Almost perfect! - No, IT IS perfect!  
By: texinick - 29-Jul-2008
Version: 1.0.1
I'd like to retract my previous comment. I was wrong. This game was not making errors with regards to which tiles could be selected, it was my own inability to check things thoroughly. It's actually a feature that can be enabled/disabled. This seemed to be on as default, however, after checking settings and disabling the relevant option, the game works flawlessly.
The extra customisation options are great too!!
If you're a Mahjong fan.. I would HIGHLY recommend this App.

Best Mahjong!  
By: Normaang - 26-Aug-2008
Version: 1.1
Lovely app, definitely worth my five bucks (although at first I was not convinced, I soon changed my mind). Endless tile layouts, cool tile designs (to suit all tastes; my favourite are the Jade ones) and very cool backgrounds. I also love the sounds and the way you can pretty much customize the game to your personal liking, making the game all the more pleasant.
My only regret is that unlike Moonlight Mahjong, you can't move the tiles around to get a different perspective and see hidden tiles that match without needing any hints. However, that does make the game more challenging at the same time, which is a plus in the sense that it makes you want to improve each time you play.
Oh, and I love the rewards! Long story short, if you're gonna spend five dollars on a game, make it Shanghai Mahjong. :)

The Best Mahjong App  
By: lutherrose - Feb 4, 2009
Version: 1.1
I have tried most of the mahjong apps since I have enjoyed mahjong/shanghai for years. This one is great. It has multiple layouts, (and I mean multiple, not just 5 or 6), it has multiple tile choices and multiple backgrounds. The best thing about this app is you can have your own music or in my case audiobook playing when you play this app. Also, it does save your game when you have to leave real fast. It doesn't give you screens about saving or anything. There is one problem I do have though. When I have won the layout I'm playing, I like to change the layout. When I change the layout and tap go back to game, I'm thrown out of the app. This is so minor (still irritating though), that I didn't lower the rating because of this one flaw that I have found. Hopefully, in future updates this will be fixed. Thanks for having a great mahjong that is just like playing on my PC. Also, thanks for not adding a stupid quest. After a while, those quest games get boring. This is just a simple mahjong game and if thats what you want, this is the best one to get.

I love this game  
By: FlowerFan - Aug 3, 2008
Version: 1.0
I enjoyed Shanghai Mahjong on my mac years ago, and I really like this port to the iPhone. This late baby boomer does have to wear my reading glasses to see the tiles clearly, but I still find it very addictive and relaxing to play. The help files tell you that there are over 170 different layouts to choose from, and alternate tile designs and backgrounds can be downloaded from the internet. Endless fun!

Great  
By: SpikeHK - Aug 4, 2008
Version: 1.0.1
I am updating my review thanks to another reviewer who alerted me to "windstorm play," which turns out to be the source of the issue I was having. (Thanks!) This game is wonderful. I have played various types of computer mah jong solitaire games for years and I find this to be a fantastic implementation. Graphics are beautiful and detailed and the wonderful selection of alternate tile sets for no extra charge (Andy Warhol! Fillmore Posters!!!!!) is a huge plus! When I had an issue and contacted Mobile Age, I received a helpful response the same day. If you're going to buy a mah jong game, this is the one to get.

Simply The Best!  
By: Sparkal1 - Aug 10, 2008
Version: 1.0.1
When the App Store opened w/...all 5 Mahjong games, I purchased them all! I was so excited to have my favorite game on my Iphone! Shanghai by far is more superior than all the others. Just need to add some relaxing music. The 170 layouts are way cool. Diff. tile sets & backgrounds makes the challenge enjoyable. I paid 10$ for it and would have paid more because this version is worth the 40-50$ bucks I paid for all 5 versions.Also would love to have a mahjong app. where scores would accumulate from level to level and the boards alternate automatically! Now that's a great design for some game guru. I wished I knew how to create that type of mobile app for IPhone or any phone. That's ultimate mahjong, I wouldn't get anything done all day...I'm a mahjong junkie w/ a 10yr. habit!!!

Excellent Mahjong game!  
By: tedster1 - Aug 17, 2008
Version: 1.0.1
I'm really enjoying playing this game. I find the tiles are easy to read and easy to see their position on the board without having to resort to tilting the board and zooming in and all that other stuff that to me might look cool but I really have no desire to fuss with. When I play a game, I just want to play and not screw around with visual controls and this game allows me to do just that! I recommend it.

