Multiple Game Reviews from 2010

Image via WikipediaHere are a couple quick game reviews I never posted from 2010

Hongkong MJ  (mahjong)

Most non-Westerners, except some Jews, only know the solitaire version of mahjong play, but real mahjong is a group name, needing four players. Hongkong MJ implements the HK variant of the game, using 13 tiles per player, and "flowers". It is beyond the scope of this article to explain the rules of mahjong. That you can find on wikipedia. The game demo is faithful to the real game, but limits you to two "sessions" (real mahjong game is played through several DOZEN sessions). Graphics are okay, but does not use the entire screen on the Moto Droid. There's black unused space to the right. The tiles are okay. 

Game has simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and English so even non-Chinese who knows the rules can enjoy the game. It won't teach you mahjong, but it will give you a bit of practice. 

All in all, not bad, as it gave you a taste of what's in the game. I'd wish for more sessions though, but it is a demo. 

Rating: 7 out of 10

Pros: real mahjong, not the tile-matching solitaire game, multiple languages

Cons: does not use whole screen on Droid, only two sessions play

Frogly

Be a cute little frog, jump around lily pads, eat black bugs and don't eat the red bugs (argh!). And impress the lady frog. 

Tap the screen to make the frog jump there (and fall back down). The more bugs you get in one jump the better (you get combo scores if you do). Otherwise, that's about it. Amusing for kids, probably. 

Rating: 6 out of 10

Buka Lite

Buka is a little planet and needs your help to go home! In its way are various nasty stars. Move around a bit, tap and hold bad stars to make them go boom. Same for the small pieces. Protect Buka! How far can you go?

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Grave Defense lite

Tower Defense, fixed path variant. nightmarish creatures are approaching one of the remaining citadels, and you are now in charge of how to place the automated defenses. Good luck. 

Overkill lite

Side-scrolling shooter reminiscent of R-type, just not that pretty of enemies. 

Nintaii Lite

Nintaii is one of those "rotating block across a maze" type puzzlers. If you haven't seen them, here's a short explanation. You have this 2x1x1 "block", and you need to roll this across the playing field to this "spot" on the other side and stand it straight up. However, it's never that simple, as the spot is usually situated so you can't simply roll it over there, but rather, you need to roll it this way and that way, often turn on/off special switches and so on. 

For a 6.5MB foot print this game isn't that different from any other "roll a 2x1x1 block" puzzlers I've seen.