Super Real Mahjong Premium Collection FAQ

Super Real Mahjong Premium Collection FAQ
NGPC version
By Mark Magdamit (NeoGutsman - [email protected])
Version 0.1 (simple beta)

Table of Contents:

-Introduction
-Options
-Starting A Game (Story Mode)
-Playing Mahjong
-After A Match
-Strategy
-After A Win - Free Battle
-Gallery Mode
-Game Tutorial
-Secrets
-Miscellaneous
-Version History
-Credits
-Disclaimer

[Introduction]

Let me guess - you're here to see the secrets to unlocking the features of this
game, right? Well, let me break it to you gently - you have to know how to
play mahjong well in order to succeed. Mahjong is a very deep and tricky game,
and there's no way to advance in Super Real Mahjong for the NGPC unless you
practice, practice, practice!

For those of you who are not familiar with the SRMJ series, this is a series of
mahjong games featured on the PC-FX, Turbo CD, arcade, and the Sega Saturn in
Japan. While the main thrust of the game is mahjong, the most noteworthy
aspects of the game are the all-female anime opponents. Don't underestimate
these anime cuties, as they are all rather challenging in their own right.
This holds especially true in this, the NGPC version, which is based on the
more liberal arcade version. For the sake of this FAQ, Super Real Mahjong
Premium Collection will be referred to as "P-Coll" (Premium Collection) in
order to differentiate it from the others in the series.

Here's the burning question: is this game import-friendly? Well, aside from
the actual game, the game isn't too hard to navigate. Once you learn what the
menus mean in the game mode, you're fine, and you can concentrate on actually
playing. All the menus are in Japanese, but this FAQ will serve to not only
translate all the menus, but also provide a basic understanding of the actual
game. Future updates will also provide even more strategies, as well as other
information.

I've divided the FAQ up into simple sections. I reserved how to play mahjong
until a bit later in the FAQ, in order to explain some basics about the game
menus first.

Let's begin, shall we?

[Options]

Upon starting, you will get a prompt to "Press A Button". After pressing the
"A" button, you will see two menus. Below are the menus, and the options
within:

-Game Start
(Mode Select)
1. Story Mode
-This is the main game mode, where you get to view the story, and challenge the
different characters. This mode is the mode you play to unlock the animations
of every person.

2. Free Battle (Furii Taisen)
-Selecting this will allow you to challenge one unlocked opponent at a time.
The benefit of this is being able to unlock a picture panel of the person you
challenged. You must win the final battle against each person in Story Mode in
order to unlock her in Free Battle mode.

3. Gallery
-You may view the animation and unlocked panel picture of anyone you beat in
the final round here.

4. Game Tutorial (not sure of the actual name of this)
-At the time of this version of the FAQ, this author has not translated or
delved enough into this very special (and important) menu option. However, it
is a menu option that explains some mahjong fundamentals, as well as special
hands you can win by. A future update will attempt to explain this mode,
though it is not absolutely necessary to understand it.

-Options
(Option)
1. Level (1-8) - Determines the CPU's difficulty. CPU will call RIICHI less
often the higher the difficulty, making your job harder to guess how close they
are to a win. It also plays a part in what tricky kind of hand the CPU will
try to win by. Set this to 1 if you're a beginner to say the least.

2. Fuku (Clothes) Default at Progressive
-Progressive (kinai) - no penalty for a lost match
-Regressive (kiru) - losing a match causes the opponent to add clothes

3. Kuitan (Card Indicator) Default set to OFF
-Indicates which tiles will allow you to win AFTER you successfully declare a
RIICHI. This is indicated by a white stick with a red dot under the blue
symbol on your side of the table.
-Change this to ON, especially if you are just learning how to play mahjong.

4. Otasukekinou (Win Indicator) Default set to OFF
-Indicates that you either have the final winning tile after a draw from the
stack, or if the winning tile is the last discard of your opponent. This is
shown by pink text next to your hand (meaning you have a complete winning
hand), or next to the opponent's hand (showing that their last discard is the
tile you need for a win). Again, change this to ON, especially if you are just
learning.

5. Muubiikat (movie cut, cleverly written in hiragana ;) Default set to ON
-Whatever you do, don't touch this one, unless you really do want to just play
mahjong. All animation scenes are not displayed if this is set to OFF.

6. Exit
7. Save Clear
-Do NOT select this! This deletes all of your saved animations and unlocked
panels in the Free Battle mode.

-Other options:

1. There is a simple save built into this game, much like many of the NGPC
games. Simply turn off the system during a match. When you want to continue,
turn on the system. The game will ask you if you want to continue (Yes/NO).
Selecting NO will bring you to a menu that asks you if you want to go to the
Title Screen (YES/NO). Selecting NO will bring you to the continue game option
again.

2. During the Story Mode, you can hold down "B" in order to advance the text.
It automatically stops when it comes to any responses you have to make.

3. Pressing A+B+Option at any time will reset the game back to the main menu.

4. Ever wish you could pause and compare the hands after a match? Pressing and
holding "B" IMMEDIATELY after you or the opponent wins will allow you to
analyze both your hands. Otherwise letting go will allow the game to finish
tallying points and go to the next round/continue screen. This is immensely
helpful, especially if you are just learning how to play.

5. Pressing Option during a match will bring up the "Game Tutorial" menu. This
is nice if you think you have a special hand, and you want to see if you're
getting close. For the time being, if you're a newbie, I recommend just going
for regular mahjongs until you get the hand of things.

6. In general, press "A" to select, and "B" to cancel a menu choice. This is
important to note if you choose to cancel options like RIICHI and CHII (which
will naturally be explained below).

[Starting A Game - Story Mode]

First of all, unless you have played mahjong before, I recommend that you
change your options in the Option menu as recommended above. Not knowing how
to play the game is in itself challenging enough without having some helping
indicators to give you a hand now and again ;)

Selecting Story Mode from the main menu will start you on your way to your
first match. Like with many romance games from Japan, you are occasionally
given choices as to how to respond to each person you encounter. Responding
differently will bring you to different challengers and scenes, though it has
no bearing on your status otherwise. After beating the game once, your first
option is whether or not you would like to see the prologue again. The bottom
option generally says no, and continual selection of it will bring you to
different scenes. This is helpful to know, so that you can challenge the
people you still need to unlock without having to accidentally beat the same
person again in the final match.

You will proceed through a series of opponents. The first one is just a simple
match, so no animation is shown. The second and subsequent match only goes to
three animation sequences, and not the "final" animation. The last match shows
all the animation for that character, and then unlocks it and the panel picture
in the Gallery mode. Continue to play, and unlock the galleries for each
person... He who continues to play and unlock everything is duly rewarded...

[Playing Mahjong]

Mahjong is one of the most-played games in the world. Not only are there
Chinese and Japanese versions of play, but there are also Western (American or
British), Filipino, and Jewish styles as well, all with slightly differing
terminology. For the sake of uniformity, this FAQ will adopt the actual game
terminology in P-Coll, which is the Japanese style.

Mahjong is initially daunting to say the least. With careful attention to the
basic rules, and a keen eye, you'll be playing with more confidence and
success! Mahjong is generally compared to the card game rummy. Your basic
goal is to finish the match with a winning set of 14 tiles called mahjong.
This is accomplished by getting four sets of three tiles, and a pair of tiles
(total of 14).

These are the basic sets of tiles that are used in the game:

----------------------------------------------------------------------
| TERM | EXPLANATION |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| CHII | A set of THREE consecutively numbered tiles in the same suit. |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| PON | A set of THREE of the exactly the same tile. |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| KAN | A set of FOUR of the exactly the same tile. |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| PAIR | A set of TWO of the exactly the same tile. |
----------------------------------------------------------------------

A mahjong can be made up of four CHII's and a pair, four Pons and a pair, or a
combination of both and a pair. There are also special hands that you can also
win by (having 7 pairs of tiles for example) that range in elaborateness and
difficulty of attaining. One can also incorporate a KAN in their hand (a set
of four of the same tile), three CHII's, and a single corresponding tile
(again, for a total of 14).

----------------------------------
| CHII | CHII | CHII | CHII | PAIR |
|----------------------------------
| PON | PON | PON | PON | PAIR |
|----------------------------------
| CHII | CHII | CHII | PON | PAIR |
|----------------------------------
| PON | PON | PON | CHII | PAIR |
|----------------------------------
| CHII | CHII | CHII | CHII | KAN + ONE EXTRA CORRESPONDING TILE
----------------------------------

The above are but a few of the combinations you can win by. This does not
include special hands, which will be listed later in the FAQ.

Upon starting the match, dice are rolled by the computer to determine who goes
first on the initial draw. During your turn, you are able to draw a tile
either from the pile, or take the last discarded tile by your opponent. The
only stipulation with taking an opponent's tile is that the tile used MUST be
used to form a CHII, PON, or be the winning tile for a mahjong. You CANNOT
take an opponent's tile for use later - it must be used to form a set. Also, a
tile CANNOT be taken to form a pair, unless it's the last tile you need to win.

Below are the terms you will need to know from pressing "B", and what they do.
There are two menus you will be using quite frequently, so if you don't know
how to read katakana, at least remember that there are two menus, one with
three options, and one with four.

This chart is seen AFTER you draw a tile (14 tiles in your hand):

----------------------------------------------------------------------
| TERM | EXPLANATION |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| *AFTER you draw a tile, you have three options: |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| RIICHI | You are one tile away from winning the match. |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| TSUMO | You have just drawn the tile you need to win from the pile. |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| KAN | A set of all four of the exact same tile. |
----------------------------------------------------------------------

RIICHI - This option can only be chosen when you've already drawn a tile (14
tiles in your immediate hand). If RIICHI is selected, you'll see "RIICHI"
appear in the middle of the screen, and a riichi stick (white with red dot in
the middle) facing your side of the middle of the table. (If you don't get
this indication, then it means that your hand is not one tile away from a
mahjong, and will cancel itself).

Once it's declared, you must select a tile to remove from your hand (preferably
the tile you don't need). From then on, you may only discard the last tile
you've drawn; the rest of the tiles NOT selected when you called RIICHI will
remain untouchable until the end of the round.

The benefit of declaring RIICHI is the addition of an extra point in the score
multiplayer. With some of the neat combinations you can win by, you can really
rack up the points even more. However, RIICHI is also quite dangerous. Once
you declare it, you're stuck with your hand. There is a side benefit of
changing your settings in the option menu to those recommended above though.
After declaring RIICHI, the game will show you what tiles you have the option
of using to win by. Your discard pile will disappear, briefly showing which
tiles you can use to win.

TSUMO: This is declared when you actually draw your winning tile from the pile.
If the options are set as recommended above, the game will notify you if you
have a TSUMO (it will show pink letters). Once selected, you win the match!
Easy peasy!

KAN: When you have four of the same exact tile in your hand, you can declare
KAN. You may not draw a tile from the opponent's last discard to form a KAN.
On the plus side, if you already have a PON, and you draw a tile from the pile
that would make a KAN, you may do so. This is the only case of adding a tile
to an existing "set".

KAN's are nice to have in your hand, since you can form a combo as shown above.
KAN's are also used in special hands (those involving sets of all the dragons,
winds, etc.)

Below are the options in the menu you will most likely be using the most. Keep
in mind that knowing these options are VERY important - without knowing how to
properly use these options, you'll have a hard time winning at all.

-------------------------------------------------------------
| TERM | EXPLANATION |
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
| *BEFORE you draw a tile, you have three options: |
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
| RON | You are one tile away from winning the match. |
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
| CHII | A set of three consecutively numbered suit tiles. |
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
| PON | A set of three of the exact same tile. |
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
| KAN | A set of all four of the exact same tile |
-------------------------------------------------------------
*KAN is repeated in both menus

RON: Choose this option when your opponent has just discarded the last tile you
need to win. Note that this is different than TSUMO in that you have to draw
the winning tile from the pile, rather than the opponent. If you have the
options set as recommended above, selecting RON will show you which tiles you
have the option of winning by. Note that you have to be only one away from
winning for this to work.

