The Emperor’s Mahjong, by Hexacto, $19.95
Reviewed October 2002

I got hooked on Mahjong at a very young age. As any gamer will tell you, when you get hooked on a game when you’re that young, you can’t easily kick the addiction. Here in the US these days, I can hardly find 3 friends who’d give up an entire evening sitting by a round table to play Mahjong and drink Wulong Tea any more. So having the game of Mahjong on a handheld becomes essential. The latest and greatest Mahjong title is from Hexacto. With the authenticity to Chinese culture, beautiful graphics and fun game play, this Mahjong game paved the road for you to become an emperor, son of Dragon.

Other than the translation of the game title (it means bird, not Mahjong in Chinese), everything in this Emperor’s Mahjong creates an authentic traditional Chinese atmosphere. The drive for authenticity is integrated with game play and game design. There are 3 game modes: Traditional Shanghai is the basic Mahjong game; Traditional Shanghai 2 which is a turn-based match with a time limit in 2 player mode; and Emperor’s Challenge where players must clear all 72 levels to reach the rank of Emperor. The large selection of 72 layouts has 6 different themes including Chinese Horoscope, natural elements such as water and fire, Chinese crafts, famous landmarks, basic Kung Fu moves and famous Emperors. If you are fan of Chinese culture, you will find the game is not only a great Mahjong game but also a Chinese culture and wisdom feast. In your quest to pursue the Emperor’s title, you will be given Chinese Wisdom at the end of each successful level. For each theme (12 games) you finish, you will be rewarded with a gem and you will become an Emperor only after you’ve collected all 6 gems. Each game has a time limit and number of tiles required to be clear to advance. The difficulty levels insure even the most novice player can make it pretty far along in the game. There are, of course, hints as well reshuffle functions that will help you with hard or unlucky layouts.

The graphics in this Mahjong game showcase many elements of Chinese culture. The 12 slots of the sphere in 6 themes follow the Chinese numbering tradition. The selection of the items in the spheres represents some very popular topics in Chinese culture. I can name all the landmarks and most of the Martial Arts moves. The tiles have very good graphics, clear and stylish. The layouts are not copycats of other Mahjong layouts. Some layouts change the look of the game by using only certain set of the tiles, while others utilize the change of dimension. If you wish to make your own layout, you can use the layout editor and save your designs. There is a user Profile System which you can use to track your progress and achievement. It details your rank; time spent playing the game, number of games played, and even to Scroll of Wisdom, which you’ve unlocked after completing levels.

The sound effects are also integrated into the theme with Chinese music and instruments. You will hear the sound of Gong and Cha, as well as upbeat background music using Chinese Peaba, a popular stringed instrument. The Emperor’s Mahjong supports ARM and MIPS, and uses 2 Megs of space. It's also available for Palm OS.

While I wince every time I see the game title in Chinese characters that mean “bird”, I can’t help but loving the game play and its beautifully designed graphics and dubbed sound. If you like Mahjong games, you must check out this title! Oh, if you make it to the end and become an Emperor before October 15, 2002, make sure you tell Hexacto. You might just win yourself an iPAQ and a large number of incredible games from Hexacto. After all, you should get the royal treatment while ruling the Ancient China, virtually.

Playing Hints and Tips

Don’t miss anything in this game. Almost every layout is worth checking out. Make sure that you re-calibrate your screen, as the game requires you give precise locations by using the stylus.