Developed by Nintendo as a launch title for the Famicom in 1983, Gomoku Narabe is a digital adaptation of the traditional Japanese strategy board game. This early NES release brings the classic game of five-in-a-row to the screen with a clean, straightforward presentation and a surprisingly challenging AI opponent.
How to Play
The objective is to be the first player to form an unbroken horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line of five stones on the 15×15 grid. Using standard NES controls, move your cursor across the board with the D-pad (mapped to your arrow keys) and place your stone by pressing the A button (Z key). You can play against the computer at various difficulty levels or take turns challenging a friend in two-player mode.
Tips
- Create “forks” where placing a single stone forms two separate lines of three; this forces your opponent to block one while leaving the other open for you to complete.
- Keep a close eye on the computer’s moves; the AI will ruthlessly exploit any open sequence of three stones if you forget to block it on your turn.
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