Honkaku Yonin Uchi Mahjong - Mahjong Ou (Japan) (GBC)

Honkaku Yonin Uchi Mahjong - Mahjong Ou is a traditional Japanese Mahjong game developed for the Game Boy Color system. The game focuses on an authentic four-player mahjong experience, where the primary goal is to build winning hands from an initial 13 tiles, then complete it by drawing a 14th tile.

Players start with a random hand and take turns performing actions such as drawing a tile from the wall and discarding an unwanted tile. The objective is to form four sets (or "mianzi") and one pair (or "jantou"). Sets can be triplets (three identical tiles), quads (four identical tiles), or sequences (three consecutive tiles of the same suit).

During gameplay, you can perform special actions like Pon (calling when an opponent discards a tile you need to form a triplet), Chi (calling when an opponent discards a tile you need to form a sequence), and Kan (calling when you have four identical tiles). A crucial strategy is Riichi, where a player declares they are one tile away from a winning hand. This offers bonus points but also forces the player to continue discarding newly drawn tiles without changing their hand.

When a player completes a winning hand, they can declare Ron (if winning by an opponent's discard) or Tsumo (if winning by self-draw). Scoring is based on various Yaku (special winning patterns) and Dora (bonus tiles). Honkaku Yonin Uchi Mahjong - Mahjong Ou offers various difficulty levels, allowing players to hone their skills against AI opponents. Despite being a GBC game, it faithfully conveys the complexity and strategic depth of mahjong, combining skill, tactics, and a touch of luck.