Herzog Zwei is a Sega Genesis-exclusive game by Technosoft, published in 1989 (released in North America and Europe in early 1990). It is an early real-time strategy game, predating the genre-popularizing Dune II. Herzog Zwei combines the arcade-style play of Technosoft's own Thunder Force series with a simple, easy-to-grasp level of strategy. In Herzog Zwei, the player directly pilots a flying, transforming mech, a multi-role robot suited for utility and combat. Through the mech, the player purchases surface combat units, airlifts them across the battlefield, and issues them orders. These command activities can only be performed through the mech. Vehicles follow their assigned orders (which are fairly basic: patrol, garrison, capture base) until they either run out of fuel or are destroyed. Tactical re-deployment (mission reassignment, vehicle repair) involves a great deal of micromanagement, due to the required involvement of the mech.
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It wasn't the first real time strategy game, but many of the concepts developed here would later serve as inspiration for pretty much every series that comes to mind when RTS is mentioned these days. While you don't control a massive army in this game, you work the strategy element via your mech, recruiting units and issuing orders as you fly around doing your own thing. It's a fun game in its own right that constantly keeps you occupied and makes time playing it just melt away.
I don't know how it differs from the original since it only came out in Japan at the time of this writing, but even as a second outing, this thing was a slam dunk for Technosoft.
I don't know how it differs from the original since it only came out in Japan at the time of this writing, but even as a second outing, this thing was a slam dunk for Technosoft.
Played on June 20th, 2023 (Sega Genesis Challenge: 18/160)
This is a game that was designed with multiplayer in mind, and I might appreciate it more if I had someone else on the same skill level as I am, by that, I mean being just as confused with how it works as I am, but until then, this game isn't really for me.
It's not to say I dislike the RTS genre, Starcraft and Warcraft are games I really enjoy, but mainly, I enjoy them less for the gameplay and more for their campaign, and this game doesn't really have that going for it. That is to be expected since, believe it or not, this is the first dedicated RTS game ever made.
But being the first, it's going to be rough and the learning curve feels even steeper than all of the RTS games that I've played even Warcraft I. In other games, you oversee units through an omniscience point of view that can change focus on a whim, but here, you are focused exclusively on your robot responsible for deploying the units. So the game is quite odd although you can get some idea on what your enemy is up to based on the indicators that a control point had been captured and where your opponent is, but you'll never be able to tell if its in the process of being captured until you approach the outpost yourself. So even for a seasoned RTS veteran, this game can feel very complicated and even frustrating, but how does the game work?
At the start of a match, you become a jet. From there, you have the options of moving around, shooting, or going to the menu to spawn units and when they are ready, you fly over one of your control points or home base to press a button and then release them where you want them to be.
Oftentimes, you will want to spawn Infantry units and command them to capture an outpost, but you'll want to fortify the defenses of your control points to at least buy some time for you to react to the attacks and drive the enemy off as they cannot stay in the enemy base for too long given they have fuel to worry about, and of course, you need to worry about it as well while you are on the offense.
The units themselves include Infantry, a weak unit that can capture the control points. 4 of them are needed to accomplish this. Supply Truck replenishes resources from units that have a ! indicator. FWA are motorcycle units with high speed and moderate power. Armored Cars which are basically just discount tanks that isn't quite as powerful, but could be useful for stalling time. Tanks are powerful units that cost more, but are more effective in defense and offense. The rest I've never got a chance to use or see in battle since I can never find any opportunities, but we have a boat that's "Slow with a long firing range" which I guess is akin to the siege tank from Starcraft. Mobile SAM is capable of damaging even the flying enemy players. I'd imagine that if there's a base the enemy AI is dead set on acquiring because they'll do that due to how close it is to your home base, then you can just stall enough time. And then there's the Gattling Gun which is the most powerful unit in the game, but the most expensive. They can deal high damage to both ground and air units.
It's not just the units you have to be wary of, but the orders which options vary by the units themselves. The majority of them have Base Defense which just lets them be stationary and attack nearby enemies. Circular Defense is the game's rendition of Patrol, but they circle around the area. Attack when Approached lets them move towards nearby enemies and shoot them down, and then return to their position when they succeed. Secure Minor Base lets enemy units secure the base while Infantry units will enter the outpost to control or contend with it. And Home Base attack lets the unit go directly for the enemies base. There are a few exclusive commands like Enter Minor Base which is basically the same as Secure Minor Base, but the Infantry unit can now just ignore enemies to get in. Supply which is what the Supply Car will do and the only command they get.