Really great game, also experiencing problems  
By: Anitza - Jul 17, 2008
Version: 1.0
This is a really great game. I love that I can select my own tiles and backgrounds rather easily. I didn't like that on the Star Trek tiles the higher ranks were singles but still matched (I was so confused, ex Picard & Janeway match as do Lt Kira and Spock). Perhaps that is normal but I never knew you could do that.
After changing the layout of the tiles, however, I am also experiencing the "congratulations you won in 4 seconds" error and has rendered my game unplayable. I am very upset by this. Would have given 5 stars, but this error is terrible. I gave three stars in good faith that my support email will be answered positively.
UPDATE - They emailed me within hours with a solution and have submitted an update to the store that should go live in a day or two. I am really impressed and have changed my review to reflect that.

The Best Mahjong App  
By: lutherrose - Feb 4, 2009
Version: 1.1
I have tried most of the mahjong apps since I have enjoyed mahjong/shanghai for years. This one is great. It has multiple layouts, (and I mean multiple, not just 5 or 6), it has multiple tile choices and multiple backgrounds. The best thing about this app is you can have your own music or in my case audiobook playing when you play this app. Also, it does save your game when you have to leave real fast. It doesn't give you screens about saving or anything. There is one problem I do have though. When I have won the layout I'm playing, I like to change the layout. When I change the layout and tap go back to game, I'm thrown out of the app. This is so minor (still irritating though), that I didn't lower the rating because of this one flaw that I have found. Hopefully, in future updates this will be fixed. Thanks for having a great mahjong that is just like playing on my PC. Also, thanks for not adding a stupid quest. After a while, those quest games get boring. This is just a simple mahjong game and if thats what you want, this is the best one to get.

almost perfect  
By: LGar - Feb 22, 2009
Version: 1.1
This is very nearly the mahjong app that I've been searching for. It doesn't make you go through hoops. No levels, no timers - just play the game the way you like it. It has a nice set of tiles and backgrounds to choose from. Some of the flashier tile sets (e.g., posters) are not particularly good for serious play, but they are fun to explore.
I'd really like to undo more than one move - or else have a reset back to the beginning button. I'd really like to have the reset option when you run out of moves. I prefer to try the board again rather than shuffle tiles.

Great fortune cookies!  
By: Skooff - Sep 27, 2008
Version: 1.1
This game plays very well. It has an undo feature which is missing in other Mah Johngg games. The choice of backgrounds is very nice -- I play with a picture of the Great Wall! And when you win, you get a hysterical fortune cookie ("The future is not what it once was." or "This cookie made in 1995." etc.) My only complaint is that often the game dealt is not playable -- tiles are under their match or some such thing. So toward the end it requires constant reshuffling. That is the only thing that holds me back from awarding it the full 5 stars!

Great game, minor hitch  
By: Jellybeanchic - Sep 8, 2008
Version: 1.1
This is such a great game. There are a ton of puzzle layouts and the backgrounds are gorgeous. The game has crashed a few times, but the game is always saved so this doesn't seem to be a big issue. The thing that irks me, though, is that the puzzles are not designed to be solved from the beginning. Every other version of mahjong I've played lays out the puzzles in such a way where you can solve from beginning to end withou shuffling, if you follow a specific pattern. I began one puzzle that had ONE match before I had to shuffle. It seems an adjustment to the algorithm used could fix this. Otherwise, I'm very happy with the game and have wasted many hours and much battery time playing. :)

One small problem...  
By: Bionikid - Aug 31, 2008
Version: 1.1
This is definitely a great game of mahjong. It's colorful, it's got bunches of layouts, and it's got the brilliant backgrounds and tile designs. This baby can keep me going for hours. But there is a problem that I couldn't help noticing. There are a few shutdowns, but those can be overlooked (because it saves your game anyways, and the shutdowns are only when somehtng is changed in the options). The problem was that it doesn't make sure each set up is SOLVABLE. I've had shuffles where I got rid of the only option there was (Yes, I'm SURE it was the only one) and it shuffled right after that. If you can take the fact that you have to shuffle a lot, this is a great game, and totally worth your money. But a good update would be to check for solvability...
I also love the fake fortunes when you beat the layout.

