Mah Jongg is a simple game of removing matching tiles in pairs. Since tiles are stacked in layers and only tiles that are opened are able to be removed, it’s not a walk in the park either. Tiles must be removed thoughtfully. Taking the wrong part of a pair can result in a loss just as having a matching pair end up stacked on each other at the end of the game. When playing with real tiles, the layout is built into a four sided wall of tiles. Computer Mah Jongg has allowed gamers to remove tiles from some pretty difficult and fancily designed layouts. This game will keep you on your toes as you seek out the tiles you need but it’s also a great way to just kick back and get some enjoyment out of your computer. This game has a shuffle feature too. If you reach a point where there are no more tiles pairs free to pick off, you can choose the shuffle option and continue playing the game. I like this option because it allows you to decide if you want to end the game when tile pairs run out or try to continue on and complete it.

Tiles come in suits and the games tiles are themed to various holidays in this game. It has all the basic features, sound, editable game play options, multiple tile sets, and multiple layout styles, moving background graphics, plus some features I have never seen before but found outstanding. It also keeps a record of the winning gamer’s times. You can customize the game to play to suit your particular style. The view settings in this game are the first I have come across that allow you manipulate the game layout and one feature I found to be great for easy viewing of the tiles in the games layout.

The graphics are pretty cool too. You look down onto (or into) the background scene. In the 4th of July game, the background is 3 dimensional buildings with fireworks exploding around them. The Halloween theme, has a graveyard complete with spooky tree, headstones, ghosts moving about, and leaves falling to the ground. The tiles match each of the holiday themes. You also can edit tile sets or use mixed tiles in the games. Other holidays include Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas.

The most difficult thing, to me, about Mah Jongg is viewing the tilesets on a monitor screen. Tiles are small. The basic tiles contain 3 sets (or suits) of numbers tiles (cracks, bams, and dots in the original version of Mah Jongg) – numbered from 1 through 9. Then you have extra sets (suits) that complete the 144 tile set. In the original game the other suits are winds (4), dragons (3 – red, white, green), seasons/flowers, four of each, making two pairs. All together 144 tiles make up the set. As you can imagine, the small tiles can be difficult to see and make out how many of the suit design are on it. This game has an ingenious feature, the tiles enlarge and move upward towards you as you play and remove tiles from the layout! The tiles get easier and easier to view as the game progresses. This is part of the view feature I mentioned above. The tiles will move automatically or you can make manual adjustments to the view layout as well. It also has a feature that tells you if you are in danger of losing the game and even just how close you are to losing! Be sure to go through the options settings to set the game up the way you prefer to play it. This is a full featured game and an excellent way to spend some enjoyable computer time relaxation.

The game is played against a counting clock. You try to beat the fastest times already recorded in the game high score stats. (Some games come with pre-recorded scores, some don’t. This game had 4 scores entered that you need to beat to get into the top 4 slots.) I discovered as I played that this game is capable of handling rapid mouse clicks without any problem which can increase your “beat the clock” game time dramatically when you see tiles that are clear and are on a roll. It appears to be very stable. I’ve had some games lock up if you make too many quick movements in rapid succession.

This new release features a 4th of July set that features stars, flags, fireworks, and more. It also has music to match the theme as do the other holiday game choices. I highly recommend this game. I had great time playing it. I find playing Maj Jongg a nice way to relieve stress and do something fun with my computer. I enjoy game playing but lately I don’t have time for the really intensive types of games I played years ago. No matter what else I do, I can always find a little free time to enjoy a game of Mah Jongg and unwind.

Computer Mah Jongg is very easy to understand and another reason that it is such a popular game. The random way the tiles are generated in the computer game keep it exciting and changing all the time. This adds to keeping the game fun to play because you will have a new and random placement of tiles each time you play the game plus the ability to change the layout of the tiles.

NJCUG member discount 30%! This game retails for $14.95….don’t pass this one up if you enjoy a nice game of Mah Jongg. If you haven’t played it before, do the math, this game is a real bargain and a great way to introduce yourself to a really nice computer game. Suricate Software has several games available on their web site and our discount applies to all of them.

I also played their regular 3D Mah Jongg game and found it equally as much fun. It has many, many new layout designs and a variety of tile sets. The default tile set is in Chinese characters. Both games are very addictive…….I have been playing them quite a lot since I got them!

3D Magic Mahjongg "4th of July Special Edition" is available now for PCs running Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP.

Opening Screen

Options Screen

4th Of July tile set

Halloween Tile set

Christmas Tile set