J-RPG Wiki
Nobunaga's Ambition
Nobunaga
信長の野望
Nobunaga no Yabō
Series Nobunaga no Yabou series
Sub-genre Tactical role-playing game
Developer KOEI
Publisher KOEI
Producer(s) Yōichi Erikawa
Platform of origin FM-7, NEC PC-8801
Platform(s) Amiga, DOS, Game Boy, Sega Genesis, Mac OS, MSX, NES, Super NES, NEC PC-9801, WonderSwan, Sharp X1, Sharp X68000
Year of inception 1983
Release date(s) MSX/ PC-98/ X1
Japan 1987

Sharp X68000
Japan 1988

Amiga/ DOS
USA 1988

NES
Japan 1988
USA 1989

MAC OS
USA 1990

Game Boy
Japan 1990
USA 1991

SEGA Genesis/ Super NES'
Japan 1993
USA 1993

WonderSwan
Japan 1999

Virtual Console (Wii Shop)
USA 2009
Mode(s) Singleplayer
Rating(s)
389px-ESRB 2013 Everyone.svg
Website(s) www.nintendo.com


Nobunaga's Ambition (信長の野望; Nobunaga no Yabou) was first published by KOEI in 1983 for FM-7 and NEC PC-8801. It's the first game of the Nobunaga no Yabou series and also the first japanese strategy RPG published in North America translated to Nobunaga's Ambition. Ports of the game made in the following years may have a varying titles, but the game itself is the same.

The Nobunaga's Ambition Game Boy Version (信長の野望 ゲームボーイ版; Nobunaga no Yabō Game Boy Version), is loosely based on the first and third game of the series.


Gameplay[]

In the 16th century, Japan's Sengoku ("Warring States") period divided the nation into numerous feudal states, each ruled by a daimyo. These daimyos would often go to war with each other. Many dreamt of conquering the land, becoming the Shogun and ruling the entire country. One of those daimyos was the ambitious Nobunaga Oda, a merciless ruler and a renowned strategist. Players take on the role of Nobunaga Oda or one of many other daimyos to try to conquer Japan.

Nobunaga's Ambition is a turn-based strategy game which can be played in different modes. Gameplay is similar to Koei's better known Romance of the Three Kingdoms game. Players begin by selecting either a 17 regions scenario or a larger 50 scenario. Then, the player must select a daimyo, each of which is rated attributes in several categories; Age, Health, Ambition, Luck, Charm and IQ. As the game progresses, these values change depending on events in the game. The age value represents a time limit of sorts, as an elderly daimyo becomes increasingly likely to die of old age or sickness.

During each of turn (one per season), players can issue one of several commands from a menu. They include: Recruiting new soldiers, Training the army, Buying Weapons, Increasing Peasant morale, Forming alliances or Hiring Ninjas to bribe & assassinate. When one player attacks another, there is a war fought over the defender's region. Battles are fought in an overhead-view hex battle map. Each player takes turn moving units and issuing orders, which include attack, move, bribe and surrender. The goal is to defeat all of the enemy units (or force them into surrender). Army units each have a certain weakness against other types of enemies, and are also affected by the terrain.

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