Press release: 1993-11-29: ACTIVISION'S 'SHANGHAI II' CHOSEN FOR NINTENDO GATEWAY SYSTEM(TM); SEGA GENESIS VERSION DEBUTS WCES '94

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English third-party Original source: The Free Library

 LOS ANGELES, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Activision(R) announces the selection of its internationally popular video game, "Shangai II: Dragon's Eye," as one of the first third-party titles to be included in the Nintendo Gateway System(TM). Launched in August as a joint project of Nintendo of America Inc., Lodgenet Entertainment Corp., and Hughes- Avicom International, the Gateway System offers a broad range of interactive entertainment, shopping, and information services to airplane and cruise ship travelers and hotel guests. The pilot phase consists of specially designed 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment Systems (set into armrest panels) and individual LCD screens (set into seat backs) of select Northwest, Virgin, and China Air aircraft. More than 20 planes with be outfitted with the system by the end of the year.

Although the Gateway System is capable of a wide variety of applications, its main focus is entertainment -- in keeping with recent airline industry surveys which identify a higher demand from travelers for entertainment rather than business-related functions. According to Trish June Wright, vice president of marketing for Activision, "Considering the research, it's no surprise that Nintendo would choose `Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye' based on its popularity and sustaining entertainment. The game's concept is timeless, and the game play is highly addicting."

With 10 games in its pilot program, Nintendo sought a thought- provoking game with adult appeal to complement the line-up of more action-oriented Nintendo favorites including "Super Mario World," "Street Fighter II," "Legend of Zelda," and a number of sports and other titles. Consumer research confirmed that "Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye" had significant appeal to travelers, most likely due to its addicting tile-matching strategy and its similarities to the game of Mah-Jongg, a tile-game played by millions of Asians alone. According to Wright, "Overseas the game is so ubiquitous that Activision is often referred to as `the Shanghai company.' This worldwide recognition makes `Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye' a particularly good choice for Nintendo Gateway Systems' international flights and venues," Wright adds.

Sega Version Unveiled

"Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye" will be formally introduced for Sega's Genesis platform at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January (Booth No. 6687 Pavilion B). The game's objective remains the same: to match pairs of intricately detailed tiles which can only be removed from the board if the tiles' exit route is unhindered. Tiles are not necessarily exact duplicates of each other but are related in some way (as mustard is to ketchup). A winning strategy requires removing tiles in a sequence that increases pairing opportunities without blocking desirable future moves. This new Sega version differs somewhat from the PC, Mac, and SNES versions in that it features new tile sets using prehistoric themes and pairs themes (pairs of eyes or salt and pepper, for example), more rewarding animations, and more musical cues.

"Dragon's Eye" uses the same tile sets, but the goal here is to construct a dragon layout with paired tiles (filling in all spaces within the outline) while your opponent (a player or the computer) attempts to remove them through the same process. Both games offer Solitaire, Challenge (two-player), and Tournament modes.

"Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye" for Sega will be available March 1994. The title is already a popular seller on the MS-DOS, Mac, and SNES platforms.

Activision is a publicly held developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for IBM compatible, Macintosh, Tandy, and other companies, as well as Nintendo and Sega video game systems. With offices in New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, and Sydney, the company is headquartered at 11440 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049.

-0- 11/29/93
/CONTACT: Trish Wright of Activision, 310-207-4500/



CO: Activision; Nintendo of America Inc. ST: California IN: CPR ENT SU: PDT JVN

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