Shanghai (video game)

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Shanghai

Shanghai - A2GS - USA.jpg

Apple IIgs - USA - 1st edition.

Developer Activision, Sun Electronics Corp., Manley & Associates, Programming Services, SystemSoft, Sega, AlfaSystem
Publisher Activision, Sun Electronics Corp., ASCII Corporation, Sega, Hudson Soft
Published 1986-07-??
Platforms Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Apple IIgs, Arcade, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, FM Towns, Game Boy, Macintosh Classic, MSX2, NES, NEC PC-8800, NEC PC-9800, Master System, Sharp X1, Sharp X68000, TRS-80 Color Computer 3, TurboGrafx-16
Genres Cards, Match-finding, Passive puzzle, Puzzle, Single-screen
Series Shanghai
Multiplayer Alternating versus
Distribution Commercial

Shanghai is a mahjong solitaire puzzle video game developed by Brodie Lockard and published by Activision initially for the Macintosh Classic in July 1986, and then ported to 20 other platforms. This was the first commercial game in the Shanghai series, and the first video game to popularize mahjong solitaire in the West as it sold extremely well and resulted in a large number of sequels. The Lynx port is different enough to be treated as a different game.

The original Macintosh Classic version of Shanghai was made almost entirely by Brodie Lockard. He took his earlier game, Mah-Jongg for the PLATO, and ported it to the Macintosh in C. He updated his original art, but kept the derpy dragon. Activision bought the finished product and only modified some of the screens to put their brand on it. They also used a highly weighted contract cheating Lockard out of his copyright for the game. Because of this, all the other ports and sequels were made by various developers. The first couple ports used Lockard's thicker borders idea to simulate depth, but, after the Amiga port added a raised 3-D visual effect, Lockard updated the Macintosh version to include the effect, and subsequent ports also made use of the effect.

Personal

Own?No.
Won?Yes. All ports.
FinishedMaster System: 2022-02-10 / Apple IIgs: 2022-02-11 / PC Engine: 2022-09-20 / Amstrad CPC: 2023-08-18 / Famicom: 2023-09-03 / Game Boy: 2023-12-28 / FDS (prototype): 2024-02-03 / MS-DOS: 2024-02-15 / TRS-80 CoCo 3: 2024-02-15 / Sharp X1: 2024-02-15 / MSX2: 2024-02-16 / Amiga: 2024-02-27 / NEC PC-8800: 2024-03-01 / NEC PC-9800: 2024-03-01 / Apple II: 2024-03-04 / Atari 8-bit: 2024-03-07 / Atari ST: 2024-03-09 / Commodore 64: 2024-03-11 / Macintosh Classic: 2024-03-16 / FM Towns: 2024-03-17 / Sharp X68000: 2024-03-18 / Arcade: 2024-03-19.

While perusing the Master System library, I saw this game. I knew it was a mahjong solitaire game and was curious to see what it had going for it and was a bit disappointed to discover it was just the basic game and nothing more. After I beat that port, I began trying other ports, and eventually beat all of them.

Review

Video Game Review Icon - Enjoyment.png Video Game Review Icon - Control.png Video Game Review Icon - Appearance.png Video Game Review Icon - Sound.png Video Game Review Icon - Replayability.png
4 4 4 4 6

Best Version: FM Towns

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • The game competently enforces the rules of mahjong solitaire.
  • For the 16-bit ports, the graphics are attractive. For the some of the 8-bit ports, they're passable.
  • Several of the ports have fitting Chinese-inspired music like those for the Master System, NES, PC Engine, and FM Towns.
  • The better ports have enjoyable ending animations.
  • Several later ports include a multi-player mode where each player has only a limited time to find a match.
  • The arcade port adds a time limit and limited hints. It has an ending, but winning just repeats the game, and you keep increasing your score until you eventually lose.

Bad

  • The game deals the tiles out randomly. While this is true to the original game, it results in a large percentage of games being impossible to win. Later adaptions take advantage of the using a computer to deal the tiles in matched pairs ensuring that every game is beatable (provided you make all the right moves).
  • Some of the ports don't simulate the 3D raised effect of the tiles which makes them much harder to play (Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Macintosh, MS-DOS, NES, PCjr ports), while others do it very poorly (Apple II, Commodore 64). The Game Boy port simulates 3D, but the lack of color makes it harder to discern the pieces (it has an option for letters instead). Also, some ports have such a low resolution, the tiles are difficult to read.
  • Only the NES and Game Boy ports have good music. Most don't feature background music while playing, a lot don't have audio at all.

Ugly

  • For many ports, the game is just the most basic possible version of mahjong solitaire. It has only the standard turtle layout with no other options. To make an American analogy, it would be like buying a solitaire game and having it only feature standard Klondike solitaire with no other different game styles or variations. The later ports add features like competitive play, but still don't add any more layouts.
  • The MS-DOS and Apple II ports have really bad controls. They don't support a mouse, and, without a joystick, keyboard movement is painfully slow.

Media

Box Art

Documents

Screenshots

Graphics

Videos

Review - SMS Works.
Longplay - Master System.
Longplay - NES.
Longplay - PC Engine.
Longplay - Sharp X68000.
Game play - Amiga.
Game play - Apple II.
Game play - Apple IIgs.
Game play - Atari 8-bit.
Game play - Atari ST.
Game play - Commodore 64.
Game play - FM Towns.
Game play - Macintosh.
Game play - MS-DOS.
Game play - MSX2.
Game play - PC98.
Game play - TRS CoCo.
Game play - Sharp X1.

Play Online

Apple IIgs, Amstrad CPC, Famicom, Game Boy (Japan), Game Boy (USA), Master System, MS-DOS, MSX2, PC Engine TRS-80 Color Computer

Representation

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

Titles

Language Native Transliteration Translation
English Shanghai
Japanese 上海 Shanghai Shanghai
  • MAME code: shanghai

Links

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