![Gomoku Narabe & Reversi Touryuumon (J) [M]](/uploads/games/g-1ab93ee8431c.webp)
Gomoku Narabe & Reversi Touryuumon (J) [M]
Getting to Know Gomoku Narabe & Reversi Touryuumon (J) [M]
Gomoku Narabe & Reversi Touryuumon is a compilation cartridge for the Bandai WonderSwan, released exclusively in Japan. It bundles two classic abstract strategy board games: Gomoku Narabe (a variant of tic-tac-toe played on a Go board with the goal of getting five in a row) and Reversi Touryuumon (better known internationally as Othello). The exact publisher and developer are not widely documented, but it was a first-party or licensed title from the early WonderSwan library, roughly around the year 2000. This is an official retail release, not a homebrew or hack - the [M] in the filename likely indicates a multi-game cartridge or a specific dump revision.
When you boot up the cartridge, you are presented with a simple menu to pick either Gomoku or Reversi. In Gomoku, two players (or one player against a CPU opponent) take turns placing their stones on a 15x15 grid, trying to connect five consecutive stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Reversi, played on an 8x8 board, tasks each player with outflanking the opponent's disks to flip them to their own color, aiming to have the majority of disks at the end. The WonderSwan's monochrome LCD screen renders the boards clearly, and both games offer adjustable AI difficulty levels and pass-and-play for two human players. Menus are entirely in Japanese, but the core gameplay is intuitive and doesn't require reading beyond basic navigation.
Today, this title holds appeal for retro collectors who want a dedicated portable Othello and Gomoku machine. It doesn't reinvent either game, but having both on one cartridge is convenient. The AI is competent, offering a decent challenge for casual play. If you enjoy board games and have an interest in the WonderSwan's niche library, this is a solid, if simple, pick. It's not a deep RPG or action game, but for what it does - two timeless strategy games - it does the job without frills.
How to Play Gomoku Narabe & Reversi Touryuumon (J) [M] Online
Getting Started
When the game loads, you will see a title screen presenting two options. Use the arrow keys to highlight either "Gomoku" or "Reversi" and press X to confirm. A submenu lets you choose game mode: versus the computer (CPU) or versus another human player (2P). The CPU difficulty setting (often labeled as "強" = strong or "弱" = weak) can be selected using the D-pad before starting. Since the menus are entirely in Japanese, familiarizing yourself with these common kanji helps.
Once a match begins, the D-pad moves a cursor across the board. Press X to place your stone or flip a disk. In Gomoku, you can also press X to "pass" if you choose not to place on your turn (though normally you must place). In Reversi, passing is automatic when no legal moves exist. The game will signal your turn and show whose color you play. The core loop is simply taking alternate turns until one player wins by achieving five in a row (Gomoku) or by having the most disks on the board when no moves remain (Reversi).
If you want to start a new game or adjust settings, press Enter (Start) during a match to bring up the pause menu. The options there allow you to restart, change sides, or return to the main menu. No save function is available, so finish your match in one sitting. The AI plays quickly, making each game a reasonably short experience.
Gomoku Narabe & Reversi Touryuumon (J) [M] Keyboard Controls
Controls
- Arrow Keys: D-Pad / Movement
- X: A button
- S: B button
- Enter: Start
- V: Sound
Comments (0)