Romance of the Three Kingdoms (video game series)
Encyclopedia
Turn-based strategy
A turn-based strategy game is a strategy game where players take turns when playing...
tactical role-playing
Tactical role-playing game
A tactical role-playing game is a type of video game which incorporates elements of traditional role-playing video games and strategy games. In Japan these games are known as , a designation which might seem peculiar to native English speakers...
simulation
Simulation video game
A simulation video game describes a diverse super-category of computer and video games, generally designed to closely simulate aspects of a real or fictional reality.-Sub-genres:-Construction and management simulation:...
grand strategy wargame
Grand strategy wargame
A grand strategy wargame is a wargame that places focus on grand strategy: military strategy at the level of movement and use of an entire nation state or empire's resources.-Scope of games:...
s produced by Koei. Originating from Japan in 1985, eleven installments of the game have been published in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China and North America to date.
Overview
The games are based on events that took place in China during the 2nd and 3rd centuries, drawing ideas mainly from the historical novel Romance of the Three KingdomsRomance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
and the historical text Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms , is regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 184-280 CE. Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century, the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei , Shu Han and...
.
Gameplay revolves around managing numerical statistics, each representing an attribute of a city or character. For example, a city will have statistics indicating the amount of food stored within its walls, its vulnerability to disasters such as floods and earthquakes, how content the people are with its ruler or governing officer, etc. Characters have statistics to reflect their fighting prowess, intelligence and loyalty towards their respective lords, among other attributes. Players can spend time increasing these numbers before waging war on neighbouring territories, since the artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
of other lords tends to be peaceful unless the player attacks them first, or unless they have reached a point in the story where war is inevitable.
The seventh, eighth and tenth installments are compounded with RPG aspects, allowing the player to play as a lord, an adviser, a governor, a general or a vassal of another lord, whereas the player controls an entire force in the other editions. In addition, certain characters possess (or can learn) special skills to aid them in war, diplomacy or governance. For example, a general or adviser with high intelligence statistics can lure an enemy unit into a trap or cause the unit to retreat.
There are also several spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
s based on the series, including Dynasty Warriors
Dynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
, a tactical action video game series, as well as Dynasty Tactics, a hybrid of Dynasty Warriors and Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Koei has also published three biographical tactical RPGs based on three characters in the series. They are Sangokushi Eiketsuden (Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
), Sangokushi Koumeiden
Sangokushi Koumeiden
Sangokushi Koumeiden is the second installment in the Sangokushi Eiketsuden tactical role-playing series developed by Koei.-Story:...
(Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
), and Sangokushi Sousouden
Sangokushi Sousouden
Sangokushi Sousouden is the fifth release in the Eiketsuden tactical role-playing series developed by Koei, and the third to be set during the Three Kingdoms Era.-Story:...
(Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
).
List of games in the series
The games are sorted according to platform. The release dates provided are for original Japanese releases.Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
- Romance of Three Kingdoms
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms II
MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
- Romance of Three Kingdoms
MSX2
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
- Romance of Three Kingdoms (different from MSX1 version)
- Romance of Three Kingdoms II
NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms II
SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms II
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms III: Dragon of DestinyRomance of the Three Kingdoms III: Dragon of DestinyRomance of the Three Kingdoms III: Dragon of Destiny is the third 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...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of FireRomance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of FireRomance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire is the fourth 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...
Genesis
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms II
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms III: Dragon of DestinyRomance of the Three Kingdoms III: Dragon of DestinyRomance of the Three Kingdoms III: Dragon of Destiny is the third 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...
Sega 32X
Sega 32X
The Sega 32X, codenamed Project Mars, is an add-on for the Mega Drive/Genesis video game console by Sega. Its aim was to increase the lifespan of the aging Mega Drive/Genesis system, which was facing stiff competition from the SNES...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of FireRomance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of FireRomance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire is the fourth 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...
Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of FireRomance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of FireRomance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire is the fourth 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...
Dreamcast
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms VI: Awakening of the DragonRomance of the Three Kingdoms VI: Awakening of the DragonRomance of the Three Kingdoms VI: Awakening of the Dragon is the 6th installment in Koei's famous Romance of the Three Kingdoms series.-Power up kit:Power up kit includes following features:...
PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of FireRomance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of FireRomance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire is the fourth 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...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms VI: Awakening of the DragonRomance of the Three Kingdoms VI: Awakening of the DragonRomance of the Three Kingdoms VI: Awakening of the Dragon is the 6th installment in Koei's famous Romance of the Three Kingdoms series.-Power up kit:Power up kit includes following features:...
