Columns -- All in One.

The arcade machine Columns was released in 1990 by SEGA. It was their take on Tetris. It's one of those perfect little games. Beyond simple to pick up, amazingly addictive, impossible to truly master. Colored jewels falling from the sky in sets of three are steadily filling up a play field that holds six jewels wide by fourteen jewels high. You can move the sets of three to the left or right as they're falling and hitting the button cycles the jewels within the set of three so you can align the colors. Connecting three or more of the same color removes those jewels. The game ends if you fill up the play field. There is also a flashing set of jewels that have the three basic shapes of the jewels. If you align the shape of the connecting jewel to one of the same shape on the field all of the jewels of that color are removed. Yes, it's Tetris without the shapes. It's less complex than Tetris and arguably the better game for it, if not so original. I only played the arcade game once because SEGA had decided to release it in the US only after the exceptional Genesis conversion had become a huge hit.  The PlayStation 2 version was released in Japan under the title of SEGA Ages 2500 Series Volume 7 ~ Columns. The game offers up three modes. Within Endless mode is the arcade game. The rules and timing are dead on. You can play one or two players in arcade mode. It's an individual game style. You're not competing, beyond the score. You also can play the arcade game with altered timing. Vs CPU mode is essentially a story mode where you play as the character Culet against CPU controlled characters in a story about the search for missing jewels. What it really amounts to is little animated characters reacting to how the playing is going. Vs mode allows you to play against a second player in a head to head style battle. The graphics are great for what they are. I mean, it's colored shining jewels. It's sparse. You don't need anything else. The music deserves mention as it has a lively classical tinge, it really sets the mood and fits perfectly. It's soothing. It's great to have the arcade game and everything else is icing on the already fulfilling cake. I'm giving it a 9.

Next up is Bonanza Bros.