Shanghai: Second Dynasty

by ACTIVISION

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000296ZG
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: November 17, 1999
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,215 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Shanghai: Second Dynasty extends its tile-matching puzzle and traditional Mah-Jongg game empire with 10 new and classic games. Pair up tiles as fast as lightning in Classic Shanghai, battle and build in Dynasty, and try to predict the ever-changing winds in the all-new Windstorm. Plus, enjoy four versions of the genuine, four-player game of Mah-Jongg.

GameSpot Review

Activision's Shanghai: Second Dynasty doesn't really offer all that much in the way of new content over its three-year-old predecessor, Shanghai: Dynasty. It's got a few new tile sets, a number of new layouts, and some new game modes. However, it reuses the interface screens and much of the graphics of the game that came before it. As such, it probably won't seem like much of a value to those who already own Shanghai: Dynasty. But for those not yet familiar with the Shanghai PC game series, Second Dynasty's colorful graphics, soothing music, and encompassing array of both mah-jongg and shanghai variants are reason enough to recommend it to enthusiasts of either or both tile-based games. Despite its heavy reliance on the content of its predecessor, Second Dynasty still looks and sounds quite good. All tiles are presented clearly enough in mah-jongg and are enlarged to an even healthier size in shanghai. Each of the game's 54 tile sets is colorful and detailed, though only four of these are available for mah-jongg. The game's backgrounds aren't terribly complex; you usually play the game on a patterned shanghai table, a green felt table, or a blank blue background; and kids' shanghai includes five additional vibrantly colored backdrops. On the whole, Second Dynasty's visuals are simple but effective, as are its sound and music. Second Dynasty's sound effects are adequate if nothing else; clear visual cues complement equally clear audio cues when tiles of a certain suit are matched. Also, the canned voice-overs for both mah-jongg games and the helpful narrator in the kids' shanghai game are loudly and clearly spoken, and they are usually indicative of the events that just took place. In addition, Second Dynasty has ten different tunes you can choose to play in the background; each is relaxing and mellow, and each manages to be quite pleasing to the ear without being intrusive. Second Dynasty uses the same Windows desktop-style interface that Shanghai: Dynasty did. As such, it's an easy matter to get help; switch tile sets, backgrounds, or music; toggle other preferences; or jump to other games. Simply right-click on the background to pull up a Windows-style options box and choose whatever you like. The interface makes jumping from game to game and setting things to exactly the way you want them are extremely easy. Unfortunately, in high-resolution 1024x768 graphics mode, Second Dynasty retains the same small menu-screen text of its predecessor, which still clashes just as jarringly with the game's large, colorful tiles. Mah-jongg and shanghai enthusiasts who wear eyeglasses should consider themselves duly warned to keep their spectacles handy, or consider settling for playing at a lower resolution. --Andrew Seyoon Park
--Copyright ©1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SHANGHAI SCORES A BULLSEYE!, April 14, 2001

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Shanghai: Second Dynasty (CD-ROM)

This video game is a winner! Having played "Shanghai: Great Moments" for years, when I recently upgraded my PC, I thought that I would upgrade the game. I put "Shanghai: Second Dynasty" on my wish list, and, sure enough, my son bought it for me for my birthday. Am I glad that he did! The difference is like night and day. The graphics are more sophisticated and there are more games and variations. There definitely have been improvements. This is a great game! It is also suitable for children, as it can be put into a kid's mode, as well, providing hours of entertainment for the entire family.

"Shanghai: Second Dynasty" contains ten new and classic games, with fifty four tile sets, and one hundred and forty three layouts. Those of you who love Mah-Jonng or other tile matching games will love this one. You can play alone, against the computer, or online. You can even customize the tile sets. Let the buyer beware, however, as this game is highly addictive. Enjoy!

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Addictive., February 28, 2000

By 

Gloria (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shanghai: Second Dynasty (CD-ROM)

This is an extremely addictive game, with excellent graffics. There are many layouts and tiles to choose from, to keep you interested. It also includes several games of Mah-jongg. You can even play with others online. Sadly it lacks a tutorial, which is something that would have greatly helped, especially for Mah-jongg. All in all, it's a great game that I'm sure will keep me busy for a long time to come.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for the G4, September 10, 2001

By 

Deborah A. Woehr (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shanghai: Second Dynasty (CD-ROM)

Shanghai has been one of my favorite games. My biggest pet peeves about this version is the lack of a tutorial and software incompatability. Buyer beware, this game has compatability issues with OS 9 and any system higher than 266 MHz. I played it on my older iMac (266MHz), and it ran great. But when I tried to play it on my brand new G4, the game froze repeatedly.
Dynasty II not only offers new games and layouts, but new tile sets as well. My favorites were the monster and the space sets. I tried out the different levels such as the Pandemonium, in which you play with three computerized players. That overwhelmed me, but some of you may enjoy this level immensely. Overall, I would recommend this game despite its touchiness.