Mahjong Taikai on the NES is one of those classic Japanese mahjong games that feels simple at first—until you realize how deep it goes. You start with the usual tile-matching, but the real challenge is learning the scoring rules and special hands, which the game doesn’t exactly spell out for you. The AI opponents aren’t pushovers either; they’ll call you out fast if you make a dumb discard.

The presentation is pure late-'80s charm, with chunky pixel art and this weirdly satisfying *clack* sound when you place a tile. If you’ve ever wanted to dive into traditional mahjong without the intimidation of a real-life parlor, this is a solid place to start—just don’t expect it to hold your hand.