<s>
Sword	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Samurai	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
and	O
strategy	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
MicroProse	O
in	O
1989	O
for	O
the	O
DOS	B-Device
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
features	O
role-playing	O
,	O
strategy	B-Application
,	O
and	O
arcade	O
elements	O
set	O
in	O
feudal	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
begins	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
a	O
little-known	O
vassal	O
samurai	B-Application
;	O
his	O
ultimate	O
goal	O
is	O
to	O
replace	O
Oda	O
Nobunaga	O
as	O
the	O
daimyō	O
responsible	O
for	O
reunifying	O
Sengoku	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
re-released	O
in	O
2014	O
on	O
Gog.com	O
and	O
Steam	B-Application
with	O
support	O
for	O
Windows	O
,	O
macOS	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Linux	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
death	O
is	O
final	O
and	O
frequently	O
risked	O
;	O
an	O
early	O
priority	O
is	O
establishing	O
a	O
family	O
,	O
which	O
permits	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
continue	O
as	O
the	O
samurai	B-Application
's	O
heir	O
in	O
the	O
event	O
of	O
death	O
or	O
retirement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
samurai	B-Application
has	O
several	O
properties	O
,	O
including	O
land	O
holdings	O
,	O
army	O
size	O
,	O
sword-fighting	O
ability	O
,	O
and	O
generalship	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
keeping	O
with	O
the	O
Bushidō	O
theme	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
army	O
size	O
and	O
honor	O
have	O
the	O
greatest	O
influence	O
over	O
how	O
the	O
samurai	B-Application
are	O
ranked	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
(	O
and	O
AI	O
controlled	O
characters	O
)	O
may	O
kidnap	O
and	O
rescue	O
family	O
members	O
,	O
dishonor	O
other	O
samurai	B-Application
,	O
or	O
even	O
assassinate	O
their	O
rivals	O
or	O
lord	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
samurai	B-Application
performs	O
these	O
acts	O
personally	O
and	O
risks	O
capture	O
or	O
death	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
minimum	O
,	O
exposure	O
entails	O
loss	O
of	O
honor	O
and	O
land	O
and	O
more	O
serious	O
offenses	O
require	O
ritual	O
suicide	O
(	O
seppuku	O
)	O
;	O
a	O
failed	O
attempt	O
on	O
the	O
life	O
of	O
the	O
samurai	B-Application
's	O
lord	O
occasions	O
the	O
extermination	O
of	O
his	O
entire	O
family	O
,	O
losing	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
becoming	O
a	O
daimyō	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
shifts	O
to	O
a	O
wargame	O
format	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
goal	O
of	O
conquering	O
enough	O
provinces	O
to	O
claim	O
the	O
title	O
of	O
shōgun	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Depending	O
on	O
various	O
factors	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
victor	O
's	O
honor	O
and	O
the	O
presence	O
of	O
an	O
adult	O
heir	O
,	O
the	O
length	O
of	O
the	O
dynasty	O
could	O
range	O
from	O
hundreds	O
of	O
years	O
(	O
like	O
the	O
Tokugawa	O
shogunate	O
)	O
to	O
a	O
quick	O
dissolution	O
after	O
the	O
shōgun	B-Application
's	O
death	O
(	O
as	O
occurred	O
with	O
Oda	O
Nobunaga	O
and	O
Toyotomi	O
Hideyoshi	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MicroProse	O
designers	O
Sid	O
Arnold	O
and	O
Lawrence	O
Schick	O
began	O
development	O
of	O
Sword	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Samurai	I-Application
in	O
late	O
1987	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
first	O
role-playing	O
adventure	O
game	O
Sid	B-Application
Meier	I-Application
's	I-Application
Pirates	I-Application
!	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
chose	O
to	O
set	O
it	O
during	O
the	O
Sengoku	O
period	O
because	O
the	O
era	O
's	O
chaos	O
made	O
it	O
possible	O
for	O
samurai	B-Application
to	O
gain	O
great	O
power	O
regardless	O
of	O
background	O
,	O
and	O
gave	O
players	O
the	O
goal	O
of	O
uniting	O
the	O
country	O
and	O
becoming	O
shōgun	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
February	O
–	O
March	O
1990	O
issue	O
of	O
Games	O
International	O
,	O
Brian	O
Walker	O
was	O
disappointed	O
in	O
this	O
game	O
,	O
commenting	O
that	O
although	O
the	O
outside	O
of	O
the	O
box	O
had	O
promised	O
"	O
 '	O
a	O
role-playing	O
action-adventure	O
simulation	O
 '	O
 [ ... ] 	O
it	O
is	O
none	O
of	O
these	O
things.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Jim	O
Trunzo	O
reviewed	O
Sword	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Samurai	I-Application
for	O
White	O
Wolf	O
#20	O
,	O
rating	O
it	O
4	O
out	O
of	O
5	O
overall	O
,	O
and	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
Sword	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Samurai	I-Application
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
complete	O
programs	O
designed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
stated	O
in	O
1990	O
that	O
Sword	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Samurai	I-Application
"	O
offers	O
even	O
more	O
than	O
its	O
spiritual	O
ancestor	O
,	O
Pirates	O
!	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
