The Nintendo FDS, short for Family Computer Disk System, was a peripheral released by Nintendo in Japan in 1986. It allowed users to play games from disk, providing an immersive experience unlike the cartridge-based systems of the time. One game that stands out among its library is "Knight Move," developed by Koei and later ported to the FDS. In this article, we'll delve into the world of "Knight Move" on Nintendo FDS, exploring its gameplay, reception, and age rating.

Game Overview

"Knight Move" is a strategy game where players take on the role of a knight tasked with completing various missions across different levels. The objective is to navigate through obstacles while protecting the knight's health bar. This side-scrolling action game has a unique twist: it incorporates both strategy and real-time combat elements.

Gameplay Mechanics

The gameplay revolves around the movement of the knight, who can jump, walk, or charge forward with his lance. Knights have two types of movements - "jump" for traversing small gaps and "charge" to traverse larger distances while also dealing damage to enemies. There are three types of enemy classes: armored knights, light infantrymen, and archers.

Players must navigate through levels filled with various obstacles like bridges, rivers, and spikes, while avoiding the arrows shot by the enemies. In addition, there are obstacles such as rocks and trees on certain paths that can be broken or jumped over using specific movement actions.

Combat Mechanics

Knight Move is primarily a non-combat game where players rely more on strategy than combat. However, when facing an opponent directly, knights will engage in melee combat using their lance to charge forward at enemies or defend against incoming attacks by tilting the direction of their attack. The charge is effective but leaves the knight open for counterattacks.

Reception and Legacy

Knight Move was initially released on arcades before being ported to Nintendo FDS. While not a commercial success in Japan, it has garnered recognition as an interesting example of early strategy games on home console systems.

The game's reception is somewhat divided among retro gamers due to its complexity and challenging nature, but fans appreciate the challenge and depth that "Knight Move" brings to table. As such, this game can be seen as a unique addition to the FDS library that showcased what could be achieved in terms of strategy and action.

Age Rating

Considering the content and gameplay mechanics, it's worth noting that some elements like combat may be considered too intense for younger audiences. In Japan, where many FDS titles were released, the age rating might have been different compared to other countries due to varying standards of violence or intensity in games at the time.

However, given its release on Nintendo FDS and considering the historical context, there isn't a specific regionally available age rating for "Knight Move." Nonetheless, parents are advised to assess their child's gaming maturity before letting them play this game if they're concerned about content.

Conclusion

"Knight Move" is an intriguing example of a strategy action game on Nintendo FDS that stands out from its contemporaries due to its challenging gameplay mechanics and unique approach to the genre. While not widely known outside Japan, it has garnered recognition among retro gaming enthusiasts as a notable title in the FDS library.

Overall, if you're interested in exploring the more obscure titles of the Nintendo FDS era or simply looking for a strategic challenge, "Knight Move" is worth considering.