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Columns
Publisher: Sega, SystemSoft, Laser Soft, Telenet Japan Developer: Sega, SystemSoft, Telenet Japan, Laser Soft, Compile, Media Factory, Marigul System(s): Sega System C, Sega Mega Drive, Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System, FM Towns, MSX, NEC PC-8801, NEC PC-9801 PC Engine, Sharp X68000, Super Famicom ROM Size: 128kB, 32kB, 512kB Genre: Puzzle Release Date RRP Code JP 1990 ¥?  ? JP 1990-06-30 ¥5,500 G-4035 JP (Game Tokoshan) 1991 ¥?  ? US 1990-06-29 $?  ? US (Classic) 1993 $? 1701 EU 1990 £29.99  ? CA 199x $?  ? AU 199x $?  ? BR 199x R$?  ? AS 199x  ?  ? US 1990 $? 5120 EU 1990-12 [1]Media:ACE UK 40.pdf £29.99 [2]Media:ACE UK 40.pdf 5120 AU 1990 $? 5120 BR 199x $? KR 199x ₩? GB-1001 JP 1990-10-06 ¥2,900 G-3101 JP (Meisaku) 1993-07-23 ¥? G-3104 US 1991 $? 2201 EU 1991 £19.99 [3]Media:ACE UK 48.pdf 2201 BR 199x $? 012070 KR 199x ₩?  ? JP 199x ¥?  ? JP 1990 ¥7,200  ? JP 1992 ¥?  ? JP 1991 ¥?  ? JP 1991 ¥?  ? JP 1991-03-29 ¥?  ? JP 2006-12-02 600 points  ? US 2006-12-04 800 points  ? EU 2006-12-15 800 points  ? US 2010-09-13 $2.99  ? EU 2010-09-13 £1.99 €?  ? JP 2012-08-08 ¥286 (300)  ? US 2013-06-13 $3.99  ? EU 2013-06-13 £3.59 €3.99  ? ESRB VRC PEGI OFLC CERO

Columns (コラムス) is a puzzle game created by Jay Geertsen in 1989. The rights were sold to Sega in 1990, who brought the game to the Sega System C arcade board, with its subsequent success seeing the game released on a wide variety of platforms. Columns is frequently seen as Sega's answer to Tetris. In Brazil it is known as Shapes and Columns.

Gameplay

Columns is a falling-block puzzle game. Like Tetris, the aim of the game is to try and stay alive - "columns" fall from the top of the screen, landing on-top of each other, and should the "pile" reach the top of the screen, the game is over. Success is determined by strategic placing of columns, and as the game progresses, the rate at which the columns fall increases.

In Columns, each column is made up of three coloured jewels stacked on top of each other. If three or more jewels of the same colour are aligned horizontally, vertically or diagonally, the jewels will be destroyed, and any jewels placed above will fall downwards. Unlike Tetris, the reliance on gravity means gameplay is combo-driven - repeated combos will spawn a "magic jewel" (in most versions of the game), which when collided with a normal jewel will eliminate all jewels of that colour on-screen. Games are played on a 6x13 grid, and points are awarded by destroying jewels (players also receive a bonus for starting the game at higher difficulties). In the majority of versions, hints will be displayed for the player up until level 3.

There are six coloured jewels in total:

Many home versions of the game allow for the graphics to be changed, most notably the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear variants, as well as home computer ports by SystemSoft.

Controls

There are only four buttons utilised in Columns. and move a falling column left or right across the screen, respectively, while speeds up the rate at which the column falls.

The remaining button is used to "rotate" the column as shown below:

In most ports of this game there is no option to rotate the columns in the opposite direction, but that can be done in the Game Gear version. Columns can only be rotated while they are moving, however a certain amount of leeway (i.e. about a second) is given to columns which have just "landed".

Modes

Game modes differ depending on the version of Columns:

"Arcade"/Original

All versions of the game have an interpretation of the "arcade" (or "classic") columns described above - an theoretically endless game in which columns continue to fall until the screen is filled.

2-Player

"Standard" 2-player mode, found in the arcade version of the game is largely identical to the arcade mode above, except two players are supported. It is not a competitive mode, so players can join and leave at will. Some versions remove this mode for logistical reasons, for example, the Sega Game Gear port where the handheld nature of the console renders this mode largely pointless, and the PC Engine version, in which the console only has one control port as standard.

Versus

Offered in most non-arcade versions of the game, versus has two players compete against each other, the winner being the player who lasts the longest. Unlike other puzzle games of this nature (perhaps most notably, Puyo Puyo), there are no methods of "attacking" your opponent, so is very similar to the above.

Flash Columns

Flash Columns, featured in the Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear versions of the game, has the player must mine their way through a set number of lines to get to a flashing jewel at the bottom. The faster the player accomplishes this, the higher his or her rank will be.

Time Trial

Exclusive to the Mega Drive version, time trial involves wither the original "arcade" game or flash columns to be played as a three minute time-limited game.

Doubles

Also exclusive to the Mega Drive version, this can be seen as a cooperative two player mode, in which the original mode or flash columns can be played on the same screen.

