a specific language and [[alphabet]]. For this reason Nikoli's puzzles are often purely logical, and often numerical. |
Nikoli's claim to fame is its vast library of "culture independent" puzzles. An example of a [[language]]/[[culture]]-dependent genre of puzzle would be the [[crossword]], which relies on a specific language and [[alphabet]]. For this reason Nikoli's puzzles are often purely logical, and often numerical. |
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Nikoli's [[Sudoku]], the most popular |
Nikoli's [[Sudoku]], the most popular logic problem in Japan,<ref>{{cite web|title=''Nikoli Co.''|url=http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/sudoku/index_text.htm|access-date=2008-04-23|archive-date=2008-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412102523/http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/sudoku/index_text.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> was popularized in the [[English language|English]]-speaking world in 2005, though that game has a history stretching back hundreds of years and across the globe.<ref name="Garns">{{cite web|url=http://www.maa.org/editorial/mathgames/mathgames_09_05_05.html|title=Ed Pegg Jr.'s Math Games: Sudoku Variations|access-date=2006-10-03|last=Pegg|first=Ed Jr.|date=2005-09-15|work=MAA Online|publisher=The Mathematical Association of America|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061013120205/http://www.maa.org/editorial/mathgames/mathgames_09_05_05.html|archive-date=2006-10-13|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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The magazine has invented several new genres of puzzles, and introduced several new games to Japan. |
The magazine has invented several new genres of puzzles, and introduced several new games to [[Japan]]. |
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== Nikoli puzzles == |
== Nikoli puzzles == |
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{| style="float:right;" |
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[[File:Unsolved Hotaru Beam grid.png|thumb|right|A ''Hotaru Beam'' puzzle]] |
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|- style="vertical-align:top;" |
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|style="padding-top:7px;"| |
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| [[File:Polyominous.png|thumb|right|200px|Moderately difficult ''Fillomino'' puzzle<br>© 2005 Adam R. Wood, licensed under GFDL]] |
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Some of the popular Nikoli puzzles, |
Some of the popular Nikoli puzzles, along with their [[Japanese language|Japanese]] names; terms in parentheses are published English titles for the same puzzles. |
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*{{nihongo4|[[Bag (puzzle)|Bag]]|バッグ|baggu}} (''Corral'') |
*{{nihongo4|[[Bag (puzzle)|Bag]]|バッグ|baggu}} (''Corral'') |
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*{{nihongo4|[[Connect the dots]]|点つなぎ|ten tsunagi}} (''dot to dots'') |
*{{nihongo4|[[Connect the dots]]|点つなぎ|ten tsunagi}} (''dot to dots'') |
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*{{nihongo4| |
*{{nihongo4|Country Road|カントリーロード|kantorī rōdo}} |
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*{{nihongo4|[[Crossword]]|クロスワードパズル|kurosuwādo pazuru}} |
*{{nihongo4|[[Crossword]]|クロスワードパズル|kurosuwādo pazuru}} |
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**{{nihongo4|[[Crossword#Cipher crosswords|Cipher crossword]]|ナンクロ|nankuro}} |
**{{nihongo4|[[Crossword#Cipher crosswords|Cipher crossword]]|ナンクロ|nankuro}} |
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**{{nihongo4|[[Picture maze]]|浮き出し迷路|ukidashi meiro}} |
**{{nihongo4|[[Picture maze]]|浮き出し迷路|ukidashi meiro}} |
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*{{nihongo4|[[Nurikabe (puzzle)#Mochikoro|Mochikoro]]|モチコロ|mochikoro}} |
*{{nihongo4|[[Nurikabe (puzzle)#Mochikoro|Mochikoro]]|モチコロ|mochikoro}} |
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*{{nihongo4|[[ |
*{{nihongo4|[[Numberlink]]|ナンバーリンク|nanbā rinku}} |
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*{{nihongo4|[[Nurikabe (puzzle)|Nurikabe]]|ぬりかべ|nurikabe}} (''Cell Structure'') |
*{{nihongo4|[[Nurikabe (puzzle)|Nurikabe]]|ぬりかべ|nurikabe}} (''Cell Structure'') |
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*{{nihongo4|[[Reflect Link]]|リフレクトリンク|refurekuto rinku}} |
*{{nihongo4|[[Reflect Link]]|リフレクトリンク|refurekuto rinku}} |
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*{{nihongo4|[[Slitherlink]]|スリザーリンク|surizā rinku}} (''Fences'') |
*{{nihongo4|[[Slitherlink]]|スリザーリンク|surizā rinku}} (''Fences'') |
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*{{nihongo4|[[Stained Glass (puzzle)|Stained Glass]]|ステンドグラス|sutendo gurasu}} |
*{{nihongo4|[[Stained Glass (puzzle)|Stained Glass]]|ステンドグラス|sutendo gurasu}} |
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*{{nihongo4|[[Sto-stone]]|ストストーン|sutosutōn}} |
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*{{nihongo4|[[Sudoku]]|数独|sūdoku}} (''Number Place'', ''Nine Numbers'') |
*{{nihongo4|[[Sudoku]]|数独|sūdoku}} (''Number Place'', ''Nine Numbers'') |
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*{{nihongo4|[[Tatamibari]]|タタミバリ|tatami bari}} |
*{{nihongo4|[[Tatamibari]]|タタミバリ|tatami bari}} |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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*[ |
*[https://nikoli.co.jp/en/ Official site] {{in lang|en}} |
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*[http://www.janko.at/Raetsel/Nikoli/index-2.htm Rules of 80+ Nikoli Puzzles] in German and English |
*[http://www.janko.at/Raetsel/Nikoli/index-2.htm Rules of 80+ Nikoli Puzzles] in German and English |
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{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category:Logic puzzles]] |
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[[Category:Magazines established in 1980]] |
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[[Category:Quarterly magazines]] |
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[[Category:1980 establishments in Japan]] |
[[Category:1980 establishments in Japan]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Japanese companies established in 1980]] |
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[[Category:Magazine publishing companies of Japan]] |
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Latest revision as of 22:15, 22 March 2024
Founded | 1980 |
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Founder | Maki Kaji |
Country of origin | Japan |
Publication types | Puzzles, Magazines |
Official website | nikoli |
Nikoli Co., Ltd. (Japanese: 株式会社ニコリ, Hepburn: Kabushiki-gaisha, Nikori) is a Japanese publisher that specializes in games and, especially, logic puzzles. Nikoli is also the nickname of a quarterly magazine (whose full name is Puzzle Communication Nikoli) issued by the company in Tokyo.[1] Nikoli was established in 1980,[1] and became prominent worldwide with the popularity of Sudoku.
