Ishido: The Way of Stones
System: Genesis
Release Date: February 1991
Developer: Accolade
Publisher: Accolade
Genre: Puzzle
Master placing tiles on a board to get the most points in Ishido: The Way of Stones! I saw the name and was expecting some ninja title with some action to it, but then I looked at the manual. What I was greeted with was all about tiles on a board and scoring 4-ways to make points. I figured what the heck, I’m down and gave it a go.
A new game begins with tiles placed at the corners and in the middle of a 12 x 8 grid. The tiles are of the six different symbols and six different colors present. You can change among three different styles with a touch of Button C. There are shapes, Egyptian symbols, and Chinese symbols. You then have to place a tile randomly picked from the pouch.
There are a bunch of rules on where you can place tiles. At its base, you can place a tile next to one on the board of the same symbol or color. If you want to place a tile touching two tiles, it must match the symbol of one and the color of the other. A 3-way match must match symbol or color to 2 sides and the other to the third piece. The 4-way match is the most difficult to set up, as two sides have to share a symbol and the other two have to match the color of the tile.
If you don’t have a move available based on the way the board looks, it’s game over. You gain extra points if your game ends with two, one, or zero tiles left. You also get huge bonuses for each subsequent 4-way you set up and complete. As you set up your plays, remember there are two of each symbol and color combination, so knowing what tiles are left can help you earn the goal of the game, which is the highest score you can manage!
Graphics: 1.0
The graphics serve their purpose just fine, but do nothing else.
Sound: 0.5
There’s a little ditty when starting a new game and then the sound of tiles being placed.
Gameplay: 1.5
There’s not much to do outside of learning the rules and placing tiles.
Difficulty: 3.0
It’s all about learning how to set up 4-ways and hoping you get the right tiles at the right times.
Fun Factor: 2.5
Not my favorite type of puzzle game, but I could see spending some time on it.
Overall Rating: 1.7
Ishido: The Way of Stones earns a C-. I’m not mad I spent an hour playing a few puzzles, I wouldn’t go out of my way to play it, but give it a shot if you’re bored.