Mah Jong Medley Review

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Game Description

Super Mah Jong Solitaire just improved dramatically! Now you can choose from over 300 layouts, all distinctly original, and range from super easy to extremely challenging.

Mahjong has traditionally been a very popular game due to its easy to learn game play and relaxing qualities. You will also help sharpen your mind by recognizing tile patterns quickly.

Mah Jong Medley has 4 game modes to choose from!

• Classic mode allows you to play like you've always played Mah Jong Solitaire.
• Select two tiles that add up to ten in Ten mode.
• Move up to two tiles out of the way in Free Cell.
• Rearrange tiles in numerical order in Addiction mode.

Mah Jong Medley Review

Does the Basics Well

On the surface Mahjong Medley seems like your ordinary mahjong tile game. The game doesn't have an extensive storyline or quest mode that has you traveling throughout China solving puzzles and solving crimes. No, this game is simple, delightfully simple.

Mahjong Medley and its four unique modes bring a lot to the table and pack a big punch. This game in its simplicity is much better than other games on the market and is more concerned with giving an enjoyable mahjong experience, rather than others, focused on the plot.

4 Distinct Game Modes

This game, which is divided into four distinct game modes is really enjoyable and addictive. The first mode is naturally entitled Classic. This mode is the basic Chinese tile matching game without any alteration to the rules. In this game, for those of you unfamiliar with mahjong, you match like tiles. Pairing identical tiles makes them vanish from the game board and adds to your score. The object of the game is to get all the tiles to leave. In order for a tile to be eligible to leave it must not have a tile on top of it and at least one of its sides (left or right) must be free. It doesn't matter which side as long as one of the two are clear of other tiles.

In the Classic mode you are granted three reshuffles per round. These are vital if you get stuck because they can rearrange the tiles on the board, making more moves available.

The next mode of play is Free Cell. Free Cell is the most like the Classic game of the four options in this game. In Free Cell you have a box at the top right corner of your display. You use the free cell holders in the upper corner to hold up to two tiles for later use. If you are stuck you are able to move troubled pieces into the free cell boxes until you are able to pair them. Once placed in the free cell zone, tiles must be paired before they can leave. You cannot have more than two pieces in this zone and you cannot place these pieces back on the board. They must be paired to leave the zone. Because you are allowed to use the free cell zone, reshuffling is not an option in this game.

The third mode is called Addiction. In this you rearrange tiles from 1 to 9. The tiles are laid out in a grid of rows with some blank spaces and you can move tiles around as long as the tile to the left of the blank space is one less in number and the symbol matches. Since this is confusing and completely new when it comes to mahjong, all of the legal moves are highlighted in green. The spaces your selected piece can move to are then highlighted in yellow. This system of highlighting helps with learning the game, especially since the instructions are a bit confusing.

The final of game modes, which is easy to pick up once you get the hang of it, is called 10. In 10 you match all the eligible tiles with other eligible tiles, making the sum of the pair equal ten. This means you pair fives with fives, fours with sixes, sevens with threes, eights with twos, and nines with ones. This becomes easy and second nature after a little time, however, starting off can be tough. This game mode is great for younger players looking to get better at both number recognition and addition.

Simple to Learn and Play

The gameplay of this game is simple, making it simply great. You control everything with the use of the mouse and figuring out the game is easy to do. The graphics and aural qualities aren't the best, but they don't detract from the overall quality of the game in any way.

Drawbacks Common to Mahjong Games

A drawback with this game is one that most all mahjong games face. Despite its four game modes, Mahjong Medley could easily get monotonous and become boring. Having multiple ways to play helps this feeling, but nonetheless it exists. Playing in shorter stints helps combat this feeling. Another possible flaw could be the fact that you cannot create or download your own or others layouts. Including this feature might take the game away from it simple theme, however, it might add a lot to the gameplay and increase the playability.

Conclusion - One of the Best

Overall, Mahjong Medley is one of the best mahjong titles on the market, without having an over-the-top quest or adventure mode. The developers seemed to focus more on the gaming and the gameplay, rather than the storyline content. Though monotony might be a symptom of the game, don't be discouraged and play in shorter stints. This is truly a great mahjong game and tile pairs all across the board will enjoy playing.

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