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Original Air Date: January 14th, 2010

This is Goku Raku Jongg, one game in the "Raku Jongg" series that was originally made on the PC and got various ports. Goku Raku Jongg (A sequel to Raku Jongg) was originally a budget PC title (originally released for 2800-2900 yen, roughly a little under $30 dollars) released in Japan that was primarily sold in Japanese convenience stores (7 Eleven, Family Mart, etc.) that didn't see much commercial success. It's a shame too, as the game is really fun and easily contends with some non-budget puzzle games. This game combines over-the-top visual elements (not state-of-the-art graphics, though they are pretty good) with a standard "drop-style" puzzler, Mahjongg, Slot Pachinko (Pachislo), and more. This is where the name "Goku Raku Jongg" comes from, as its meaning is largely a combination of the sum of its parts. It is the follow-up to the WonderSwan Color game, Raku Jongg.

The game has your typical chains, but it also adheres to some of the rules found in Japanese Mahjong(g). More than simply forming chains, you should be mindful of what tiles you remove from the game, as they can be put into pairs and the like to perform "Rīchi" (Reach, or Ready Hand). In addition to simply performing rīchi, you get whisked away into a variety of short mini-games that can determine how many points you score, how many points you deduct from your opponent, ecetera. Unlike many drop puzzlers, the object isn't to outlast or attack out-right, but to have the most points at the end.

Hitting the top puts you in "Danger" and can mess you up and waste valuable point-scoring time, but you can also be stopped completely if you continue to screw up, so it's in your best interest to focus on block elimination and pairs more than simply making chains, as the game has more tile types than standard drop puzzlers. Time can be extended or replenished if either player makes a rīchi within the normal time limit.

To push the game's events along, you are met by funny characters and cute super-deformed girls. The main girl is Aria, also referred to as "Milk & Sugar". She's the one typically in red. Her rival is a blonde entertainer by the name of Suzume-Chan, also referred to as "Sparrow" (which is a reference to the bird, but also to the alternative chinese name of Mahjong, má què, 麻雀). Lastly, you have Chunchun-chan (ちゅんちゅんちゃん) who is a cute character close to Suzume, and makes it easy to rīchi.

Overall, this is a rather fun game that is a bit more complex than some and requires more luck than others. Enjoy.

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