Hikaru’s Go 3

You can play various Go games with Sai. Have fun playing and get better!

JP release: 20th March 2003
EU release: N/A
NA release: N/A
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
NGC Magazine Score: N/A
Mods Used: Widescreen Hack

Go is a game I’m aware of, but haven’t properly played. The game is simple on the surface – surround your opponents pieces to take them – but immensely deep in practice, as there are an immense amount of possible moves per turn. As a result, it took much longer for computers to be able to compete against humans compared to chess. That said, even a simple one could probably best me.

Hikaru’s Go isn’t just a game about Go, but also based on a manga/anime series, and the third game based on it (the first two being on the GBA). The main character, Hikaru Shindo, also later appeared in Jump Super Stars, a Smash Bros style game based on popular Manga characters.

While this game could have been done entirely in 2D, Konami have done it in 3D with a lovely cel-shaded look. In the story mode, you have to get better at Go to help a mysterious character impress a king, or something to that effect. This involves playing lots of matches, or taking part in a puzzle mode.

While it is just Go, this is done in a far nicer presentation than any other Japanese Board Game adaptation I’ve played (Mahjong and Shogi) and is likely a good game to fans of either the board game or the anime, with the game also being a tool to reach new players. It’s a really nice package for those interested in Go.

Fun

From start to finish the dialogue from the characters you interact with is well written. The overarching story of reuniting Hikaru and Fujiwara will keep you invested and eager to battle across the city and learning from each match makes you feel like your skills in multiple fields are improving. Each conversation before the match will cover the characters role in the story, their passions for Go and their affiliations as you would expect but you will also find more human and day-to-day vocabulary throughout.
Games and Kanji

Remake or remaster?

This is a really good tool for the game Go, and would be the good basis for a localised version.

Official Ways to get the game

There is no official way to get Hikaru’s Go 3.