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Introduction
This is a 'tile matching'
puzzle game for 1 or 2 players.
This sort of game is usually
played with MahJonng tiles bearing Chinese/Japanese
characters and has been around on the PC for quite a
while. Microsoft released a version of this called Tai
Pei in one of its entertainment packs way back in the
early 90s for Windows 2 but Kyodai Mahjonng 2006 is
probably the definitive way to play this on the PC.
This title brings this game
to the console with new ways to play and even introduces
an excellent 2 player simultaneous battle mode.
Game play
The basic premise of this
game is that you are presented with a complex
multi-layered layout of tiles and you have to match up
pairs. Every time a pair is identified it is removed
from the layout, perhaps revealing more tiles. The
object of the game is to clear the board. There are a
couple of simple rules about selecting tiles.
First, a tile has to be
completely visible with no part of its front face being
covered by another tile.
Secondly a tile must not
have other tiles touching it to the left and right at
the same time.
Any tile that is visible and
its left and right side untouched by another tile is
available for selection.
You control a pointer using
the D-pad - picking a pair is easy - just move the
pointer to a tile and press the A or C button (it will
glow to show it has been selected) - then move the
pointer to its match and press A or C again. If they
match they disappear. If they don't match you hear an
unpleasant sound and they don't disappear !!
You can unselect a tile by
just pressing B at any time. You will become 'stuck' if
there are no more possible matches - mercifully the game
will end at this point instead of leaving you wondering
if there are any more pairs to be found!
This type of game is usually
played with a mouse on a PC - but the control works well
and the pointer will move more quickly if you hold down
one of the shoulder buttons while moving.
There are 2 main modes of
the game - Original and Arcade.
In original mode you just
play to clear the board with no pressure - in Arcade
mode you play for points against a timer.
The timer will continually
drop (it is displayed as a shrinking meter at the bottom
of the screen) but you can slow and even temporarily
reverse this by selecting pairs as fast as you can.
With each pair you remove in
arcade mode you also get points - different types of
symbols will give you different points. When you run out
of time its game over. You may continue (which will
reset your score to zero) or quit and register your name
and score on the high score table - the contents of
which are stored on the Saturn's internal backup or
cartridge (you are given the choice when you first start
playing).
If you continue, then the
board is reset and you may choose to retry the same
board again or a reshuffled board.
The great thing about having
these two modes is that you can opt for a relaxed,
reflective session of original mode, or go for the more
intense arcade mode. Believe me - a game like this can
get intense when 2 players are frantically looking for
pairs on the same layout with an almost empty time meter
flashing!
Within each of these 2 modes
are 4 game variations: Classic, Great Wall, Beijing, and
Golden Tile - each of which may be played in 1 player or
2 player simultaneous mode.
Classic : what it says -
play to clear 30 normal levels.
Great Wall : an interesting
variation. Each level's layout is 'standing up' and
gravity has an effect. If tiles are removed from the
bottom of the layout then the higher unsupported tiles
will fall down into the newly created gaps.
Beijing : This is a tough
one. The layout of each level is a grid and some gaps
are created initially for you. You then slide entire
rows or columns around to make pairs (a touching pair
will automatically disappear). You get bonuses if you
make simultaneous matches with a slide (almost like
combos or chains in pit-based puzzle games such as Puyo
Puyo or Panel de Pon).
In all of these variations
your progress is tracked on a map screen and is
auto-saved between sessions or you may use a password if
you have no memory backup. High scores are saved in
Arcade Mode (a different score table for each mode). You
may call for help and undo a move 3 times per game in
Great Wall and Classic variations. Choosing HELP
highlights matching pairs on the layout.
Golden Tile : this is really
a 2 player only game (you can play it in 1 player mode
but it’s a bit pointless as there is no computer
controlled opponent). Each player has their own layout.
The layouts are smaller so that they both fit on the
screen at once but this makes for faster and more
frantic games. There is a golden tile hidden in each
player's layout - the first to click on it with their
pointer wins. You may use tiles from your opponent's
layout to make matches with tiles in your own - so it's
not just a straight race - but you CAN'T steal the other
player's golden tile to snatch a win. A match is best of
3 - the game keeps track of the total number of matches
won by each player.
The great thing about this
game variation is the pace at which it can be played due
to the simpler layouts. Another nice feature is that at
the start of each round you see the layouts being built
up - so you can see where the golden tile is hidden if
you keep your eyes open.
This really is an excellent
variation and is of a pick-up-and-play style of game
much like the battle mode of other puzzle games like
Tetris and Puzzle Bobble.
At first I thought it a pity
that there is no computer controlled opponent in this
mode - but it is best played against a human and the
other modes cater for the single player admirably.
Graphics and Sound
I had reservations about
playing this sort of game on a TV because of the
intricate tile faces and layouts but I sit just a bit
closer to the screen for this one and everything is
clear.
Each level has photo of some
Chinese scene in the background which surprisingly
doesn't get in the way or make the tiles hard to see.
You don't expect great graphics from a puzzle game - but
you do expect clear and functional graphics and that is
what you get here. A job well done on the traditional
tile set made clear on a normal TV screen. I have played
this on an 15 year old 21 inch JVC through a composite
and RGB SCART lead and it is fine both ways; just
remember you will need to sit a little bit closer to the
screen.
The sound is fine and
doesn't irritate. Oriental tunes play in the background
and the spot effects are nice.
Options
There are 2 ways to set
options - at the title screen you can select the options
screen:
From here you may set :-
* Difficulty levels - 5
levels affect the complexity of the layouts.
* Time Limit adjust - you
may also affect the difficulty by selecting different
time limits.
(You can select infinity
which effectively disables the time limit.
* Controller Config - I have
described gameplay in this review with the default
setup.
* Different tile faces - I
don't use these but they are a nice addition. There are
Music and Zodiac
themes available in addition
to the traditional Mah-Jongg tile set.
* Different pointers -
select from hand, arrow and wand.
* Sound - switch on/off the
music and effects separately. Also select from stereo
and mono mode.
* Reset - sets options to
default values - WARNING! Also resets your status and
hi-score tables!
Pressing start when in
original mode gains you access to another option mode.
Here you can select from different layouts and you can
change settings/modes/variations mid game (some changes
mean that the game has to restart).The options in
original mode are presented in a drop-down menu style
which perhaps reveals the game's PC origins but it works
well with the controller.
Play Time / Replay
This sort of game will last
ages - the 3 variations - classic, wall and Beijing will
keep single players happy for ages in arcade mode.
Original mode is timeless - its presented as a pastime
and relaxation method here and any game that has 2
player simultaneous modes is by definition long lasting.
Golden Tile really is a wonderful 2 player game.
I highly recommend this game
for anyone who even remotely likes puzzle games. It is
full of refreshing and new ideas - younger kids may find
the layouts a bit daunting. This is one of the few games
that my wife will play (Golden Tile - 1st to 10) so it’s
in the same company as Puzzle Bobble - high praise
indeed!
I would buy this – it’s
available for next to nothing on eBay and it will last
you ages.
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