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An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:11 pm
by Goldeneye
Before the GB, there was a Yakuman system made by Nintendo in 1983, and it currently is on eBay as I speak (not my item), and is claimed to be a rare item...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300642912380

I'll definitely agree on rare, how many of these are in existence in that condition after nearly 30 years?

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:16 pm
by Barticle
Nice find. I didn't know about this one, but with the popularity of mahjong and mahjong video-games, and Nintendo's LCD heritage I should've guessed!

Reminds me of Tom's old Bandai... http://www.sloperama.com/mahjongg/column380j.html

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:45 pm
by Shirluban
"That belongs in a museum." Image

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:27 am
by XFRod
Nice to see a Yakuman on eBay. I actually have both that and, the Perfect Mahjong II from Bandai. I actually like the Yakuman over Bandai's, even though it came out about 4 or 5 years before it. Those old, non-back lit, LCD screens are hard enough to read and, Nintendo's is just easier to read. Bandai's dots and bams can look very similar, if you're not careful.

I paid around $150 for my Yakuman about 10 years ago, missing it's battery cover. $200 sounds about right and, I think I'm going to go ahead and bid on this thing. Should I win it, I'll probably put my old one up for grabs. Wish me luck. *crossing fingers*

------

Rodney "Pungbeetle" Varney
Portland Mahjong Society
"Pung'n n00bz since 2008"

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:59 am
by Tom Sloper
XFRod wrote:I actually have both that and, the Perfect Mahjong II from Bandai. I actually like the Yakuman over Bandai's, even though it came out about 4 or 5 years before it. Those old, non-back lit, LCD screens are hard enough to read and, Nintendo's is just easier to read. Bandai's dots and bams can look very similar, if you're not careful.
I paid around $150 for my Yakuman about 10 years ago, missing it's battery cover. $200 sounds about right and, I think I'm going to go ahead and bid on this thing. Should I win it, I'll probably put my old one up for grabs. Wish me luck. *crossing fingers*
Very cool that you have both! I agree with your assessment of the Bandai. Very hard to read.
But I think I still prefer Mahjong Fight Club on the DS. :)

BTW, thanks to Goldeneye for emailing me about it. I'd seen this thread but hadn't gotten around to reading it.

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 1:44 am
by XFRod
Tom, have you ever seen the original "Perfect Mahjong" by Bandai? I have the lifeless shell of one but, I've never been seen one in working condition (in person, at least). Would love to get a hold of one.


GIDDY SCHOOLGIRL MOMENT: I run a small mahjong group in Portland, OR. When players new to mahjong ask me for book recommendations, it's a small list. "The Red Dragon & The West Wind", "Reach Mahjong" - Jenn , and "The Great Mahjong Book" - Jelte Rep.

Sorry about that. Promise, it will never happen again. Big fan, had to get it out of my system.

------
Rodney "Pungbeetle" Varney
Portland Mahjong Society
http://www.meetup.com/pdx-mahjong/

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:28 am
by Goldeneye
I should note that it is possible that this was an export version made by Nintendo - there is a claim somewhere else on the Internet that there is an original totally Japanese version (that is, the brand would have been a Japanese language equivalent of "Computer Mahjong Yakuman"), made in 1981, two years prior to this version.

That original, totally Japanese-only version might exist, but probably only within Japan.

It would be interesting to see if this game actually recognized certain hands like Ryuu Iisou (All Green) back in the early 1980s.

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:18 am
by Tom Sloper
XFRod wrote:Tom, have you ever seen the original "Perfect Mahjong" by Bandai?
Yes. See http://www.sloperama.com/mahjongg/column380j.html
It's around here somewhere. I hope I took the batteries out.

And I appreciate the other sentiments expressed. :)

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:24 am
by Tom Sloper
Goldeneye wrote:I should note that it is possible that this was an export version made by Nintendo - there is a claim somewhere else on the Internet that there is an original totally Japanese version (that is, the brand would have been a Japanese language equivalent of "Computer Mahjong Yakuman"), made in 1981, two years prior to this version.
In 1982 I was designing handheld LCD games and went to Japan on business, bought up a number of handhelds there that were never sold here in the US (those are still around here somewhere - no batteries in them, since batteries can leak). I didn't play mahjong then, so if I saw any of these babies I wouldn't have known how to play them.

I find it difficult to think that Nintendo might have thought they could sell that machine in the US. It was not at all uncommon to label electronic devices in English, even if they were only for sale in Japan. But there were lots of strange business ideas then...

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:45 pm
by Barticle
Both these models have buttons labelled with Japanese katakana so they can't have been made for English markets.

I assume their gameplay is two-player - human vs CPU - or could they offer 4P with each opponent's tiles/discards being shown in turn?

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 7:25 pm
by Barticle
So the LCD Yakuman auction ended with no buyer. Perhaps it'll be relisted with a lower starting price...? :)

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:33 pm
by XFRod
Personally, I didn't bid on it because, the photos look as though the screen might have been damaged. Darkening on the left side, a bit along the top, and in the upper-right corner. I sent an email to the seller about it and, never received a response. Since I already own one (sans battery cover) I didn't think the price was worth taking a chance for something that might end up being just a minor replacement part.

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 4:10 pm
by Barticle
Oh yeah, good spot. Certainly something to look out for on these babies.

I almost bought Mahjong Taikai 2 Special (for Japanese PS1) yesterday - only 1 pound, Buy It Now listing, UK seller. Would've got it just for novelty value and to read the manual but luckily noticed it said "no instructions"!

I found another LCD Yakuman game - clean screen, some scratches, no box/manual, Japanese seller, higher price!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/270888419819 (keep scrolling down for more pics)

I see the dora and ura dora are shown at the bottom-right corner of the screen, but no kan dora?

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:43 pm
by Barticle
Happened to find a boxed 1984 Bandai LCD game now listed: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/320831194750

Nice condition. US$159ยท99 starting price. Free shipping within America!

Re: An actual Yakuman handheld game

Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:06 pm
by Barticle
There's a Perfect Mahjong II on eBay now - boxed with manual, Canadian seller, starting price US$100 / buy it now US$180.

If the link doesn't work try copying out the item number and searching on that in your local eBay site.

Searching on "perfect mahjong" also finds a rare Perfect Mahjong (the original) - excellent condition, boxed with manual, Japanese seller, buy it now US$328.95!