Overview
Mahjong Kyouretsuden: Nishinihon-hen (loosely translated to "Mahjong Enthusiast Stories: West Japan Edition") is a riichi mahjong (two-player variant) game developed and released by SNK for arcades (using Neo-Geo MVS hardware) in Japan on April 26, 1990, with a home Neo Geo AES release on the same day and a Neo Geo CD release on September 9, 1994. It is one of the few launch titles for all three systems.
The sole mahjong game developed by SNK themselves, Mahjong Kyouretsuden features a in-depth story mode chronicling a mahjong enthusiast in his late 20s, customizable by the player, who is searching for the whereabouts of his long-lost older brother. Similar to Riding Hero, the arcade version is notable for its lengthy conversation and event scenes that follow a "time control system", where players have a limited amount of time to follow the scenes before needing a new credit. It also has memory card support, allowing players to save and continue progress with any version of the game.
Unlike most arcade riichi mahjong games of the era, the game is not an erotic "strip mahjong" game (although it does contain some sexual themes). It also contains power-ups. The AES and NGCD versions have major differences, removing the "time control system" entirely while adding a password system, the option to change rules, and eased difficulty restrictions (such as not starting with a disadvantage in points). The arcade and AES versions of the game are also notable for including a modern enka (Japanese sentimental ballad) vocal track for the introduction.
Like later Neo Geo mahjong games (Minasan no Okagesama-desu!, Bakatono-sama Mahjong Manyuuki, and Janshin Densetsu), the game supports both mahjong control panels (including SNK's own Mahjong Controller home peripheral) and standard joystick-and-button setups.
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