Columns

n/a

Columns
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
Publisher: Sega, SystemSoft Laser Soft Telenet Japan
Developer: Sega, SystemSoft Telenet Japan, Laser Soft Compile SNES Media Factory, Marigul
Genre: Puzzle
Release Date RRP Code
ESRB VRC PEGI OFLC CERO Missing Parameter!

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, which although did not escape Sega platforms, was making a name for itself on Nintendo's Game Boy. 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:

There is no option to rotate the columns in the opposite direction. 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.

Physical Scans

System C Version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source Computer & Video Games (UK) 87 №107

	87
Based on 1 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score

	N/A
Based on 0 reviews

Columns

Mega-Tech version

Mega-Tech,
Cover

Mega Drive Version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source Computer & Video Games (UK) 90 88 Joystick (FR) 70 №9, p113 MegaTech (UK) 81 №1 Player One (FR) 74 Power Play (DE) 77 Sega Power (UK) 80 №23, p53 Sega Pro (UK) 90 №2, p19 Sega Pro (UK) 84 №18, p64

	82
Based on 9 reviews

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score Ação Games (BR) 75 Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 83 Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 83 Complete Guide to Consoles (UK) 90 Complete Guide to Consoles (UK) 88 The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) 88 Console XS (UK) PAL 84 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 63 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 77 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 68 The Games Machine (IT) 88 Joystick (FR) 70 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL 79 Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J 77 Mega Play (US) NTSC-U 68 MegaTech (UK) PAL 85 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 88 Player One (FR) 74 Power Play (DE) 77 Sega Power (UK) 82 Sega Power (UK) PAL 75 Sega Pro (UK) 90 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 84 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 76 Tilt (FR) 85 Top Secret (PL) Mega Games I 75 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 80 User (GR) 97 VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US) NTSC-U 70

	80
Based on 29 reviews

Columns

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

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart

Master System Version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source Computer & Video Games (UK) 84 №110 Joystick (FR) 90 №12, p116 Mean Machines (UK) 89 Player One (FR) 85 Power Play (DE) 63 Raze (UK) 90 №4, p32 Sega Power (UK) 80 №23, p56 Sega Pro (UK) 92 №2, p19

	84
Based on 8 reviews

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score Buzz! Computers (UK) 85 Complete Guide to Consoles (UK) 89 Complete Guide to Consoles (UK) 88 The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) PAL 90 Console XS (UK) PAL 91 Computer & Video Games (UK) 84 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 55 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 89 Game Mania (UK) 90 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 72 Gamers (DE) 67 Joystick (FR) 90 Mean Machines (UK) 89 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 90 Player One (FR) 85 Power Play (DE) 63 Raze (UK) 90 Sega Power (UK) 93 Sega Power (UK) PAL 75 Sega Pro (UK) 92 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 91 Tilt (FR) 85 Tilt (FR) 85 Zzap! (IT) 90

	84
Based on 24 reviews

Columns

Master System, US
Cover
Cart

Master System, EU
Cover

Master System, AU
Cover

Master System, BR
Cover

Master System, KR (Korea Oacs)
Cover
Cart

Master System, KR (Samsung)
Cover
Cart

Game Gear Version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source ACE (UK) 68 №48 Sega Power (UK) 80 №23, p61 Sega Pro (UK) 80 №2, p19

	76
Based on 3 reviews

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score ACE (UK) 68 Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 70 Console XS (UK) PAL 92 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 85 Game Mania (UK) 86 Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J 60 Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL 88 Sega Power (UK) PAL 75 Sega Power (UK) PAL 91 Sega Pro (UK) 80 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 92 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 66 Zero (UK) 93

	80
Based on 13 reviews

Columns

Game Gear, US
Cover
Cart

Game Gear, EU
Cover
Cart

Game Gear, JP
Cover
Cart

Game Gear, JP (Meisaku Collection)
Cover

Game Gear, BR
Cover
Cart Manual

Game Gear, KR

FM Towns Version

FM Towns, JP

MSX Version

MSX, JP
<div style="margin:auto; max-width:px"> 320x120px Cover

NEC PC-8801 Version

NEC PC-8801, JP

NEC PC-9801 Version

NEC PC-9801, JP
<div style="margin:auto; max-width:px"> 320x120px Cover

PC Engine Version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source Joystick (FR) 82 №16

	82
Based on 1 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 71 Joystick (FR) 82 Player One (FR) 72

	75
Based on 3 reviews

Columns

TurboGrafx-16, JP
<div style="margin:auto; max-width:px"> 320x80px Cover

Sharp X68000 Version

Sharp X68000, JP
Cover

Super Famicom Version

Super Famicom, JP

External Links

• Sega of Japan Virtual Console page (Japanese)
• Columns on Steam