Great fortune cookies!  
By: Skooff - Sep 27, 2008
Version: 1.1
This game plays very well. It has an undo feature which is missing in other Mah Johngg games. The choice of backgrounds is very nice -- I play with a picture of the Great Wall! And when you win, you get a hysterical fortune cookie ("The future is not what it once was." or "This cookie made in 1995." etc.) My only complaint is that often the game dealt is not playable -- tiles are under their match or some such thing. So toward the end it requires constant reshuffling. That is the only thing that holds me back from awarding it the full 5 stars!

Good, but buggy  
By: mac4000 - Jul 11, 2008
Version: 1.0
This is a very nice version of mahjong with lots of tiles and backgrounds for a custom experience. Large selection of tile layouts to choose from that don't need to be unlocked. Includes an option for "windstorm play" which is a twist on traditional rules that randomly requires tiles be removed either left and right, up and down, or both ways. Unfortunately this game has a few bugs, particularly in the preferences area where menus are not always responsive. I also encountered a problem downloading a blank layout that got me in an infinite loop saying I won in 0 seconds with 0 points - the issue was resolved only be reinstalling.

One small problem...  
By: Bionikid - Aug 31, 2008
Version: 1.1
This is definitely a great game of mahjong. It's colorful, it's got bunches of layouts, and it's got the brilliant backgrounds and tile designs. This baby can keep me going for hours. But there is a problem that I couldn't help noticing. There are a few shutdowns, but those can be overlooked (because it saves your game anyways, and the shutdowns are only when somehtng is changed in the options). The problem was that it doesn't make sure each set up is SOLVABLE. I've had shuffles where I got rid of the only option there was (Yes, I'm SURE it was the only one) and it shuffled right after that. If you can take the fact that you have to shuffle a lot, this is a great game, and totally worth your money. But a good update would be to check for solvability...
I also love the fake fortunes when you beat the layout.

Great implementation of a classic game  
By: detayls - Jul 13, 2008
Version: 1.0
This is a very good first try at the classic Mahjong game. The layouts are very varied and the game play is very natural. In fact, there are so many layouts that it is almost work to scroll through them all.
Like the reviewer above I have had difficulties with the touch interface being buggy. Sometimes I have to press several times to select a menu and I often get the feeling that it selects something in the main game a little to the right of where I press. The worst is the "i" on the lower right that is hard to get pressed. I'm sure that these small issues will be fixed quickly.
The most missed feature of this game would be a set of larger tiles that could be seen by older eyes. In some layouts this would mean that the board would need to be scrolled. This could be done by allowing the entire game board to be slid left, right, up and down by finger dragging.

Great game, minor hitch  
By: Jellybeanchic - Sep 8, 2008
Version: 1.1
This is such a great game. There are a ton of puzzle layouts and the backgrounds are gorgeous. The game has crashed a few times, but the game is always saved so this doesn't seem to be a big issue. The thing that irks me, though, is that the puzzles are not designed to be solved from the beginning. Every other version of mahjong I've played lays out the puzzles in such a way where you can solve from beginning to end withou shuffling, if you follow a specific pattern. I began one puzzle that had ONE match before I had to shuffle. It seems an adjustment to the algorithm used could fix this. Otherwise, I'm very happy with the game and have wasted many hours and much battery time playing. :)

almost perfect  
By: LGar - Feb 22, 2009
Version: 1.1
This is very nearly the mahjong app that I've been searching for. It doesn't make you go through hoops. No levels, no timers - just play the game the way you like it. It has a nice set of tiles and backgrounds to choose from. Some of the flashier tile sets (e.g., posters) are not particularly good for serious play, but they are fun to explore.
I'd really like to undo more than one move - or else have a reset back to the beginning button. I'd really like to have the reset option when you run out of moves. I prefer to try the board again rather than shuffle tiles.

Excellent  
By: Nitro Noddy - 19-Jul-2008
Version: 1.0
My first purchase and I have to admit it's very good.The game feels solid and the option of changing tile set design and backgrounds ( loads to download ) keeps the game fresh for ages. Highly recommendBest wishes Glenn W