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Computer Mah-jong Yakuman
Handheld electronic game made by Nintendo From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Computer Mah‐jong Yakuman[a] is a handheld electronic game simulating Japanese mahjong, released exclusively in Japan by Nintendo in 1983. Following the success of the simpler Game & Watch series, Nintendo aimed to attract an older audience with this more complex and strategy-driven device. However, its high price and limited functionality hindered its commercial success. Despite this, it introduced key innovations that would later be integral to the success of the Game Boy, including a dot-matrix display and multiplayer gaming via a link cable. It also marked the beginning of Nintendo's long-running Yakuman series, which would continue to bring Japanese mahjong to the company's future gaming platforms.
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History
Mahjong has existed since at least the 1800s[3] and became widely popular in Japan from the 1920s onward after its introduction from China.[4] Seeking to capitalize on this popularity, Nintendo developed a portable electronic version of the game. The device was created by Nintendo Research & Development 1, the team behind the Game & Watch and later the Game Boy.[5][6]
Nintendo released Computer Mah-Jong Yakuman in 1983 for ¥16,800 (equivalent to ¥20,846 in 2019).[2] Despite its technical innovations, it struggled commercially. It was priced nearly three times higher than a Game & Watch and even surpassed the cost of the Famicom home console, released the same year at ¥14,800, which had a mahjong game available.[1][7]
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Overview
Computer Mah-jong Yakuman featured a black-and-white dot-matrix LCD and an intricate control system with 20 buttons, alongside a power switch and a screen contrast switch. Thirteen buttons corresponded to the tiles in a mahjong hand, while the remaining facilitated gameplay functions.[2]
The device (model MJ 8000) ran on four AA batteries but also supported an optional AC adapter sold separately for ¥1,000 (equivalent to ¥1,241 in 2019). It was also the first handheld Nintendo device to feature a link cable, sold separately for ¥2,000 (equivalent to ¥2,482 in 2019), that enabled two consoles to connect for head-to-head play.[2]
The game simulated Japanese mahjong in a format tailored for electronic handheld play.[2] While its controls reflected the game's complexity, the computer opponent followed relatively simple logic, making its playstyle predictable for experienced mahjong players.[8]
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Legacy
Despite its commercial struggles, Computer Mah‐jong Yakuman holds an important place in Nintendo's history. As the company's first handheld device featuring a link cable for multiplayer play, it set a precedent for portable gaming connectivity, a concept that would later be refined with the Game Boy's Game Link Cable.[5][6]
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References
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