Pretty Good MahJongg Review

Pretty Good MahJongg lives up to its name. It's pretty good...but not great.

The first thing I noticed was during the install, when it prompted me to install the Pretty Good MahJongg screen saver. Luckily, I bypassed that and was able to open the program without a hassle.

After entering ny name in the player name prompt, I was thrown into a window that has 1997's best graphics. Random sounds reminiscent of an off-strip Vegas casino played depending on what I was doing within the program (and I couldn't figure out how to turn them off). The combination made me expect that a few pop-outs would burst through to remind me to register my copy of Pretty Good MahJongg. It ruined the experience a bit.

However, if you love mahjong, you're going to get a lot out of this program. There are more than 200 mahjong layouts that will challenge the best player. If you're overwhelmed by the choices, use the categories on the left side of the program window to narrow down your choices. Stumped? The program lets you take a snapshot of your board.

If you're not in the mood for mahjong, Pretty Good MahJongg still has you covered. The game comes with a bunch of matching games, which I enjoyed once I turned off my speakers to block out the annoying noises.

Once you register the program, you can download additional tile layouts and games, a feature that would be great for the avid mahjong player who gets bored after making it through all 335 layouts that this program has to offer.

To this program's credit, the layout is simple and easy to understand. The mahjong tiles are large and easy to read, so you won't have to strain to see the numbers or pictures. If you don't understand something, Pretty Good MahJongg has extensive help files to help you figure it out.