From: WENDELL MARTIN <wendell.martin <at> THE-MATRIX <dot> COM>
Date: 23 may 1995
Subject: Video Game Shogi

With all the discussion on Shogi software, I thought I'd mention that
Kakinoki Shogi (ASCII Corporation) is available (in Japan or via import) for
the 3DO, a "video game" system that's made by Panasonic and LG/Goldstar in
the US (and by Panasonic and Sanyo in Japan).  The Kakinoki Shogi CD-ROM's
list price was 7,800 yen when I bought it several months ago, and 3DO's are
currently $350-400 in the US (and were 44,800 yen in Japan as of January).

3DO Kakinoki Shogi is a port of the Japanese PC version, so all of the text
(menu and other) is in Japanese (my Japanese friend from whom I bought it
was kind enough to produce an English "cheat sheet" for me).  The graphics
are nice, and it also speaks (in Japanese, with a pleasing, female voice).
I'm not sure of its top strength of play, but it has several ways to change
the difficulty and it destroys me easily on anything but the weakest setting
with a strong handicap (though I'm a pretty terrible player <grin>).

I would half expect that other US/Japanese video game systems (Genesis,
SNES/Super Famicom, Saturn, PlayStation) have had or will have Shogi
programs produced for them in Japan.  Some of these probably have regional
"lock-out" restrictions, though Kakinoki Shogi runs fine on my American
3DO.  So, if you have (or get) a video game system, it might be possible
for you to get a Shogi program.

       Wendell
 wendell.martin <at> the-matrix <dot> com
  73737.1237 <at> compuserve <dot> com