Military Madness
Reviewed by Michael LoCascio
I will readily admit that strategy video games haven't
always been my cup of tea. Not that I don't enjoy such
intellectual challenges, but I typically prefer that they
take the form of a board game instead of a video game. I'd
much rather spend a few hours with my friends immersed in a
game of Risk or a round of Stratego than use a control pad
to maneuver some poorly drawn icons around my television
screen. Well, at least that was my impression of strategy
games before I gave Military Madness a shot. This tactical
war simulation changed my outlook on an entire genre, and it
will undoubtedly appeal to those gamers who enjoy strategy
titles to begin with.
Military Madness takes place in the year 2089 (which was
exactly one hundred years away at the time that the game was
released). Valuable resources have been discovered on our
moon, and struggles over possession of these resources have
basically led to the outbreak of a third world war. There
are two main factions that are fighting over the newfound
resources: the virtuous Allied Forces, and the malicious
AXIS Army. Through a number of surprise attacks, AXIS has
taken control of most of the moon's surface, and has even
captured many of the Allies' most prominent leaders. To make
matters worse, the AXIS army is now completing work on a
weapon that will have the capability to destroy our entire planet.
Military Madness can be played by one or two players. In
one-player mode, the gamer acts as the leader of the Allied
Forces and must defeat the AXIS army in sixteen separate
stages. When the first sixteen levels are completed, you can
take on another sixteen levels that are even more difficult
- if you feel up to the challenge. In two-player mode, the
second player will lead the AXIS Army into battle. Only one
stage can be played at a time in two-player mode - although
you can use the passwords from one-player mode to play in
any of the game's 32 levels.
Speaking of the password system, you can record your
progress by simply writing down the names of each of the
levels that you reach. Each stage has a very simple name,
such as 'Revolt' or 'Icarus'. This makes it incredibly
easy to pick up right where you left off, and the simplicity
of the names ensures that you won't have to worry about
copying down any ridiculously long passwords or making sure
that you don't confuse a capital 'I' with a lower-case
'L'. It's a very convenient system, one that I wish other
similar types of games would attempt to emulate more often.
Once you begin playing the game, you'll notice that the
playfield takes up most of the space on the screen. Along
the right-hand side of your monitor will be a column that
lists your options, as well as other information such as
stage name and turn number. Information concerning the
various units involved in the battle and the type of terrain
that the war is being waged upon appears at the bottom of
the screen. The playfield allows you to view the action from
an overhead perspective. Within the playfield, you'll be
able to examine the layout of the stage, as well as spot
where the enemies' units are placed. Play consists of
selecting an option from the column on the right side of the
screen, and subsequently watching the action unfold within
the playfield.
There are two different ways in which an army can achieve
victory. First, there's the old fashioned method of simply
annihilating all of the enemies' units in combat. If you
want to be slick about things, however, you can attempt to
capture the opposition's prison camp. These camps are placed
as far away from the opposing armies as possible; getting to
them will require some clever maneuvering and unit
placement. On defense, it's vital that your own prison camp
be guarded at all times, or the enemy will waltz right into
your territory and put a quick end to the battle.
There's an incredible amount of vehicles and weaponry at
each army's disposal in Military Madness. Each weapon type
specializes in particular kinds of actions or duties - but
they all have various weaknesses as well. Combat aircraft
are extremely powerful and are quite competent when it comes
to aerial offensives, but they are prone to attacks by
Anti-spacecraft vehicles. In turn, the Anti-spacecraft units
are nearly defenseless against the heavily-armored tanks.
Some vehicles can launch missile attacks from a distance;
these units can be optimally utilized by placing them in the
rear, as a group of tanks will have absolutely no problem at
all blowing them to smithereens should the tanks be able to
reach them. The only units in the entire game that can
capture an opposing army's prison camp are the foot
soldiers; of course, these guys are by far the weakest units
at your disposal.
Once you begin play and get a good look at the layout of the
level and the enemy's formation, it's time to start making
your moves. You can perform actions with every single one of
your units before your turn ends and the enemy gets a go at
you. One option is listed as 's hift'; select this command
when you simply wish to move one of your units. When you
choose the vehicle that you wish to move, a plethora of
hexagons will appear on the playfield. These 'hexes' show
every possible location that your unit can shift to. The
distance that your unit can travel depends on what type of
unit it is and what kinds of terrain it is advancing over.
Should your unit move into the appropriate position, you
will also be granted the option of attacking the enemy (all
in the same turn). Sometimes you'll be able to launch an
attack without shifting at all. In any event, once an attack
is initiated, the perspective will change to side-view, and
you'll be treated to a close-up shot of the battle. Each
battle only takes a few seconds; once a fight is finished,
play will resume from the overhead perspective.
During a battle, you may destroy all, none, or some of the
enemy's vehicles. Not every fight has a clear-cut winner,
and every unit will more than likely survive a number of
battles before being completely destroyed. There are
numerous factors that are considered when the is
determining the results of combat. One important aspect to
consider is the type of terrain that each unit is stationed
on during the fight. There are mountains, roads, bridges,
hills and valleys that can have a tremendous effect on the
outcome of a battle (it's usually a good idea to station
your units on high surfaces). Experience points are also
crucial to your success in battle; the more fights that a
unit participates in, the more experience that the unit
attains. It is also to your benefit to make sure that there
are a number of friendly vehicles in the area when a fight
is about to go down, because the support of your allies can
increase your unit's chances of surviving the battle.
Prior to shifting and attacking, you may wish to make use of
the 'Guide' command. This option allows you to obtain a
ton of information concerning every unit on the battlefield.
Upon selecting the 'Guide' command, the playfield will
momentarily switch over to a data screen, which fills you in
on the strengths and weaknesses of the particular unit that
you are studying. It really helps to know exactly what
you're getting into before engaging the enemy in combat.
The graphics in Military Madness are nothing to write home
about, but it's relatively rare to find games in this genre
that feature stunning visuals. You won't have any problems
telling each of your units apart from one another, and it's
relatively easy to make out what types of terrain you're
dealing with. The music is mediocre as well; the only aspect
of this game that is truly horrible is the sound. There
aren't any big explosions like you might expect; instead,
you'll get to hear some sort of strange squishing sound when
a vehicle is destroyed. Not good at all.
Military Madness takes itself quite seriously. The
apocalyptic theme of the game lends to a dark, tense
atmosphere, and the message and visuals that appear
following defeat are actually extremely depressing. However,
the intense, desperate feel of the game contributes to its
ability to reel players in. It takes some time and effort to
become good at this game - not to mention a great deal of
thought. Two-player mode is a blast to play, but even when
you go solo the game will likely keep you captivated for
hours on end. One thing I know for sure is that I'd take
Military Madness over some dull board game any day, which is
actually a testament to how well-designed it really is.
Overall: 9 out of 10
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