_____     _         __     __                   _
           |_   _|   | |        \ \   / /                  | |
             | |   __| | ___     \ \_/ /__  _   _____ _   _| | _____
             | |  / _` |/ _ \     \   / _ \| | | / __| | | | |/ / _ \
            _| |_| (_| |  __/      | | (_) | |_| \__ \ |_| |   <  __/
           |_____|\__,_|\___|      |_|\___/ \__,_|___/\__,_|_|\_\___|
   __    __      _ _ _                             _____ _
  |  \  /  |    (_|_|_)                           |_   _|_)
  | | \/ | | ___ _ _ _ _ __      _ __   ___         | |  _________  ___ _ __
  | |\__/| |/ _ \ | | | '_ \    | '_ \ / _ \     _  | | | / __/ __|/ _ \ '_ \
  | |    | |  __/ | | | | | |   | | | | (_) |   | |_| | | \__ \__ \  __/ | | |
  |_|    |_|\___|_| |_|_| |_|   |_| |_|\___/     \___/  |_|___/___/\___|_| |_|
                |__/
            __    __       _     _                       _____ _____
           |  \  /  |     | |   (_)                     |_   _|_   _|
           | | \/ | | __ _| |__  _  ___  _ __   ____      | |   | |
           | |\__/| |/ _` | '_ \| |/ _ \| '_ \ / _  |     | |   | |
           | |    | | (_| | | | | | (_) | | | | (_| |    _| |_ _| |_
           |_|    |_|\__,_|_| |_| |\___/|_| |_|\__  |   |_____|_____|
                              |__/             |___/

Donations

While I do write all of my guides for free, it does take a lot of time and effort to put them together. If you're feeling generous and want to show your appreciation, I am gladly accepting donations. I don't know exactly what the donations will be used for, but just know that you would definitely be helping me make more quality FAQs! Even the smallest donation amounts are appreciated, and they are a great way to say how much you appreciate the work I do. If you do decide you'd like to donate, please send the donations through PayPal at the e-mail address listed below. Thank you so very much for at least considering this!!

Introduction

Welcome to another one of my FAQs. This particular FAQ covers Ide Yousuke Meijin no Jissen Mahjong II. This is a NES game that deals with the original version of Mahjong, a game that originated in Asia many a century ago, but with a unique RPG-style twist. (That's actually a bit more common for the NES than you might think.) Mahjong is an addictive game that is much like poker, but with tiles. It has its own intricacies and being in Japanese helps it none to the English-speaking audiences most likely reading this guide, but, once you learn, you can have an amazingly fun time with this game!

It's been over twenty years since this game's initial launch back in 1991. And since then, not a single FAQ has been written for it. Well, there's always a first time for everything, no? Ever since the start of the NES FAQ Completion Project on GameFAQs several years ago - a project designed to get a guide out for every single NES game out there - many people have now been helped because older, rarer, less popular games have gotten guides. So many games, in fact, that all of the North American games have been covered, as have the European games, leaving only those that are homebrews and mostly those released in Japan and the Koreas.

And so, that is how I came upon this game. Thanks for listening to my ramblin'; hope you enjoy!

Basics of the Game

Game Controls

^s1|

This game uses a Mahjong controller in the Famicom expansion port of the console; the controller is pictured at the right and also can use the NES gamepad - of course, you can't have just the gamepad. Just so you know. With regard to the below, it seems that the Mahjong controller can operate all you need to do, but, at least for movement, the NES gamepad is preferable, since it makes a little more sense.

FAMICOM EXPANSION PORT - MAHJONG CONTROLLER CONTROLS
Button	Resultant Effects
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N	Discard chosen tile.
"F" Button (just "F")	Can move character/cursor (left).
"G" Button (just "G")	Can move character/cursor (up).
"H" Button (just "H")	Can move character/cursor (right).
"M" Button (just "M")	Can cancel decisions, close menus, etc.
"N" Button (just "N")	Can be used for some progressive results.
	Can open up an action menu.
	Can confirm decisions.
Select Button ("SEL")	Can shift screen in mahjong battles.
	Can move character/cursor (left).
Start Button ("ST")	Can move character/cursor (down).
[Japanese Button #1]	Can "bunch together" kong hands.
	Can steal tiles for kong hands.
	Can move character/cursor (right).
[Japanese Button #2]	Can steal tiles for pung hands.
[Japanese Button #3]	Can steal tiles for chow hands.
[Japanese Button #4]	Calls Tenpai.
[Japanese Button #5]	Calls mahjong.

