This post has a bypass trace to the solution of 96 in Lucky Panda 504 Sudoku Puzzles, and a basic trace and immediate coloring wrap for 144. The review will continue with single puzzles. It’s not mentioned in the text, but all the review puzzles start with 30 givens, an untypically high number.

LuckyPanda 96 is resolved in the bypass. The trace reveals a large contribution of 3-fills. The bypass comes close to drying up, before the rapid collapse.

Here is the grid as the trace ends with a solution assured. The lower case singles are effects not yet taken as causes.

The LuckyPanda 144 basic trace is more normal, taking matters into advanced.

The naked triple in line marking adds three bv.

Lucky Panda review puzzles consistently have a large number of bv cells. This makes XY-chains and coloring consistently effective. In 144 there is also the typically large number of slinks to support early coloring.

A blue/green cluster starting in the NE box spreads over the grid and wraps blue as two blue 5-candidates see each other. With green installed, the collapse is immediate.

Taken for what it is, the LuckyPanda collection is good Sudoku entertainment. The overblown labels of “extremely hard” and “insanely difficult” sell short what Sudoku has to offer. LuckyPanda Sudoku is recommended for those equipped in  Sudoku basic and exploring early advanced techniques.

Next is Lucky Panda 192.