This is an original solitaire card game, created by Randy Rasa. The name "Mount Sunflower" comes about because the initial layout looks something like a mountain, but it's a rather short and dumpy little thing. This brought to mind the highest point in the relatively flat state of Kansas, which is called Mt. Sunflower. Whoever named it must have had a sense of humor, because it's not much of a mountain. In fact, it's hardly even a hill. It's simply the highest point in the grasslands on the very western edge of the state, right on the Colorado line.
Like the peak from which it's named, the game of Mount Sunflower is not a terribly difficult climb. Given sufficient patience and foresight, you'll conquer this mountain more often then not. This is one of those games where you feel, even after losing, that if you'd only played your cards right, the game could have been won.
Mount Sunflower includes full game statistics, selectable card backs and background color, sound effects, MIDI music, and extensive online help.
The current version is v1.21, released 01/13/1999.
To read a harrowing tale of a recent expedition to Mt. Sunflower, please visit Into Thick Air. "To climb Mount Sunflower is to enter the forbidden realm of the heavens – Only those willing to accept the consequences should venture there."
Download
The following file contains the Mount Sunflower installation program. Simply click on the link to download it to your computer, then run it to begin installation of the game.
License
Mount Sunflower Solitaire was originally released as shareware, meaning that you could try it for free, and purchase it if you enjoyed the game. Now, I wish to make the game completely free, with no payment required.
However, I no longer have the development tools necessary to rebuild the application and remove the registration reminder notification. So, when you run the game for the first time, it will tell you that it's shareware, and will ask for a registration code.
Therefore, I am providing the registration code for free. Just enter "" when the program asks.
This free game is provided as-is, with no additional support available. Enjoy!
Rules
For complete rules to the game, as well as suggested strategy, and odds for winning, visit the Mount Sunflower Rules page.
Requirements
Mount Sunflower requires Windows 3.1 or later and VBRUN300.DLL. VGA (640x480) graphics is required; SVGA (800x600) is recommended. A sound card is optional but recommended.
Note: This game was designed for Windows 3.1. This program may or may not run under the version of Windows on your computer.
Mount Sunflower FAQ
- What is the "Hand Number" displayed on the title bar?
- Mount Sunflower allows you to choose from a large number of different hands, where each hand is shuffled slightly differently. You can play a particular hand by selecting "Select Hand ..." from the "Game" menu. You might want to do this if you find a particular hand especially challenging, and want to have a friend try to beat it. Just give your friend the hand number, and they can give it a go.
- How can I add my own sounds in place of the default sounds?
- First off, you'll need sounds in WAV format (the standard Windows sound effects format), which you can acquire from many sources, including CD-ROMs, the Internet (The Daily WAV is a good place to start), or you can record them yourself with a microphone. Once you have the WAV files you want to use, copy them into the directory with the rest of the Mount Sunflower files (by default, this is C:\MTSUN). Then, select "Sound ..." from the "Options" menu, and click on the drop-down list boxes on the right side of the dialog, and select the filename corresponding to the sound you want to play.
- How can I change the background music?
- The background music is in MIDI format (file extension = ".MID"). You can find MIDI files on the web (Standard MIDI Files on the Net) or on the newsgroup alt.binaries.sounds.midi. Copy the file(s) into the Mount Sunflower directory, select "Sound ..." from the "Options" menu, and click on the drop-down list box next to "Background Music" and pick a new file.
- What language was Mount Sunflower written in?
- It was originally written for Microsoft Visual Basic Professional, version 2.0; it currently uses VB3. David Baldwin's RTFGEN was used to create the help file. A customized version of Stephen Murphy's QCARD.DLL is used for the card graphics.
