For me, there are really two kinds of games.  One is great for killing time while waiting for a plane or waiting in line, like solitaire or blackjack.  These games you can quit any time and can pick up right where you left off; nothing really to remember or think about.   The other games completely suck you in.  The kind where your brain is hard at work and you don’t notice little things like the sun setting and rising, or the fact you now have a beard about a foot long.  Both kind of games serve their purpose when it comes to amusement.  The question is, where does Aces Mahjong fit into the puzzle?

You’ll have to read on to find out…

Well, believe it or not, Mahjong is actually both.  I know, crazy, but true.  Mahjong captivates you due to the fact that there is strategy involved.  It’s not just mindless clicking.  Second, you can use it to kill time, because you don’t need to worry about re-starting a game just as your enemy is shooting you.  I hate playing a game for just a minute, only to restart later to remember, “Oh yeah, I needed to watch out for that plane…” just as it explodes your ship.  So that’s what makes Mahjong so fun…

Graphics & Sounds

Your very first option is what kind of tiles you want to use.  There are the traditional Chinese tiles or the ‘Easy tiles set,’ as it is referred to in the game.  For a first time player, the easy tiles may help you out, but for me, my pride would not let me use them.   A nice bonus is that you can change the tile set in the middle of a game.  So, if you are having problems with a level, a change of tiles may help you proceed.   There is also a choice of 12 different backgrounds.  The backgrounds are not fancy: some look like marble, another like clouds.  In Mahjong, you need a pretty plain background as to not distract you from the tiles themselves.  So, Concrete definitely gets the setup for Mahjong right. 

As for sound, there is sound when you select tiles, and if the pair is a match it makes a little “correct” noise.  There is also a noise, as well as the Blackberry vibrating, when the level is complete.  To be honest, the sound got on my nerves a bit.  I played most of the time with it turned off.  If you want to add music to the game, throw in something relaxing like the sound of a storm or some Celtic music. 

Game play

Aces Mahjong is most definitely a challenge.  My first challenge was getting used to the controls.  I am so used to using my Palm Centro that I wanted to touch the screen to select the tiles.  The trackball is not an exact science.  On the other hand, this will be a great game to develop for the Blackberry Storm.  As for the game itself, there are a total of 50 levels, and you can try any level at any given time.  I started from the beginning, and made it to level 20.  I looked at level 50, and it is insane!!!  All of the levels have different titles, for example:  Magic Box, Matrix, Skyscrapers, and my favorite, Super H.  If you can make it all the way through, you are a true Mahjong wizard.  The other in-game features include hints and undo (which is very important).  There is also the ability to shuffle the tiles during the game, but I think that’s cheating.  If you get yourself in trouble, Mahjong will actually give you the matching pair with a simple ‘alt-scroll’. 

The game does help you out a bit by not letting you select tiles that are not available.  As usual, I found myself arguing with the game.  It was saying certain tiles were blocked, and I disagreed.  However, friends pointed out the game was correct, but I just think they were giving me a hard time. 

Conclusion

Pros:  Challenging, 50 levels, tile option

Cons:  Music/sound

I would recommend this game to anyone with a Blackberry.  It is a lot of fun, and it puts your brain to the test.

Aces Mahjong can be purchased for $9.99 from the JAMM Store or Concrete Software. 

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