The name "Nikoli" comes from the racehorse who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas in 1980; the founder of Nikoli, Maki Kaji, was fond of horseracing and betting.[2]
Nikoli's claim to fame is its vast library of "culture independent" puzzles. An example of a language/culture-dependent genre of puzzle would be the crossword, which relies on a specific language and alphabet. For this reason Nikoli's puzzles are often purely logical, and often numerical.
Nikoli's Sudoku, the most popular logic problem in Japan,[3] was popularized in the English-speaking world in 2005, though that game has a history stretching back hundreds of years and across the globe.[4]
The magazine has invented several new genres of puzzles, and introduced several new games to Japan.
Nikoli puzzles
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Hitori.svg/220px-Hitori.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Unsolved_Hotaru_Beam_grid.png/220px-Unsolved_Hotaru_Beam_grid.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Sudoku-by-L2G-20050714.svg/220px-Sudoku-by-L2G-20050714.svg.png)
Some of the popular Nikoli puzzles, along with their Japanese names; terms in parentheses are published English titles for the same puzzles.
- Bag (バッグ, baggu) (Corral)
- Connect the dots (点つなぎ, ten tsunagi) (dot to dots)
- Country Road (カントリーロード, kantorī rōdo)
- Crossword (クロスワードパズル, kurosuwādo pazuru)
- Cipher crossword (ナンクロ, nankuro)
- Edel (エデル, ederu) (Paint by Numbers, Nonogram, Griddler)
- Fillomino (フィルオミノ, firuomino) (Allied Occupation)
- Gokigen Naname (ごきげんななめ, gokigen naname) (Slant)
- Goishi Hiroi (碁石ひろい, goishi hiroi) (Go Stones)
- Hashiwokakero (橋をかけろ, hashi o kakero) (Bridges)
- Heyawake (へやわけ, heyawake)
- Hitori (ひとりにしてくれ, hitori ni shitekure)
- Hotaru Beam (ホタルビーム, hotaru bīmu)
- Inshi no heya (因子の部屋, inshi no heya)
- Kakuro (カックロ, kakkuro) (Cross Sums, Kakro)
- Keisuke (ケイスケ, keisuke)
- Kin-Kon-Kan (キンコンカン, kinkonkan)
- Kuromasu (黒マスはどこだ, kuromasu wa dokoda)
- Light Up (美術館, bijutsukan)
- LITS (ヌルオミノ, nuruomino)
- Mainarizumu (マイナリズム, mainarizumu)
- Masyu (ましゅ, mashu)
- Maze (迷路, meiro)
- Picture maze (浮き出し迷路, ukidashi meiro)
- Mochikoro (モチコロ, mochikoro)
- Numberlink (ナンバーリンク, nanbā rinku)
- Nurikabe (ぬりかべ, nurikabe) (Cell Structure)
- Reflect Link (リフレクトリンク, refurekuto rinku)
- Ripple Effect (波及効果, hakyū kōka)
- Shakashaka (シャカシャカ, shakashaka)
- Shikaku (四角に切れ, shikaku ni kire) (Divide by Squares)
- Slitherlink (スリザーリンク, surizā rinku) (Fences)
- Stained Glass (ステンドグラス, sutendo gurasu)
- Sto-stone (ストストーン, sutosutōn)
- Sudoku (数独, sūdoku) (Number Place, Nine Numbers)
- Tatamibari (タタミバリ, tatami bari)
- Tatebo-Yokobo (タテボーヨコボー, tatebō yokobō)
- Tentai Show (天体ショー, tentai shō) (Galaxies)
- Tile Paint (タイルペイント, tairu peinto)
- Verbal arithmetic (ふくめん算, fukumensan) (Alphametics, Cryptarithm)
- Word search (シークワーズ, shīku wādo) (Word seek)
- Yajilin (ヤジリン, yajirin) (Arrow Ring)
- Yajisan-Kazusan (やじさんかずさん, yajisan kazusan)
References
[edit]Part of a series on |
Puzzles |
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![]() |
- ^ a b "Puzzles". Nikoli. Retrieved 2018-01-04.
- ^ Bellos, Alex (2017). Puzzle Ninja. Guardian Books and Faber & Faber Ltd. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-4521-7105-0.
- ^ "Nikoli Co.". Archived from the original on 2008-04-12. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
- ^ Pegg, Ed Jr. (2005-09-15). "Ed Pegg Jr.'s Math Games: Sudoku Variations". MAA Online. The Mathematical Association of America. Archived from the original on 2006-10-13. Retrieved 2006-10-03.
External links
[edit]- Official site (in English)
- Rules of 80+ Nikoli Puzzles in German and English