Shougi: Shodan Icchokusen (PCE)
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Shougi: Shodan Icchokusen is a shogi simulation game developed and published by Home Data. It was one of three shogi games released for the PC Engine, and the only one licensed by the Japan Shogi Association.
The game offers a few different playable modes:
Shogi Momotarou (将棋桃太郎): This is the main story mode of the game. You play as the Shogi Momotarou. On Onigashima island, a group of demons have invaded and stolen treasures. The Shogi Momotarou must beat the demons at shogi to regain peace and the treasures. Hidden dumplings are placed around the shogi board. If the player puts their piece on a spot where a dumpling is, they earn it. These can be used for different powerups. These include using a monkey as a hint function, having a pheasant beg the demon to let you go back one move, and if you have enough bombs, during the cutscenes, a demon will offer to take them from you in exchange for a bomb. The bomb allows you to destroy some of the opponents pieces before the game starts. AI difficulty levels range from 10-kyu to 7-kyu.
Full-Fledged Shogi (本格将棋): This is the standard exhibition mode of the game. This mode is a little more difficult than the Shougi Momotarou mode, and acts as a way to practice for the main mode of the game. AI difficulty levels are from 6-kyu to 4-kyu.
Beginner's Degree Certification (初段認定戦): This is the main mode of the game; you play against an AI three times with increasingly harder rules with each round. In the first round, you have 40 seconds to make a move and must win within 110 moves with an AI difficulty of 2-kyu. In the second round, you have 30 seconds to make a move and must win within 100 moves with an AI difficulty of 1-kyu. In the final round, you have 20 seconds to make a move and must win within 90 moves with an AI difficulty of Shodan. If you win the final game, you would have the ability to submit for an official diploma from the Japan Shogi Association. However, the manual lists several factors which will nullify the qualification including pausing the game and going over the move limit.
Master Battle (名人戦): This is the hardest mode of the game, and oddly enough does not reward the player with a diploma for completion. The AI analyzes 8,000 different possible moves and makes the best one. It is also extremely slow, as a single move can take over a couple minutes, so great patience is required to beat this mode. There is no real reward for beating it though, save for a congratulatory message from the AI themselves. The AI's portrait is based on Yasuharu Oyama.
Battle Mode (対戦モード): This is a standard exhibition game of shogi, but allows you to play the game with another human opponent. Of course, a peripheral is required to do so, as the PC Engine only has one controller port.
Replay Game (感想戦): This match is only accessible after a game of shogi (excluding the Shogi Momotaro mode). This allows you to replay the game at your own pace. You can go to any move at any time. This helps the player study their moves and improve upon them.
Home Data also made another shogi game for the PC Engine around the same time; Shougi: Shoshinsha Muyou (PCE). Some of the same assets are used from this game. The company would go on to produce some more shogi games for other platforms such as the Famicom and Super Famicom.
Screenshots
Music
Shougi: Shodan Icchokusen has quite a large soundtrack, considering it is a shogi game. There are 20 songs in all, only a few of which are jingles or fanfares. The music fits with the theme of the game, as it sounds like Japanese folk music.
According to the composer, Novko Hasebe, she did not see images of the game. Instead, she received a list of songs along with the type of themes to compose music for. She did so using her Kawai Q-80 and sent her music via sheet music to Home Data. It is likely she wrote all the music while Kenichi Fujii did the arrangements. This YouTube video has 9 of the 20 songs present. According to Hasebe, she composed all songs in this video.
Hasebe also composed the "sister" title of this game, Shougi: Shoshinsha Muyou (PCE).
There is also a song in the HES file that doesn't appear to play anywhere of the game. If you've heard it in this game, please let us know where it plays.
Recording
Credits
- Ripper: MusicFox (VGZ)
- Recorder: Doommaster1994
- Game Credits:
- Music Director and Sound Effect [sic]: Hiroshi Endo
- Music Creater [sic]: Novko Hasebe credited as Nobuko Hasebe
- Music Creater [sic]: Kenichi Fujii
(Source)
The game's credits can be seen after beating the Shougi Momotarou mode. This is surprising, as most Home Data games lacked credits. What's more is that the sound designers' real names are listed.
Toshiyuki Hirota may have programmed the sound driver due to its similar instrument and vibrato design compared to Home Data's NES driver, but the frequency table differs between the two, and Kazune is not listed in the game's credits.