CHII: One of the building blocks of a standard mahjong. To clarify, a CHII is
a set of three consecutively numbered tiles in the same suit. A 1, 2, and 3 of
the Sticks is considered a CHII, for example. Another example would be 6, 7,
and 8 of the Bamboo suit. You may not use different suits in a CHII. Also,
the Bamboo, Balls, and Wan suits are the only numbered tiles, therefore the
only ones that can make a CHII.

Selecting this option before you draw a tile on your turn will allow you to
take the opponent's last discard, and form a CHII. If you try to select this
when a CHII isn't possible, then nothing happens. Also, you may sometimes see
two arrows appear over selected tiles in your hand after declaring a successful
CHII. This means that you may choose which set of two tiles to create a CHII
from.

Why is this important? The computer doesn't necessarily know just which tiles
you want to reserve for other purposes, so make sure you know which tiles you
want to create a set from. I've had PON's get messed up because I wasn't
careful about which tiles I chose.

PON: Another of the building blocks of a mahjong. This is merely three of the
three exact same tile. Like CHII, select this option before drawing a tile to
take the opponent's last discard to form a PON.

KAN: Same as above.

[After A Match]

The match progresses until one person declares a RON or TSUMO, or when each
person has discarded 18 tiles total. When neither person wins by a RON or
TSUMO, then the computer judges your hand. Below are the two messages you will
see:

--------------------------------------------------------
| TERM | EXPLANATION |
| -------------------------------------------------------|
| TENPAI | You were one tile away from winning. |
|--------------------------------------------------------|
| NOOTEN | You were more than one tile away from winning.|
--------------------------------------------------------

TENPAI is declared when you were only one tile away from winning. This is
still a good thing, because it means that you are still in the game without
having to continue.

NOOTEN is certainly less desirable, since it indicates that your hand was more
than one tile away from winning.

If both players have either a TENPAI or NOOTEN, then a stalemate of sorts
happens, and you both may continue playing. However, if one player has a
TENPAI and the other a NOOTEN, then the player who earned a TENPAI earns 1000
points, and the other loses 1000 points. If your own score is 0 (or less),
then you will automatically be brought to the continue screen. Press "A" to
continue, and "B" to cancel and go to the main screen.

[Strategy]

One of the notable features of P-Coll is the fact that you really aren't
playing for points. Unlike some other mahjong titles like Suchie Pai II on the
Saturn, the only score kept is your own, so you have to win by beating the
opponent with a decisive mahjong. There is no way to win by taking all the
points away from the opponent. If you kept the option for Progressive play
mentioned above, then your main goal is just to keep playing to unlock
animations, and "win". This is not to say that you shouldn't try to earn as
many points as possible (especially with calling RIICHI's, scoring special
hands, etc.), at least for fun. It's just not necessary for this particular
game.

While it is important to watch your own hand and determine which tiles you'll
need to complete a TSUMO or RON, it is equally (if not more) important to watch
the opponent's discards and open sets.

Keep an eye on what tiles an opponent discards. Not only do certain suits
matter (wan, bamboo, winds, dragons, etc.), but the "range" of each of the
suits (lower numbers, higher numbers, ones in the middle). The importance of
this can't be stressed enough! If your opponent has already claimed RIICHI,
and your hand is nowhere near a win, or even a TENPAI, you can at least prevent
yourself from discarding tiles she may need to win. It's better to force a
TENPAI/NOOTEN situation and lose 1,000 points, rather than give the winning
tile away, and lose any progress you've made point-wise. (I realize that's
kind of a moot point since the game gives infinite continues, and at the
default setting, the progress of the animation is progressive, not regressive,
but work with me here, okay? ;)

Closely examine your opening hand - knowing what you can set yourself up for
later is key in judging what tiles and what hand you will win by. Don't go for
a special hand if you know you can easily go for a much simpler hand for the
win. Attaining the more special hands is difficult, and while they do give
more points, it's not worth it for the greater risk of losing.

