Lords of the Rising Sun

Last updated
Lords of the Rising Sun
Lords of the Rising Sun cover.png
Developer(s) Cinemaware
Publisher(s) Cinemaware
Director(s) Doug Barnett
Composer(s) Bob Lindstrom
Platform(s) Amiga, PC Engine CD, CD-i, X68000
Release1989
Mode(s) Single-player

Lords of the Rising Sun is a 1989 video game by Cinemaware, game design and art by Doug Barnett, released for the Amiga among other systems. Like the earlier Defender of the Crown , it was a mix of map-based strategy and arcade-style mini games as the player, playing as one of the famous Japanese generals Yoshitsune or Yoritomo, fights to pacify Japan by force. In the short documentary "The Total War Story", Mike Simpson, studio director for the company Creative Assembly said that the company's Total War series of games had been influenced by Lords of the Rising Sun.

Contents

Reception

Computer Gaming World gave the game a positive review, admiring the cinematic qualities of the game as well as the mix of action and strategy elements. [1] In 1990 and 1993 surveys of strategy and war games, however, the magazine gave the game three stars out of five, stating that it was "only marginally" about history. [2] [3]

Ernesto Williams reviewed Lords of the Rising Sun for Games International magazine, and gave it 4 stars out of 5, and stated that "Lords of the Rising Sun has set a standard that others will find hard to folly. And follow they will." [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Defender of the Crown</i> 1986 video game

Defender of the Crown is a strategy video game designed by Kellyn Beck. It was Cinemaware's first game, and was originally released for the Commodore Amiga in 1986, setting a new standard for graphic quality in home computer games.

<i>Air Warrior</i> 1987 video game

Air Warrior was a multiplayer online combat flight simulation game launched by Kesmai in 1987. It was hosted on GEnie and used that service as a server for client software running on a variety of personal computers. It underwent continual improvement through its decade-long lifetime with Kesmai, appearing on new platforms and host services. Electronic Arts purchased Air Warrior in 1999, and became provider of the game, but it was discontinued in 2001. Sequels Air Warrior II and Air Warrior III were both released in 1997 and published by Interactive Magic.

<i>Sword of the Samurai</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Sword of the Samurai is an action and strategy video game developed and published by MicroProse in 1989 for the DOS platform. It features role-playing, strategy, and arcade elements set in feudal Japan. The player begins the game as a little-known vassal samurai; his ultimate goal is to replace Oda Nobunaga as the daimyō responsible for reunifying Sengoku Japan.

<i>Bandit Kings of Ancient China</i> 1989 video game

Bandit Kings of Ancient China, also known as Suikoden: Tenmei no Chikai in Japan, is a turn-based strategy video game developed and published by Koei, and released in 1989 for MSX, MS-DOS, Amiga, and Macintosh and in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In 1996, Koei issued a remake for the Japanese Sega Saturn and PlayStation featuring vastly improved graphics and new arrangements of the original songs.

<i>Wings</i> (1990 video game) 1990 video game

Wings is a World War I video game developed and published by Cinemaware. It was released for the Amiga in 1990. The action sequences are similar in style to those of the 1927 silent film Wings.

<i>Romance of the Three Kingdoms II</i> 1989 video game

Romance of the Three Kingdoms II is the second in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series of turn-based strategy games produced by Koei and based on the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

<i>Centurion: Defender of Rome</i> 1990 video game

Centurion: Defender of Rome is a turn-based strategy video game with real-time battle sequences, designed by Kellyn Beck and Bits of Magic and published by Electronic Arts. Originally released for MS-DOS in 1990, the game was later ported to the Amiga and the Sega Genesis in 1991. Centurion shares much of the concept and feel with Beck's earlier game Defender of the Crown (1987).

<i>Genghis Khan</i> (video game) 1987 video game

Genghis Khan, original full title Aoki Ōkami to Shiroki Mejika: Genghis Khan (蒼き狼と白き牝鹿・ジンギスカン), is a 1987 turn-based strategy game developed by Koei, originally released for the NEC PC-9801, MSX and Sharp X68000 in 1988, the DOS and NES in 1990, and the Amiga in 1990. It is actually the second game in the series, after a 1985 Aoki Ōkami to Shiroki Mejika, also for PC-88, PC-98, and MSX.

