Reachmahjong.com

Hi peeps. The more observant reader may have noticed the addition of two extra letters in my signature! I\'ve finished my first game guide for a Nintendo DS game - Custom Mahjong - and it\'s hosted on GameFAQs as usual.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/game/943263.html

The most interesting feature of the game is that it lets you adjust the playing style of your opponents (see Section 05 of the guide). Also it has an optional display to show which tiles have already been played (see top right of pic from the manual) - I see it more as a convenience rather than a cheat!



Of course this means that I must\'ve got my Nintendo DSi XL - the new version of the DS with screens 93% larger than the DS Lite. The big vibrant screens look great and make for more accurate input on the touchscreen. It has the friendly user interface you expect from Nintendo and overall it\'s a nice piece of kit. The shiny lid does pick up fingerprints though!

In other news I\'m sorry and disappointed to confirm that Sega have removed the mahjong game (and several other bits) from Yakuza 3, the translated edition of Ryuu ga Gotoku 3, which came out last week. They kept it in Yakuza 2 previously and that got a lot of people into mahjong (myself included!) but that\'s not gonna happen this time around. :S

(Meanwhile, over in Japan, mahjong is clearly a more highly regarded aspect of the franchise. In fact there\'s a tie-in with a special feature (story?) in the new issue of the Kindai Mahjong manga promoting this week\'s release of Ryuu ga Gotoku 4.)

To end on a positive note, I see that the DS version of Mahjong Fight Club gets a \"Best\" budget reissue later in the year (Play Asia have it listed for 22 April) so if you want to pick up what is probably the top MJ game for the DS then you should be able to import it a little cheaper soon.