Mah Jong Quest: Expeditions

Rating Everyone Genre puzzle Publisher Activision Value External Links Official Activision Value

Mah Jong Quest: Expeditions is the standard Mahjong solitaire fair. In this single player game, you get a stack of Mahjong tiles that must be removed two at a time. Tiles can only be removed if they have a matching pair exposed, and if each tile is not being blocked on the left or right by other tiles. It's a simple idea, but man, it's a time sink because of its addictive nature. Like the classic card game Klondike Solitaire, not every randomization of the stack can be solved, so you'll have to deal with the fact that you'll be poking at a design that might not have a real solution.

What this version brings to the table is a few new variations on the concept, namely tiles of various powers. Dynamite tiles can explode specific rock tiles. Ice tiles will melt and reveal tiles underneath if you remove adjacent tiles off the board. Balloon tiles will float away if you manage to free them from underneath other tiles. These variations are only a part of the Mah Jong Quest portion of the game. If you just want to play with the standard tiles and rules, the classic modes in here. But what iwin.com created for this package brings a few clever wrinkles that you should check out. Other neat additions are puzzle modes that use the normal Mah Jong Quest rules, but with subtle variations, such as face down tiles that you'll have to remove in a specific order to move on. Each puzzle in the game saves the score to cartridge, so you always have something to shoot for even after you've done the task once.

The gameplay in Mah Jong Quest: Expeditions is designed well with really good use of the Nintendo DS touch screen. What hurts the product is the absolutely awful, cluttered menu system that uses icons to represent functions, instead of simply spelling it out. You want to restart the game? Or quit to the menu? Good luck figuring out which of the menu buttons does that. This rendition also doesn't offer an easier tile set. One of the biggest complaints many gamers have is that the Chinese-style tiles cluttered together gets hard to read, so most self-contained Mahjong solitaire games create a set of tiles with more straightforward designs. There's only one tile set in Mah Jong Quest: Expeditions, so if your eyes tend to hurt after focusing on tiny details in DS games, this game will make them ache.

I actually found this game much better in that it had more tile arrangement variations than I was used to. It also has some fun different kind of tiles such as firecrackers that explode the block pieces of the same color as the firecracker. Mastering how each power tile will assist you is key for beating the levels in the main expedition mode. I have played this game for over 12 hours and, although rarely having trouble getting through the levels, I still have not finished this mode. Part of why I have enjoyed this game so much is because it has so much gameplay to keep puzzle lovers entertained. Additionally, you can just choose which tile arrangement you want and just play a single game and not be in the expedition mode.

Mahjong solitaire is a true gaming classic. It's simple and absolutely addictive, and when done right can zap hours away from the clock. Companies love producing versions of the design because no one owns the rights to the original concept, so the Nintendo DS isn't lacking in the Mahjong Solitaire. You'll find it in Nintendo's own Clubhouse Games as well as a cool Scrabble-like variation in this year's release of Word Jong. Mah Jong Quest: Expeditions is yet another variation of the design, based on a downloadable PC edition from iwin.com. Yet another game proves that Mahjong solitaire is a timeless favorite. This release may lack a feature or two that many Mahjong solitaire games take for granted, and the menu system is the absolute pits, but the variations that this game offers over the standard Mahjong solitaire ruleset keeps things fresh and fun. Finally, its price point -- 15 bucks as of this writing -- is something that you just can't pass up.