I should probably list some more shogi variants, though my descriptions will be briefer on most of them, particularly those that interest me less.
Yari shogi is a slightly smaller than normal variant, at a size of 7x9. It is very similar in setup to regular shogi as well. However, as regular shogi is very forward oriented with its pieces' moves, this game took that concept much further, (quite frankly, to a less enjoyable point, in my opinion).
Whale shogi is simply another small shogi variant (6x6), this time with all the pieces named after whales or dolphins. It's a fun variant, but nothing to write home about.
The inventor of the above game later enlarged on his concept and created Great Whale shogi, utilizing a similar theme, but on a, 11x11 board. It seems interesting and there are some powerful pieces, but again, I'm not sure I'm that excited to try it.
Now here are some games I can sink my teeth into. Hex shogi (follow the two links here and here) seems like an interesting translation to a hexagonal board). What's more, the inventor thought that the principles inherent to three player chess games (see the petty diplomacy problem descrption) would not be so pronounced in a shogi game. Therefore, he invented Three Player Hex Shogi. I've never played it to see how right he was. However, I can't help but wonder if a shogi-style game naturally mitigates the problems normally found in such games.
However, there is another shogi game that has gone to even greater lengths to rectify the natural problems with three player strategy games: Kokusai Sannin Shogi. Like Hex shogi and Three Player Hex shogi, Kokusai Sannin shogi is played on a hexagonal grid. It has special rules about making alliances, a promotable king with immense powers and some new victory conditions. I've always wanted to try this out if I could actually find a third player to play with me. I'm sure Ric would play, but I don't know if anyone else would want to join. I've heard it is the best chess-type game to try and solve the above mentioned petty diplomacy problem.
Four player games are not so problematic as three, as they are naturally filled with more balance, and often players can work as allies. Yonin shogi is a good four-player game. It's cooperative and can be played on a regular shogi board with two sets of pieces (though Yonin shogi boards are square, while regular shogi boards are slightly rectangular due to their elongated cells). I'm really interested in trying it out, but again, I'd need some more willing participants here.
And I will end this post with a final game: Chu Shogi, which as of this posting, RicOlie_2 and I are in the very early stages of playing. Chu is considered by many to be the best large variant. At 11x11, it's pretty big. On the other hand, Chu Shogi means Middle Shogi because back during its time of invention in or around the 14th Century, it was actually derived from Dai Shogi (meaning Large Shogi), while the 9x9 game that preceded shogi in its current form was called Sho Shogi, or Small Shogi. In other words, this was a medium sized game! There are several games that are even larger! But to our standards today, this is certainly a large variant, and again, this is supposed to be one of the best. It has several interesting pieces, but the star of the show is the Lion, a piece more powerful than the Free King (a piece that moves exactly like the Queen in our chess). Here is the setup:
The lion is the piece on 7j and 5c. It moves like a king in chess, one square in any direction, but has the right to move a second time from that square. Thus it may capture two pieces, capture a piece and return to the starting square, or if there is a vacant adjacent square, simply pass a turn. In addition, its first move need not be impeded by any intervening pieces; the lion may jump and then land on the second square! Though it lacks the range of the free king, it is a devastating piece that is very difficult to stop. But because of some somewhat complex rules regarding the trading of lions, the only real effective defense against a lion seems to be one's own lion. I'm excited to finally play this game against a human! Hopefully it lives up to all the hype :)