Mah-Jongg

Mah-Jongg

PLATO - Title screen.

Developer Brodie Lockard Publisher Control Data Published 1983-??-?? Platforms PLATO Genres Cards, Match-finding, Passive puzzle, Puzzle, Single-screen Series Shanghai Distribution Freeware

Mah-Jongg is a mahjong solitaire video game developed by Brodie Lockard and published by Control Data for PLATO in 1983. It is the first known video game representation of mahjong solitaire and was later commercialized by Lockard for Activision as Shanghai. Lockard programmed the game in TUTOR. Because he was a quadriplegic, Lockard programmed the entire game and drew all the art by typing on the PLATO keyset with a stick held in his mouth.

Personal

Own?	No.
Won?	Yes.
Finished	2023-08-15.

While making a genre page for match-finding video games, I discovered that there was an even earlier video game version of mahjong solitaire developed by the same person who made Shanghai. Thankfully, I had access to Cyber1, a preserved PLATO server, where I was able to play the 1983 version of the game. I beat it on my second attempt.

Review

2	4	2	1	4

Best Version: PLATO

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

• It is an accurate interpretation mahjong solitaire.
• The game looks impressive for 1981.
• The touch screen and mouse support at the time must have been pretty mind-blowing.
• The game includes some nice features like saving your game, and an alternate tile set with symbols that are easier to identify. You can even peek or have the computer find a move for you, though this forfeits your game.
• There is a tournament mode where up to 20 people can play the same layout.

Bad

• The game features only a single layout.

Ugly

• Giving a thicker border to the stacked tiles is not a good way of representing them. The 3-D effect used in later versions of Shanghai is much preferred.
• The game is media challenged. There is no music or sound, and lack of colors makes it very difficult to differentiate the tiles.

Media

Screenshots

• 

  Title screen.

• 

  Starting a new game.

• 

  The alternate "PC charset."

• 

  Playing the game.

• 

  A derpy dragon is my victory prize.

Representation

Strong female character?	Fail	There are no characters.
Bechdel test?	Fail	There are no characters.
Strong person of color character?	Fail	There are no characters.
Queer character?	Fail	There are no characters.

Links