Battle for Iwo Jima Reviews

I like this game because it feels like a really old school tweezers and cardboard game. The problem is it has some bugs here and there that are basically gamebreaking, so I can't recommend it. Numerous times I got near the end of a multi-hour campaign and the game suddenly tells me that I've lost. It's pretty annoying. I can't find any reason why I lost other than that I have lost before, then started a new game.

I liked the game. I wish it wouldn't end after a few turns or they would fix the bugs. In the middle if you move a unit first it locks up and then you have to end the turn. If you don't get to a certain part by turn 4 it quits the game and says you lost. It's just frustrating and you can't turn they off.

Battle for Iwo Jima is a little nice wargame. It plays, looks, and feel as a computer port of a traditional board wargame, one on the simple side of the complexity scale. I would even say too simple for my tastes, and with some less than stellar implementations rules-wise. There are several good ideas and several bad ones. Being this a short Steam review, I will not talk about the battle, and limit myself to the game. First the good part. The map, by Marc Von Martial (he also drew the map of my Lion of Malaya!) is excellent, and pleasant to see. There is an embryonic command system forcing the player to maintain some sort of divisional integrity. More critically this system enforce some sort of planning, with each of the three marine division needing a distinct geographical objective. The fatigue system also show both the progressive exhaustion of USMC troops, and the need to rotate units on the frontline. Tanks are (like in the real battle) better as support units than attacking directly. The bad news... well the command system is really embryonic, just divisions, no battalions, no regiment. This is a big let down for me. Basically a whole division is an amorphous mass and you can simply pluck the companies in best shape for your attacks. Also divisional colors (and Division badges rather than just a man on the radio for HQs) would have helped both immersion, and player awareness. While artillery and airpower are represented defensively, they are not shown in their main role, to soften up defensive position. Basically the mass of USMC artillery deployed by the V MAC, naval gunfire support, and also airpower does not seems to influence the battle in any way. This is quite disappointing, considering that Japanese artillery is directly bombarding your marines every game turn, and it seems completely unaffected by your progress on the island. The fact you are overruning their fortified positions, or providing counterbattery fires, is ignored by the game. This is another gaping hole in the system. Another gripe is the inability for the player to discern the nature of the Japanese defenders. I have no gripe with the game hiding detailed information, but if the position is just infantry, it has heavier weapons or tanks should be known to the player once in contact. The manual also lacks any information on the combat system (odds, fire points, percentage... how the modifiers affect the final result...), my experience was just fire (or being fired) and see the result. Finally I am not too keen on the victory conditions forcing you to get objectives in an historical order. This approach always seems forced to me. Now, after reading all my negative comments it would appear I did not like the game... but I am still recommending it. playing it it found it pleasant. It is not the definitive game on Iwo, and the rules are simple to the point of being simplistic, but as a little diversion, and especially if bought during a sale is a worthy addition to a computer wargame library. It is also a simple game that could be played quickly by people with little experience in traditional wargames, and still have both entertaining and historical value. It is a good indie effort.

Oh, WOW..this hex-board game is a hard one, I tried playing it accordingly to the [ timetable given within ] and lost twice, even though I did not allow the Imperial Japanese army to inflict any heavy loss on my part...But, still could not reach the acceptable goals of taking the "main objectives" in winning the game...give it a try, and be very thankful that you did not have to fight in that war...Thank a Vet....

I liked the historical aspect of the game, but it seems the AI was at times ridiculously and overtly coming to the rescue of the Japanese units. I wiped out the entire Japanese army within the prescribed amount of time and captured every objective but was still given a "Draw." A win is a win, not a draw.

This is simply a game to occupy your time .It's a hex movement based game but it's not historically correct! Nor does it incorporate all assets available to the Marines, It does depict the determination of the Japanese Commanding General to inflict heavy casualties on the Marines. I've played it for 20 plus hours and have been ahead of the actual, documented objective schedule , order of battle, and timetable by as much as two days AND HELD THE OPPOSING FORCE BELOW 320 POINTS and THE GAME WILL GIVE THE VICTORY TO THE JAPANESE BY VIRTUE OF " YOU BEING BOGGED DOWN". THIS BATTLE LASTED A MONTH- COST THE MARINES 28,000 CASUALTIES AND BOTH COMMANDING GENERAL DIED ON IWO. Also id does not include the use of Marine Aircraft from the carries, Marine support units ,BAR's, 37mm anti tank, motar or demolition assets or flame throwers. you'll only have tank HE and M1 Grands. It's a time killing game but not historically accurate

