Columns appears to be a test game at Milpitas Golfland. It is 
in Sega's metal "Aero City" cabinet (like the one we got from 
them when we were looking at their Tetris).

It is somewhat like a Tetris/KLAX combination -- things falling
from the top of  the screen, you guide them into holes in the
bottom of the  screen. Nice music, 2 independent, simultaneous
players. All  shapes falling (one at a time -- you can see the
next piece)  are three blocks tall, with a jewel in each block.
The jewels  are different colors -- you try to get three of the
same color  in a row -- vertically, horizontally, or diagonally
(sound  familiar?).  When you get three (or more) in a row, they 
disappear. You can get some neat chain reactions (I didn't try 
for the "Big X").  It gets faster and faster until the shapes 
reach the top of the screen -- Game Over (like Tetris).

They also had Bloxeed, a version of Tetris with special shapes 
(16ton, bomb, etc.) and 2 player competitive (if you get more 
than one line at a time, it sends the lines to your opponent).

Sega did their normal first class job implementing both games. 
I did not play them long enough to form a longevity opinion.

John