Mah Jong Quest: Expeditions Review
By Gaetano Prestia
Mahjong Solitaire is addictive. Actually, no, that's an enormous understatement. Once you get into the flow of the game, it's more than addictive. It becomes part of your life. It's like a drug that takes control of your senses and pulls you in, never letting you go until you master it, by which point you'll continue on until your brain just can't handle it anymore. The game has seen countless gaming versions, including a few already on the DS, and with Mah Jong Quest: Expeditions on the DS, we get a great puzzle title that is brought down by one of the most outrageous and shockingly bad menu systems in the history of gaming.
The gameplay of Mah Jong is fairly simple. You have a whole lot of blocks with symbols on them that have to be removed in pairs, pending they have the same symbol and don't have blocks on either the right or left. It's a simple concept that calls for patience and precision and the end result is a highly addictive game that sends time spiraling away. What further adds to the addictive nature is that some of the puzzles don't actually have a way to be solved, so you'll be playing for a while before you realise you can't finish it. That's the way the puzzle is. The gameplay uses the stylus and touchscreen well, taking advantage of the DS capabilities.
Expeditions isn't just simple Mah Jong though. The basic and original game is there, but there are different variations of it to make it easier and somewhat more enjoyable. There's a mode where some blocks have specific powers, like the ability to burn or melt surrounding blocks, or fly off the puzzle map if freed from underneath other blocks. It adds a bit more to the gameplay and the overall puzzle experience, especially if you've become tired of the original puzzle.
The only major problem worth noting is the terrible menu system. There are no basic menu options, with each option a simple symbol that has nothing to do with the actual feature in question. For example, to save the game you'll have to guess which symbol it is, because nothing represents a save file. Furthermore, the menus feel cluttered and may ruin the experience for some gamers looking for smoother gameplay.
The Final Verdict
Mah Jong Question: Expeditions is a simple puzzle game that is highly addictive and incredibly fun. The menu's let the game down, but the addictive nature of the gameplay should overturn that.
Gameplay
7.0/10
It's a puzzle game done well on the DS, taking advantage of the touchscreen and stylus.
Presentation
6.0/10
Vibrant colours and an overall decent present. The menu is shocking, though.
Sound
6.5
Generic sound effects that get the job done.
Value
8.0/10
Addictive, addictive and addictive. Once you get into the flow of the gameplay, you'll be playing it for hours on end.
Overall
7.0/10
Submitted by Gaetano
19/01/2009
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Mah-Jong Quest: Expeditions
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