NES GAMEPAD CONTROLS
Button	Resultant Effects
D-Pad	Move character/cursor (all four directions as needed).
A Button	Confirm decisions.
B Button	Cancel decisions, close menus, etc.
Start Button	N/A
Select Button	C N/A

Traditional Mahjong

^l2|The game field. Firstly, we'll discuss the field layout. At the top are your opponent's tiles, and the bottom has your own. You have hands of 13 tiles each, with room at the side for a drawn tile. Your goal is to make various melds with them, discussed later. The tile revealed atop the dead wall on the left (Chinese Character 4 here) is a "Dora" tile, which will determine the bonus tile. (The bonus tile is one more than the value of this tile.) At the right, you'll find your score and your opponent's - here, they are the lower and upper numbers (5,000 and 10,000) respectively. This goes down as you lose, and up as you win - think of it like an interim HP, which, when it hits zero, your own real HP will get hit some. Finally, between your hand and your opponent's are tile "graveyards" of sorts (empty in the screenshot). Tiles go here when discarded and will hold 18 at once. Once one fills up, on that person's next turn, the match ends and another begins if applicable. In the lower-right, where the "N" is, you'll find tiles that you draw. At the far left of your hand will also be hands of tiles you stole and can no longer alter.

In mahjong, your goal is to use the 13 tiles in your hand, plus one that you can draw or your opponent discards, to create some various hands. The end goal is to get "mahjong" - the use of all of those tiles in various hands or melds without "overlapping" the sets. These will obviously be based on two things. First is the tile's value - whether it is "one", "two", whatever. With the Circle and Bamboo suits, this is easy - just count the number of figures on there! With the Chinese and Honor suits, it's a bit more difficult. You can just look at the image below. It's not an exact representation of the in-game images, but it's close enough.

^l3|The tiles.

As for the various hands, there are four main ones.

Hand Type	Definition	Examples
Pair	Any two tiles that are exactly alike.	Two Bamboo 4's, two blank tiles.
Pung	Any three tiles that are exactly alike.	Three Circle 2's, three Character 1's.
Kong	Any four tiles that are exactly alike.	Four Circle 5's, four Bamboo 4's.
Chow	Sequence of three tiles of same suit.	Bamboo 1-2-3, Circle 4-5-6.

There are also several special hands. These don't actually seem to use the "use all 13 (+1) tile" definition, so take it with a grain of salt, because I've yet to confirm them. However, also note that, with their rarity, comes extremely powerful attacks - it's a double-edged sword: you'll go for broke intentionally trying for these, so it's best to hope you get something close by chance.

Hand Type	Definition
Thirteen Orphans	1 through 9 of a suit, each wind, each dragon, and one more of those used.
Heavenly Gates	1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 9 of any suit plus one of those used.
Hidden Pong Hand	Four pungs you didn't steal.
Kong Hand	Four kongs.
Honors Hand	Hand consists of only wind and dragon (Honor-suit) tiles.
Pearl Dragon	Three circle pungs/kongs, a circle pair, and a pung/kong of blank tiles.
Ruby Dragon	The above, but uses the Chinese character set in lieu of circles.
Jade Dragon	The above, but uses the Bamboo character set.
Great Dragons	Three pungs of the Dragon tile set.
Great Winds	Four pungs of the four Wind tiles.

When making the hands, there is but one other condition: you are only allowed to use one or zero pairs. The only exception is a hand made of seven pairs, though.

Turns will go from you to your opponent and back again. There is a distinct process to this. During this time, there are references to various actions. These can be done by pressing the appropriate button on the mahjong controller, as outlined in the Game Controls section.

• Firstly, if you're able to steal an opponent's last drawn tile, you can do so.
  • NOTE: If the tile you are about to steal will complete a mahjong hand, just call mahjong or don't take it.

• After that point, if you stole a tile, you'll need to discard one from your hand. Press its corresponding Mahjong controller letter.

• If you didn't get the chance to steal a tile (normally your first turn), a tile will be drawn for you when you press the N Button. This tile will be found in the lower-rightmost part of the screen, in the rightmost portion of your hand (under "N").

• Then you get to discard a tile - use the appropriate Mahjong controller button.
  • Alternative: Call mahjong or tenpai. More on the latter in a bit.

