Tenka-bito [PS2/JPN]

* Upon starting a new game, your forces are carrying a yellow crest on each horse to distinguish themselves from the enemy. They're arrayed at the center of the screen amidst a green pasture with hillocks around. On the lower left portion of the screen is the commander's portrait followed by overall strength and level. On the lower right screen is a topographical view of the battlefield. Press "O" to continue and scope out the forces of your opponent on the upper left corner of the screen who are hefting their own crests which are colored black. To charge into the enemy ranks, select the general with the "O" button and move the cursor into the midst of the enemy and press "O" again. A roar of approval will sound from your troops and they'll charge like wildebeests into the enemy gathering. The fighting is automatic and the din of combat soon sounds off as your mounted cavalry decimates the enemy. After defeating the first group, there's another group of enemies to the upper left portion of the screen which wait for annihilation. Unfortunately, the first few groups of enemy soldiers don't give much of a battle but this is a tutorial to get you acquainted. The skirmishes and all-out wars become much more rigorous in later levels.

* After the initial battle, your strength is indicated lower but none the worse for wear as all of your mounted troops have survived the battle. The next lesson teaches the gamer to visit a friendly garrison to recover troop strength. Once at full power again, there are five main phalanxes of troops to be conquered as you make your way through the map.

* During battle, you may occasionally see one of your horse and riders toppled over but one only point of damage is incurred. You may also check out the strength level of an enemy when you're on the attack to see how their troop strength is diminishing or growing compared to your own.

* After a battle, the grey corpses of your enemies may be seen littered on the battlefield with their broken and desiccated bodies which look a lot like husks.

* The camera in Tenka Bito is fairly versatile but there's a slight problem with the overhead map that's located on the lower-right corner of the screen taking up too much space when you're focusing in on the action. The L-analog moves the camera all over the landscape while the R-analog swivels the camera around and also punches in close and pans out for a wider view. However, when you pan in close, Sega should have made accommodations to reduce the size of the topographical map to scale with the closer view of the action. As it is, it stays the same size and obscures much of the action when you're focused in on the battle. There is an option to remove the map entirely (press SELECT and toggle the first option) but we wanted to use the map to get our bearings.

* There's a point in the training level where your troops have to break through a barrier of brambles while the opposing army shoots masses of arrows at your cavalry. Keep attacking the brambles since they'll eventually give way and you'll be able to attack the archers. After plowing through them, you'll join a contingent of your forces who are holed up near the gates of the enemy fortress. They trade a few arrows but no headway is being done. To press the attack, direct your men and storm the gates. The troops will take damage and get beaten back by volleys of arrows but they'll eventually destroy the wooden gate and ride in for the kill. The gate has a life bar that's indicated directly in front of it. After a few attacks and losing only about 100 units of troop strength out of 763, the door is done.

* The first battle after breaking through is tricky because the enemy is located near a garrison which continually replenishes their health but as your troops continue the attack, the enemy loses health faster than they regain it. Once you take over the garrison, you can transform it to one of your own and it will then replenish the health of your weary troops. There's one final battle against a mighty lord who uses magic to aid his troops. The trick to defeating him is to attack him first and then retreat to the garrison. Once you're at the garrison and being replenished, his troops have no chance and they'll soon be decimated and he'll be captured.

* Once captured, he'll join your party and lead a contingent of your troops. In the next scene, your forces have to cross a great expanse that is guarded by enemy troops. There's a point where your troops have to temporarily become carpenters to build a portion of a bridge so they can cross to the side of the enemy fortress and garrison. Your forces will also engage in a fight in shallow water as well as take over an enemy catapult to use on the opposing side...

* If you suffer heavy losses in a battle, you can regain all of your cavalrymen by retreating to a friendly garrison. Even if you only have 1 cavalryman left along with your general, all of your troops can be recovered once you reach the garrison and have the time to regain your forces.

* Tenka Bito is an addictive game that is reminiscent of the Warcraft series with instant troop movement and thrilling battles. Arm chair strategists will have to make do with simple commands but that's the beauty of the game engine which does not get bogged down by overly complicated systems and sub-systems. It's pure hack, diversionary tactics, the occasional retreat and the eventual return. The missions do become more involved as your armies progress and grow ever larger and more formidable but the quick click and attack game play remains through the levels. There are battles where hundreds of soldiers are battling all at once which makes it a chaotic scene but you can always check your troop strength by hovering the cursor over your immediate general to get an idea of how the battle is faring. If your strength is dropping precipitously relative to the foe, it's time to retreat to a garrison to recover health.

* Swords and spears aren't the only weapons available to the troops. Since battles take place around the time of the Battle of Sekigahara, muskets and cannons are available to mow down enemy legions. Of course, opposing forces also have guns to mow down your men as well. Based on our early play however, a group of cavalrymen can mow down musketmen with relative ease.

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