Banzai

About this expansion

Banzai is a two-player game of simulated man-to-man combat, with games lasting about 60 minutes. Released in 1984, it expands the acclaimed Up Front game system into the steaming jungles of the Southwest Pacific.

The game portrays the mystique, incredible courage, and tragic flaws of the Japanese soldier through tense and exciting encounters. Its system extensions add rich detail for Japanese and British forces while also accounting for American marines.

At the heart of Banzai are its practical additions to the Up Front system. The complicated tables of organization and equipment, along with the capabilities of the new nationalities, are distilled into playable Personnel cards. New cards and counters bring the expanded setting to the table while keeping the extensions straightforward for existing players.

• 12 new scenarios depicting typical Southwest Pacific encounters
• Expanded possibilities for existing European scenarios, including British versus German encounters
• Scenarios that let Russian forces test the Japanese in Manchuria
• 60 Personnel cards, 20 AFV cards, and 63 counters
• A rule book containing all 12 scenarios

Several new scenario types also list European variations, further broadening the encounters possible with the Up Front system. This gives Banzai a wider scope than its Southwest Pacific setting alone, while preserving the focused scale of its man-to-man combat.

For owners of Up Front, Banzai offers a simple and convenient way to add new nationalities, scenarios, and thematic detail. Its compact component set and varied encounters make it an expansion built around tense combat and broader scenario possibilities.