GATTAI 5 SUDOKU #1 - EXPERT LEVEL

Normally I am not a fan of Sudoku.  I find regular Sudoku to be ordinary and unimaginative.  But the fact that Sudoku had become so well known and loved by everyone in the last decade, it had people looking for new and more exciting variants for Sudoku puzzles.  Variants on the puzzle came out such as a 16x16 square instead of 9x9 grid, puzzles containing letters instead of numbers, the combination of Sudoku and Kakuro (adding the numbers to get a specific total), 3D sudoku grids, grids that have connecting edges, and grids that have underlying odd shaped areas to fill with 1-9 rather than the common 3x3 square.  This is one of those variants...

Gattai 5 Sudoku (otherwise known as Samurai Sudoku) uses 5 sudoku grids put together for one puzzle.  While most Gattai 5 Sudoku puzzles have the grids only connected at the corners like so

this one has the grids connected with whole sides of each 9x9 grid.  I have shaded in the areas that are the easiest to start from to help you out a little, but do not be discouraged because even with this small helping hint the puzzle is really difficult.  Don't forget that the 5th 9x9 grid is in the center of the puzzle.

GATTAI 5 SUDOKU #1 - EXPERT LEVEL

SOLUTION