Are we talking solitaire mahjong or competitive mahjong? The one that's like poker where you play against other people has always been kind of interesting but I normally play it just long enough to kind of get it, then I don't play for like 5 or 10 years and forget everything.
Also I think the video and real versions are two very different experiences, similar to video poker vs. playing poker with your friends.
As for other puzzle games, I still say that Fear Effect 2 counts as a puzzle game (along the lines of Professor Layton) and it's great. I also played a decent amount of Hexic. Somewhat frustrating but fun.