This could be a fun little gem but alas... It plays a bit slow because of some unnecessary graphic effects. Assigning support to units in the beginning of the turn is a good mechanic but where actually is the support? There is no naval artillery or air support to call. The unit which is assigned support for the turn still takes horrific losses and fails to reduce a one-step Japanese infantry even with an armor modifier. Still, I could live with that but there's a much bigger problem with the game: Impossible to win. Don't get me wrong. I love a good challenge in wargames but in this game, decisive defeat just comes out of nowhere... For no apperant reason! Airfield 1 and Suribachi is captured on time, there's 4 more days for the next objective's deadline, casualties are moderate and Japanese points are below 320. And suddenly Nimitz decides to evacuate the island due to heavy losses. Why? Played 6 sessions. 3 of them ended just like that. I checked the manual inside and out but there is just no logical explanation. It almost seems like the game is not quite compete in its current state. Which is a shame because this is a goodlooking wargame. I so loved the gameplay mechanics (apart from the support mechanic which I believe isn't working as intended). It's simple. You read the manual which sums everything up in a few pages, get the basics and jump right in. It could be perfect for beginner wargamers and quite a fun experience for seasoned players. But not in its current state.

38 hours playing to lose after 7 days max every single game. jap artillery hits and always causes casualties, they can fire 2 hexes always causing casualties, they can ambush and always hit, they banzai and always hit, the Americans have support which does nothing, they cannot hit anything, they cannot assault. Pointless game made to look pretty and that is it.

yes, but: 1. It goes so extremely slow, mainly i think due to unnecessary graphic duration. The very worst is the flare shooting into the air at each nite attack. It goes dramaticly on & on, but, you know, after the very 1st time, ok, we get it. Actually same re artillery & j attacks, and movement in general - i think the units could move a lot faster if the sound&graphics were abbreviated. 2. I play over&over & lose EVERY time. OK i learned, but this last time was especially bad: Day 13 end turn, i've achieved green on 3 of the so-far 4 objectives, red on the 4th :(, several days remain to get to the next 1, only 235/320 j points, truly it feels the opposition is COLLAPSING, i am racing to the final objectives with plenty of time left, seems i've finally got this fig'd out, and suddenly "japanese decisive victory". WHY?

Battle for Iwo Jima, by Yobo Wargames, is an interesting beast. At first it seems simple; the mechanics are minimalist; just push units forward in the appropriate phase, and literally attack every time a unit is adjacent to an enemy. However... The game features 3 divisions of US Marines, the 5th, the 4th and the 3rd. Each is different in quality, represented by strength points ranging from 10 at the highest, to 1, which is nearly dead. Units have 1-4 "steps" that represent sequential losses; each step loss drops the unit strength significantly. They also have fatigue, which is gained through losses, movement, fighting in day and at night... Pretty much anything can cause fatigue. Fatigue degrades combat performance significantly regardless of unit strength. Fatigue can be regained by resting away from enemy fire, losses by allocating replacement steps. Unit types are infantry, which do the fighting; armor, which supports infantry from one hex back and adds combat strength, and a divisional HQ, the location of which determines which units are in command. If you are not in command, you can move, but you can't fight or recover fatigue or steps. So positioning your HQ is important. The Japanese artillery and the ability to attack at night. They also have 3 levels of fortification, with which they built lines of defense. The game is about taking the various victory locations on or before the date on which they were taken in real life. This is hard, because of a simple fact. Remember I said that you, the Marines, attack adjacent enemies? Well, the Japanese can also attack *two* hexes out, while your troops move. Which means they have an automatic advantage in that they can attack you about 2x times, or more, than you can attack them. Remember I said that the game is about beating real world performance? It's also about limiting casualties. And that completes the complexity, because between casualties, fatigue, unit positioning, terrain, command and control (simple though it is) and all the other elements, the game becomes one of tempo. That means that you'll move and fight differently depending on whether you're trying to rush an airfield without worrying about casualties to make the time limit, or trying to crack a line of fortifications, which can require rotating fatigued units in and out of combat each turn. This makes the game difficult, brutal and thought-provoking. It's amazing to me that with such a minimalist approach, Yobo has produced a game that is complex and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It plays relatively quickly, and the mechanics are simple, but the innards of the game are complex and unforgiving. I definitely recommend this.