Capcom & Psikyo All Stars Review
04 07 07 - 21:37 (This Review is from 2002, it's been unedited or updated. Merely brought into the new site format).Mahjong is very popular game in Japan. Almost every videogame system ever to pass through has has at least one Mahjong game and most of the time it's some sort of 'Strip Mahjong' variant. There are several different ways to play Mahjong, but the one you'll encounter in most video games, this one included, is played with over 100 tiles with each player holding 14 in their hand, played similar to Poker with different types of 'hands'. Capcom vs. Psikyo is more or less standard mahjong with a few subtle additions that make the game a little more interesting. Capcom vs. Psikyo All-Stars Net Gimmick Mahjong is actually a pretty cool game. It stars over 60 character from both company's more famous titles. Most of the fun and gameplay comes from the heart of the game, which is basic Mahjong, but the addition of a progressive art gallery is a very nice touch if you're a fan of either company.
At the start menu, you have several choices including Play Game, Memory Card, Net Play, Instructions and Options. This most likely isn't a perfectly accurate translation, as I don't speak Japanese, but it's definitely what it appears to be so I'll go with it.
Upon choosing Play Game you're presented with four options; Capcom Game, Psikyo Game, Capcom Gallery and Psikyo Gallery...again, not a translation. Choosing either Game option will present you with two other options. New Game or Continue Game. By choosing Capcom you'll play against Capcom characters, represented by well illustrated portraits. Choose Psikyo and you'll play Psikyo characters. After you beat a character, by either taking all of their money or by winning three games total, you'll be presented with a save screen and then move on to the next character. The character you beat will now be available in it's respective Gallery. Each character has 3 illustrations that you can zoom in and examine, in standard video game art gallery fashion.
I know almost nothing about Mahjong, I can play it and win but never very well. I don't know all the possible winning hands. I usually just try to get four sets of three and a pair, or 7 pairs. That's the best advice I can give you, you won't win a lot of money but you will win, which is all that is really necessary. Sometimes you'll get lucky and you'll get a really good hand worth a lot and you'll clean your opponent out, sometimes you only get a few hundred bucks. It doesn't really matter since, in order for them to beat you, you have to lose all of your money. Where as you can beat them three times, not necessarily even with a Mahjong... but rather by missing one tile, sort of like being close, and if they're also not close... that counts as a 'win'. Three of those and you beat them.
There are additional...things...in Capcom vs. Psikyo, after a match you can purchase Jang Food that...does...something. I honestly have NO idea what they do but I can tell that after you buy a can of Jang Food that you're given an option when the game starts, sometimes, which I assume is your chance to use it. One seems to allow you to throw away any tiles you don't want for new ones. The rest are a mystery. I'm assuming it's some sort of Medicine God Food (from Gunbird 2, the Medicine God is a Ref of some sort) and you can use it to bribe the Medicine Dog/God. Makes as much sense as anything else.
After going so far, and most likely losing, you can then use the Continue Game option, which will place you at the last person you defeated, repeat...not the person you lost to but the person prior to that, otherwise the idea of winning 180 games in one sitting (if you go 3 rounds with every character) doesn't seem 'fun'.
Now, what I found most helpful is Capcom vs. Psikyo tries to simplify the gameplay so if you're allowed to, say, play your 2 and 3 of bamboo off of the 4 of bamboo your opponent threw, you'll be presented with a small dialog box with an X button on it. Anytime you can do something you're presented with that dialog box, probably telling you what you can do in Japanese. For the most part, I ignore it unless I know I'm close to a Mahjong. While I've seen the computer get a Mahjong after playing off of tiles I threw out, I've never done it myself, so I avoid that. But, if I can tell I'm close, there are two options I love. The second to last one is basically the equivalent of yelling 'Uno!'. It means you only need one more tile. When you see this, press A to accept it and then you'll play that tile you just drew. Take your time, look very carefully at your hand if you're not 100% sure how that amounts to a Mahjong. I've spent several minutes calculating in my head, totally confused at how the computer figures I only need one more... than I'll see it, and discard the correct tile. Once you do that the computer takes over control of your hand. You and the computer opponent play super quick, if the computer discards the last tile you need or if you draw it you'll be presented with the dialog box again, this time with the last option highlighted. Take it, anytime you see this or the second to last one, for that matter, take it. It may be better Mahjong tactics to not if you really know the hands, like if you know it's better to have 3 Red Dragons and 2 Heaven's Gates than 3 Heaven's Gates and 2 Red Dragons, but as I said, 3 victories will do it, even if they're not worth a lot.
Another thing I liked was under Net Play. In the Net Play choice you're presented with three options, which I'm assuming are...Open Web Browser, Connect tot Server and Customize. Under Customize you're given a bunch of choices.
One you can use to change and tweak a cell-shaded 3D avatar, which I can only assume represents you in the online world when you're looking for a game. There's something like 20 different head shapes, 30 different hair styles, 40 different eyes, 3 body types, 5 voices and 200 different mouths and noses, like a lot of choices. I don't remember how many exactly but there were a lot.
Another one lets you purchase different clothes, shoes and accessories for him, where exactly this money comes from I'm not certain, but I do seem to get it once in a while. Also it appears that certain categories of items are empty, such as Etceteras, which contains things like glasses and something that looks like an Underwear section. In addition after you purchase an item it's added to a list that you can play with in the same menu where you modify your characters appearance, and those lists are quite long with empty spaces. Which leads me to believe, somehow these are unlocked. Perhaps by online play or continued 1 player play. Since the Net Play will only work in Japan, I'm probably not gonna find out exactly what this is anytime soon. The worst part is my character looks EXACTLY like me, almost eerily. Which is very cool in and of itself.
If this is your 3D representation when you connect to the Internet, than I like it very much. It's a super cool customizable way to present yourself. As cool as my dude looks, I'm so tempted to have him run around in party socks, sandals, a T-shirt, batting gloves and no pants. It's just creepy looking.
The graphics on a whole really aren't spectacular, but there's no reason for them to be. As I mentioned, the illustrations are very good and the sprite animations of the Medicine God are really well done, large and fluid. It looks great on a VGA box, of course. The sound is simple, the announcers voice is a little annoying and the background music is sampled from each characters respective game, so again, if you're a fan you'll dig it the most.
On a whole it's a great game, well put together and a nice alternative to the Strip Mahjong while still adding something to play for. Strip Mahjong is cool but it's not the end all be all, a bit of variety is a wonderful thing. I'd recommend Capcom vs. Psikyo All-stars Net Gimmick Mahjong to anyone. Mahjong is a very addictive game, unless you're a total Capcom/Psikyo hater the art galleries are a nice touch, and the pop-up dialog box is a great learning tool, it lets you play and more or less tells you when you have something good or an impending Mahjong. Because of that, even though the game is mostly Japanese, I recommend it to Mahjong Newbies. You just have to remember the first option is Play Game, and Play Capcom, Play Psikyo, and the galleries. Really simple. Really fun.
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