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Mahjong Roadshow
Do you enjoy the thrill of picking priceless treasures out amidst tons of junk. Does the sight of antiques fill you with excitement? Do you enjoy a good game of Mahjong (the Western Solitaire Version, not the Chinese original). Well, then you are going to have a blast with Mahjong Roadshow, a casual title from PlayFirst.
I have to be honest, I have no idea how Mahjong Roadshow ended up in my gaming collection. It was more than likely due to some crazy sale on Steam or came bundled with something else. Regardless of its origins, in the eight hours it took me to make my way from Grandma’s attic to the Auction Galleries (fifty stages in total), I definitely got value for money. Its easy to dismiss titles like these due to their simple looks and gameplay, but if you enjoy this kind of thing, then you will enjoy Mahjong Roadshow. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of Mahjong, it is basically all about tile matching. Each board has a number of tiles that have to be matched to clear them and uncover the valuable tiles underneath. In this game everything is set up around the theme of antiques, so the pictures on the tiles are all things like typewriters, clocks, toys and pipes. In total there’s something like 350 tiles, so if you think its going to be a walk in the park spotting matches, you are mistaken. Hints & shuffles make your life easier, but come at a cost, so if you want to do well on the online leaderboards, you’ll keep them to a minimum. Cash is generated by making matches and taking part in the “speed auction” mini-games. The goal is to have a treasure trove of valuable items by the time you’ve cleared the seven locations available. The visuals look a bit drab and the resolution is fixed at 800 x 600, but none of this is a deal breaker in the casual market. There’s a lot of information on the items in the game, but I can’t say how much of it is true. Features like matching tiles in groups add a bit of depth to the boards, but the gameplay remains simple enough that even your grandmother will grasp it. There’s even a built-in level editor included to make your own boards. The audio is what you would expect with plenty of “period” music, but some of the tracks, especially the banjo one, are quite catchy. The “match” sound effect, which sounds like the doorbell of an antique shop, grows tiring very quickly, however. If you are looking for a cheap game to scratch your Mahjong itch, then you can do worse than this one. It’s a nice time filler if you are in-between games.
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System Requirements
TAGS: Mahjong Roadshow, Mahjong, Antiques, Auction, Collection,
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