James Clavell's Shōgun

James Clavell's Shogun comes alive

First, there's the sick, mutinous crew to deal with. Then there's your own exhaustion and illness. Plus the stormy sea and the treacherous reef to navigate. But all that pales in comparison to the challenge of surviving your abrupt entrance into a culture totally foreign to you. Your training has prepared you for everything... everything but this.

Dave Lebling has taken the adventure, intrigue, and excitement of James Clavell's classic novel, Shogun, one step further in a masterful new work of interactive fiction. The seven million Shogun fans who enjoyed James Clavell's book and the tens of millions who watched its television adaptation can now explore the world of feudal Japan, with its labyrinthine palaces, rank jails, serene teahouses, and equally fascinating and complicated inhabitants.

The adventure begins on the Erasmus, the only ship of five to survive a dangerous journey through uncharted seas. At last on the unknown shores of The Japans, you face a barbarian's welcome of torture and imprisonment. To keep your life, you must identify who can hurt you and who can help you. At first, you know very little about the world in which you find yourself. Exploring, asking, learning, testing are all crucial to your survival. Death is always the merest whisper away.

In James Clavell's Shogun, you will meet Toranaga and Ishido, vicious enemies who take the lives of thousands of men in their struggle for the coveted title of Shogun. You also meet and fall in love with Mariko, your translator and initiator into undreamt-of mysteries.

The key to success in the interactive Shogun is the ability to act as the British pilot-major Blackthorne would. Handsome, cagey and self-assured, his confidence is matched only by his talent to navigate a ship through the trickiest of waters. To survive and succeed in this new world requires thorough observation, quick thought, and careful action. Lebling's puzzles should be attacked in Blackthorne's character, and they rely on Blackthorne's personal knowledge to be solved.

James Clavell's Shogun ushers in a new era of interactive text adventures. Immersing you in the world of the game, Shogun sets the scene with richly detailed graphics drawn in the style of 16th-century Japanese court paintings. It is one of the first games to use our newest parser, which makes communicating with the game even easier. Written in the novel's rich, descriptive prose, the game is as engaging as James Clavell's original. James Clavell himself feels the tone of his work has been so well captured, that he claims Dave Lebling is "the person who knows the most about Shogun in the entire world."

Infocom's Shogun is the perfect marriage of the talents of two extremely prolific and popular authors. James Clavell's other novels include Tai Pan, King Rat, Noble House and Whirlwind. Dave Lebling is the author or co-author of nine works of interactive fiction, including Zork I, II, and III, Enchanter, Suspect and, most recently, The Lurking Horror.

Shogun is now available for the Macintosh, Amiga and Apple II series. A version for IBM and 100% compatibles will be available in May. Apple II version retails for $49.95; all other versions retail for $59.95.

Source:

From The Status Line, Vol.VIII No.1 Spring 1989

INFOCOM'S NEW GRAPHICS WILL BLOW YOU OUT OF THE WATER...

JAMES CLAVELL'S SHOGUN

Now James Clavell's compelling saga of power and intrigue in 16th Century Japan comes to life in a riveting work of interactive fiction. You play the English sea-pilot John Blackthorne, a stranger who must learn to survive in the exotic world of feudal Japan. How you act, what you say and whom you befriend will determine your fate and the course of the game. * Shogun is an adaptation of James Clavell's novel in which you actually become the hero. If you enjoyed the book or television miniseries, you will love the interactive version of James Clavell's Shogun. * Shogun's breathtaking graphics are designed in the style of 16th Century Japanese painters. You have never seen computer screens like these. * Shogun features on-screen hints and friendlier language interface. * James Clavell's Shogun is a collaboration between two extremely popular authors: James Clavell, whose bestselling novels include Noble House and Tai Pan, and Dave Lebling, author of the Zork Trilogy and Enchanter. * Your Shogun package includes a game disk and Blackthorne's map of the known world. * James Clavell's Shogun is available for most personal computers. See the order form on the reverse side for machines and prices.

Source:

From the Infocom fold-out catalog, 1988

The potent action and adventure of Shogun come alive on your computer screen.

EXPERIENCE THE SWEEPING DRAMA AND POWER OF JAMES CLAVELL'S SHOGUN

The year is 1600. You are John Blackthorne, Pilot-Major of a privateering merchant ship and the first Englishman to set foot on Japanese soil. Thrust into the exotic culture of feudal Japan, you must rely on your wits and sheer physical strength to survive. As you are drawn into the political intrigue and teeming violence, your most basic beliefs and assumptions will be tested. Act with care: in a land where honor is valued above life itself, you make a wrong decision at your peril.

In this interactive adaptation, Dave Lebling - co-author of the enormously popular Zork series - captures all the drama and spellbinding style of James Clavell's matchless novel. Color graphics created in the exquisite style of 16th century Japanese court painters illustrate the unfolding saga. Infocom's new, friendlier parser understands more commands than ever. And if you ever need help, on-screen hints will lead you back to the action.

Your Shogun package contains the game disk, Blackthorne's map of the known world, and the legend of the samurai sword.

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The beauty of color graphics combine with the richness of Infocom's storytelling to bring you unforgettable entertainment.

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Back of Box - Apple II/DOS (US)