Rating:    Reviewed by:   David "MacAttack-sama" McCulloch

BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat  Group SNE/Shouji Kawamori/Studio NUE/Fujimi Shobo 1992 ISBN 4-8291-7194-4   The Product:  Produced under license from FASA, in this version BattleTech has returned to the land of its ancestors. The Japanese version retains the same rules set and format as the basic boxed set, though in a slimmer "flat-pack" rather than the deeper box that us Ganjin may be accustomed to.  For obvious reasons the fourteen "classic" Mechs had to be given new visual identities to protect the innocent (that is a Shadow Hawk on the cover). The Chameleon training Mech is also given a "Manga" work over. The Level 1 rule set is provided along with a TRO section that has the details of the standard Mechs and completed record sheets. Two basic map boards and two sheets of color Mech counters round out the basic set. The Good: Fittingly, the standard of artwork from the home of really big robots is very high. Equally important is the fact that the quality is of a consistent standard from cover to cover. This has often been the weakness of the English BattleTech product line, where we have seen some exceptional work, but often mixed in with other items of questionable quality. The color counters for the Mechs are very nicely done. Although no substitute for miniatures, they are acceptable to get the game running. The Bad: Some people may not like the "Manga" look of the Mechs after becoming accustomed to the classic Macross versions. As stated above, the box is a kind of "flat-pack" construction that has no room fore additional items, or the card target decoy counters once they are pressed out and prepped for play. Another result of this packaging is that no dice are included (being kind of hard make flat). The quality of the paper is not of the standard seen in the English version. Continuity: There is minimal background content in the basic rules, but what little is presented a faithful translation of the original (I think - my Japanese is not too hot). Some of the redesigned Mech images were used in the Solaris VII boxed set for special arena fighters with completely new stats. Conclusion: The basic rules provide everything required to get playing BattleTech and are successful as an introductory system. Hardcore players obviously are better off with the most recent set of the complete rules, though the ability to read English is required to get the most out of the BattleTech universe (guess I am lucky there). As for Japanese BattleTech, lets just say I play it with an accent. 3 ½ Timberwolves (or cultural equivalent). Japanese Mech Counters