• This pretty much loops until the end. This can be upon mahjong being called, in most games, or you'll start a new match after 18 tiles are discard.

• As you play, you can call Tenpai. This takes away 1,000 points if successful. This means that you only lack a single tile from having a mahjong hand. This forces you to only draw and discard the drawn tile until you get the tile that makes a mahjong hand. Note that the mahjong-making tile can come from either the tile you draw or your opponent's last-discarded tile.
  • This seems to not be allowed if you steal a tile, or with a Tenpai involving a seven-pair hand.

After a match successfully ends, the scores are calculated appropriately, then the loser loses HP in most cases (the real HP). The main basises for this are the rarity of the hands you've gotten, and the "Dora" tiles. If you look at the set aside tile on the left side during the match, you'll get to see it. That tile is one below the value of a bonus tile - for example, if the "Dora" tile is a Bamboo 5, then the bonus tile is a Bamboo 6. Got it?

Hands will generally end with everyone has discarded eighteen tiles, or someone successfully calls mahjong. After enough matches, an overall winner can be determined due to someone's HP hitting zero (usually), and you'll be allowed to continue along, either to the field or next match, as necessary. To win a mahjong match, your opponent's HP must hit zero.

Mahjong Battle Types

As you play the game, you'll deal with mahjong battles of several types. They generally will rely on a premise of "you lose, you lose HP", so it's best to know how to play each one.

• There is the type outlined in the previous section. Obviously.

• Another is not really mahjong at all, but more like a memory tiles game. Basically, at the start, you'll see a number of tiles nearby, then some will suddenly go away, being already paired. From there, you have to select tiles in the opponent's hand to pair with your own; if you fail, you usually keep the tile. Whoever ends up with the final tile loses.

• Another is like the above one, but you have 10 tiles (hidden) from which to complete a mahjong hand.

Game Modes

At the title screen, there are three modes, in effect.

• The first listed is a simple exhibition mahjong match set.
• The second seems to be a set of interactive tutorials on mahjong.
• The third listed goes to the story mode, covered in the Walkthrough. You can start a new game with the top option, or begin an old one via a password in the lower option.

Strategies/Tips

• Look at your hand and see what is a meld - and therefore should NOT be discarded - and what is close to a meld. Statistically speaking, completing a Chow (three-tile straight) is more likely in most cases than Pungs or Kongs. If you have an excessive meld (i.e. a four-tile straight), you'll need to analyze other potential options for the outlying tiles of the meld (lowest/highest, or just any one in a five-plus pairing) and, if you can't find one that's very likely, drop it.

• Tiles in the suits (Bamboo, Characters, and Circles) tend to be best used for Pungs, Chows, and Kongs, whereas your others are better left for Pairs, if anything.

• Leave yourself with as many options as possible. For example, let's say you're trying to make a Chow. You have the Circles 3, 4, and 6. Instead of hoping, for some arbitrary reason, for a Circle 5 to come down and make an excessively long Chow, look at the hand. We already have 2/3 of the Chow in Circle 3 and 4, but only 1/3 in Circle 6. You may as well toss out the Circle 6 and let the other Circles get completed with Circle 2 or Circle 5, generally twice as likely to happen than just Circle 5.

• Again, leave yourself with plenty of options! This is extremely, extremely important! The AI will never just hand over a win. You need to leave a lot of flexibility in your strategies! In this way, you can open up your Tenpai call and more easily win the battles because the penalties against your opponent will be steeper.

• You may as well try forming your pairs as early as possible. Don't use suited ones for this, but try to use the "Honor" tile set, which seem to just feature the large Japanese character. This also ties in to discarding tiles that are the least likely to form melds. Sure, it may not always work, but it's better than tarrying over which tile to remove from a more-likely meld!

Walkthrough

===

---

---

First Town

---

---

When in the first town, begin by going into the northwesternmost house. There, you will be given the option to engage in a mahjong battle against the person there. First use the top option to say "Yes". Then, from there, you get three more options - begin battle, see stats, and use items. Under the first of these menus, you get the chance to use what I presume are magic spells as well, before the battle begins. Battling takes place as outlined previously.

Beyond that, there is also the place to gather game continuation passwords (the northeastern building) and the shop (building two to the south of the battle building).

