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Shanghai: Great Moments

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Shanghai: Great Moments
Developer(s)Quicksilver Software
Publisher(s)Activision
Producer(s)Tom Sloper
SeriesShanghai
Platform(s)Windows, Macintosh, Sega Saturn, PlayStation
ReleaseWindows
March 1995[1]
Macintosh
November 1995[2]
Saturn
PlayStation
Genre(s)Mahjong solitaire
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Shanghai: Great Moments is a Mahjong solitaire video game developed by Quicksilver Software and published by Activision initially for Windows. It is part of the Shanghai series.

Gameplay

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Shanghai: Great Moments is an all-Windows remake of the puzzle game Shanghai.[5]

Development and release

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Shanghai: Great Moments was developed by Quicksilver Software as part of publisher Activision's Shanghai series of mahjong solitaire video games. It was produced and primarily designed by Tom Sloper, who inherited the responsibility of the series in 1991 during a tumultuous financial period for the latter company.[6] Development began in 1993 with Activision wishing to update its classic properties in the wake of new compact disc technology. This brought with it a significant increase in available memory for using digital assets like redbook audio, photographs, and full-motion video. Sloper said that his marketing department required the inclusion of hefty amounts of such multimedia while management simultaneously required the use of Hollywood vendors for audio, graphics, post-production, and talent. This led to a "crunch period" that extended through the holiday season, causing Sloper to once describe it his most difficult project.[7] Activision's Return to Zork would utilize live actors filmed against blue screens for video clips and the same technique was requested for Shanghai.[8][9] For Great Moments, actress Rosalind Chao appears as a live-action emcee in video clips throughout play.[10][11][12][13] Sloper hired one of the writers from the sitcom Friends to write Chao's lines.[14]

There was disagreement among the staff regarding the artistic design of the tiles to be used and whether online multiplayer should be featured. When internal committee meetings failed, staff consulted with fans using questionnaires posted on America Online. The tiles were decided upon and although all the fans responded positively to multiplayer, the company rejected the idea due to the general lack of internet access at the time.[8] When devising the modes, Sloper was able to playtest "Beijing" and "Great Wall" with real mahjong tiles but not "Action Shanghai". Once a playable version was delivered, he feared that this last mode was not fun until a tester told him it was his favorite. Sloper realized the modes had appeal to different kinds of players.[15]

First announced in December 1994, Shanghai: Great Moments was released on CD-ROM for Windows 3.1 in March 1995.[1] The game was among the first to be developed for Windows 95.[12] Activision's United States marketing campaign focused on an adult female demographic. Starting that April, television advertisements for the game aired on Lifetime and Nick at Nite offering either a free demo or a discounted copy of the full game.[13] A Macintosh version followed in November.[2] Activision entered into a distribution agreement with GameBank (a joint venture between Microsoft and SoftBank Group) to release the Windows 95 version in Japan.[12] The region received exclusive ports of the game to Sega Saturn and PlayStation via publisher Sunsoft on November 15, 1996 and January 17, 1997 respectively.[3][4] A Shanghai Double Pack containing Great Moments and Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye was released in 1997.[16] Each set contained a separate disk for both the Macintosh and PC versions.[17]

