Mahjong Escape: Ancient Japan
MahJongCollection presents: Mahjong Escape: Ancient Japan
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Do you remember that pleasant, yet slightly sad feeling you get when you finish a great game? When the story of the little dragon Long in “Mahjong Escape” ended, there was an emptiness in your soul and one question: “What’s next?”. We all hoped for a sequel. And you know what? The developers at Spintop Games heard us.
In 2007, they gave us “Mahjong Escape: Ancient Japan,” and this, my friends, is the model of a perfect sequel. It’s not just a game with a similar name – it’s a direct continuation of the story! We meet Haku, the descendant of our old friend Long, and now we help him on his own journey, but this time through the lands of Ancient Japan.
The heart of the game, its soul — that same brilliant mechanic — remains in place. Our main goal is the same: to break through the pile of tiles to match the two coveted Imperial tiles. That hunter’s thrill, that feeling you get when you build a strategy to reach your goal — it’s all here, and it’s just as wonderful.
The entire setting has been completely redone; instead of Chinese dynasties, there are 12 Japanese prefectures. Instead of pagodas and palaces, there are rock gardens, Mount Fuji, and blooming sakura. The music is a separate art form. Calm, meditative melodies with traditional Japanese instruments help you get lost in the game. The new tile sets with samurais, Kabuki masks, and fans are simply a feast for the eyes.
But the developers went beyond a simple “reskin.” They added one very clever and elegant innovation to the gameplay. Some tiles now have small symbols on them. You match two tiles with the same symbols, and the game highlights an available pair for you. This adds another layer of tactics! Now you’re not just looking for a pair for a tile, but also scanning for these symbols to earn a free hint at a difficult moment.
Our gaming community at the time met the game with open arms. The forums were full of praise:
“This is exactly what I wanted! The same beloved game, but a hundred times more beautiful. The Japanese theme is out of this world!”
“At first, I didn’t get what the symbols on the tiles were for, but then I tried it… the hint idea is brilliant!”
“It’s so nice that this is a story about Long’s descendant. You can feel the connection and respect for the first part. My respects to the developers.”
My Verdict
“Mahjong Escape: Ancient Japan” is like they worked on fixing mistakes that never existed. It’s an example of how sequels should be made. The game carefully preserves everything we loved about the original and enhances it with a new, incredibly beautiful atmosphere and subtle gameplay improvements.
If you liked the first part, then playing the sequel is a must. It’s like meeting an old friend who has moved into a new, even more beautiful home. It’s an equally engaging, relaxing, and smart adventure. A true gift for all fans of the genre.
How to play the Mahjong Escape: Ancient Japan game
- The player must harden the table from the slab by completely disassembling the pyramid. To do this, you need to quickly remove unblocked tiles of the same suit and value.
Features
- Unlock 10,000 Years Of Wisdom!
- More Than 200 Unique Levels!
- 5 Special Power-Up Tiles!
- Over 20 Hand-Painted Backgrounds To Unlock!
Requirements
- OS: Windows 98 Windows 2000 Windows XP Windows Me Windows 98SE Windows Vista
- Memory: 128 MB
- DirectX: 7.0 or later
- CPU: P350
- Graphics: 16-bit Graphics Support