FIRST TOWN'S SHOPS
Item Name	Item Cost	Item Effects/Uses
???	5,000	???
???	7,000	???
???	5,000	???
???	10,000	???
???	5,000	???
???	15,000	???
???	3,000	???
???	3,000	???

---

---

Overworld

---

---

Beyond the shop and password place in the previous town, for now, there's little point in being there. For now, simply head to the overworld and west to the temple-like structure. There, you'll meet up with a man who will challenge you to a mahjong battle. (Note that you will find others at random along the way.)

After the battle, you'll reach Level 2, most importantly resulting in the ability to use SP. Anyways, proceed into the next town.

---

---

Second Town

---

---

As you enter town, you'll see an inn nearby. Go there to restore your HP and SP, although it costs 10,000 units of money. Two doorways to the east of there, you'll find the shop.

SECOND TOWN'S SHOPS
Item Name	Item Cost	Item Effects/Uses
???	7,000	???
???	15,000	???
???	10,000	???
???	25,000	???
???	15,000	???
???	20,000	???
???	3,000	???
???	3,000	???

Just to the east of there, you'll find a house in which you need to do a mahjong battle, so do so.

Beyond that, there's little to do. For the sake of making sure you trigger everything, as usual, be sure to speak with everyone.

---

---

Overworld

---

---

Here again, go south and speak with the person in the temple, then go to the one to the northwest. After having done so, return to the Second Town and, back there, speak with the person in the big north-central building. After this, if you need to, return to the inn, heal up, and go into the southern temple from before. The person there will battle you and, for winning, you'll be bumped up to Level 3, mostly featuring a stat increase and little else. Still, it's nice. ;)

After the events there, if you return to the northwestern temple, you'll find that the person there will still not let you pass. Agh. Go back into the Second Town, and, this time, speak with everyone - I'm not sure who triggers this event, but, after the trek here, you'll be allowed past the temple. Phew!

Continue westward to the riverside Third Town.

---

---

Third Town

---

---

THIRD TOWN'S SHOPS
Item Name	Item Cost	Item Effects/Uses
???	4,000	???
???	12,000	???
???	16,000	???
???	28,000	???
???	32,000	???
???	40,000	???
???	3,000	???
???	3,000	???

West and north of where you enter the town is the shop, so be sure to go there if you need something.

To the north and east of there, you'll find the inn, again costing 10,000 units of money to use. To the southeast of there is the mahjong battle house where you should probably visit and beat the crap out of someone, as usual.

Other than this, pretty much just talk to everyone, as usual, before leaving. You may want to use the inn as you go.

---

---

Overworld

---

---

Begin by progressing west, then south across the bridge to reach a temple. There, you'll be challenged to a mahjong battle, as per the usual. Also as usual, this will jump you up to Level 4. Continue westward and into the next temple to get another such battle, this one jumping you up to Level 5. And the same goes for the temple not much further down the road, which will also bump you up to Level 6. Geez...

Continue along the path westward along the coast to reach the next town, past another temple. (Nope, you won't be allowed in that one yet. Although the guy within looks reminiscent of the K.K.K. >_>;;)

---

---

Fourth Town

---

---

FOURTH TOWN'S SHOPS
Item Name	Item Cost	Item Effects/Uses
???	15,000	???
???	25,000	???
???	25,000	???
???	30,000	???
???	16,000	???
???	35,000	???
???	3,000	???
???	3,000	???

The shop is next to you as you enter; you know what the stuff there does, so do as you will. The inn is also nearby, still costing you the standard 10,000 money. And there is also the usual mahjong battle house to the south; you know what to do there as well. (In case you don't - battle and win.) Speak with everyone, next.

Now, for a brief moment, return to the Third Town. You can do by using the top option of the A Button menu and using the third option. There, go speak with the person in the north-central building and use the top option during the dialogue. After doing so, return back here to the Fourth Town. Speak with the man in the southwesternmost house, then leave and return to the overworld, go south, and beat the guy in the temple there. (Also jumping you up a level.)

Once such has been done, return into the Fourth Town. There, if you need to, heal and shop. Speak with the man in the southwesternmost house again and, this time, a ship will appear outside. Walk onto it and you'll quickly proceed into another town.

---

---

Fifth Town

---

---

FIFTH TOWN'S SHOPS
Item Name	Item Cost	Item Effects/Uses
???	8,000	???
???	20,000	???
???	24,000	???
???	48,000	???
???	56,000	???
???	72,000	???
???	3,000	???
???	3,000	???

