Gomoku/Renju

Gomoku/Renju

TRS-80 Color Computer - USA - 1st edition.

Developer Intelligent Software Publisher Tandy Corporation Published 1983-??-?? Platforms TRS-80 Color Computer Genres Board game, Connection, Single-screen, Strategy, Turn-based strategy Multiplayer Alternating versus Distribution Commercial

Gomoku/Renju is a video game adaption of the board games gomoku and renju developed by Intelligent Software and published by the Tandy Corporation for the TRS-80 Color Computer in 1983.

The game simulates the rules and game play of both gomoku and renju. It also includes game variants and options including: changing the board size in gomoku from 9x9 up to 15x15, choosing between eight levels of AI difficulty, watching how the computer considers moves, having the computer play against itself, asking for a hint, and undoing a move. It also has a database containing the most popular early game moves which it utilizes at the higher difficulty levels.

Personal

Own?	No.
Won?	Yes. Gomoku and renju 15x15 board, level 3 AI difficulty.
Finished	2024-08-22.

While looking for older software on platforms I wasn't familiar with, I found gomoku. I remember playing Pente as a child, though my brother and I didn't know about the capture rules, so we just tried to get five in a row. The version of gomoku I initially found was released for the PDP-11. The page described the game, but didn't offer a way to play it, so I went searching for version of the game on a different old platform and found this one. First I played until I beat the AI at gomoku, then, after reading the manual and finding out how to switch to renju, I played until I beat it as well.

Review

2	3	2	1	5

Best Version: TRS-80 Color Computer

Good

• The game competently enforces the rules of both gomoku and the more complicated renju.
• There are a fair amount of play variations and AI options, and being able to watch the AI helps teach the game to beginners.

Bad

• The graphics aren't that great. They get the job done, but that's it. The TRS-80 CoCo was capable of more.
• At the higher AI levels, the computer can take several minutes even for a simple turn, which isn't very fun to play.

Ugly

• The game is just gomoku and renju. Other then the AI, nothing new is added to it. You could play the game for free with a sackful of rocks.
• The sound is just annoying beeps. More should have been done with it.

Media

Box Art

The box has a nice line drawing of two Japanese men in traditional kimono playing the board game. Too bad one is a copy-paste of the other. It uses the long drop-shadow used in all first-party cartridge releases on the platform.

• 

  TRS-80 CoCo - USA.

Documentation

• 

  Manual - USA.

Play Online

TRS-80 CoCo

Representation

Strong female character?	Fail	This game doesn't have characters.
Bechdel test?	Fail	This game doesn't have characters.
Strong person of color character?	Fail	This game doesn't have characters.
Queer character?	Fail	This game doesn't have characters.

Links