Kosumi
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 28 JAN 2006 by Chris Caran
"Most online games today are like high powered sports cars, decked out with the latest graphical bells and whistles, intense game play and in-your-face action. Kosumi is more like the custom classic car your neighbor has been quietly working on in his garage..."
Kung Fu Fighting
CARD GAME REVIEW posted on 17 NOV 2004 by Pete Gade
Is a good beating in the cards? The makers of Kung Fu Fighting hope so. The Wargamer’s Pete Gade does his very best not to come off like Steven Seagal in his review of this fast-paced card game.
Senjutsu
BOARD GAME REVIEW posted on 18 JUN 2004 by Jim Zabek
A game of "dynamic samurai combat," Senjutsu caught Jim Zabek’s eye. The Wargamer's Editor-in-Chief takes a look at how Salvador Games expresses swordplay in a boardgame.
Civilization III: Conquests
SCREENSHOTS FEATURE posted on 18 JUL 2003 by Chris Abele
New details were recently revealed regarding the next expansion pack to Civilization III. Read through a brief overview of Civilization III: Conquests and check out the latest screenshots.
Sakamoto Ryoma - The Indispensable 'Nobody'
HISTORICAL ARTICLE posted on 21 NOV 2002 by Romulus Hillsborough
This historical article is book primer, an introduction to Romulus Hillsborough's book, RYOMA Life of a Renaissance Samurai. The article is reprinted with permission from Romulus Hillsborough and it originally appeared in the Spring 2002 issue of Tokyo Journal.
Empire Earth
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 25 MAR 2002 by Tash Shaheen
While it may overwhelm casual RTS players, those who are willing to deal with the extra complexity will probably find a rewarding experience.
Takeda Review
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 18 DEC 2001 by Jeff Vitous
"If Shogun: Total War piqued your interest in Feudal Japan, then it’s time to move on to Takeda for a more serious look at the subject." Jeff Vitous takes a look at another RTS game set in Feudal Japan from MagiTech and Xicat.
Tenjo
BOARD GAME REVIEW posted on 23 OCT 2001 by Jason Robinson
Who among us has not read of the battles of ancient Japan and not wanted to be, even for a moment, a great warrior -- leading men on the road to becoming Shogun, Warlord of the Land of the Rising Sun? Tenjo thrusts a player into the ancient world where they must attempt, through superior strategy and deft diplomacy, to become the greatest warrior on the island. Maneuvering troops, exchanging hostages, paying the operating costs of war and coping with the effects of the fickle hand of fate are among the tasks that the player must perform in order to be successful.
Shogun: Total War Warlord Edition - Mongol Invasion
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 18 OCT 2001 by Edward Hayes
A quite brilliant game is taken to even greater heights by all the changes and new features. Those who already have Shogun: Total War will not want to miss the later stage campaigns or The Mongol Invasion, making the expansion package a very good buy. Those who don’t yet have the game don’t know what they are missing. It provides excellent tutorial guides to get into the game, offers even better value than its predecessor and in my book is one of the best wargames available.
Samurai Sketches: From the Bloody Final Years of the Shogun
BOOK REVIEW posted on 31 JUL 2001 by Michael Spano
Samurai Sketches: From the Bloody Final Years of the Shogun is filled with stories of grisly sword fights as well as numerous assassinations, executions, and suicides. By turns, these stories will fascinate, engage, and shock. The book is also filled with stories of honorable, deeply intelligent men who sought the best for their country.
Shogun: Total War
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 7 JUL 2001 by Edward Hayes
Shogun: Total War is a strategic campaign and tactical war game, in which the player takes the role of a daimyo competing with six other rivals to conquer all the provinces and so become the next shogun. The campaign consists of a seasonal turn-based strategic phase involving a mixture of diplomacy, intrigue and resource management elements, and an optional real-time tactical phase, where the player directly commands all his troops on the battlefield.
