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Magic Jewelry

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Magic Jewelry is a NES unlicensed tile-matching puzzle video game derivative to Columns, which was programmed in Taiwan by Hwang Shinwei and published by RCM Group in 1990, without a license from Nintendo. This title is common on pirate Famicom multicarts and systems; for example, it's built i...

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Developer
Hwang Shinwei

Released on
1990

Size
1 Player

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Puzzle

Publisher
RCM Group

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Magic Jewelry is a NES unlicensed tile-matching puzzle video game derivative to Columns, which was programmed in Taiwan by Hwang Shinwei and published by RCM Group in 1990, without a license from Nintendo.

This title is common on pirate Famicom multicarts and systems; for example, it’s built into the Dynavision and Power Player Super Joy III but existed also two hacked versions, called respectively Abacus and Coin Tetris (the first only on N-Joypad).

Magic Jewelry

Overview & History

Developed and published around 1990 by Hwang Shinwei during the height of the unlicensed NES software boom, Magic Jewelry is a hypnotic, strategic puzzle game heavily inspired by Nintendo's Dr. Mario and Alexey Pajitnov's Tetris. Though released without Nintendo's official seal of quality by Taiwanese and Hong Kong developers targeting Asian and pirate cart markets, the game carved out a distinct niche. It traded the medical pill-clearing motif of its contemporaries for a glittering aesthetic involving cascading dual-colored gems. Set against a vibrant backdrop of ancient civilizations and celestial icons, the game challenges players to achieve mental clarity by strategically matching jeweled pairs before the relentless rising tide of sparkling masonry breaches the top of the playfield.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Magic Jewelry relies on a falling-block grid system where pairs of multi-colored jewels drop from the top of the screen. Unlike traditional tile-matchers, matching is achieved by aligning three or more jewels of the same color horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. When a match occurs, those gems vanish, and any supported jewels cascade downward to potentially trigger satisfying chain reactions. The game features progressively faster drop speeds and a quirky, high-energy chiptune soundtrack that accelerates as danger mounts. Completing milestone levels transitions the player to visually distinct stages featuring mystical artifact motifs, testing spatial reasoning and split-second decision-making under intense pressure.

Keyboard Controls

Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move jewels left or right; press Down to accelerate drop speed.
Action Keys: Rotate the falling jewel pair clockwise and counter-clockwise.
Enter: Start / Pause