274. Xi Jumbo (Shift, Playstation, 1999)

Xi Jumbo is the sequel to game #271, Xi, released only a year later (and not released outside Japan, unlike the original). I very much enjoyed Xi's intriguing dice-based puzzle gameplay, and was expecting the sequel to be basically more of the same, though it adds a lot more than I though it would. 

Right away, instead of a static menu, Xi Jumbo puts you in a little hangout environment with characters you can interact with. There are even different rooms in the building that give you access to other menu features. While this is all cute window dressing, the rules of the actual game have changed as well. For a second game made so soon after the original, Xi Jumbo is actually a full fledged sequel and not just an expansion. New rules include: 

- Dice can be positioned on top of other dice.

- You can jump while on a die to vault it up onto other dice.

- You can pick up and throw dice. 

- There are different types of dice that possess various properties, i.e. wooden dice that cannot be slid, only rolled.

- Throwing a die on top of a higher up die will roll it to a random number.

Any one or two of these rules would mix up the original Xi to a satisfying degree, but with all the new rules, it end up feeling a bit cluttered. The ruleset of the original Xi made it approachable at a low level, while I could still see that here were obvious tricks I wasn't exploiting. Xi Jumbo, on the other hand, has so much going on that I am immediately intrigued but intimidated. This is definitely a Championship Lode Runner situation where the level designs are interesting, but the game is built for players who are very comfortable with the formula of the previous game.

4/5, too many new rules in a sequel that appeals to the hardcore fans of the original