Claiming RIICHI is a move that I don't generally do in this mahjong game, given
that winning by points is far secondary than winning matches (unlike Suchie Pai
II on the Saturn, where you really do want to net lots of points to unlock
secrets and helpers). While it's fun to claim RIICHI and win by it (and
gaining a bonus on points), the limitation you put on yourself is rather great.
I'd say that unless you're only halfway through the discard phases, and you
know there's a chance of getting the one tile you need, then go for it.
However, doing it late in the match (say, with 3-4 tiles to go) is risky. Not
only that, but claiming RIICHI limits you to discarding only the tile that you
draw next. This means that you won't be able to discard any of the other tiles
you have in your hand, therefore cementing the hand that you have, save for the
last tile you need for a win.

Don't forget that this game is not score-driven in the story mode. Earning
points is quite secondary to basic wins. However, this game is still good
practice for other mahjong games you may play in the future.

HOWEVER, in Free Battle mode some of the above sections can go out of the door
more or less. Declaring a RIICHI in the Free Battle mode, whether you win that
round or not, stays in the multiplayer (unless you flat-out run out of points
and have to continue). This is notable, since having a high score is key to
unlocking more panels.

If you're starting out learning mahjong with this game, take advantage of
holding "B" immediately after a round ends. This can't be stressed enough, as
you'll really get to see just what makes a winning hand, especially for matches
that require a certain amount of "fan" to win. What are "fan"? It's a certain
amount of "value" that your hand has. I won't elaborate at this point in this,
a very early version of the FAQ, but in the next update it will certainly be
included.

[After A Win - Free Battle]

After defeating each final opponent in Story Mode, you will unlock their
animation sequences and picture panel in the Gallery Mode. Defeating that same
opponent in Free Battle mode numerous times will unlock more panels, finally
revealing the entire picture.

Free Battle is a wonderful way to play quick, short games, especially if you
don't feel like running through the story mode again.

Keep in mind that you may only play against opponents you have already defeated
in the final match of the story mode. Well, there's an exception to this rule,
but you'll find it in the Secrets section...

[Gallery Mode]

Now that you've finally defeated an opponent in the final match, you have the
opportunity to view all the animations and their corresponding picture panel.
Simply select a name from the list, and you will have the option of choosing
each animation sequence, as well as the picture panel. Unfortunately, there is
no way to watch the animations in one continuous mini-movie.

[Game Tutorial]

Game Tutorial mode is a great way to examine your hand and see other ways of
winning. Not only can you access this from the main menu, but you can also
select this during a match by pressing the "Option" button. From there, you
can see the many ways of winning with special hands.

At this point in this particular version of the FAQ, I have not translated
enough of this portion of the game to make a substantial section. Look for
this part of the FAQ to be expanded in future revisions.

[Secrets]

Only by beating the game against each opponent will you unlock her animation
sequences, and panel puzzle. To further clarify, you only unlock the final
opponent you play against and defeat. You will not unlock animations for
anyone you play before the final match. A good rule of thumb to see just whom
you are going to unlock is to see whom you challenge first. That will almost
always be the person you will face in the final match, with one exception
(explained below).

Once you have defeated all the characters in the normal game, unlocked all of
their animations, and finished all of their picture panels, you may then embark
on unlocking a final secret character!

Remember the old man you encountered in some later storylines? Well, he's a
playable challenger (though he has no animation sequences, thank goodness).
After defeating him, you unlock the ability to play against Showko, the girl in
the option menus.

To CHALLENGE ETSUKO:

Remember, the first person you challenge is always the one you will unlock in
Gallery and Free Battle Mode, EXCEPT for Etsuko. In his case, the first person
you play against will be Akira.

Below is a general path to playing against Etsuko (thanks to Jason Quan):

-The computer will ask you if you want to continue your saved game (choose top
option).
-Opens to scene in street in front of house; 2 options to choose (choose bottom
option THEN top option).
-Defeat Akira 1 round (From here I forget which option to take).
-Go to forest where you'll meet (but not challenge) Mizuki. Etsuko will appear
briefly, then disappear.
-Go to beach and challenge Tamami (4 rounds).
-Challenge Mari (4 rounds).
-You will go back to forest, but in the evening.
-Challenge Etsuko (4 rounds).

