+--------------------------------------------------------------------+ | S H A N G H A I | +--------------------------------------------------------------------+ shanghai.txt 14.7k Shanghai --- FAQ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ System: Sega Master System Game Type: Puzzle Created: Designed by Brodie Lockhard 1986, 1988, Activision, Inc. Reprogrammed by SEGA 1988 -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ FAQ Created by: Ny0Cloud (Elliot Long) FAQ Hosted by: http://www.gamefaqs.com E-mail: e-long1@rogers.com -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ L E G A L Copyright (C) 2002 If you are to use this FAQ for any purpose, you must get my expressed written consent by E-mailing me (e-long1@rogers.com). Unauthorized reproduction, in partial or whole, is illegal. If this FAQ is seen on *ANY* other site besides Gamefaqs, it has been stolen and used without my permission. Please e-mail me the site so I can take the appropriate action. Don't Test Me. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ U P D A T E H I S T O R Y ---------- version mm/dd/yyyy synopsis ---------- vFinal 08/24/2002: Final Version. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ T a b l e O f C o n t e n t s 1. What is this? 2. Controls 3. Game Modes and Help Options 4. Tiles 5. Frequently Asked (not really) Questions 6. Other Things and Tips 7. End -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ ______________________________________________ //¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\\ (( I. What is This? .I )) \\____________________________________________// ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Shanghai is played with 144 tiles from the Chinese game Mah Jongg. At the start of the game the tiles are shuffled and laid out in the Dragon Formation. The object of the game is to remove all the tiles. They must be removed two at a time, in matching pairs, from among the Free Tiles. A tile is free if there's nothing on top of it, and it can slide left or right. Two tiles match if they are identical. Any two flowers match. Any two seasons match. The game is won when all 144 tiles are removed, or lost when no legal moves remain. A complete explanation, as well as examples, can be seen if you start the game AFTER the title screen shows two persons playing Mah Jongg. Otherwise, you'll be immediately thrown into the game. ______________________________________________ //¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\\ (( II. Controls .II )) \\____________________________________________// ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ D-Pad...... Moves the cursor Button 1... De-select tile/close menu Button 2... Select tile/Confirm tile removal/Select menu Start...... Not Used ______________________________________________ //¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\\ (( III. Game Modes/Help .III )) \\____________________________________________// ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Help Menu: Identify Tile (1) Back up a Move (2) Show All Moves (3) Peek (4) Change Music (5) (1): This will let you identify a tile (gasp!). It tells you the proper name of the tile, and any special attributes (such as Flower or Season). (2): Obviously, this will undo your last move. Got a move that wasn't so hot? Just use this. (3): This is the cheapest tool EVER. Just press Button 1 and it will reveal ALL the moves you can make, one at a time. Press Button 1 after a pair is revealed and the game will show the next move (if applicable). Press Button 2 to exit. (4): This is like the ultimate cheat. Or it would be, if it didn't completely ruin your game. It actually ENDS your game, and lets you remove any tiles that haven't been cleared. You remove them one at a time. So, did you just get a game over, but you wanted to see if you should of made a different move? Well, you can Peek, but by using Peek, you can't resume your game at all. You'll need to start a brand new game. (5): Seriously, what do you think Change Music does? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Solitaire: When you start the game, you'll begin in the default Solitaire mode. Solitaire is your basic, no frills, and no gimmicks play mode. You get as long as you want, as well as access to all the Help options. The one drawback of Solitaire mode is that it does not tell you when there are no more moves left. Instead, you need to use Show All Moves to see if there are any left. If there isn't, it'll say so and you'll need to either Peek and win, or start a new game. Tournament: When you start a Tournament, you'll be prompted to choose your desired time limit. Obviously, you'll have that amount of time to completely clear the Dragon. You can choose Five Minutes (!!!), Ten Minutes, Twenty Minutes, or No Time Limit. So if you choose No Limit, what's the difference between this and Solitaire mode? Like me, if you were mad at the fact that you need to check Show All Moves to see if there are any moves left in Solitaire mode, you can rest assured that in Tournament mode, the game will conveniently tell you when you've lost. However, Tournament mode disables Back up a Move, Show All Moves, and Peek from the Help menu. Tournament mode also records your five best results. Challenge: Want to challenge a friend? Or what about just playing by yourself with a time limit for each move? Well, here's Challenge Mode! Every move you make will be timed, based on how much time you chose when you started Challenge Mode. Five seconds, Ten seconds, Twenty seconds, Thirty seconds, or One Minute are the time limits allowed for each move. Your goal is to out-score your opponent by matching more pairs than him or her. So, if you want to win, you'll need to plan which two tiles you're going to match ahead of time. Be quick because once you run out of time, your opponent gets to make his or her move, and you suddenly find yourself down a point. Each matched pair is worth one point. The game ends, of course, when there are no legal moves left. Then the player with the most points wins! As with Tournament mode, all the Help menus except Identify and Change Music are disabled. