Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan is a turn-based strategy game released in the late 1980s for various PC platforms (first for the PC-88 in December 1987, followed by the PC-98, MSX, X68000, DOS, and Amiga) as well as the NES console. Unlike other Koei games, which focus on China or Japan, Genghis Khan also allowed the player to interact with other parts of Asia as well as medieval Europe.

The game progressed in two stages: Mongol conquest and world conquest.

In either mode the game supports up to four players.

In Mongol conquest the player takes the role of a Mongol chieftain attempting to rise through the ranks to become Genghis Khan.

In world conquest each player attempts to conquer the old world and takes control of one of the following powers: the Mongols (led by Genghis Khan), the Byzantines (led by Alexios), the Britons (led by Richard) or the Japanese (led by Yoritomo).

As players progress through either game, their leaders have children (who also age) and eventually grow ill and die. This generational gameplay makes choosing and training an heir important, since the player might need to control several different characters during the course of a single game.

The character must also appoint governors to rule conquered kingdoms and these governors can rebel, forming independent nations that must be reconquered. The player can prevent a governor from rebelling by marrying a daughter to his general, effectively making that general an adopted brother.

Genghis Khan was successful enough to warrant a sequel, Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Grey Wolf, which was released for the SNES and is available on the Wii's Virtual Console.