STRATEGO

 In my youth (mumbledy-mumble years ago), STRATEGO was my very first wargame.
Lacking the sophistication of games I later played, STRATEGO retains for me both
a nostalgic attraction and a certain charm that only classic boardgames seem to
offer. STRATEGO the computer game brings back all the charm and strategy, and
adds beautiful graphics and sound, as well as a computer opponent. (This review
is based on the IBM-PC version.)

 For those who've never played it, the following paragraphs give a brief
description of STRATEGO. The specifics of the computer version are discussed
later.

 STRATEGO is played on a 10x10 board. At the center of the board, two lakes are
placed in which no play can occur. The game is played by two players, each with
forty numbered pieces. These pieces are set up by each player using the four
rows of the board closest to them. The pieces in the original boardgame were
small plastic stands that were placed so that only the owning players could see
what their pieces were. In the computer version, the opposing side's pieces are
placed face down, essentially accomplishing the same thing.

 The object of the game is to maneuver your pieces so as to capture the enemy
Flag (one of the forty pieces). To do this, you move your pieces, one per turn.
Each piece can move exactly one square. The exceptions are Flags and Bombs
(which can't move at all), and Scouts (which can move along any number of
unoccupied squares in a line).

 Combat occurs when a piece is moved into a square occupied by an enemy piece.
The two pieces are flipped over, and the _lowest_ numbered piece wins. In the
event of a tie, both pieces are eliminated. Pieces are numbered from one to
nine, with a few exceptions. The numbers are given military titles, signifying
their relative worth. Piece number one is the Marshal, followed by the General,
Colonel, Major, Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeant, Miner, and Scout. The Flag,
Bombs, and Spy are unnumbered pieces for which there are special rules.

 The Spy piece is killed by all other pieces _unless_ the Spy initiates an
attack against the Marshall. Thus, the Spy is both the weakest and, in certain
circumstances, the strongest piece in the game. The Bombs kill all pieces that
attack them except Miners. Miners kill Bombs that they attack. All pieces kill
the Flag, which is a kind of immobile King piece.

 As you might imagine, STRATEGO is a bit of a hide-and-seek game, with players
required to remember revealed pieces while carefully maneuvering for advantage.
Bluff and counter-bluff play a large part in the game. Often it is the player
with the most chutzpah -- not necessarily the greatest strategist -- who wins.
The rules are simple, and once setup is complete, play proceeds quite quickly.

 The computer version of STRATEGO preserves the original game, while adding some
nice features. There is one major difference, however: Computer STRATEGO only
permits solitaire play against the computer. The additions include alternate
maps and pieces, special rules, the ability to save and restore games, and
beautiful music and sound.

 In the Standard game there are two special rules: Scout Attack allows the scout
to move multiple squares and attack in the same turn. Defender moves causes
victorious defenders to move into the square of their attacker (not always a
good thing!).

 In the Tournament game, there are three rules that can be turned on. Aggressor
Advantage gives victory to the attacking piece in the event of a tie. Silent
Defense keeps the value of the attacked piece concealed (even if it is taken).
Rescue permits you to bring a captured piece back onto the board when you move
one of your pieces to the back rank of the enemy territory.

 STRATEGO also permits you to play a Campaign game. The Campaign game consists
of five battles fought in a series. In each battle, different Tournament rules
combinations are turned on, starting with no special rules in the first battle,
and culminating with all three Tournament rules active in the fifth battle.

 Probably the most tedious aspect of the boardgame is the intitial setup, which
can sometimes take longer than the game itself. In the computer version of
STRATEGO, you can use standard setups provided with the game, or save your own.

 The mouse interface is a joy, and is another improvement over the boardgame.
Those who've played the boardgame may remember how easy it is to knock over
those little plastic stands when moving in tight quarters. I confess, in my
misbegotten youth, such "accidents" were often an important part of my strategy.
Fortunately, these accidents vanish in the computer version.

 I found STRATEGO to be quite a bit of fun and I enjoyed playing it...at first.
Unfortunately, the AI for the computer player is weak. There is only a slight
difference between the lowest level of difficulty and the highest. In fact, I've
never lost a game of computer STRATEGO, including the Campaign game against a
Marshal. Obviously, some of the joy of playing begins to wear thin when you know
you're going to win every time.

 Another minor problem is that the same setup and tactics work over and over
against the computer player. In the boardgame, human players quickly spot
tendencies, such as the habit of always putting the Flag in a corner. Frankly, I
don't expect a computer player to "learn" things like this, but you should be
aware of this drawback.

 STRATEGO supports VGA (640x480x16), MCGA/EGA (320x200x16), CGA (320x200x4), and
Tandy graphics modes. It requires 512K of RAM and may be installed on a hard
disk. Copy protection relies on a code wheel. Mouse, keyboard, and joystick
input is accepted. Roland, AdLib, Soundblaster, CMS, and Tandy sound modes are
supported. STRATEGO also makes good use of the PC speaker. The game is
distributed on both 5-1/4" and 3-1/2" diskettes.

 The graphics and sound are quite nice. VGA graphics are displayed in 16-color
high resolution, and are _very_ sharp. MCGA and EGA graphics use 320x200x16
mode, and are adequate. The CGA mode uses 320x200x4, and the lack of colors --
combined with low resolution -- makes it very difficult to play. The music heard
through the AdLib (or Soundblaster) is well done, though only present in the
screens before and after a game. There are some sparse sounds coming through the
AdLib, as well.

 I enjoyed STRATEGO far more than I expected to. A game is quick to set up and
play, and for those wanting a longer game, the Campaign game is available. I
really liked everything about the product -- except the weak AI. And that is,
unfortunately, a fatal problem. The inability to play against a human player
only compounds the difficulty. I recommend this game for those who really _love_
the boardgame, or who have never played it and thus may struggle more with the
computer player than I did. For others, the weak computer play will probably be
disappointing.

 STRATEGO is published and distributed by Accolade.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253