Kikuni Masahiko no Jantoushi Dora Ou

Overview

Jantoushi Doraou is a simple mahjong game for the Super Famicom. It features a wide variety of strange and ridiculous characters and is largely comical in nature. It follows typical Japanese mahjong rules, although there are a few exceptions (mentioned below). Many characters are also capable of performing special attacks when their "cosmo" meter is full; these attacks can have many different incarnations, from simply beating the opponent unconscious for a win (surprisingly ineffective) to instantly getting a ron. The game also features a password feature which allows players to save their progress.

Story

The player assumes the role of the titular Jantoushi Doraou, a master mahjong Saint who resides in Sanctuary and is committed to protecting the goddess Atenaide. Unfortunately, the villainous Mahjong warlock Jankou invades Sanctuary and seemingly kidnaps Atenaide! It's Doraou's duty to rescue her from the clutches of this fiend, and he sets off on a journey to gather the other Mahjong Saints and journey to Jankou's castle to rescue her. This journey winds through a number of towers with guardians based on the Chinese Zodiac; this is a direct parody of Saint Seiya, where the Gold Saints are based off of the Greco-Roman zodiac.

Characters

Designed by the manga artist Masahiko Kikuni, the frequently ridiculous characters are the real strength of the game, and it features quite a few. Many of them have special abilities or have certain play habits. Some characters will occasionally ask the player if they can draw an extra tile or if the player wants to take a coffee break. Player characters learn new special attacks as they progress in the game. As a note on special attacks: most of them deal damage in addition to having a specific effect.

Doraou: The player character. He seems to be somewhat out of it at times, but is truly a master of mahjong. He was originally a high-school student named Kentarou. He learns a large number of special attacks during the course of the game, with many different effects:

• Pegasus ryuukyokuken: Pummel the opponent mercilessly until they get irritated, ending the round no matter what is in anyone's hand.
• Rolling pai: replaces the player's and opponent's current hands with new hands at the beginning of the round.
• Aurora sword: changes all of the player's tiles to a randomly determined color/suit.
• Rozan shosuushii: virtually gives Doraou a suushiihou (四喜和) a set including 3 of each of the four winds, setting him up for an astronomical win!
• Tenhou rinin: Gives Doraou a tenhou (天和) meaning a "heaven hand". Victory!

Li Pai: A pretty girl who is a little sadistic, she is the person who trained Doraou and is still a protector of Atenaide. She runs off near the beginning of the game but is encountered several times later. Her kiss makes the player's tiles magically order themselves, but it wears off after a period of time! Unfortunately she never joins the player's party. Her name is a reference to "理牌", or "riipai", which is to arrange the tiles in a hand.

The Goddess Atenaide: A mahjong goddess, it is the duty of the mahjong saints to protect her. She is seemingly kidnapped near the beginning of the game, but not all is as it seems... her name is a pun on "exposure".

Pinzu Tanki: The first of the other saints the player recruits, he is a parody of Bruce Lee. He is obsessed with katsudon for reasons that are unclear.

• Pinzu dust: For one turn, Tanki can declare a tsumo using only pinzu (筒子), the suit that looks like a series of dots.
• Piranha pinzu: For one turn, the opponent can only declare tsumo using pinzu pieces.
• Demon pinzu: Changes all of the player's tiles to pinzu tiles.

Manzu Sally: The second mahjong saint recruited. She is a sort of "big sister" figure, and is one of the more sensible characters in the game.

• Red needle: For one turn, Sally can declare a tsumo using only manzu (萬子) the suit that is a series of kanji numbers.
• Sekisho kumeisaiha: For one turn, the opponent can only declare tsumo using manzu pieces.
• Red bomber: Changes all of the player's tiles to manzu tiles.

Souzu Shiryu: The last of the mahjong saints who were supposed to protect Atenaide that the player recruits. He acts cool and collected. He is apparently a homosexual.

• Green pulse: For one turn, Shiryu can declare a tsumo using only souzu ( 索子) the suit that is a composed of bamboo.
• Blood souzu: For one turn, the opponent can only declare tsumo using souzu pieces.
• Rozan ryuuiisou: Changes all of the player's tiles to souzu tiles.

Muu-san: A mysterious and silly looking old man who is in charge of the coliseum and Galaxian Wars. He provides the player with passwords and other useful information. He is simply named after Muu from Saint Seiya. He eventually joins the party!

• Galaxy riichi: For one turn, if the player declares riichi and draws a winning tile, they get a 10,000 point bonus.
• Galaxian triple bomber: Changes Muu's hand to a virtual daisangen (大三元) giving him several pieces of each of the "dragons"(the three elements) setting him up for a potentially huge win!

Roushi : The old master mahjong player. He is secretly a master mahjong saint. He currently lives in retirement in Chinatown. He too joins the player's party near the end of the game.

• Houou genmahou: Lets the player see the tiles in the opponent's hand.
• Kokushiken: Changes Roushi's hand to a virtual kokushimusou (国士無双) setting him up for a potentially huge win!

Inazuma Shun: The first opponent of the Galaxian Wars in the coliseum. He thinks he's cool, but doesn't have the proper patience for mahjong and mostly tries for easy hands.

