Sword of the Samurai
DOS - 1989
Description of Sword of the Samurai
Sword of The Samurai is a rare gem undiscovered by many gamers. It's very strange that the game did not garner any "Hall of Fame" status in computer magazines, because it is the best game ever made about a samurai's life in ancient Japan.
Starting off as a lowly Samurai, your task is to work your way up the social ladder to become Shogun. Some of the game's best features include: exciting duels (designed by Sid Meier), lots of branching choices (later used in Darklands to great effect), and an authentic medieval Japan setting, complete with beautiful woodcut graphics and Japanese ambient music. Gameplay is a masterful blend of action, strategy, and adventure. Similar to medieval Europe, you have a fiefdom and a number of men under your command. The difference, however, is that here you must heed Japanese concepts of honor which is quantified and is of paramount importance in the game. If you try to assassinate a rival and fail, for instance, your honor will decline precipitously, prompting your men to desert you or your bride to leave you. Lose enough honor, and you will have no choice but to commit seppuku (ritual suicide).
With authentic Japanese premise, strong gameplay based on real Samurai culture, and great graphics, Sword of Samurai belongs in every strategy gamer's collection. Definitely not to be missed!
Review By HOTUD
External links
Captures and Snapshots
Comments and reviews
nostalgic 2018-08-17 4 points
hi guys, especially to SYAX. where can i download this game PLEASE!???
Tron 2018-07-11 1 point
I beat this game exactly once. High replay value. You can also become a ronin if you lose honor, kidnap rival's wife and kill your rival after insulting him in his place. Playing as a bad guy is much more fun.
Syax 2018-04-05 0 point
OH MY GOD!!! i still have this game in 3/4inch floppy sat in a box of memories somewhere, loved this game so much back in the day that i couldnt bare to get rid of it. have not played this in years until now...Thanks so much, i love this site :D
Dei Sicarius 2018-03-07 1 point
I have this game in a zip file and emailed these guys to offer it up for download.
MadBomber 2017-02-17 1 point
I own this game along with necromancer, my two favorites. There is a problem tho, No download button. Thank you abandon ware for necromancer but I still need this game too.
God Bless all!
Ace 2016-11-15 1 point
Spent many hours before class began playing this game on the green cursor screen and floppy disk, a awesome game!!!
Wayne 2016-03-17 0 point
This was a great game. I spent many hours playing this one back in the day. Reminded me of Defender of the Crown in Japanese setting, but better all around. Much more immersive with all the feudal Japan culture, and a lot more to do. Tons of replay value.
Koei junkie 2015-04-26 0 point DOS version
Looks good but it's not actually here :/ Download link please?
NeedHelp 2014-09-22 0 point DOS version
Hi guys! This game is looking good but, how can I run it on Windows 7 x64?
Old Man H 2014-03-09 0 point DOS version
This is a great game, one of few I kept the original package for. I saw it's newly available on gog.com.
I loved the tactical army battle and solo home invasion game modes.
OM 2013-05-02 0 point DOS version
...Also, there's a game guide, FAQ and walkthru here:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/915698-sword-of-the-samurai/faqs/37891
...This game was a very important element of my life during the first two years after it was released. It gave me something other than Wolfenstein 3D to while away the hours while working overnights at a local TV station in the era before infomercials. I'd actually love to see someone snag the rights and come up with an updated-but-still-retro version of it, especially with today's FPS expectations, but naaah. It'll never happen :)
OM 2013-05-02 0 point DOS version
...The manual for this has been scanned, and can be found here:
www.generalisations.com/ka/sots-manual.pdf
...There *once* was a game editor released about 1991 that allowed you to not only change character stats, but let you change some of the names in the game. A version with NPC names changed to "Sukicoki" or "Imahomo" was floating around the old BBS pirate sections for a while, but who knows where that one finally wound up. 5.25" Floppy Hell, probably.
Roman 2012-07-04 1 point DOS version
Fantastic game, one of the best ever of capturing this era. Many games like the more recent Total War series by Electronic Arts have updated the epic battles of feudal Japan, but no game has captured the rise from disappointing retainer to Samurai Lord better than this game.
I've downloaded the .zip file and unzipped it, and downloaded D-Fend. However I can't seem to identify an .exe file. Which one is it?s
Write a comment
Share your gamer memories, give useful links or comment anything you'd like. This game is no longer abandonware, we won't put it back online.
Buy Sword of the Samurai
Sword of the Samurai is available for a small price on the following websites, and is no longer abandonware. GOG.com provides the best release and does not include DRM, please buy from them! You can read our online store guide .
Similar games
Fellow retro gamers also downloaded these games:
