Columns III: Revenge of Columns

From Sega Retro

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ColumnsIII Title.png

Columns III: Revenge of Columns
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Virtual Console, Steam
Publisher: Sega (JP), VIC Tokai (US), Samsung (KR)
Developer:
Genre: Puzzle

















Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP 		¥4,8004,800 G-4108
Sega Mega Drive
US 		T-23056
Sega Mega Drive
KR 		GM93046JG
Sega Mega Drive
AS
Wii Virtual Console
JP ▼ 		600pts600
Wii Virtual Console
US ▼ 		800pts800
Wii Virtual Console
EU ▼ 		900pts900
CERO
Missing Parameter!

Columns III: Revenge of Columns, known as Columns III: Taiketsu! Columns World (コラムスIII 対決！コラムスワールド) in Japan, is an entry in the Columns series of puzzle games developed by Sega in 1993 for the Sega Mega Drive. The game was only released in Japan and the US, with VIC Tokai publishing it in the US (consequently, the incorrect myth that VIC Tokai also developed the game is very widespread). The game has been brought to the Wii's Virtual Console service.

Gameplay

Columns III adds several new gameplay features, including new puzzle modes and up to five simultaneous players. Most notably it introduces the "Crush Bar," a competitive-play gambit which is now a staple feature of the Columns series appearing in every game since (each time with a different name).

Columns III removes the single-player solo mode and brings the focus to competitive gaming. Like with Columns, the D-pad moves blocks and B cycles the jewels. Each character now has a meter under the "next block" bar that counts up from 0 to 30 each time a player removes jewels. Once it goes over 10, the player can hit A or C to "crush" whichever jewels are currently falling from the opponent's board, removing them and adding a row of bricks to the bottom of his field called the "Crush Bar." This will also lower your own Crush Bar. In multiplayer games with 3 or more players, A and C decide which opponent to crush (to the left or to the right, respectively).

Sometimes, one of your jewels will glow. You must remove the glowing jewel, called a Flashing Stone, before it stops glowing in order to do something devious to the competitor for a short period of time, such as making his jewels black and white (impairing visibility), flipping the game board upside down, or making him unable to cycle jewels. Finally, a special type of block sometimes appears called a Magic Stone which takes the form of two triangular jewels with a square jewel in between. If you place the block with the upward pointing triangle touching the jewels on the board, your opponent will be crushed. If you place with the downward pointing triangle touching, your Crush Bar will go down. If you place with the square touching, all jewels on your board of the color of the jewel that is touched will be removed from the board (though no crush points will be awarded for consequential clears).

The Japanese version of Columns III also includes a 2-on-2 multiplayer mode.

Production credits

  • Game Design: Marsh, Kyamura
  • Programming: Moveq Tab
  • Graphic Design: Kayamame
  • Sound Production: Ker Akiyan
  • Assistant Design: Locky P
  • Data Entry: Dance End, Ojyamamusi
  • Manual Script: Yoikotachi, Winds
  • Production: XYZ
  • Special Thanks: Koz, Ogy, Yumeko. H, K.M., Sunset, Saru Man
  • Presented By Sega

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in GamePro (US) #57: "April 1994" (1994-xx-xx)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in EGM² (US) #2: "August 1994" (1994-0x-xx)
also published in:
Logo-pdf.svg

Digital manuals

  • Steam manual

Physical scans

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
85 №150, p103[4]
74
87
80 №17, p39
85 №18, p95[5]
80 №56, p61
Sega Mega Drive
 82
Based on
6 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
50
[6]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
73
[7]
Cool Gamer (RU)
50
[8]
Computer & Video Games (UK) NTSC
85
[4]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
74
[9]
Game Players (US) NTSC-U
87
[10]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
50
[11]
MAN!AC (DE) PAL
78
[12]
Mega (UK) NTSC-J
80
[13]
Mega Fun (DE) NTSC-U
84
[14]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-J
85
[5]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-J
80
[15]
SuperGamePower (BR)
70
[16]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
75
[17]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
80
[18]
Video Games (DE) NTSC-U
72
[19]
Sega Mega Drive
 73
Based on
16 reviews

Columns III: Revenge of Columns

Mega Drive, US
ColumnsIII MD US Box.jpg
Cover
ColumnsIII MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Columns III MD US Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, JP
ColumnsIII MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
Columns3 MD JP CartTop.jpg
Columns3 md jp cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, KR
ColumnsIII MD KR Box.jpg
Cover
Columns3 MD KR cartback.jpgColumns3 MD KR cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, AS†
ColumnsIII MD JP Box.jpg
Cover

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
✔
CRC32 dc678f6d
MD5 441b7e9c9811e22458660eb73975569c
SHA-1 8e52a5d0adbff3b2a15f32e9299b4ffdf35f5541
512kB 1993-12 Cartridge (US)
Sega Mega Drive
✔
CRC32 cd07462f
MD5 eeb557cd38ad00d6b4df48585098269a
SHA-1 2e850c2b737098b9926ac0fc9b8b2116fc5aa48a
512kB 1993-06 Cartridge (JP)

External links

References

  1. ↑ File:GamePro US 056.pdf, page 174
  2. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "May 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 93
  3. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "September 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 81
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 File:CVG UK 150.pdf, page 103 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 150.pdf_p103" defined multiple times with different content
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 File:MeanMachinesSega18UK.pdf, page 95 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega18UK.pdf_p95" defined multiple times with different content
  6. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 49
  7. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "November 1993" (JP; 1993-10-08), page 26
  8. ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 52
  9. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "April 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 40
  10. ↑ Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 6 June 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 54
  11. ↑ Hippon Super, "November 1993" (JP; 1993-10-02), page 42
  12. ↑ MAN!AC, "06/94" (DE; 1994-05-11), page 54
  13. ↑ Mega, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-20), page 39
  14. ↑ Mega Fun, "06/94" (DE; 1994-05-18), page 105
  15. ↑ Sega Power, "July 1994" (UK; 1994-05-05), page 61
  16. ↑ SuperGamePower, "Maio 1994" (BR; 1994-0x-xx), page 36
  17. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
  18. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 10
  19. ↑ Video Games, "6/94" (DE; 1994-05-25), page 98



Games in the Columns Series
Columns (1990) | Columns II: The Voyage Through Time (1990) | Columns III: Revenge of Columns (1993) | Stack Columns (1994) | Super Columns (1995) | Columns '97 (1996) | Hanagumi Taisen Columns (1997) | Columns Arcade Collection (1997) | Columns GB: Tezuka Osamu Characters (1999) | Hanagumi Taisen Columns 2 (2000) | Columns Crown (2001) | Columns Jewel (2005) | Columns Deluxe (2008) | Jewelpet Kira Kira Mahou no Housekibako (2009) | Sega Ages Columns II (2019)
Columns Taisen Mode Tsuki (1991) | Columns (Mame Game) (1997) | Columns (Pocket Boy) (1997) | Columns for Zaurus (2001) | Columns for Clié (2002)
Unlicensed Columns games
Sega Master System
 Super Columns (1990)
Columns Related Media
Music
 Columns・Columns II (1991)
Book
 Hanagumi Taisen Columns Official Guide (1997) | Hanagumi Taisen Columns 2 Perfect Guide (2000)
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