Current released version: 2.0 -
1st September, 2002
Current release expires: never
Feedback
to: Larry Dyde (larry@astraware.com)
Game Info:
http://palm.astraware.com/mahjongg/
Recent
update headlines: Support for High Resolution devices and Expansion Cards.
Copyright (c)
1999,2000,2001,2002 Astraware Ltd. All rights reserved.
All rights
reserved.
Mahjongg is based on the traditional Chinese game, with an
implementation of the solitaire game.
The player is shown a carefully stacked pattern of tiles, and has to pick
pairs of tiles which match until none are left. Full instructions for playing
this version of Mahjongg are available on the Astraware web site.
Astraware Mahjongg Solitaire Features:
- Stunning use of graphics throughout.
- Three levels of difficulty - including patterns guaranteed to be solvable.
- Full 8-bit color and greyscale support.
- Support for High Resolution displays.
- Selectable layouts, with three included in the basic game.
- Selectable backgrounds, with plain colors or images.
- Selectable tile sets with different patterns to choose from.
- Support for reading data packs from expansion cards.
- Multi-level undo.
- Hint and shuffle features for trickier games.
- Option to highlight tiles that are available for removing.
- Detection of unsolvable positions.
- Intelligent demo-play mode - which displays the current time.
- Two tile sizes for improved visibility and gameplay.
- Option to zoom in on individual tiles, or on the whole board.
- Draggable screen to allow boards bigger than the screen.
- Optional sound effects.
- Animations to enhance the gameplay.
- Tips for beginners when the game is first loaded. (Can be cancelled for
experienced players)
- Shortcuts for most common operations.
- Expansion pack facility, so that the user can add more tile sets,
backgrounds and layouts.
- Individual high scores for each layout and level of difficulty.
- Option to display game timer or real time clock.
Use an extractor program such as WinZip on the PC or Stuffit
Expander on the Mac to get at the Mahjongg files. Install the game by
double-clicking either mahjongg.prc or if you have a device with a
High Resolution display mahjongg-highres.prc.
Use the HotSync button as usual to install the game onto your
handheld.
Now run Mahjongg and tap the screen to play the game!
If you've got any queries about Mahjongg or the registration process, first
check out our frequently
asked questions page on our website (you must be connected to the
internet to access this). If this doesn't help, get in touch with us at support@astraware.com. If you've got
any questions (or suggestions, we love those) about the game itself, please get
in touch with us at the email address at the top of this page.
Install and run the game on your Palm.
Tap the screen to start a game !
The game will work out and build up a set of tiles in your selected layout.
To toggle between large and small tiles,press the scroll up or scroll down
buttons on your Palm.
There are also several other selections available from the menu:
- Undo - This allows you to place back some of the tiles which you have
removed. Up to 10 steps can be undone.
- Hint Move - This will show you two tiles on the current screen which could
be taken to form a match.
- Moves Available - This will show you the number of moves that are
currently available.
- Shuffle Tiles - This will randomly re-organize the remaining tiles, this
also stops you from getting a high score which is shown by a 'S' appearing
after the timer.
- Toggle Tile Size - Switch between using the large and small tiles.
- Pause Game - Stop the counter while you are not playing the game or
restart when you want to resume, this can also be done by tapping the screen
while the 'Paused' message is shown.
- Abandon Game - Leave the Current Game.
- Demo Play - This will play the remainder of the game automatically.
- Select Layout - There are several layouts included in the game and others
are available in expansions packs, use this option to switch between them. If
you are in a game when you change the layout you will have to start again.
- Select Background - There is a background included and others are
available in expansions packs. You can also select a color (or shaded)
background using this option.
- Select Tile Set - There is a beginner set and a traditional set included
and others are available in expansions packs.
- Toggle Boss Mode - (Color Devices Only)Switch between the colour
and greyscale graphics.
- Delete Expansion Pack - If you have any expansion packs installed you can
use this option to remove them.
- High Scores - THis will take you to the High Scores screen from the title
screen or demo play.
- Reset High Scores - Wipe the high score table for all levels of difficulty
of the current layout.
- Show Playing Tip - Show one of the hints to help you play the game more
effectively.
- Beam Demo - Beam a copy of the game to your friends for them to try.
- Game Difficulty - The Easy and Medium levels are guaranteed to be
possible, but on Hard the layout is completely random!
