Jamdat Mahjong (Mobile)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Steve Palley
• Reviewed on: 09/01/2005
• Released on: 08/15/2005
• Originally published on GameSpot: Jamdat Mahjong (Mobile) Review

Mahjong, the popular Chinese folk game, is a very appropriate game for the mobile medium--so it's kind of surprising that we haven't seen more games of this type. In any case, mobile mahjong now has a go-to game, because Jamdat Mahjong's attractive presentation and wealth of options put it at the top of the heap.

According to legend, mahjong was invented about 2,500 years ago in mainland China by Confucius, who wanted to inculcate the main tenets of his philosophy into a popular board game. As a result, a mahjong set contains many different types of tiles, which are engraved with Chinese ideograms, wildlife, and other symbols. The version of the game typically played in America (also called Shanghai) involves eliminating patterned stacks of tiles by creating like pairs. In order to remove tiles, they must be totally uncovered, have a free side, and match exactly--with the exception of tiles in the Flower or Season families. You win the game when you successfully remove the entire stack from the board.

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