Microsoft Mahjong is a multi-player computer game version of the classic mahjong which sweet bonanza casino originally was published by IBM. The newer version titled Mahjong Titans has been developed by Oberon Games and available in Windows Vista and Windows 7. The game involves assembling pairs of matching card tiles while hitting the matching square on the other square of the tile, following the layout of the original game. One can play Mahjong Titans by connecting two or more computers by using an Ethernet cable to connect all the computers together. One player can control all the moves of all the other players using the keyboard and mouse.
Unlike traditional mahjong titans, in Mahjong Titans the player will not be provided with mahjong tiles when starting out. As in the original game, one starts with twenty-four basic tiles, nine special tiles and one mahjjong titans. Each player begins with thirteen tiles and is allowed to move freely around the board once they have laid out all the basic tiles. The fifteen goal mine bonus tiles that are hidden cannot be viewed until the player has explored all the other tiles in play. Thus this game has a distinct advantage over the older version in that all the tiles are visible to the gamer.
In order to play Mahjong Titans one must connect to an internet connection through a router or cable modem. One may also connect to a local area network (LAN) for faster access. After setting up an Internet connection and getting a web browser, the gamer clicks on the Mahjong Titans icon which opens a web page from which a player can view all the tiles and take their turn at laying out the mahjong table. The tiles in the game consist of four types: Attack, Ability, Treasure and Support which depend on the type of mahjong piece that is in play.
