- SHANGHAI MAHJONG SOLITAIRE FOR FREE
- SHANGHAI MAHJONG SOLITAIRE SERIES
- SHANGHAI MAHJONG SOLITAIRE WINDOWS
It was subsequently included in the Best of Windows Entertainment Pack. Taipei, originally written by David Norris in 1986, was so named as it was a "cheap clone" of Shanghai.Ī version of this game was also included in the Microsoft Entertainment Pack for Windows 3.x in 1990 and went by the name Taipei. Although the name mahjong solitaire is generally accepted, other names include The Turtle as well as brand names Shanghai Solitaire, Taipei, Kyodai and Moraff's. The name "Shanghai" was trademarked by Activision.Īs the game is based on mahjong tiles, some confusion arose with the 4-player mahjong game. It has been ported to many different platforms. The game became very successful, and around 10 million copies were sold. The Macintosh version was created by Brodie Lockard (programming and graphics) and the Apple IIGS version was ported from the Macintosh by Ivan Manley with Brad Fregger as the producer. However, it was Activision's release of Shanghai in 1986 for the Amiga Computer, Macintosh and Apple IIgs that popularised the game. The first version remained available for free. Control Data Corporation released a new version as a paid online game in 1983.
SHANGHAI MAHJONG SOLITAIRE FOR FREE
The computer game was released for free and was played using a CDC-721 touch screen terminal. There is a children's game in China named 拆牌龜 ("Demolish the Tile Turtle") of unknown age. Lockard claims that it was based on a centuries-old Chinese game called "the Turtle". The computer game was originally created by Brodie Lockard in 1981 on the PLATO system and named Mah-Jongg after the game that uses the same tiles for play. Some implementations, (GNOME Mahjongg, PySol), offer to shuffle the tiles when there are no exposed pairs remaining, making it almost always possible for the player to "win" the game. Using traditional mahjong tiles, the sets include the dragons, the flowers, the seasons, and the winds (with the winds being worth the most bonus points). Points are gained for each pair removed, with bonus points for removing matched pairs in sequence or removing pairs in sequence that are parts of sets. Mahjong solitaire can be played either solo or with a partner, in which case the aim is to accumulate the most pairs, to be the last one to match a pair, or to score the most points. Additionally, most implementations of the game arrange the tiles in such a way that the game is solvable in at least one way. They may also offer hints/cheat options such as the ability to have a match found for the player or to backtrack and undo already made moves. These games also have an optional time limit. Adding "wildcard tiles" and other tiles that have special functions.