Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: SEGA AGES Columns II: The Voyage Through Time
Developer: M2
Publisher: Sega
Genre: Arcade, Puzzle
Price: $7.99
Few know Columns to have been the creation of a Hewlett-Packard engineer simply bored with tutorials to the X11 Window System, which he needed to get through in order to port over a graphical application. Yet, that’s exactly how the match-three puzzle videogame was born. In any case, it was an instant hit upon its release in 1989, and to a point where Sega thought to acquire it from designer Jay Geertsen with the intent of enhancing it and using it as the packed-in software for its gaming platforms. And, true enough, it boosted sales of both the Mega Drive/Genesis and the Game Gear, which then managed to surpass the Atari Lynx and TurboExpress despite being rushed to market.
Columns was, in short, the Tetris to Sega’s eight-bit handheld. Yet, even as it bore striking similarities to the flagship title of the Nintendo Game Boy, it likewise offered a fair share of distinct gameplay features that made it stand out. First, the dropping objects weren’t composed of different shapes; instead, the escalating degree of difficulty was reflected in the increasing number of colors the tiles carried. Second, and more importantly, it offered a multiplayer mode that boosted its worth. For good measure, it was wrapped in Phoenician mythology and made out to be the game of choice by Middle Eastern merchants bent on increasing their riches, tying the change in its appearance from the initial blocks to “mesmerizing” jewels.
Needless to say, sequels would follow, and if there’s any surprise, it’s that not all would make their way outside of Japan. In fact, Columns II, which found a home on Sega’s System C in 1990, and then on the Saturn as part of a compilation seven years later, was missing in action everywhere else in the world. That it would take Sega two decades and two years more to finally bring it to the West is subject to speculation; in contrast, Columns III was offered on the Genesis way back in 1993. Still, there can be no doubting its value to the continually expanding Sega Ages collection on the Nintendo eShop.
For gamers, here’s the good news:
Developer M2 has made the wait worthwhile. SEGA AGES Columns II: The Voyage Through Time more than earns its $7.99 price tag with an excellent Switch version that pays homage to its roots. As with the source material, two modes are on offer; the more challenging option requires gamers to clear a flashing gem randomly situated among other jewels to start. In either case, it harks to its arcade beginnings in terms of the stark rise in difficulty. Some help is offered by way of an option to disable obstacles that, when accidentally cleared, serve to raise the puzzle floor, but deft hand-eye coordination will still be required throughout.
SEGA AGES Columns II: The Voyage Through Time boasts of a few additions here and there, but none more significant than the inclusion of the original game. For gamers just looking to spend hours upon hours of idle time on mindless fun minus the stress, Columns may yet provide the more enjoyable experience.
THE GOOD
- Outstanding port of the Sega classic
- Available in the West for the first time
- Pays homage to arcade roots
- Includes the original game
THE BAD
- Very hard even with infinite lives
- Online component mostly a miss
RATING: 7.5/10
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