Solid computer version of Milton Bradley's classic board game Stratego. This PC conversion was done by MindSpan from a Mac version, and it was the only non-sport game they ever developed. Hasbro released the second computer version of the board game in late 1999, but it has no relationship to this Accolade release. For those who are not familiar with the board game, here is the basic premise: Stratego is perhaps best described as the "realistic, modern military" version of Chess. Each player is allotted an "army" of forty playing pieces at the beginning of the game, including a Marshal, Captains, Sergeants, Scouts, Bombs, and a Flag. Each piece, similar to Chess, follows its own movement rules. Unlike Chess, success of "attack" is determined by the pieces' ranks, not whether that attack is valid. So a Marshal can remove a General, a General can remove a Colonel, and so on. When equal ranks meet, both pieces are removed. The game ends when either player strikes his/her opponent's Flag (which cannot be moved). Timing is crucial, and "special" pieces such as the Miners and Spies can tip the scales very quickly. With good graphics (including several board backgrounds to choose from), and a user-friendly interface, this PC version does justice to the original board game, although the AI is too easy to beat. Recommended for all fans of tabletop war/strategy games, ane be sure to check Ed's Stratego Page below for the game rules, and click here to read Ken McLeod's (original designer) story of the computer game project. Reviewed by: Underdogs |