Shi Kin Jyo
Ok, time to get weird. Shi Kin Jyo for the Famicom is a puzzle game of sorts from the animation studio Toei. Like most people who get into imports, I occasionally pick up small lots. Typically, there may be one or two games I really want surrounded by a few others I either don't know about or already have (in which case I give the doubles away to friends and family who love games, but don't often have a lot of cash to blow on silly imports), and in this case I was picking up a copy of Konami's renowned Getsu Fuuma-Den, and this odd green cart was just in the mix with a couple of future giveaways for my brother. The whole lot was cheaper than just Getsu Fuuma-Den, so there was no risk involved... but I didn't realize I was in for a real treat!
At its core, Shi Kin Jyo is a Sokobon-style block pusher, but with super duper heavy Japanese overtones. You play as a Kyonshi (a hopping asian vampire who sucks chi) trapped in a temple full of giant mahjong tiles. In each room, you must solve the puzzle and escape to the next room, Lolo-style, but without enemies. Typically, this involves pushing 2 or more matching tiles together to clear them, though clearing all tiles is far from a pre-requisite for completing a level; you simply must clear a path to the exit and walk through it.
Things are rarely simple, though, as there are wrinkles beyond tile matching. Some tiles cannot be moved, and any tile that comes into contact with one turns into one as well, making these your biggest threat for having to restart a level. Also, there are invisible mazes and invisible teleporters on occasios to throw you for a loop, making you rethink your prospective route strategy. These are rarely frustrating, though, as the first option in the pause menu allows a quick restart. These elements all come together in a cohesive picture that presents a reasonable challenge for those up to the task.
Presentation-wise, the music is a little repetitive, but the one tune you hear over and over isn't particularly grating. The graphics are quite simplistic, but effective enough, and the giant mahjong tiles are reasonably ornate. The game does quite well in presenting an extremely folksy-Japanese atmosphere that helps set this game apart.
Overall, I was thrilled to death with Shi Kin Jyo. I sat and played more than 60 levels when I tried it for the first time, as it is quite engaging. The menus are not English friendly, but are navigable enough, and the actual gameplay transcends language, making it a breeze to pick up and play. If you like overhead room-based puzzlers like Lolo or Sokobon, I whole-heartedly recommend this for the all but nothing it costs. What a nice little surprise it turned out to be!
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