Shin Katei Gunkan: Kōtetsu no Kodoku

Description

Shin Kaitei Gunkan: Kōtetsu no Kodoku (Solitude of Steel) is based on the OVA Shin Kaitei Gunkan (Super Atragon), itself a reimagining of Kaitei Gunkan (Atragon), and it places players in command of the submarine battleship Ragoh (羅号) as humanity’s final hope against a catastrophic invasion.  In both the OVA background and the game’s premise, a secret super-weapon born from wartime technology returns in a future era when peace is shattered by overwhelming enemy forces, and the game extends that setup into a larger, self-contained campaign.  The original OVA was left unfinished, however the Saturn game adds its own material and brings the storyline to a conclusion.

The game is built as a turn-based, hex-map simulation, with missions progressing through a sequence of player, allied, and enemy turns in a structure broadly comparable to traditional Japanese strategy titles of the era.  In addition to Ragoh itself, players work with supporting modern military hardware such as aircraft, warships, and ground units, while the game also introduces material not found in the OVA, including more overt science-fiction weaponry and even humanoid mecha.  Stage clear scenes unlock newly created animated movie sequences made specifically for the game, and several battle moments use 3DCG, which was still relatively unusual for this kind of Saturn tie-in strategy title at the time.

In retrospect, it stands out as an unusual Saturn licensed title: part anime continuation, part naval-SF strategy game, and the kind of release most likely to appeal to players who already enjoyed old-school hex-based war sims or obscure mecha and warship media tie-ins. Reviews were quite modest. It may be best described as a fan-oriented work whose biggest appeal lies in seeing the unfinished OVA completed.