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And now for something completely, different....

I didn't think you could get this much book out of that much movie.

The movie that this game is based on only runs eighty-two minutes, so you wouldn't think that there would be too much to work from. Sometimes, when a game company gets a liscense like this, they put down what's in the movie/book/series, and then 'make up' enough material to fill out the book. Guardians of Order avoids this.

Demon City Shinjuku takes the information that is presented in the movie, and fills in the holes in a logical, forthright manner. It is left up to the GM and players to fill in the rest of the world in whatever manner they see fit. Information that doesn't come from the movie or from reality isn't here. What is here is a solid book that can serve as the springboard of a campaign.

The book starts out with a layout of the movie's events, from beginning to end, including a sidebar on the english spelling of the villain's name. (I have to side with the author on that one.)

Next we have character creation. This is done on the same familiar system that features in the other anime RPGs from Guardians of order. There are a few powers available that aren't in the movie, but these are presented as being 'reasonable,' which they are. Certainly none of the demons fly, but it's reasonable that some demon could. The book also includes the new skill system, which is much less complicated than the skill system in some games.

Then we have the game mechanics. While we have the same basic game engine that has been featured before, some more information on close combat has been included. The weapons table includes both melee and ranged weapons, which is a nice touch, although they could have been placed in separate tables.

Next is some background information. Some basic information is given on Japan, and Tokyo in general, but the bulk of the information focuses on the Shinjuku district.

Finally there is the GM's section. This mostly consists of possible plot hooks, and suggestions on how to go beyond the movie. The possibility of players playing demons is raised, as is the possibility of combining this game with other Guardians of Order products. This gives me evil ideas...

In summation, this is a good book, and certainly not limited to the movie. This game can easily be adapted to fit almost any horror campaign.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Demon City Shinjuku RPG and Resource Book
Author: David L. Pulver Category: game Company/Publisher: Guardians of Order Line: Tri-Stat System Cost: 19.95 Page count: 144 ISBN: 0-9682431-4-2 SKU: 05-001 Capsule Review by Hollis McCray on 02/17/00. Genre tags: Modern_day Horror Anime	And now for something completely, different.... I didn't think you could get this much book out of that much movie. The movie that this game is based on only runs eighty-two minutes, so you wouldn't think that there would be too much to work from. Sometimes, when a game company gets a liscense like this, they put down what's in the movie/book/series, and then 'make up' enough material to fill out the book. Guardians of Order avoids this. Demon City Shinjuku takes the information that is presented in the movie, and fills in the holes in a logical, forthright manner. It is left up to the GM and players to fill in the rest of the world in whatever manner they see fit. Information that doesn't come from the movie or from reality isn't here. What is here is a solid book that can serve as the springboard of a campaign. The book starts out with a layout of the movie's events, from beginning to end, including a sidebar on the english spelling of the villain's name. (I have to side with the author on that one.) Next we have character creation. This is done on the same familiar system that features in the other anime RPGs from Guardians of order. There are a few powers available that aren't in the movie, but these are presented as being 'reasonable,' which they are. Certainly none of the demons fly, but it's reasonable that some demon could. The book also includes the new skill system, which is much less complicated than the skill system in some games. Then we have the game mechanics. While we have the same basic game engine that has been featured before, some more information on close combat has been included. The weapons table includes both melee and ranged weapons, which is a nice touch, although they could have been placed in separate tables. Next is some background information. Some basic information is given on Japan, and Tokyo in general, but the bulk of the information focuses on the Shinjuku district. Finally there is the GM's section. This mostly consists of possible plot hooks, and suggestions on how to go beyond the movie. The possibility of players playing demons is raised, as is the possibility of combining this game with other Guardians of Order products. This gives me evil ideas... In summation, this is a good book, and certainly not limited to the movie. This game can easily be adapted to fit almost any horror campaign. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Demon City Shinjuku RPG and Resource Book