Warfare in Feudal Japan
HISTORICAL ARTICLE posted on 16 FEB 2001 by Mark G. McLaughlin
To Westerners, "Shogun" is a naughty word that conjures up images of a brutal warlord encased in layers of in shiny black-lacquered armor waving a bloody samurai sword over his head and shouting “Banzai!” As politically incorrect as this vision may seem, it is not that far from the truth.
Divine Wind: The Samurai (and their Gods) Against the Mongol Horde
HISTORICAL ARTICLE posted on 30 DEC 2000 by Jeff Vitous
In 1274, and again in 1281, armies under the banner of the Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan attempted an invasion of the Japanese mainland. Led by the shikken, or regents, of the Hojo clan, the Japanese struggled to combat an enemy whose style of warfare differed greatly from their own. Whether the Japanese could have successfully adapted to the Mongol tactics is a moot point: in both cases, the invasion was cut short by storms that were to be known as the kami-kaze, or “divine wind.”
Call to Power II
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 13 DEC 2000 by Mark G. McLaughlin
The right to call a game by the title Civilization sparked rivalries and lawsuits that eventually led to the collapse and acquisition of game companies, the firing, resignation and hiring of new designers and public duels (mostly but not always just in print) between many interested and afflicted parties. Activision was a major player in all of these donnybrooks. Regardless of all that, and no matter what the title printed on the box, Call to Power II IS Civilization - and except for the multi-player bugs and a time-consuming scenario editor - it is Civilization done right.
Shogun Total War: AAR
AFTER ACTION REVIEW posted on 16 NOV 2000 by Henri H. Arsenault
The following is an account of a Shogun historical battle, the one that takes place after Nobunaga is killed.
Montezuma Gets His Revenge or PC History on the PC
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 30 OCT 2000 by Mark G. McLaughlin
Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion is not a new game. It builds on and improves the Age of Empires II system, but not dramatically. The expansion pack is just that: it expands on what has come before. Veteran Age of Empires II gamers will appreciate the new units, technologies, civilizations, maps and other changes, all of which fine-tune and upgrade an already well-honed system.
Shogun: Total War
STRATEGY AND TACTICS ARTICLE posted on 19 JUL 2000 by Gary
Many types of strategies come into play in Shogun, from the operational theater-level strategy needed for playing the campaign game, down to tactical strategies for playing the individual battles, be they selected from the historic battles menu, from custom games created using the scenario editor, or against one or more other players in the multi-player battle mode.
Togas, Tents and Tokugawas: The Barbarian Subduing Generalissimos
HISTORICAL ARTICLE posted on 14 JUN 2000 by Mark McLaughlin
A Shogun is more than just a feudal Japanese Darth Vader or a slanty-eyed evil caricature from a World War Two propaganda poster. The concept of “Seii Tai Shogun” (which means Barbarian Subduing Generalissimo) is not unique to feudal Japan. It is very similar to the position of Dictator, as used and applied in ancient Rome.
Top Military Figures of the Past 1000 Years
HISTORICAL ARTICLE posted on 9 JAN 2000 by Jeff Vitous
We recently asked our staff, some game developers, and other well known people in the computer war game hobby to name their top military figures over the past 1000 years. We also invited them to explain their choices in as many or as few words as they see fit, and the results range from one-liners to complete essays.
Last 1000 Years of War in Review
HISTORICAL ARTICLE posted on 26 DEC 1999 by Jeff Vitous
Everyone seems bent on a millennium celebration this year. It has been 1000 years since Lief Ericsson discovered the Western Hemisphere, 2000 years since the Christian figurehead Jesus Christ celebrated his 6th birthday (yes, he was born in 7 BCE) and 3000 years since Egypt’s 21st dynasty suffered a civil war during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses XI. 4000 years ago, the Hittite Kingdom coalesced from Indo-European tribes, 5000 years ago, Phoenicians settled the Syrian cities of Tyre and Sidon. 6000 years ago saw the dawn of history, the Paleolithic era ending with the settlements of Babylon by the Sumerians and Knossus by ancestral Mycenaeans. Whether you celebrate one of these momentous occasions or a lesser event, it seems a good time to review the last 1000 years as we look forward to the next.
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