- Game Settings - Change the basic game settings including:
- Tile Depth - More Depth gives you an extra border around the tiles to
help you to see what levels tiles are at.
- Volume - The level of the game tones, Silent, Quiet or Loud. (Setting to
quiet also reduces the number of sound effects that get played)
- Timer - Show the game timer, a Clock, or neither.
- Palette Settings (Greyscale only) - this allows you to adjust the actual
darkness of the light and dark grey colors. Combined with the contrast setting
for your Palm device, a good display visible in your light conditions should
be possible.
- Register - here you will find your HotSync ID, which you will need in
order to register the game. There is also a space for you to enter your
registration code once you receive it.
- 'About Mahjongg' - this will show you the version of Mahjongg that you
have installed on your Palm.
If you like a little variety now and then (don't we all?) then we've
constructed some expansion packs for you to download and install into your Palm.
The Mahjongg game will automatically open them and give you the option of using
any of the backgrounds, layouts, or tile sets which are useable on your
machine.
The available expansion packs are listed for you at the Astraware Mahjongg
Extras Page
We hope also to add the facility for you to create your own backgrounds from
a bitmap image.
The game itself should be intuitive and easy to play - and we wanted to keep
the menus as simple as possible too. However - some people requested other
little features that we wanted to include, even if we didn't want to force a
novice user to use them!
- Tap on the 'tiles remaining' box at the top of the screen to get a hint.
- Tap on the 'Layout' or 'Level' on the high score panel to go straight into
changing them.
- Graffiti Backspace will perform an undo.
- Tap on the Timer/Clock to pause.
- Use the Scroll Up / Scroll Down key to move between small and large tile
sizes.
- Tap and hold a small tile to show a zoomed version - release and it will
go back a second later.
If you downloaded the game straight from the internet, from Astraware's web
pages, or from one of the popular Palm download sites, then your copy is in
'Demo' form. Demo
means
that you can play 10 games for free, and then decide whether to register it or
not. After these games are up, the program will display a short message asking
you to register or purchase a full version from a shop!
If you beam a demo to someone else, and they also like the game, then
they can register it either by purchasing a copy from a local store, or by
purchasing online.
Registering Online:
For those that like the speed and convenience of buying of the internet, when
you register for the game, you'll get a key which will unlock the game and
remain valid for future 2.x upgrades. Go to the web page at http://palm.astraware.com/mahjongg/
for
more details.
You'll need to know your HotSync ID which you can find by running
Mahjongg, and going into the menu, and selecting the 'register' option. Your
HotSync ID (or username) will be filled in for you below.
When you
register, Astraware will generate a key based on your ID, which will normally be
sent out by email within 48 hours of you registering. When you receive your key,
go to the same register option, and enter the key into the space provided.
You can find out about Astraware and the product range we have for the
Palm-powered platform by visiting our website at www.astraware.com/.
Here are our top
products at time of writing:
| Astraware Palm Packs |
| GameHouse Games Pack
1 |
Get
shuffling with Nisqually, blast those blocks with Collapse and test your
word power with TextTwist! |
| GameHouse Games Pack
2 |
|
| It's A Blast! Shooting
Pack |
Let out
your tension with some target practice with Astraware's collection of
great screen-tapping games! |
| Palm Games Pack
2001 |
4 games for
under $25 - save over 25% |
| PopCap Games
Pack |
PopCap
Games are sweeping the web, and now Astraware brings the top games to the
Palm |
| Astraware Palm Games |
| Abysma |
It's a race
against time as you attempt to fill in the puzzle pieces before the
descending bar of doom! |
| Alchemy |
Turn lead
into gold in Astraware's addictive PopCap puzzle game! |
| Astro Defence |
Defend your
city from the asteroid threat! |
| Atomica |
Make
Molecules in Dr. Atomica's Laboratory in Astraware's addictive PopCap
puzzle game! |
| Bang! Bang! |
Backyard
blasting fun |
| Bejeweled |
Bejeweled
is a Palm version of the incredibly popular and addictive online game by
PopCap |
| Big Money! |
Coin
collecting fun in another Pop Cap classic! |
| Biplane Ace |
Dogfight
against rival fighter pilots |
| Bounce
Out |
Brain
bending ball matching action |
| Bzzz! for Palm |
Fly-catching action for the Palm |
| Collapse! |
Tap
matching blocks in this simple but frantic GameHouse game. |
| Elixir |
Collect
valuable elixir from a stack of capsules without upsetting the balance in
this ultra addictive game from Trixiam
Studios. |
| Eye of Horus |
Unleash
your magical powers with this Astraware puzzle game. |
| Galaxy Ranger |
Be a Galaxy
Ranger, Save the Universe! |
| Gem Drop |
Gem
dropping, jewel matching fun |
| Glinx |
|
| Mad Gab |
...It's not
what you SAY, it's what you HEAR! |
| Mahjongg |
Relax your
mind with the most authentic Mahjongg solitaire game for Palm-powered
handhelds |
| Mars Needs Cows |
The
challenging PopCap puzzle game of animal abduction! |
| Mummy Maze |
Escape the
maze and outsmart the mummy in this great PopCap game! |
| Nisqually |
Make lines
of blocks to clear the screen and complete the level |
| Noah's Ark |
Save pairs
of animals from the rising water in this great PopCap game! |
| Police Range |
Police
Range is a fast game of reactions, dexterity, accuracy and good
judgment! |
| Round Up |
Marble
Moving Madness |
| Seven Seas |
Ship Ahoy!
