Namcot Mahjong III is one of those old-school NES mahjong games that feels like digging up a time capsule. It’s got that classic Japanese tile layout, and the AI opponents actually put up a decent fight—none of that "let the player win" nonsense. The music’s oddly catchy too, in that repetitive 8-bit way that sticks in your head.

First time I booted it up, I fumbled around trying to remember how to call "pon" or "chi," but the controls are simple once you get the hang of it. The game doesn’t hold your hand, though—no English translations here, so if you don’t know your kanji, you might be squinting at the tiles for a while. Still, there’s something satisfying about clearing a full hand against the CPU, even if it takes a few tries.

Definitely a niche pick, but if you’re into retro mahjong, this one’s got charm.