Columns
From Sega Retro
| Columns |
|---|
| System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Game Gear |
| Publisher: Sega |
| Developer: Sega |
| Genre: Puzzle |
Columns (also called Jewels) is a puzzle computer game, arcade game and console game with many similarities to Tetris. It was first created in 1989 by Jay Geertsen (not Geertson, as he is erroneously credited in the Windows port) of HP on the X Window System. Nathan Meyers ported it to DOS, Chris Christensen to Macintosh. John Rotenstein created an early Windows version based on Christensen's Macintosh port. Another early port was to the Atari ST, for the high resolution monochrome monitor. In 1990, Jay Geertsen sold the rights to Sega, where it was ported to several Sega consoles.
Description
The game takes place inside a tall well-shaped playing area, as in Tetris. Columns of three different symbols (such as differently-colored jewels) appear, one at a time, at the top of the well and fall to the bottom, landing either on the floor or on top of previously-fallen columns.
Whilst a column is falling, the player can move it left and right, and can also cycle the positions of the symbols within it.
If, after a column has fallen, there are three or more of the same symbols connected in a straight line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, those symbols disappear. The pile of columns then settles under gravity. If this causes three or more other symbols to become aligned, they also disappear and the pile settles again. This process repeats as many times as necessary. It is not uncommon for this to happen three or four times in a row - it often happens by accident when the well is becoming crowded.
Occasionally, a special column called the Magic Jewel appears. The Magic Jewel flashes with different colors and when it lands, it destroys all the jewels with the same color as the one underneath it.
Like Tetris, the columns fall at a faster rate as the player progresses. The goal of the game is to play for as long as possible before the well fills up with symbols.
Game Gear
The Game Gear version was notably different from the Genesis version.
- It had different music, sounding more like a flute or woodwind, especially in Lathesis.
- While the columns themselves were updated for the Genesis version, the overall decoration was less like a cartoon in the Game Gear version and instead more artistically designed.
- A feature was available to change the jewels to fruit, squares, dice, or card shapes (clubs, diamonds, spades).
Other game modes
Some ports of the game offer alternate game modes. These include:
Flash columns: The player must mine their way through a set number of lines to get to a flashing jewel at the bottom. It is scored by the time it takes to achieve this.
Doubles: Where two players work together in the same well.
Time trial : Three minutes to get the highest score.
Ports and sequels
Many sequels and spinoffs were produced: Columns II: The Voyage Through Time (arcade), Columns III: Revenge of Columns (Genesis/Mega Drive), Columns 97' (Arcade and Saturn), Sakura Taisen Hanagumi Taisen Columns 1 and 2 (Saturn and Dreamcast), and many compilations and re-releases (Columns Arcade Collection on the Saturn, Sega Ages vol 07: Columns on the PS2) as well. Because Columns was made by Sega, versions were made available on the Sega Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega CD, Game Gear, Saturn, and Dreamcast. Additional versions of the game have also been made available on TurboGrafx-16, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation 2.
As with Tetris, Columns has been cloned many times on different computers. Coloris is a variant for Amiga 500 released by AveSoft. There is also an online Java game heavily based on it called Yahoo! Towers, which allows up to eight players to compete against each other. An unofficial ZX Spectrum version was made by Russian coders Piter in 1991. The Pelican VG Pocket offers a clone called "Jewel Master" that adds the ability to rotate columns horizontally like Super Columns.
On November 7, 2006, Columns was released as part of the game Sega Genesis Collection for the PlayStation 2 and later on another release of Sega Genesis Collection for the PlayStation Portable. On December 4, 2006, Columns was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console for 800 Wii Points.
Most recently the game was ported to the iPhone by Sega. It comes in a package deal from the App Store along with a version of Puyo-Pop for $5.
Music
Tokuhiko Uwabo composed the music for Columns. One of the most recognizable songs in Columns is called Clotho, presumably after the Greek Moira of the same name, related to the Greek flavor of some of the game's art. The other main songs include Atropos and Lachesis, other Moirae.