FunTown Mahjong

Funtown Mahjong is a simplified version of the more complex Chinese board game mahjong. The main issue plaguing this title is the fact that it's not simple enough to attract the uninitiated while not being challenging enough for the veterans. The game could very well have utilized the possibilities that a console game offers to the gameplay mechanics, but since this isn't the case you'll be better of taking a closer look at the real deal.

There is no doubt that FunTown Mahjong is what it is, a virtual version of 16-tile mahjong. Where my issues lie with the game is that the tutorial is not nearly as helpful as it could have been, the graphics are somewhat average, and the gameplay itself is not nearly what I expected.

Charging 10 bucks for such a stellar board game in such shoddy wrapping should be illegal. [Apr 2009, p.79]

This isn’t the game mah jong players were waiting for on XBLA, but it works as advertised and will tide people over until something better comes along. The lack of avatar support is disappointing, as is the poor presentation and sub-par tutorial. But the online works, and that’s all many players will require.

Mahjong has been strangely missing from the XBLA. Unfortunately, FunTown Mahjong is simply not good enough to fill that niche. Its sloppy presentation is its ultimate downfall, from the terrible tutorial to the awful audio-visual.