Reception

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Next Generation gave four stars out of five for the PC version of the game, and said that "this game is destined to be a classic".[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Shanghai: Great Moments". Silicon Times Report. No. 1050. December 9, 1994. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Activision Releases Shanghai: Great Moments For Macintosh". Silicon Times Report. No. 1147. November 24, 1995. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "ソフトウェア 1996年発売" [Software Released in 1996] (in Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Shanghai - Great Moments". PSX Data Center. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Next Generation staff (June 1995). "Finals". Next Generation. No. 6. Imagine Media. p. 108. ISSN 1078-9693.
  6. ^ Sloper, Tom (December 26, 2019). "The Mah-Jongg Q&A; Bulletin Board". Sloperama. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  7. ^ Moore, Michael E.; Novak, Jeannie (2010). Game Development Essentials: Game Industry Career Guide. Cengage Group. p. 252. ISBN 978-1-4283-7647-2.
  8. ^ a b Sloper, Tom (2002). "Following Up after the GameIs Released: It's Not over When It's Over". Game Design Perspectives. Charles River Media, Inc. pp. 327–9. ISBN 1-58450-090-5.
  9. ^ Quicksilver staff (May 3, 2024). "The Quicksilver Story: Chapter 4". Quicksilver Software. Archived from the original on January 19, 2025. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  10. ^ CD-ROM Today staff (January 1995). "Coming soon ..." CD-ROM Today. No. 9. Imagine Media. p. 24. ISSN 1069-4099.
  11. ^ Electronic Games staff (February 1995). "Star Power". Electronic Games. Vol. 3, no. 5. Decker Publications. p. 22. ISSN 0730-6687.
  12. ^ a b c "Activision Enters Into An Exclusive Agree With GameBank To Distribut Gamez For Windows 95". Silicon Times Report. No. 1144. STR Electronic Publishing, Inc. November 3, 1995. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  13. ^ a b Gillen, Marilyn A. (February 25, 1995). "CD-ROM Promo Tied to Vid, TV". Billboard. Penske Media Corporation. p. 128. ISSN 0006-2510.
  14. ^ Sloper, Tom (October 2003). "FAQ 32: Writing For Games". Sloperama. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  15. ^ Sloper, Tom (October 31, 2015). "Interview request, part 2". Sloperama. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  16. ^ "Activision Announces Shanghai Double Pack". Silicon Times Report. No. 1313. March 28, 1997. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  17. ^ Coleman, Terry (October 1997). "This Just In: Shanghai Double Pack". Computer Gaming World. No. 159. Ziff Davis. pp. 43, 46. ISSN 0744-6667.
  18. ^ Miller, Eden. "Shanghai Great Moments Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  19. ^ Perry, Kevin; Chapman, Ted; Kaiafas, Tasos (June 1996). "Reviews: Playing With the North Wind". Computer Game Review. Vol. 4, no. 11. Sendai Publishing. p. 38. ISSN 1062-113X.
  20. ^ Proctor, Bob (September 1995). "Review: Confucius Confused". Computer Gaming World. No. 134. Ziff Davis. pp. 210, 212. ISSN 0744-6667.
  21. ^ Soropos, George (June 1995). "bytesize: Shanghai: Great Moments". Hyper. No. 19. nextmedia. p. 69. ISSN 1320-7458.
  22. ^ Robertson, John (July 1995). "Reviews: Shanghai: Great Moments". PC Gamer. Vol. 2, no. 7. Imagine Media. p. 126. ISSN 1059-2180.
  23. ^ Solbtav, Davide (July 1995). "Shanghai: Great Moments". The Games Machine (in Italian). No. 77. Xenia Edizioni. p. 107. ISSN 1127-1221.
  24. ^ Greasy, Christine (June 1995). "Brain Drain Games: Shanghai: Great Moments". Electronic Entertainment. No. 18. IDG. p. 90. ISSN 1074-1356.
  25. ^ Aichinger, Herbert (September 1995). "Review: Shanghai: Great Moments". PC Games (in German). No. 36. Computec. p. 110. ISSN 0946-6304.
  26. ^ Lenhardt, Heinrich (September 1995). "Spiele-test: Shanghai Great Moments". PC Player (in German). Future Verlag. p. 118–9. ISSN 0943-6693.
  27. ^ Schwindt, Peter (September 1995). "test: Shanghai: Great Moments". Power Play (in German). Future Verlag. p. 130. ISSN 0937-9754.
  28. ^ Formankova, Irena (October 1995). "recenze: Shanghai: Great Moments". Score (in Czech). No. 22. Omega Publishing Group. p. 42. ISSN 1210-7522. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015.
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