Customer Reviews

Shanghai Double Pack (Jewel Case)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I love this game and was trying to get a copy for my new XP system. Just a warning for others who have XP - it will not run even using the Program Compatibility Wizard. I donated it to the library. I am so disappointed.

I have been playing this game for a couple of years now and paid $30 for it when it was relatively new on the market, so for $10 this is a great buy. I love this game and have been known to stay glued to the computer for an hour or more. It is very addictive! The basic game is simple and easy to learn. There are many variations of tile layouts and tile sets. I think the new version of this game has even more features, tile sets, etc. I plan on purchasing the new version, but if you're not sure you like computer mah-jong, try this one at this great price first. You won't be disappointed.

At first glance, the Shanghai suite looks like a simple time-waster, but for the adult who plays these challenging games on a regular basis the realization awaits that there is much more going on here than you think. Sure, the games can serve as simple distractions, but if taken seriously they exercise your brain. The games teach the player to think and plan ahead, strategize, prioritize, create contingencies, to anticipate alternative courses of action, and to recognize patterns and structures.

Another benefit is that the basic simplicity of the games lend themselves very well to play by children. My 5- and 3-year-olds find these games endlessly challenging and enjoyable, especially given the suite's capability to alter the tile sets' appearance as well as layouts. They enjoy the games immensely, never realizing how they are learning.

A simple but endlessly entertaining games pack. I recommend it highly.

I've played this marvelous game on my Mac ever since it first came out. It's a hassle as I have to put the CD in for one set of games, but I do it. That says quite a lot about how much I love it, as I wouldn't do it for any other game!! I'd love to get an updated version for Win XP and my Mac OS 10, but so far I have not been able to find it anywhere. This game keeps me challenged, and I have to use all my self-discipline to turn it off. It is a change of pace from all the other Mahjong games that offer 100's of beautiful tile sets and multitudes of layouts. This does that, but gives some variety in the types of games played. I've never come across another like it.

I've been playing SHGM since 1995 but, unfortunately, it lost functionality when I installed all the latest MS O/S patches. It worked fine before the Blaster worm but the subsequent patches have created some kind of glitch that neither Activision nor Microsoft cares to address.

This is the best of the Mahjong CDs available that I have seen. The sound is superb and the graphics are astonishingly unique. The variations are endless. Within the two games on this CD there are so many varieties and combinations available that it tweaks the mind - stimulates it - with its various categories of tile sets. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I think all of you guys are making it difficult for yourselves to play this great game on XP. Forget compatability. Forget changing settings. Put the game in your CD drive and go to My Computer. Right click on the drive it's in. Left click on Explore. Right click on SH256. Left click on Explore. Left click on SH SPLASH.EXE. This should bring up the install window. I even suspect this will work on Vista but has anybody tried it?

I finally spent some time trying to get this EXCELLENT game running on Windows XP. The auto-installer bombs out immediately, and the setup.exe files suggests that the game will only run in 8-bit mode (something that few people will tolerate since all other programs will look terrible). Most modern graphics cards don't go gladly into 8-bit mode anyway. BUt they will, and that's the trick.

ALL THAT IS REQUIRED IS THAT YOU GET THE GRAPHICS INTO 8-bit MODE FOR THE INSTALL.

Instructions for XP SP3:

Step 1: Use "My Computer" to find the Shanghai CD in your CD drive. Open the SH2DE folder and look for an application called SETUP.EXE. You may not be set up to see the ".EXE" part of the name, so just look for the "application" called SETUP.

Step 2: Now get your graphics card into 8-bit mode. Right click on empty desktop and choose Properties from the drop down). Choose the SETTINGS tab. If the Color Quality choices include 8-bit or "low" of "256", choose that. Otherwise, click the button marked ADVANCED. Click the ADAPTER tab. Click the "LIST ALL MODES" button. Write down the current selection (you will come back here in step 4 and choose this). Scroll up intil you see a similar resolution with 256 colors. Choose that. Hit "OK" until all the windows close. You will get an AWFUL color display. Accept it for the moment.

Step 3: Double click on the SETUP program from step 1. THis will install Shanghai.

Step 4: Repeat Step 2, but choose your original resolution and color selection, and hit OK until it's done. Shanghai runs just fine with 16-bit, 24-bit or 32-bit color. The stupid install program doesn't know that, but we're now past that, forever

Step 5: Enjoy a great game.

This is a wonderful game....for very old computers. If you have anything newer than Windows 98, it won't install. In years gone by, I've been successful in copying the disc to my desktop and then changing the application's property settings to Windows 98. But my newer computer doesn't allow this. Activision no longer offers support, no matter how much I beg and plead...since it was discontinued years ago, OS have changed so many times that nothing works any longer. Wish I could again play it...it was lots of fun and totally addictive. The best game I've ever played. Possibly there's a computer programming guru somewhere out there who could figure out a way, but none of my guru friends are able to.

I bought the game again through Amazon, thinking the seller had found a workaround...not so and the seller told me he was as much a "victim" as I was and gave me a lot of nonsense on how to find a solution myself, including taking it to a library for assistance. He obviously knew it couldn't be installed.

Don't be conned by sellers wanting to rid themselves of an expensive game.

I bought this game for my Mom years ago and it has been her favorite ever since. She plays it daily and loves the tournament mode option. Mom and I have played the 2 person tournament mode many times. This is the only game we have found over the years that has this option in this type of game. We love it and recommend it.