Columns

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Columns

Developer(s)	Sega
Publisher(s)	Sega Arcade MSX2 Sega Master System Sega Mega Drive Sega Genesis Game Gear Nippon Telenet PC-Engine
Release date	Sega Genesis: June 29, 1990 (NA) Sega Master System: 1990 (NA) MSX2: 1990 (JP) Game Gear: 1991 (NA) PC-Engine: March 29, 1991 (JP) Virtual Console: December 2, 2006 (JP) December 4, 2006(NA) December 15, 2006 (EU)
Genre	Puzzle
Mode(s)	Single player Versus
Age rating(s)	N/A Arcade MSX2 Sega Master System PC-Engine Sega Mega Drive Sega Genesis Game Gear ESRB: K-A Sega Genesis Classics Edition ESRB: E Virtual Console PEGI: 3+ Virtual Console (EU)
Platform(s)	Arcade MSX2 Sega Master System PC-Engine Sega Mega Drive Sega Genesis Game Gear Virtual Console As part of: Sega Classics Arcade Collection
Media	HuCard PC-Engine
Input	Sega Master System Controller Turbo Pad Sega Genesis Controller Gamecube Controller Wii Remote Classic Controller
Credits \| Soundtrack \| Codes \| Walkthrough

Columns is a puzzle game that originated in the arcades and later ported to may consoles. The game borrowed heavily from Tetris, but was not a complete clone.

[edit] Gameplay

You controlled columns of multi-colored gems/jewels that slowly descended from the top of the screen. These columns could not be rotated, but the order of the jewels in the columns could be switched around. Like in Tetris, once it is placed , it’s permanent, and you can no longer move that column. When 3 colors are lined up, all three disappear. Unlike Tetris, however, gravity matters. Any gem that is destroyed leaves an open space, which is then covered when the other gems above the hole fall into it. This can lead to several different "combo" gems.

A number of future games, such as Lumines or Bejeweled, feature similar yet heavily altered game mechanics.

[edit] Gallery

MSX2 Boxart	Sega Master System Boxart	PC-Engine Boxart	Sega Mega Drive Boxart
Sega Genesis Boxart	Sega Genesis Sega Classics Edition Boxart	Game Gear Boxart