<i>Gato</i> (video game) 1984 video game

GATO is a real-time submarine simulator first published in 1984 by Spectrum HoloByte for DOS. It simulates combat operations aboard the Gato-class submarine USS Growler (SS-215) in the Pacific Theater of World War II. GATO was later ported to the Apple IIe, Atari ST, and Macintosh. In 1987, Atari Corporation published a version on cartridge for the Atari 8-bit family, to coincide with the launch of the Atari XEGS.

<i>Command HQ</i> 1990 video game

Command HQ is a real-time strategy world domination game. It was released in 1990 by Microplay Software and was created by designer Danielle Bunten.

<i>Battles of Napoleon</i> 1988 video game

Battles of Napoleon is a 1988 computer wargame by Chuck Kroegel and David Landrey published by Strategic Simulations. It was released for the Apple II, Commodore 64, and DOS.

<i>Their Finest Hour</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Their Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain is a World War II combat flight simulation game by Lawrence Holland, released in October 1989 for the Amiga, Atari ST and MS-DOS systems. It was the second game in the trilogy of World War II titles by Lucasfilm Games, the others being Battlehawks 1942 (1988) and Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe (1991). The game was released with a 192-page manual written by Victor Cross, that provided a detailed historical overview of the battle and pilots' perspectives. An expansion pack, Their Finest Missions: Volume One, was released in 1989.

<i>Empire: Wargame of the Century</i> 1987 video game

Empire: Wargame of the Century is a video game based on Empire developed by Walter Bright and published by Interstel Corporation in 1987.

<i>Romance of the Three Kingdoms</i> (video game) 1985 video game

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, known as Sangokushi in Japan, is a 1985 video game published by Koei. It is the first game in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series. Originally released on the PC-88, it was ported to numerous platforms, including the PC-98, MSX, Nintendo Entertainment System (1988), Amiga, MS-DOS, FM-7, Sharp X1, Sharp X68000, WonderSwan, Windows (2003) and mobile phones.

<i>Halls of Montezuma: A Battle History of the U.S. Marine Corps</i> 1987 video game

Halls of Montezuma: A Battle History of the U.S. Marine Corps is a video game developed by Strategic Studies Group in 1987 for the Apple II. Ports were later released for the Commodore 64, Amiga, DOS, and Apple IIGS. Halls of Montezuma is a war simulation game that offers all of the major battles involving the U.S. Marine Corps.

<i>Decisive Battles of the American Civil War Volume 1: Bull Run to Chancellorsville</i> 1988 video game

Decisive Battles of the American Civil War Volume 1: Bull Run to Chancellorsville is a computer wargame developed by Roger Keating and Ian Trout and published by Strategic Studies Group in 1988 for the Commodore 64 and Apple II. Two sequels were released in 1988: Volume 2: Gaines Mill to Chattanooga and Volume 3: Wilderness to Nashville.

<i>The Universal Military Simulator</i> 1987 video game

The Universal Military Simulator is a computer game developed by Rainbird Software in 1987 for the Macintosh, Tandy 4000, and IBM PC compatibles. In 1988, both Atari ST, Amiga versions were released. The game was created by Ezra Sidran. The PC and Amiga versions were ported by Ed Isenberg. The game spawned two sequels: UMS II: Nations at War and The War College: Universal Military Simulator 3.

<i>Wooden Ships and Iron Men</i> (1987 video game) 1987 video game

Wooden Ships and Iron Men is a computer wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1987 for the Commodore 64.

<i>Warlords</i> (1990 video game) 1990 video game

Warlords is a computer wargame released in 1990 for the Amiga and MS-DOS compatible operating systems, then in 1992 for Macintosh. It was designed by Steve Fawkner and developed by Strategic Studies Group. Warlords was followed by three sequels and several spinoffs.

<i>Fire-Brigade: The Battle for Kiev - 1943</i> 1988 video game

Fire-Brigade: The Battle for Kiev - 1943 is a computer wargame developed and published by Panther Games in Australia in 1988. The game is set around the historical WWII Eastern Front Battle of Kiev in 1943.

References

  1. Chaut, Michael (July 1989), "Sunrise, Sunset: Japanese History in Cinemaware's "Lords of the Rising Sun"", Computer Gaming World , no. 61, pp. 42, 45–46
  2. Brooks, M. Evan (October 1990). "Computer Strategy and Wargames: Pre-20th Century". Computer Gaming World. p. 11. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  3. Brooks, M. Evan (June 1993). "An Annotated Listing of Pre-20th Century Wargames". Computer Gaming World. p. 136. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  4. Williams, Ernesto (December 1989). "Computer Games". Games International (11): 52.