Web Fed Award-winning Planets

Reviewed on April 18, 1999

Jumping through the link, our reviewdroid almost instantly felt a difference in this star system. Gone was all of the hustle and bustle that so often surrounds an Interstellar Link (especially that of a Duchy Capital). Instead was a feeling of serenity and peace.

Heartened by this dramatic shift, our reviewdroid eagerly landed on Honshu itself and took a look around. It wasn't at all disappointed by what it found. Honshu is based on Earth's Japan, but one that quite clearly has left the insanity of 20th Century Tokyo behind. Instead you're on a planet that plays host to kind shopkeepers and aesthetic beauty within the locations.

Honshu will no doubt be considered by some to be an exercise in minimalism. To some extent that isn't too far off. Rooms are often sparsely decorated, with simplicity such as poems or even small ASCII art graphics waiting for you in various locations. The inhabitants speak Japanese to you. At no point in time is the mood ever shattered as you gaze on a sunset, feel a small storm pass overhead, or see designs formed in the pebbles near the garden.

In short, Honshu is astounding. It's a prime example of how you can take an idea and run with it without ever losing the mood you've created. It's also a wonderful example of how to keep from "over-crowding" a planet. Locations in Honshu are small but elegant, each word carefully selected to keep from overwhelming the visitor.

It should be no surprise that Honshu has just won the Coveted Walrus of Merit Award. Congratulations, Kyushusan!