Stone

Exclusive to the PC Engine version when playing on a PC Engine GT/TurboExpress (TODO)

Freeze

Exclusive to the PC Engine version when playing on a PC Engine GT/TurboExpress (TODO)

History

Development

Columns was originally conceived by Jay Geertsen while working at Hewlett-Packard in 1989. It was originally created for the HP-UX operating system (utilising the X Window System), however the relative obscurity of the platform, particularly amongst home consumers, saw ports to other systems. Nathan Meyers brought it to DOS for IBM PC customers (1989), Chris Christensen to the Macintosh (1990) and John Rotenstein for Windows 3.x (1990). It was also brought to the Atari ST in 1989.

In early 1990, Geertsen sold the rights to Sega, who has controlled the license ever since. Sega is not thought to own the code of the aforementioned versions, just the mechanics surrounding the game.

Legacy

Following its success in arcades, Columns was brought to the Sega Mega Drive, in the form of a very accurate arcade conversion. The Mega Drive Columns was the first puzzle game to hit the system in most territories - though Tetris had seen a Mega Drive release in Japan in 1988, legal issues forced it to be removed from shelves and the game has been rarely mentioned since. Columns is a relatively small game by Mega Drive standards, and so has been re-released multiple times across many compilations. It was also re-released several times between 1993 and 1996 in North America, presumably to try and clear old stock.

Columns was a launch title for the Sega Game Gear, which debuted in Japan in October 1990. It was also brought to the Sega Master System later in the year.

SystemSoft were given the rights to publish Japanese home computer versions of the game between 1991 and 1992, including the PC-8801, PC-9801 and Sharp X68000. MSX and FM Towns versions were handled by Telenet Japan, while a PC Engine port was brought to the system by Laser Soft. Perhaps most peculiarly, Media Factory were given the rights to produce a Super Famicom version, released in the very late year of 1999. It was distributed through the Japan-exclusive Nintendo Power rewritable cartridge service and is the only Sega property to see an official release on Nintendo's Super Famicom.

There have been multiple sequels to Columns, starting with 1990's Columns II: The Voyage Through Time and 1993's Columns III: Revenge of Columns. The System C version of the game was released as part of the Sega Saturn compilation, Columns Arcade Collection. The Mega Drive version has also been released on Steam and as part of the Wiis Virtual Console service. Multiple unlicensed versions of the game exist, as well as many clones.

Throughout its life, Columns has never achieved the same level of success as Tetris, however continues to see sequels to this day.

Promotional Material

• 

  System C JP flyer

• 

  Mega Drive JP TV advert

Physical Scans

System C Version

	87	Sega Retro Average
		Based on 1 review
Publication Score Source Computer & Video Games 87 №107

System C, JP

Mega-Tech version

Mega-Tech,
Cover

Mega Drive Version

	83	Sega Retro Average
		Based on 14 reviews
Publication Score Source Complete Guide to Consoles 90 №3, p46 Complete Guide to Consoles 88 №4, p28 Computer & Video Games 90 The Games Machine (Italy) 88 Joystick 70 №9, p113 Mega Drive Advanced Gaming 79 №5, p91 MegaTech 81 №1, p33 MegaTech 88 №1, p76/77 Player One 74 №6, p42 Power Play 77 Sega Power 82 №20, p12 Sega Power 80 №23, p53 Sega Pro 90 №2, p19Media:Segapro UK 02.pdf Sega Pro 84 №18, p64

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, US (Sega Classic)
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, US (Sega Classic) (newer)
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, AU
Cart

Mega Drive, AU (alt)

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, CA

Mega Drive, Asia
Cart

Master System Version

	86	Sega Retro Average
		Based on 11 reviews
Publication Score Source Complete Guide to Consoles 89 №3, p35 Complete Guide to Consoles 88 №4, p94 Computer & Video Games 84 №110, p133 Joystick 90 №12, p116 Mean Machines 89 №2, p78/79Media:MeanMachines UK 02.pdf Player One 85 №5, p50 Power Play 63 Raze 90 №4, p32 Sega Power 93 №13, p34/35 Sega Power 80 №23, p56 Sega Pro 92 №2, p19Media:Segapro UK 02.pdf

Master System, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Master System, EU
Cover

Master System, AU
Cover
Cart

Master System, BR
Cover
Cart Manual

Master System, KR (Korea Oacs)
Cover
Cart

Master System, KR (Samsung)
Cover
Cart

Game Gear Version

	82	Sega Retro Average
		Based on 5 reviews
Publication Score Source ACE 68 №48, p74Media:ACE UK 48.pdf Sega Power 80 №23, p61 Sega Power 91 №24, p38 Sega Pro 80 №2, p19Media:Segapro UK 02.pdf Zero 93 №19, p91

Game Gear, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, EU
Cover
Cart

Game Gear, JP
Cover
Cart

Game Gear, JP (Meisaku Collection)
Cover
Cart

Game Gear, BR
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, KR
Cart

FM Towns Version

FM Towns, JP

MSX Version

MSX, JP
Cover

NEC PC-8801 Version

NEC PC-8801, JP

NEC PC-9801 Version

NEC PC-9801, JP
Cover

PC Engine Version

	82	Sega Retro Average
		Based on 1 review
Publication Score Source Joystick 82 №16

PC Engine, JP
Cover
Card Manual

Sharp X68000 Version

Sharp X68000, JP
Cover

Super Famicom Version

Super Famicom, JP

External Links

• Sega of Japan Virtual Console page (Japanese)
• Sega of Japan 3DS VC catalogue page (Japanese)
• Columns on Steam