Hungry Cat Mahjong: Match the tabbies puuurfectly and clear the tiles in this Shanghai Mahjong game variant.
A few years back when I first got my hands on an Android phone, I went through the top free games list and a fair number of those titles were the classic games which had been converted. Shanghai Mahjong was one of the big downloads, but when I played it I was so shocked because the interface was just diabolical! Finally though, there’s a production which brings life and energy into an old classic. Check out the details of Hungry Cat Mahjong below…
Gameplay: This is very much like Shanghai Mahjong… So there’s a set of mah-jong tiles laid out on a playing board. You need to find the matching tiles, and once you’ve found them they get removed. The aim is to clear away all the tiles… the trick is that you can’t just pick out any pieces… you can only select pieces which have at least one free space on the left or right of them. As per the original game, the tiles layer up creating pyramid shapes.
Improvements: This isn’t just a straightforward reproduction… the game has been improved in various ways. First off, the rounds aren’t just a huge board built up with the mah-jong pieces in exactly the same place every time. Game development and progression has been built in, so you start off with simpler rounds to ease you into the game, and slowly the size and complexity goes up. Secondly, a star and scoring system has been implemented here… it’s quite a sophisticated calculation which rewards you based on the speed which you do consecutive matches with no errors. Thirdly, there are these random fishes which are dropped and enhance your score when you click on them – great for keeping you on your toes. Fourth point: there are different game types (standard scoring, and time attacks etc) with a good number of achievements for you to chase. Finally, there are special power tiles which spice up the game.
Maow: Overall this is a fab game – the whole package just brings a smile to your face. The cutesy kitty cat faces are exactly what you need to brighten your day! Sound effects are what I’d expect, and although the music isn’t amazing, it’s probably spot on for a puzzle game. In fact when I really think about the graphics… they really are pretty excellent for this game: all the details from the menu theming to the colour schemes make the game more enjoyable to play.
Rating: 3/5 A superb game which has taken a classic title and reinvigorated it. As well as being graphically pleasing, it’ll test and improve your spatial awareness. We really wanted to give it 4 stars, but it’s unfortunate that the game regularly crashed on our Galaxy SII… Oh well, I’m sure the devs will fix it eventually…
Hungry Cat MahJong Promotional Youtube Video
Hungry Cat Mahjong Tips from Android Games Review
If you’re getting to very difficult levels where you’re finding it hard to complete the round, then try the following advice… You’re likely to be getting stuck because you’re running out of moves, and the game is pushing you to use that randomiser… To avoid this scenario, then prioritise your matching:
- Priority one is to clear the top layer of tiles which will be obscuring tiles underneath.
- Second priority is to whittle down the edges of those long rows where possible… otherwise you’ll have many pieces locked up in inaccessible rows.
If you’re finding it hard to get the top marks or the three stars, then try this:
- Play more to improve your touch and match speed.
- Your eyes are usually faster than your fingers… but not only that, your mind will subliminally interpret and decode things faster than you can react. So sometimes you can benefit by just looking through the playing area for about 5 to 10 seconds and letting your brain absorb the tile positions.
- You’re rewarded for successive chains of matches in quick succession… so definitely blast through the last tiles at top speed to reap the high marks. In the mid game, if you can do several in quick succession, then that’s great. But the likelihood is that you can’t, so instead focus on trying to do correct tile matching at a consistent and decent pace – that’ll let you get the top scores.
Hungry Cat Mahjong QR Code
(Click on the image below or scan the barcode with your Android phone to goto the Android Market)
Developers: Tuesday Quest