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you beat the game (even if you use Peek to do it), you'll see that nifty dragon from the title screen. He'll disintegrate and the screen fades to a Chinese / Japanese word that I don't understand. I'd take a guess it says something to the effect of "Congratulations" or "Good Job". Whatever :\ ______________________________________________ //¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\\ (( IV. Tiles .IV )) \\____________________________________________// ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Dots: The Dot tiles are named "#th/st Dot", where # represents how many dots are shown on the tile. There are nine Dot tiles (1st through 9th). There are two pairs of each Dot tile. Total Dot Tiles: 36 Bamboo: Or Bam for short. They each have the same criteria as Dot tiles. Except for the 8th Bam. The 8th Bam looks like two 'M's, one upside down, and one right side up. The 1st Bam looks like a giant chicken. You'll know it when you see it, trust me. Total Bamboo Tiles: 36 Crak: Just like the Dots. These tiles have a red symbol on the bottom of the tile, along with another symbol above it. Each symbol represents a number (I believe). Each Crak has two pairs, as usual. Total Crak Tiles: 36 Dragons: There are three Dragon tiles, the Green, White, and Red Dragon. Each Dragon has two pairs, as usual. The White Dragon tile looks like two white bamboo sticks arranged into a rectangle. The Green Dragon tile is a green Chinese/Japanese symbol. The Red dragon is a red Chinese/Japanese symbol. It looks somewhat like a T, with some fancy lines thrown in. Total Dragon Tiles: 12 Winds: North, South, East, and West, each with two matching pairs. The winds tiles contain one Japanese/Chinese symbol, and is coloured black. Total Wind Tiles: 16 Flowers: Like the Season tiles, the Flower tiles will have a three-letter abbreviation along with a graphic on the tile head. They are: MUM (Chrysanthe-Mum), PLM (Plum), ORC (Orchid), and BAM (Bamboo). Each Flower tile can be matched with another flower tile of any type. Total Flower Tiles: 4 Seasons: There is one tile of each season: Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring. The Season Tiles are easily identified because each Season tile will have either WIN, SUM, AUT, or SPR written on them somewhere along with a graphic. Each Season tile can be matched with another Season tile of any type. Total Season Tiles: 4 Add all that up for a total of 144 tiles. ______________________________________________ //¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\\ (( V. FAQ .V )) \\____________________________________________// ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Q: HELP! I can't clear all the tiles! A: This game is about 80% luck based. The 20% skill involves discarding the right tiles from the right places. If you have to choose between two tiles, try and choose the tile that will make tiles below/around it playable. Try and make each move result in revealing more tiles. Q: Any tips on which tiles I should go for? A: I would try and clear the top of the Dragon Formation first, followed by the two rows at the top and bottom, and finally the sides of the formation. Q: I'm in Tournament/Challenge mode and I seriously can't find any more pairs! What do I do? A: Look harder! Try a systematic approach: look for matching Dots/Bams/ Craks first. Then look for Seasons or Flowers. Seasons and Flowers are often overlooked. Then look for Winds and Dragons. Focus on one tile design and scan through the rest of the tiles to see if you can spot the other tile to complete the pair. Just keep looking. Q: Why did you bother making a FAQ for this game? A: Why not? It needed one, and this wasn't that huge of a project. Q: Your FAQ sucks! A: That's not really a question, Jimmy. Can you re-phrase it? Q: Why does your FAQ suck? A: Why don't you write a better one? Got a question? E-mail me and I'll add it. ______________________________________________ //¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\\ (( VI. Other/Tips .VI )) \\____________________________________________// ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Due to the slow moving rate of the cursor in this game, when you play Challenge mode, a five second timer is next to impossible to make a match with. Even the ten-second timer is quite difficult, though not impossible if you already have a pair of tiles in your head. Keep trying. Just because you can't clear all 144 tiles the first time, doesn't mean you won't next time. See if you can fill up the High Score table in Tournament mode with 10-tiles-or-less scores. What about 5 or less? 3 or less? Perfects? Set challenges for yourself! Trying to accomplish a self-made challenge is what keeps this game somewhat fresh. Work the top of the Formation first. You're first goal should be to clear the very top tile, then the four below it. Work the sides and the top and bottom rows too. Remember to think ahead. Look at what tiles you need to clear to get access to a tile you need badly. Try and get to that tile. Do everything you can in order to get to that tile. ______________________________________________ //¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\\ (( VII. End .VII )) \\____________________________________________// ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Let's see here... I'd like to thank Jeff "CJayC" Veasey for--as always-- hosting this, among my other FAQs. My Mother for always supporting my FAQ hobby. You, if you've actually found and read this FAQ for such an obscure game, for an even more obscure system. The usual SEGA people for releasing this game, and providing a nice time killer. Er, I suppose that's it. This game is Copyright (C) 1986, 1988 Activision, INC. Game was originally designed by Brodie Lockhard, and reprogrammed for the Sega Master System in 1988 by SEGA. All words and related phrases about the game are Copyright whomever owns them. You can e-mail comments and/or flames and/or words of encouragement to e-long1@rogers.com Remember: Stealing and Plagiarism are both crimes. Crime doesn't pay. Why risk your money and freedoms over a silly guide? Don't post this on your site. Don't even think about it, because I *WILL* find out. ______________________________________________________________________________ Copyright 2002 Elliot 'Ny0Cloud' Long