• Sekisho kumeisaiha: For one turn, Shun's opponent can only declare tsumo using manzu pieces.

Pinfu Bravo: A transvestite entrant from the Galaxian Wars. He takes advantage of his large man-hands in efforts to cheat. "Pinfu", meaning "peace", is a particular winning hand.

• Blood souzu: For one turn, Bravo's opponent can only declare tsumo using souzu pieces.

Baba Puutaro: A rastafarian bum who lives in a garbage can. He is the strongest competitor in the Galaxian Wars. He hopes to be rehabilitated from unspecified personal issues via a big win.

• Piranha pinzu: For one turn, Puutaro's opponent can only declare tsumo using pinzu pieces.

Jun-chan: The first of Roushi's students in Chinatown. She is a martial artist in addition to a mahjong player. She only allows the player 5 seconds to decide their action, so be prepared!

Kandra Julian: Another of Roushi's students, she is an American. She apparently has a genius for mahjong. She always wins in a tie for some reason. Her name is a pun on the special kandora rule which causes additional dora indicators to be flipped whenever anyone declares a kan.

Shan: A cat girl, she is the de-facto guardian of the rat tower by virtue of the fact that she ate the original guardian. She likes all of the simple number-based tiles.

Cowpon: The idiotic guardian of the Bison tower. Despite his inability to speak sensibly and tendency to drool, he is capable of playing mahjong. Indeed, he is very skillful at getting tenpai (a hand that requires only one tile to win) so pay very close attention to what he's discarding and play it safe!

• Great ron: Cowpon gets a score bonus if he declares ron in the same round he performs this move.

Tigger: No, he doesn't like bouncing. But he DOES like mahjong! He is a big fan of the Hanshin Tigers, and is also fond of declaring "riichi" (reach) in an effort to get that last tile for victory. Needless to say, he's the guardian of the tiger tower.

• Galaxy riichi: For one turn, if Tigger declares riichi and draws a winning tile, he gets a 10,000 point bonus.
• Houou genmahou: Lets Tigger see the player's tiles!

Bunny Boy: The guardian of the rabbit tower. He likes a good cigar and a drink now and then. Jankou has tricked him in to working for him. He is a straightforward strong player, and apparently takes note of the player's playing tendencies.

• Galaxian triple bomber: Changes Bunny Boy's hand to a virtual daisangen (大三元) giving him several pieces of each of the "dragons"(the three elements) setting him up for a potentially huge win!

D.D. King: A dragon and top-notch blues guitarist who guards the dragon tower. He's a jovial and talkative player. He possesses a powerful attack skill, so be ready!

• Rozan ryuuiisou: Changes all of D.D. King's tiles to souzu tiles.

Snake Dancer: The guardian of the snake tower. Apparently she is a cheater and a master of sleight-of-hand. She never declares "riichi" in hopes of throwing her opponent off.

Batarou: The guardian of the horse tower. He is completely oblivious to the horse on his head. Apparently the horse is always horny because it's cut off from the world.

• Demon Pinzu: Changes all of Batarou's tiles to pinzu tiles.

Ram-chan: The guardian of the sheep tower. She is very self-conscious about her body hair and thinks everyone is always trying to see her naked. She often tries hanchan and penchan (put in the simplest manner, she will often wait for key numbered pieces to complete long numerical "straights") Her name is a parody of Lum from the classic anime and manga franchise Urusei Yatsura.

• Red Bomber: Changes all of Ram-chan's tiles to manzu tiles.

Sarutol: The guardian of the monkey tower. It seems like a regular monkey (that can play mahjong) but he has a time bomb, rendering him extremely dangerous. Defeat him ASAP.

• Chiihourinne: Gives Sarutol a chihou (地和).

Chicken George Washington: He hates lies and loves fried chicken. He also loves high speed mahjong, and he applies a three second time limit on all decisions! He calls pon and chii frequently, and often goes for the dora bonus. He is (obviously) the guardian of the chicken tower.

Meiken John: Jankou's spooky zombie dog. It died in a traffic accident, but he returned it to life (or unlife?) Now it's the guardian of the dog tower.

• Kokushiken: Changes John's hand to a virtual kokushimusou (国士無双) setting him up for a potentially huge win!

Uririn: The guardian of the boar tower, he is brutish, ugly, and stupid. He is an average player, but he can drain the player's cosmo power!

• Cosmo Drain: Uririn drains his opponent's cosmo, preventing them from using special moves!

Jankou: The dark wizard of mahjong, behind all the events in the game. He has mastery over the dark mahjong arts, and is not afraid to use everything at his disposal to win. In reality he's not a bad guy; Atenaide bullied him in to kidnapping her because she really dislikes all of the protagonists and wanted to move out, but she didn't want to hurt their feelings by telling them she thinks they're a bunch of losers.

• Galaxian triple bomber: Changes Jankou's hand to a virtual daisangen (大三元) giving him several pieces of each of the "dragons"(the three elements) setting him up for a potentially huge win!
• Kokushiken: Changes Jankou's hand to a virtual kokushimusou (国士無双) setting him up for a potentially huge win!
• Gives Jankou a chiihou (地和).
• Nine Senses: Gives Jankou a chuurenpoutou (九蓮宝燈).