Tom Clancy's The Cardinal of the Kremlin

Cover

The box cover artwork is the same as the hardcover novel's.

Extras

The box contained both three 5.25" and two 3.5" disks, the game manual, an installation guide, a useful key shortcut card, a crude paper map of Asia, a registration card, a consumer license agreement, a color leaflet advertising other Capstone games, an "introductory offer" postcard for Computer Gaming World magazine, a bulletin board notice and, strangely, a 3.5" disk order card.

Manual

I'll quote the foreword by Tom Clancy as printed in the game's manual here, as his predictions and political convictions are, well... interesting from today's point of view. Remember that the foreword was written in 1990.

Since The Cardinal of the Kremlin was released in 1988, the world political climate has been transformed. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the emergence of more democratic governments in Eastern Europe, critics have questioned whether the events and strategic defense programs depicted in the book are relevant today. The answer is a definitive YES.

Let me assure you that the Soviets [sic] commitment to space-defense research has never faltered. Headlines may declare the end of the 'Cold War', yet the work of the Soviet, and American, intelligence agencies quietly goes on. Espionage and covert actions are necessary tools to confront terrorism and the all too real potential of war.

The development of America's Strategic Defense Initiative is of vital importance to our country. It will be at our national peril should the SDI critics ever succeed in weakening support for this program. In the current Middle East crisis, it is our satellite intelligence which allows the United States to track Iraqi troop movements. The recent actions of Saddam Hussien [sic] have vividly demonstrated why laser anti-missile defenses and similar technologies are crucial for the security of our nation, and the world.

Computer games, like novels, are entertainment. They give us an opportunity to vicariously participate in events beyond our daily life. Realism is the hallmark of my novels and the benchmark for judging computer games based on my books. For Cardinal of the Kremlin, the challenge to Capstone was to create a game that successfully captures the books complexities, human drama, and the interplay of espionage, technology and international politics. It is a superb strategy computer simulation. Congratulations, Capstone. Well done."

August, 1990

Novel

US author Tom Clancy, born April 12, 1947, is renowned for his detailed, realistic action novels, involving military subjects, espionage and international conflicts.
The Cardinal of the Kremlin, first published in 1988, was Clancy's fourth book and the third in the Jack Ryan series (the first two being The Hunt for Red October (1984) and Patriot Games (1987)). The novel, set in the days of the Cold War between the USA and Russia, outlines the two superpowers' race in deploying a space-based "Star Wars" missile-defense system. When an American reconnaissance satellite locates a strange Soviet structure in the hills near the Afghan border, the US' top agent in Moscow, known as Cardinal, is sent to investigate - and is betrayed. With the world on the brink of global war, CIA operative Jack Ryan flies to Russia on what turns out to be much more than a rescue mission...

Price

With a recommended retail price of $49.95, The Cardinal of the Kremlin cost a whole $10 more than other Capstone games and the average program of its time.

Awards

• Computer Gaming World
  • November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) – #36 Worst Game of All Time