After this, you may now challenge Showko! Believe it or not, you may actually
play against Showko BEFORE you unlock any other girl! That's right - just play
Free Battle mode, and no matter whom you choose, it will always be Showko!
Once you unlock someone, though, she disappears for good until you defeat
Etsuko. I will see if defeating her first in Free Battle mode keeps her
unlocked (I'm sure it does).

Do you own an original Neo Geo Pocket? If you try to play P-Coll in one of the
original black and white systems, you will see a neat picture of all the girls,
and a special "guest". Etsuko, the old man in the game, will be hiding behind
one of the girls in the picture. Nice to see Seta was nice enough to include a
special treat for those of us who owned one of the original systems!

[Miscellaneous]

A special fan book was made available for those who preordered this game in
Japan. As far as this author knows, the book was not made available to those
in other countries, even if they did preorder the game.

Also, the packaging for this game is of the more recent NGPC box designs. It's
a cardboard box, which opens from the top. For those of us who have been
collecting NGPC games for some time, this type of packaging has proven to be
quite annoying. Trying to open the box without creasing the top flap is quite
difficult. Yes, it's quite anal to be decrying a box for this reason ;)

The packaging also has a clear plastic window on the front. It's positioned so
that you can see the P-Coll game peeking through the window. Personally, I
don't like it, as it takes away from the nice artwork on the front of the box.
There is another NGPC game that features a window, but at the moment, I'm at a
loss trying to remember the name...

[Version History]

4/28/01 - This version is mainly just to get out the door to the NGPC
community. There are many things I still want to include in the FAQ which will
get included next time. I don't want to elaborate at the moment, but needless
to say, I want to make this as complete as possible.

[Credits]

First of all, the majority of the thanks go to Jason Quan (Darius). His
commitment to playing the game, deciphering some of the menu options, finding
secrets, and generally kicking ass at this game truly helped this author out
immensely! He also coined the name "P-Coll", which is a rather neat way of
referring to this latest installment of the Super Real Mahjong series. Again,
thanks, Jason!

Secondly, I'd like to thank Paleface, a Sector: NGP mainstay, and forum
designer extraordinaire! His input into the FAQ was also extremely helpful.
Thanks Pale!

I'd also like to thank substance J (Joel Hamilton) in advance for hosting this
FAQ and my review on his website, Sector:NGP
(http://www.digiweb.com/~dimension-sega/sngp). Without a doubt, it's the best
site for Neo Geo Pocket information, and has THE best forum on the web.

With that said, I'd also like to thank the SNGP forum community. We may not
always agree, but you guys are still the best! You ain't nobody's fool!
(Sorry, gratuitous personal inside joke, heh).

Finally, I'd like to thank CJayC for hosting this FAQ on his site,
GameFAQs.com. It's only been four years since I last submitted something, so I
figured I'd come in with a bang ;) Thanks Jeff!

Oh, and thanks to Stormshadow (Thomas Bauriedel): What a magnificent bastard!
No one does it better than you!

[DISCLAIMER]

This FAQ is copyright Mark Magdamit ([email protected]). You may NOT for ANY
reason use this FAQ for monetary purposes (including print magazines, websites,
personal endeavors, or other media) without the expressed consent of myself,
the author. I reserve the right to allow the use of this FAQ as I see fit, and
under no circumstances may this written work be used without my permission.

For now the two places that this FAQ will be available are:

Sector: NGP (webmaster: Joel Hamilton) -
http://www.digiweb.com/~dimension-sega/sngp/

GameFAQs: http://www.gamefaqs.com

If you would like to use this FAQ on your website, or for other media, please
feel free to email me. I don't mind people using the FAQ, I just like to know
where it is being used. =)

I had fun writing this FAQ! It was my first one in many years, so I hope you
enjoy using it as much as I enjoyed writing it for you!

Mark Magdamit ([email protected]) Copyright 2001.