Merchant Prince II

Good old games were great, but would you play Civ 1, SimCity or Wolfenstein 3D now? Only those who answer yes to this question will be interested in this game. The first Merchant Prince was released in 1993 and this is more a conversion for new Windows systems than a proper sequel.

Sure, it has added scenarios, a research system and spruced up graphics, but it's still an eight-year-old game.

You play a Venetian trader at the heart of the Renaissance in a race to beat the other three merchants to one million florins. Sound easy? It isn't. Merchant Prince 2 is a hardcore turn-based strategy, which might come as a surprise since the bulk of the game is spent going from port to port trading products. But that isn't all you need to do to succeed. There are politicians and religious authorities to be bribed, other trading houses and pirates to do battle with, and roads to be built.

Don't come to it expecting some kind of some kind of Renaissance Elite. This game is strictly for old-timers who pine for the original and like to get involved in convoluted gameplay. If you're new to it, it'll probably take you a week of patient playing to begin to master it and not get lost in the confusion of screens and options. It's hard not to be disheartened at first, especially when it looks so poor. If you can make it through the obtuseness and almost vertical learning slope, there is a rich game to explore. But don't say we didn't warn you.