In this fifth town of the game, you have the usual commodities. A shop, as detailed above; an inn, costing you 10,000 money; a mahjong battle house to the south, which you should go in and beat the person there; and a bunch of people you should all talk to, just in case.

Beyond that, there's little purpose in being here for the moment.

---

---

Overworld

---

---

Once back out here, go north and into the temple to battle a person, who will, as usual, jack you up a level after you win. Beyond the temple, there's not much separating you from the next town, so why not visit?

---

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Sixth Town

---

---

SIXTH TOWN'S SHOPS - WEST
Item Name	Item Cost	Item Effects/Uses
???	5,600	???
???	12,000	???
???	20,000	???
???	24,000	???
???	40,000	???
???	64,000	???
???	3,000	???
???	3,000	???

As usual, the usual things to do in town apply. You can use the wide central building for the main needs - inn (10,000 money), shopping (as above), and the battle house. There are also another of latter two around town, although none of them seem to be open at the moment, which is a little odd.

But, again, beyond that, there's not much to do around here. I do recommend either stocking up on HP-healers or using the inn, for you'll need to do several battles (depending on how the RNG favors you) before you get to the next town.

---

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Overworld

---

---

Once you've returned to the overworld, head just across the river to the east and you'll end up finding a temple. Defeat the person within to jump up a level.

Now, for a brief moment, we have to do some backtracking. If you remember back around the Second Town, there was an igloo-like structure you couldn't enter for some reason. Teleport there now (A Button, first option, second option) and go into the one to the north to pop out on the other side. Speak with the person in the temple on the other side.

This will open the path further ahead from the previous battle temple. Teleport to the Sixth Town (A Button, top option, last non-??? option) and continue east along the path from before. In the second temple you reach, you'll be able to have another battle, so go inside and do so. Once done there, continue along to the Seventh Town.

---

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Seventh Town

---

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Level-Up Stats

^sr4|

The statistics screen looks like that to the right. You find it via the A Button action menu, then the second option. There, your various stats are detailed - HP, SP, money, etc.

The purpose of this section is to detail the growth in these stats as you gain EXP. from battles and therefore level-up, which will strengthen these stats. However, it seems that EXP. is only gained from certain battles, such as the one early on forcing you to Level 2 with the gain of SP as well.

In the chart below, noted are your stats at that level ("Now") and the change in that stat from the previous level ("+/-").

Level	Max HP		Max SP		Stat #1		Stat #2		Stat #3
	Now:	+/-:	Now:	+/-:	Now:	+/-:	Now:	+/-:	Now:	+/-:
Level 1	25	-	0	-	5	-	5	-	5	-
Level 2	40	+15	15	+15	7	+2	8	+12	12	+7
Level 3	55	+15	30	+15	8	+1	12	+4	20	+8
Level 4	70	+15	40	+10	10	+2	16	+4	28	+8
Level 5	85	+15	60	+20	15	+5	20	+4	35	+7
Level 6	100	+15	70	+10	20	+5	30	+10	42	+7
Level 7	115	+15	85	+15	25	+5	40	+10	50	+8
Level 8	130	+15	100	+15	32	+7	65	+25	56	+6
Level 9	145	+15	120	+20	40	+8	75	+10	65	+9
Level 10	160	+15	145	+25	50	+10	85	+10	70	+5
Level 11

Credits

In no particular order...

• Devin Morgan:
  • The image of the Mahjong expansion port controller in Game Controls.

• GForce645:
  • Noting that you use the aforementioned Mahjong controller in this game.

• Wikipedia:
  • A derived image of the tile sets.
  • Info on the various special hands.

• GameFAQs, Neoseeker, and Supercheats:
  • For being the most amazing FAQ-hosting sites I know.

• CJayC, SBAllen, and Devin Morgan:
  • General sucking up to the GameFAQs admins. =P

• Me (KeyBlade999):
  • For making this FAQ. =P

• You, the reader:
  • For hopefully enjoying this FAQ.

Version History

• v0.00:
  • Mostly a playtesting night, though everything basic seems covered.
  • Time: 1:54 AM 3/22/2013.

• v0.10:
  • Whoa, been a while... Walkthrough, minus translations, done up to the Seventh Town.
  • Time: 12:31 AM 5/6/2013.

Legalities

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All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders.

ｩ 2013 Daniel Chaviers (a.k.a. KeyBlade999).

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