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Shanghai II

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Shanghai II, not to be confused with Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye on the Sega Mega Drive, is a Sega Game Gear game. They are both sequels to Shanghai. Shanghai II is a variant of the puzzle game also known as solitaire mahjong. 144 mahjong tiles are arranged in rows and stacked upon each other in...

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Developer
Sunsoft

Released on
1990

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Game Gear

Requirements
Sega Game Gear

Downloads
Puzzle

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Shanghai II, not to be confused with Shanghai II: Dragon’s Eye on the Sega Mega Drive, is a Sega Game Gear game. They are both sequels to Shanghai.

Shanghai II is a variant of the puzzle game also known as solitaire mahjong. 144 mahjong tiles are arranged in rows and stacked upon each other in various patterns; the player’s goal is to remove pairs of matching tiles that do not have adjacent tiles from both sides until the whole board is clear. This variant features six patterns named after animals: tiger, scorpion, monkey, snake, panther, and dragon. The player can choose to display hints or reverse any amount of moves. A mode with a time limit is available as well.

Shanghai II

Overview & History

Released by Activision in 1992, Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye for the Sega Game Gear successfully brings the ancient, contemplative art of Mahjong solitaire to a vibrant, portable color screen. While lacking a traditional narrative storyline, the game immerses players in a deeply cultural atmosphere inspired by classical Chinese iconography, where mastery over ancient tiles unlocks prestigious honor rankings and legendary dragon domains. This handheld iteration brilliantly condenses the complex layout configurations and hypnotic puzzle-solving of its 16-bit and PC predecessors into a compact format, making it a hidden gem for puzzle enthusiasts on the move.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard arcade or platform titles, Shanghai II focuses purely on strategic tile-matching mechanics. Players are presented with elaborate, multi-layered pyramids or structures composed of 144 traditional Mahjong tiles featuring characters, bamboos, circles, winds, dragons, and seasonal motifs. The objective is to systematically remove matching pairs of uncovered tiles. A tile is considered "free" and eligible for removal only if it has no tile resting on top of it and at least one of its vertical sides (left or right) completely unobstructed. The Game Gear version features multiple layout variations—including the iconic Dragon layout—alongside a competitive two-player mode, time-attack challenges, and the titular Dragon's Eye mode, which introduces unique rule sets that dynamically alter how tiles are stacked and matched.