Hundred Swords Preview

Smilebit, the development team responsible for Jet Grind Radio, has recently released a multiplayer network strategy/simulation game. Titled Hundred Swords, the game is currently out in Japanese arcades, and it uses Sega's online entertainment system, net@. Not one to pass up on a good arcade-to-Dreamcast port, Sega has announced it's working with Smilebit to develop a Dreamcast version.

Hundred Swords is a game in the same vein as Command & Conquer and Starcraft. You play as an army and you must gather resources, build up your forces, and destroy your enemies. The game plays out in real time, forcing you to use your quick-decision-making skills and execute strategies in a timely manner. The arcade net@ version lets you play an Internet multiplayer game with up to three other human players. The Dreamcast version should also feature various Internet multiplayer modes, such as free for all, two-on-two, and even one-on-three games.

Instead of four rival factions, the four armies in Hundred Swords are represented by characters. There's Ralph Naraval, a general who leads the Dragon cavalry; Queen Falruth Lou Gran, a powerful magician; Prince Rentz Mascar, who excels in hand-to-hand combat; and General Zarn Ruprastrea, whose strength is long-ranged combat.

The Dreamcast version of Hundred Swords will be more than a port, and it will feature a single-player adventure mode not found in the arcade version. In this adventure mode you will play the role of either King Ralph Naraval or Queen Falruth Lou Gran and battle through seven chapters containing more than 30 different maps and missions. The data used in adventure mode can be transferred to the multiplayer network game, where you can use weapons, armor, and items found during your single-player quest. It's unknown whether the arcade versions will be compatible with the Dreamcast versions.

The net@ version of Hundred Swords is currently available in arcades in Japan. No release date has been announced for the Dreamcast version yet.