Sega Saturn Columns Arcade Collection

CecilMcW00t · Post by **CecilMcW00t** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 10:24 pm

I found this one dirt cheap on Ebay a little while ago. I had always wanted to pick up... especially after playing the Hanagumi Taisen Columns (Sakura Wars theme). It has Columns, Stack Columns, Columns 2, and Columns 97. I rank them in this order:

Columns
Columns 2
Stack Columns
Columns 97

Columns 97 BLOWS! XD The graphics are nice looking but when you actually start trying to play it, the graphics are so "nice" that it's hard to distinguish the jewels fast enough to match them. It's hard to explain and maybe its just me but it really hurts the game. It also doesn't help that the game speeds up really fast and early not really giving you a chance to get used to it.

Stack Columns is a odd little game. It gives off this weird Vegas vibe and it's a Vs. style columns. As you match more and more jewels you obtain coins that you can save up and use as a special attack to make the other peep's playing field stack up moving them closer to game over. The characters you fight are really creepy looking too. Their graphic style is interesting. =/ And the music is pretty bad on this one too lol.

Columns 2 is the weirdest one but it's the 2nd best game on here imo. If you've ever played the Genesis/MD version of Columns, and went to the Flash Columns mode then that's how this plays. You have to keep matching jewels in a way so that you can reach the flashing jewel and match it away to clear the stage. And every few stages is a bonus stage where you "shoot" from the bottom of the screen jewels to try to set off a chain reaction clearing all jewels in the time-limit.

And of course there is the classic Columns just like the arcade mode of the Genesis/MD port.

Nice extras too like different sound effects, different graphics for jewels, etc.

I recommend to puzzle fans but I wouldn't pay more than $20-$30 for it. I'm still trying to hunt down the Mickey Mouse Castle of Illusion/Quackshot compilation for the Saturn too...

greg · Post by **greg** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 1:09 am

Hanagumi Taisen Columns (aka Sakura Wars Columns) is what I have for the Saturn, and its sequel on the Dreamcast. Very wonderful, character-based vs. Columns game. Even if you aren't into the Sakura Taisen series, it's worth picking up for anyone who enjoys Columns.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 2:41 am

What are your opinions of Columns Crown, the Tezuka GBC Columns, the TG-16 Columns, Super Columns for Game Gear, and Columns III (what was the original title) for the Genesis (sorry, since this topic started with different versions of Columns, I couldn't resist adding more to the mix)? I only have the first Genesis one (more than one version of it, but still the Genesis version), but I love it.

oh yeah, almost forgot about the stand alone handheld Columns I used to have. It wasn't very good. For some odd reason, the game had to have two seperate controls for left/right and up/down. It was too easy to hit the wrong side of the left/right controls too. The game gets way too fast for the controls to handle too. The game does have normal and flash just like the Genesis version, but the poor controls really hurt it.

Post by **Shatterhand** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:31 pm

I always wondered what the hell was Columns 2, since I had only played 1 and 3.

Now I had never heard about any other Columns games before... good to know the series is bigger than I thought.

Stack Columns sounds too much like what is called "Columns 3" on the Mega-Drive.

Does any home version feature the option to play with 7 or 8 different jewels at the same time? All the home versions I saw only had 4, 5 or 6 jewels.. only the MSX one could be played with 4, 5, 6 , 7 or 8 (Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard and Very Hard)