Nichibutsu’s 1990 release, Kitte Rai Da! Gunjin Shougi Nanya Sore?, is a bizarre and fascinating relic from the Famicom’s twilight years. Translating roughly to "I’ve Come! Military Chess: What is that?", the game is a digital adaptation of Gunjin Shougi, a traditional Japanese board game that bears a striking resemblance to the Western classic Stratego. Players must navigate a battlefield where the identity of the opponent’s pieces is hidden, relying on a neutral "judge" computer to determine the victor of each skirmish based on a hierarchical ranking system. What sets this version apart is Nichibutsu’s signature use of digitized photography and a surprisingly irreverent, humorous tone that permeates the menus and cutscenes.
Mechanically, the game offers a deep strategic experience for those willing to brave the language barrier. Success requires a mix of bluffing, memory, and tactical positioning, as players attempt to capture the opponent’s headquarters while protecting their own Commander. The interface is clean for an 8-bit title, though the heavy reliance on Kanji for the military ranks makes it nearly unplayable for those without a firm grasp of the language. Despite the limitations of the hardware, the AI provides a respectable challenge, and the inclusion of various mission modes adds longevity to what could have been a very dry simulation.
The game serves as a stark reminder of how vastly different the Japanese Famicom library was compared to its Western counterparts. While the Famicom was receiving complex board game simulations and niche strategy titles deep into the 1990s, the Western NES market was transitioning toward licensed titles and late-entry puzzles. Kitte Rai Da! represents that distinct Japanese trend of keeping the 8-bit hardware alive with culturally specific titles that were never intended to cross the Pacific or Atlantic.
