A few weeks ago I received a copy of MahJong Journey: Quest for Tikal from MumboJumbo Games. Normally I have reviews up within a couple of days, so one might wonder as to why I’ve taken so long getting this up…and the answer is simple: I didn’t want to put it down.
Many years ago, at least 15 if you wish to get specific, I discovered MahJong. It was on an old PC my grandmother had, and since the PC was kept in my room, it only seemed fitting that I take it over. In that ancient version of Windows, there was the standard crap like Hearts, but I saw a game I had never heard of before: MahJong. As a fan of almost all things puzzle related, I played the hell out of the game until eventually the PC died. Since then, I’ve played MahJong on just about every machine I’ve ever owned, and it’s trend I will gladly continue.
Now, if you were to give me a choice of playing MahJong on PC or on a handheld, I will always choose PC hands down. The main reason is screen size, and I’m sure you all can understand why I have that preference. Having never played a MahJong game on a small screen, I will admit I was a little apprehensive, and unsure of what I was about to get myself into. What if the tiles were too small? What if the end of the stylus was too big and the accuracy was shot to hell? What if it just wasn’t the same? I know you might be saying that I am really over-thinking this whole “MahJong on a tiny screen” bit, but think about some of your favorite games, and wonder how they would port over onto a smaller device. See what I just made you do? Bazinga.
I’m confident that the developers at MumboJumbo Games considered the same things as well because none of the aforementioned issues arose. I never had any problems with the stylus, I didn’t have to squint or try to struggle to see any of the tiles, nor did I have any problems with accuracy. It was exactly the way MahJong should be played. Each tile was colored so vividly that if you made a mistake and accidentally chose the wrong tile, you should probably get your eyes checked.
Of course there was a story to this, but really the gameplay is the bread and butter, and I’m glad they chose to emphasize on that rather than other frivolous details. For gamers who want replay value, you get that and more with this title, but honestly, if you’ve read my reviews you would know that time and time again, MumboJumbo delivers and always ensures a perfect balance of quality and quantity. Since I know that some of you require specifics, just know this: there are over 300 different puzzle layouts to solve, five additional tile sets to unlock, three fun difficulty levels, and nine game modes…so yeah, get excited.
If you’re a parent and your child owns a DS, I highly recommend that you steal it from them, buy a copy of this game, lock yourself in the bedroom and enjoy it. Should you own a DS, still go out and get this game. It’s a lot of fun, MahJong purists will appreciate the attention to detail, and it’s one of those games where you can sit down and lose yourself in it for hours – truly the sign of a great game. I have yet to achieve 100%, but I’m getting there!
For more information on MumboJumbo Games, check out their official website or follow them on Twitter.
Interested in picking up a copy of MahJong Journey: Quest for Tikal? Check out Amazon where it’s on sale!
