Mahjong CUB3D

Mahjong CUB3D, known in Japan as Shanghai 3D Cube, is a Mahjong-based video game developed and published by Sunsoft, for the Nintendo 3DS. Atlus USA published the title in North America. Mahjong Cub3D is a puzzle game that is both the classic Mahjong (sometimes known as Shanghai) solitaire game, and a new puzzle game based on Mahjong rules and tiles. Mahjong Cub3D features three gameplay modes: Cube Mode, Vs. Mode, and Classic Mode.

The game also features detailed records and statistics covering completions rates, the number of times a puzzle is played, and the time it took for completion. Also, along with other typical Mahjong video games, each mode has the option for players to utilize a hint system, but there are limited uses. Cube Mode is the primary focus of the title, and the mode which most emphasizes the 3-D capabilities of the 3DS. Here, rather than traditional Mahjong tiles, the gameplay pieces are cubes.

Like traditional Mahjong, the goal is the same: remove the tiles from the puzzle one pair at a time. As with the classic game, players can only select pieces that aren’t “blocked in”, either against the face area of the cube or on the sides. The sides of the blocks are annotated with notches on the cubes, and at least one notched side must be open (with no cubes against it) in order for players to select and remove the cube.

Players have the ability to zoom the camera in and out of the entire puzzle, and to rotate the 3-D structure in order to find matches. The Mahjong cubes feature traditional patterns on them including chinese characters, numbers of dots or other items, flowers, and the like. When playing any puzzle, players may choose the difficulty, time limit, and whether or not there are hidden tiles, although time limits may only be toggled on completed puzzles.