Columns III: Revenge of Columns
From Sega Retro
| Columns III: Revenge of Columns | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Virtual Console, Steam | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher: Sega (JP), VIC Tokai (US), Samsung (KR) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developer: Sega CS, Minato Giken (programming) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Peripherals supported:  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre: Puzzle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of players: 1-5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
The 5-players multiplayer is supported with Team Player peripheral that has to be inserted into Port 2 of the Sega Mega Drive. Game will not recognise controllers if it's inserted into Port 1.
A Game Gear version was shown at Winter CES 1994, but was never released.[2]
Contents
Gameplay
Columns III adds several new gameplay features, including new puzzle modes and up to five simultaneous players. It re-introduces the "Crush Bar" from Columns II, 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). But this time around the players are able to do "Crush Bar" attack anytime they want and able to instead of having the game do that immediately.
Columns III removes the single-player solo mode and brings the focus to competitive gaming. It's the first Columns game where you can play competively against CPU in a single-player campaign. Like with Columns, the D-pad moves blocks and 
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 
or 
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, and decide which opponent to crush (to the left or to the right, respectively).
After doing several chains in a row you will get a block containing a glowing jewel, called a Flashing Stone. It must be removed before it stops glowing to do one a random effect on 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. Most of these are ineffective against CPU player.
A special type of block appears after every 20 removed lines of jewels 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).
Outside of single-player campaign, once the field gets filled with considerable amount of jewel the game sometimes turn one of bottom rows jewels into a Super Flashing Stone, such situation being somewhat similar to Flash Columns. Removing it gives a powerful effect, such as removing all jewels on player's field or disabling Magic and Flashing Stones for opponent for the rest of the match.
The Japanese version of Columns III also includes a 2-on-2 multiplayer mode. It's similar to 1-on-1 with the third and the fourth players playing the supportive role, doing Rock-Paper-Scrissor matches to get the prizes onto their side.
Production credits
Magazine articles
- Main article: Columns III: Revenge of Columns/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
also published in:
- GamePro (US) #57: "April 1994" (1994-xx-xx)[3]
- Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #58: "May 1994" (1994-xx-xx)[4]
also published in:
- Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #62: "September 1994" (1994-xx-xx)[5]
Digital manuals
Steam manual
Physical scans
Mega Drive version
| Sega Retro Average | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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73 |
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| Based on 16 reviews | |
| Mega Drive, US |
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 Cover
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 Cart  Manual |
| Mega Drive, JP |
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 Cover
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  Cart |
| Mega Drive, KR |
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 Cover
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  Cart |
| Mega Drive, AS† |
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Cover
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Technical information
ROM dump status
| System | Hash | Size | Build Date | Source | Comments | |||||||||
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512kB | 1993-12 | Cartridge (US) | ||||||||||
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512kB | 1993-06 | Cartridge (JP) |
External links
References
- ↑ File:GamePro US 056.pdf, page 174
- ↑ File:CVG UK 148.pdf, page 22
- ↑ GamePro, "April 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 141
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "May 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 93
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "September 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 81
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 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 - ↑ 7.0 7.1 File:EGM US 057.pdf, page 40 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name ":File:EGM US 057.pdf_p40" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ File:GamePlayers US 0710.pdf, page 122
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 File:MeanMachinesSega18UK.pdf, page 95 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega18UK.pdf_p95" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 10.0 10.1 File:SuperGamePower BR 002.pdf, page 36 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name ":File:SuperGamePower BR 002.pdf_p36" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 49
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "November 1993" (JP; 1993-10-08), page 26
- ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 52
- ↑ Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 6 June 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 54
- ↑ Hippon Super, "November 1993" (JP; 1993-10-02), page 42
- ↑ MAN!AC, "06/94" (DE; 1994-05-11), page 54
- ↑ Mega, "February 1994" (UK; 1994-01-20), page 39
- ↑ Mega Fun, "06/94" (DE; 1994-05-18), page 105
- ↑ Sega Power, "July 1994" (UK; 1994-05-05), page 61
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 10
- ↑ 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 | |
 |
Super Columns (1990) |
| Columns Related Media | |
 |
Columns・Columns II (1991) |
 |
Hanagumi Taisen Columns Official Guide (1997) | Hanagumi Taisen Columns 2 Perfect Guide (2000) |
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