Nobunaga's Ambition

Overview

Bring 16th-century Japan to its knees in Nobunaga's Ambition, Koei's latest historical sim. You rule just one of 50 warring fiefs. But you've got ambition. With strategy smarts, you can rein the others into a powerful, unified Japan...with you at the helm. Deploy ninja spies, broker nonagression pacts, and outmaneuver opposing daimyos in battle — all while keeping your peasants happy. Sound tough? Every other feudal lord has the same plan as you.

You play as any of 50 rival daimyos in three of the four wartime scenarios. To get the hang of the game, play as Nobunaga, the hotheaded ruler of the Owari province, and choose the Battle for the East scenario, which pits you against 16 hostile fiefs instead of the usual 49. Then slash your way chronologically through the Daimyo Power Struggles, Ambition Untamed, and the Road Towards Unification. Each scenario begins with different fief conditions and territorial distribution, so you get a completely new game at each level.

In these turbulent times, the key to domination—or even survival —lies in striking a precarious balance between domestic stability and military campaigns. No matter how prosperous your empire becomes, it can sink into chaos at any moment. Equip your warriors at the taxpayers' expense, and the peasants revolt. Concentrate on your towns to the neglect of your military, and rival daimyos pounce. Run out of rice, and watch it all go down the drain. It takes some serious brainwork to succeed where the real Nobunaga failed.

Hot Hints

Hints:

1. Play the game with the Mega Mouse for ultrasmooth control.
2. If you have a great deal of charm, you can get away with taxing the peasants more and allocating less gold and rice to your troops.
3. If you allow your town to serve as a battleground, its value decreases, as does peasant morale.
4. If you run out of rice during battle, you lose — no matter how far ahead your troops were.
5. Choose Battle for the East while you perfect your strategies — you have fewer fiefs to conquer than in the other three challenges.
6. Try to take the castle of the fief you're invading. It puts you in the best position for battle and reduces the morale of the defending army.
7. Form a nonagression pact with a neighboring fief. Too many pacts prevent you from expanding your empire. Too few leave you vulnerable to attack.