Blast pirates with a broadside and navigate through dangerous waters, in
this PopCap puzzle game |
| TacTic |
A twist on
the classic Tic-Tac-Toe game pits you against the brain |
| Text Twist |
Juggle
letters to make as many words as you can in a limited time! |
| Zap!2000 |
Arcade
gaming on the Palm has never looked so good! |
| Zap!2016 |
The
essential showcase for your 16-bit color Palm |
| Astraware Palm Applications |
| e.Guide |
Your
essential TV episode guide for Palm |
| Timetable |
Know whats
when with Timetable! |
| Timetable
Plus |
The
essential tool for teachers and students, with assignment
tracker |
| Timetable
Pro |
The
essential tool for teachers and
students |
| Release
Revision History! |
Release 2.0 : 1st September, 2002
- Support for High Resolution devices.
- Expansion Card support.
- Improved memory management.
- Faster graphics system
- Option to highlight tiles that are available for removing.
- Improved difficulty for the Hard level
- 'Please Wait' messages while the game is busy.
Release 1.2 : 1st May, 2001
- Faster Response
- Improved Shadows
- Shading on Layers of Tiles
Release 1.1 : 5th March, 2001
- Show a match for the selected tile.
- B to switch backgrounds.
- Undo deselects current tile.
- Bug fix to stop program locking while building the board.
- Boss Mode to let you play in greyscale on a color device.
- Clock format set by system preferences.
- Show the number of moves currently available.
- Updated Registration System
- Fixed bug causing preferences to be lost occasionally
Release 1.0 : 1st January, 2001
- First Public Release
- Beta Timeout removed
If you've got suggestions about how to improve Astraware Mahjongg - or with
reports of any problems you've had, then please contact us!
Mahjongg enquiries/feedback: mahjongg@astraware.com
Registration
problems: registrations@astraware.com
General Astraware enquiries: feedback@astraware.com
Game Design: Howard Tomlinson and Larry Dyde Programming: Larry Dyde
Graphics: Stephen Thorley and David Oakley
Astraware Ltd takes no responsibility for any adverse effect that this
software could cause to your machine or the data on it: backup important data
before using Mahjongg. Mahjongg is protected by copyright laws and international
copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties.
Mahjongg is licensed, not sold.
You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble this
software.
Astraware’s and its suppliers’ entire liability and your
exclusive remedy shall be, at Astraware’s option, either (a) return of the
price paid, if any, or (b) replacement of the product that does not meet
the warranty and which is returned to Astraware with a copy of your receipt.
This warranty is void if failure of the product has resulted from accident,
abuse, or misapplication. Any replacement software product will be warranted for
the remainder of the original warranty period or thirty (30) days, whichever is
longer. These remedies are not available without proof of purchase from an
authorized source.
Written permission must be obtained before distribution of this game,
either in demo form or full form, through any online or offline
methods.
Copyright (c) 1999,2000,2001,2002 Astraware Ltd. All rights reserved..
Astraware and the planet logo are trademarks of Astraware Limited. All
rights
reserved.