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIIRomance of the Three Kingdoms VIIRomance of the Three Kingdoms VII is the 7th installment in Koei's famous Romance of the Three Kingdoms series.-Power up kit:Power up kit includes following features:*Short play mode.*New tactical simulation mode...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIIIRomance of the Three Kingdoms VIIIRomance of the Three Kingdoms VIII is the eighth installment in Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms series.-Power up kit:Power up kit includes following features:*Marriage between generals, which can create offsprings for married parties....
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms IX
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms X
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI
PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
- Sangokushi VI (2005)
- Sangokushi VII (2006)
- Sangokushi VIII (2007)
PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
- Sangokushi (1985)
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1988)
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms II (1989)
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms III: Dragon of DestinyRomance of the Three Kingdoms III: Dragon of DestinyRomance of the Three Kingdoms III: Dragon of Destiny is the third 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...
(1992) - Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of FireRomance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of FireRomance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire is the fourth 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...
(1994) - Romance of the Three Kingdoms VSangokushi VRomance of the Three Kingdoms V is the 5th installment in Koei's famous Romance of the Three Kingdoms series. The game was released for MS-DOS, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable....
(1995) - Romance of the Three Kingdoms VI: Awakening of the DragonRomance of the Three Kingdoms VI: Awakening of the DragonRomance of the Three Kingdoms VI: Awakening of the Dragon is the 6th installment in Koei's famous Romance of the Three Kingdoms series.-Power up kit:Power up kit includes following features:...
(1998) - Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIIRomance of the Three Kingdoms VIIRomance of the Three Kingdoms VII is the 7th installment in Koei's famous Romance of the Three Kingdoms series.-Power up kit:Power up kit includes following features:*Short play mode.*New tactical simulation mode...
(2000) - Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIIIRomance of the Three Kingdoms VIIIRomance of the Three Kingdoms VIII is the eighth installment in Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms series.-Power up kit:Power up kit includes following features:*Marriage between generals, which can create offsprings for married parties....
(2001) - Romance of the Three Kingdoms IX (2003)
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms X (2004)
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI (2006)
- Sangokushi InternetSangokushi InternetSangokushi Internet is Koei's first online video game based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series.-External links:****...
(1999) - Sangokushi BattlefieldSangokushi BattlefieldSangokushi Battlefield is Koei's real time strategy game for Windows 98, and the 2nd online Romance of the Three Kingdoms game for the PC platform...
(2002) - Sangokushi OnlineSangokushi OnlineSangokushi Online is Koei's third online Romance of the Three Kingdoms game developed for Microsoft Windows platform. Koei announced the development of its latest MMORPG in mid-2006. Koei planned on releasing Sangokushi Online in Japan in the first quarter of 2007 followed by the rest of Asia . ...
(2007)
Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI (2007)
Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
- Sangokushi (1992)
Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
- Sangokushi (1999)
Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of FireRomance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of FireRomance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire is the fourth 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...
(2001)
WonderSwan
WonderSwan
was a line of handheld game consoles produced in Japan by Bandai between 1999 and 2003. It was developed by the late Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto and Bandai...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms II (2000)
DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms DS (2007)
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms DS 2 (2007)
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms DS 3 (2010)
Mobile phones
- Sangokushi
- Sangokushi 2
- Sangokushi Mobile
- Sangokushi Mobile 2
- Sangokushi Mobile 3
iOS
IOS
iOS is an operating system for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.IOS may also refer to:-Companies and organisations:* Illinois Ornithological Society, American state-based bird club...
- Romance of the Three Kingdom Touch (2009)
- Romance of the Three Kingdom 2 (2010)
Reception
Several years after its Japanese release, Sangokushi received positive critical reception in North America when it was released there in 1988. In Computer Gaming WorldComputer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World was a computer game magazine founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication. Early issues were typically 40-50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings , Dan Bunten , and Chris Crawford...
, the game was reviewed by Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
creator Dave Arneson
Dave Arneson
David Lance "Dave" Arneson was an American game designer best known for co-developing the first published role-playing game , Dungeons & Dragons, with Gary Gygax, in the early 1970s...
, who wrote that it is "a great historical simulation and will keep players at their keyboards for many a night in order to win their empires. It has economics, intrigue, bribery, covert action, diplomacy, war, and more! There are many ways beyond simple conquest to accomplish one's goals." He concluded: "I most heartily recommend Romance to all serious game players out there."