Mahjongg Artifacts 2
| Developer: Shape Games | Publisher: G5 Entertainment |
| Release Date: October 22, 2009 | Available On: iPhone, PC & PSP |
Mahjongg Artifacts: Chapter 2 is a PSP minis game. As the title suggests, it is the sequel to Mahjong Artifacts, which is not even available on PSN (it was released on iPhone). It is a small 21MB download which, for $3.99, packs a decent amount of mahjongg entertainment. Is this the PSP mini mahjongg game you have been waiting for?
Mahjongg Artifacts 2 is described on PSN as having an "epic quest mode, additional 99 levels in classic mode, thrilling endless mode, five tile sets, ground breaking power-ups, and gorgeous graphics and rich audio". All of those claims are embellishments. Mahjongg Artifacts 2 does have an epic quest mode, with epic being defined as very long. There are an additional 99 levels to choose from in classic mode from which you can choose one of five mahjongg sets to play with. There is an endless mode, which is as the name suggests endless with very low thrills. Really, what did you expect from a 21MB download?
Mahjongg is a fairly aggressive and fast paced game when played with other players with real tiles. On the PSP, it is just something to aid you in passing time. For those who do not know how mahjongg is played, the quest mode opens with a full guided tutorial. Upon completing the tutorial level, you should be up to speed with mahjongg. Additionally, should you forget how to play, the help section found in the title screen gives you a full scrolling text and picture tutorial.
Mahjongg is not a complex game, it is in fact quite simple and easy to learn. It is a game of speed and eye sight. The quick and dirty is that you must match identical tiles. You may only match tiles that are free on the left and right side and that are not being covered by another tile. There are flower and season tiles which can be paired regardless of the picture on the tile. Of course, to match the tiles quickly, you must be fairly familiar with the set you are playing. There are also power-up tiles which may shuffle the board, lift a tile from the bottom, remove all the tiles of a certain kind, and several others. Finally, to win a game, you must match two golden tiles, usually found at the very bottom of the stack.
Mahjongg Artifacts 2 is a simple game that can be quite entertaining, especially if you're a mahjongg fan. The game rewards you with more points for playing faster and using power-ups. At the end of each game, your scores are added and you may be rewarded artifacts in recognition of your performance. There are, however, certain problems with playing mahjongg on the PSP. Selecting the desired tile can be a little tricky; often you may circle back and forth until you are able to select the correct tile. You can zoom in or out of the set but this may make some tiles harder to differentiate. Some sets have very similar tiles. These problems are completely eliminated by allowing the game to darken tiles that are not in play. This solution greatly simplifies the game and eliminates the thrill of playing mahjongg.
Mahjongg Artifacts 2 has a decent presentation. The graphics are not gorgeous but the game is definitely well themed. The tiles are very detailed when zoomed in but they lose much of what makes them distinguishable when zoomed completely out. The quest mode story boards are fairly generic comic book type and are difficult to read unless you zoom in completely. The audio is passable, certainly not unique. There is one sound effect that I immediately equated with TiVo. When making a menu option selection, you hear that same double popping sound that TiVo makes. It does not matter but it certainly stood out to me and it stood out from the rest of the presentation.
Mahjongg Artifacts 2 is a simple game with a fair amount of content. If you are a mahjongg fan with a PSP, this game will be worth your while and the $3.99 asking price. The quest mode, while not having an interesting story line, does have plenty of mahjongg boards for you to play. The additional 99 boards on classic mode will keep you entertained on your many boring commutes. Mahjong Artifacts 2 is perfectly suited for anyone who wants simple puzzle entertainment without a serious commitment.
| Graphics: | 7 |
| Sound: | 7 |
| Gameplay: | 7 |
| Creativity: | 7 |
| Replay Value/Game Length: | 8 |
| Final: | 7.2 out of 10 |
| Written by Angel Cortes | Write a User Review |
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