Mario calling Iich? Yoshi calls kan?? And Peach calls chi?? What's going on here???
User Rating: 9.3 | Yakuman DS DS
I'll tell ya what's going on! It's Japanese Mahjong (aka Yakuman, where as Mahjong is Chinese, Yakuman is a Japanese twist on a Chinese classic!). The object of the game is quite simple, SCORE THE MOST POINTS!!! Sounds easy, right? WRONG!!! You are gonna NEED a WHOLE LOT of luck to be the best "Yakuman Pureiya" (Translation (yes, I do speak and read Japanese!): Yakuman player)! Also, you have to know the game well to play efficiently! So, let's get down to basics. First, create a name (I made myself (katakana) "ShiOIRu" (Shoyru (each capital letter shows a different "character" (symbol)).). Now, select a Mario character to represent. If you like Yoshi, touch Yoshi's "fureimu" (frame). If Luigi is you favorite, select him (don't worry, all players represented by the player have equal "skills" (mentioned later)). Now, press "PureiI" (play, if you can't read Japanese, then why did you get this?? LOL! Play is the first option, "select character" is the second, "data eliminate" is the final.) Now, select the top option "Ichi Purei" (One Play). Now, if you want to play in the league, select the second option, "Rankingu Purei" (Ranking play). If you want to hone your skills without hurting or upping your rank, select "Furii Purei" (free play). Now, select 3 opponents (you can't play your "represented character" (character you play as)). I usually play Kupa Jr. (Bowser Jr.), Kiyasurin (Birdo) and Mario (suprised his name is Mario in both languages? Don't be! LOL!). Now, you'll have 13 tiles in front of you (14 when it's your turn to pick and discard). Try making a "tenpai" (winning) hand. Failure to do so will result in a "noten" (losing) hand and you will lose points (assuming no one calls "Ron" (victory on 1 opponent's discard) or "Tsumo" (victory on self-pick) (I'm well aware that "Tsumo" looks more like "SHImo")). Also, don't ALWAYS call "Iich" (1 tile for victory), for it makes the other players more aware that you are one tile away from winning! However, if you're MORE than sure you can win, call it! You pay 1000 points for calling iich, but, the rewards are great if you win the hand! But, if you call "chi" (run of three consecutive number tiles (3, 4, 5), "pon" (3-of-a-kind tile set) or an "outside kan" (4-of-a-kind tile set (all four face up show outside, while 2 face down show "inside"), you CANNOT call iich from there! Now, on to the skills explanation: iich (that's a pun right there!) skill shows you how good you are or what you need to improve!
Luck: How often you pick up a tile to call tsumo.
Defense: How well you guess what tile you should and shouldn't throw.
Attack: How often you call iich and make it into a ron or tsumo.
Skill: How often you make tenpai hands.
Chance: How well you play each hand (offensive and defensive).
Now, onto the summary:
All in all, Yakuman DS is a great title and is quite solid for a Mahjong game! Sound effects are just the Mario voices (optional) the tile "clicking" (putting down a tile) and option select (when you select an option). The sounds can cause a slight headache, but, it's a small price to pay (unless you're listening to the game's music or any music). The music is weird, but, can be enjoyable (regardless of being short). The graphics are well detailed (especially on the tiles (which look like a pro set (which I bought, lol!)). Gameplay is smooth at first, but when the computer catches up to your playing style (mine is "aggressive iich" (calling iich whenever I can)) you have to think of more ways to win (remember iich ISN'T necessary to win!). And, has a solar system worth of replay value! 