So, if you are on RTS player, this might not sound too complicated, but remember, you're playing on the Sega Genesis, of all things. This means that you don't have a keyboard and mouse to manage everything and this could lead to some disjointed gameplay. Oh and without the instructions, you will have no idea what the units will do let alone the orders you give them. You see an icon and some names, you might get an idea based on their image, but that's it.
This is a game that is in some ways really ahead of its time, but outdated at the same time. It's a game that came from a time when the internet didn't exist and expects you to have the Instruction Manual on hand to even grasp the mechanics. It's quite a huge risk and at first it didn't pay off given it wasn't a marketing success given its circumstances surrounding it, but as time goes on, it would be acknowledged by several RTS producers for games like Dune II, Warcraft, Starcraft, and Command and Conquerer as a huge inspiration. Heck, you can say it that it even created the domino effect that led to the MOBA genre which would create games like DOTA, DOTA 2, Heroes of the Storm, Smite, and League of Legends. That is an achievement that I see in very few arts and deserves my respect.
But, the games it went on to inspire would obsolete it. Even in the way that it operates where you control a singular unit while deploying and managing other units, Brutal Legends which is one of my favorite video games, has RTS segments where you do just that, but it's much more refined and easier to grasp.
It's an impressive take-off for the RTS genre, but it's a game that when I do try to play it, I find myself stressed out and overwhelmed even though I have a basic understanding of the mechanics.
This is a game that was designed with multiplayer in mind, and I might appreciate it more if I had someone else on the same skill level as I am, by that, I mean being just as confused with how it works as I am, but until then, this game isn't really for me.
It's not to say I dislike the RTS genre, Starcraft and Warcraft are games I really enjoy, but mainly, I enjoy them less for the gameplay and more for their campaign, and this game doesn't really have that going for it. That is to be expected since, believe it or not, this is the first dedicated RTS game ever made.
But being the first, it's going to be rough and the learning curve feels even steeper than all of the RTS games that I've played even Warcraft I. In other games, you oversee units through an omniscience point of view that can change focus on a whim, but here, you are focused exclusively on your robot responsible for deploying the units. So the game is quite odd although you can get some idea on what your enemy is up to based on the indicators that a control point had been captured and where your opponent is, but you'll never be able to tell if its in the process of being captured until you approach the outpost yourself. So even for a seasoned RTS veteran, this game can feel very complicated and even frustrating, but how does the game work?
At the start of a match, you become a jet. From there, you have the options of moving around, shooting, or going to the menu to spawn units and when they are ready, you fly over one of your control points or home base to press a button and then release them where you want them to be.
Oftentimes, you will want to spawn Infantry units and command them to capture an outpost, but you'll want to fortify the defenses of your control points to at least buy some time for you to react to the attacks and drive the enemy off as they cannot stay in the enemy base for too long given they have fuel to worry about, and of course, you need to worry about it as well while you are on the offense.
The units themselves include Infantry, a weak unit that can capture the control points. 4 of them are needed to accomplish this. Supply Truck replenishes resources from units that have a ! indicator. FWA are motorcycle units with high speed and moderate power. Armored Cars which are basically just discount tanks that isn't quite as powerful, but could be useful for stalling time. Tanks are powerful units that cost more, but are more effective in defense and offense. The rest I've never got a chance to use or see in battle since I can never find any opportunities, but we have a boat that's "Slow with a long firing range" which I guess is akin to the siege tank from Starcraft. Mobile SAM is capable of damaging even the flying enemy players. I'd imagine that if there's a base the enemy AI is dead set on acquiring because they'll do that due to how close it is to your home base, then you can just stall enough time. And then there's the Gattling Gun which is the most powerful unit in the game, but the most expensive. They can deal high damage to both ground and air units.
It's not just the units you have to be wary of, but the orders which options vary by the units themselves. The majority of them have Base Defense which just lets them be stationary and attack nearby enemies. Circular Defense is the game's rendition of Patrol, but they circle around the area. Attack when Approached lets them move towards nearby enemies and shoot them down, and then return to their position when they succeed. Secure Minor Base lets enemy units secure the base while Infantry units will enter the outpost to control or contend with it. And Home Base attack lets the unit go directly for the enemies base. There are a few exclusive commands like Enter Minor Base which is basically the same as Secure Minor Base, but the Infantry unit can now just ignore enemies to get in. Supply which is what the Supply Car will do and the only command they get.
So, if you are on RTS player, this might not sound too complicated, but remember, you're playing on the Sega Genesis, of all things. This means that you don't have a keyboard and mouse to manage everything and this could lead to some disjointed gameplay. Oh and without the instructions, you will have no idea what the units will do let alone the orders you give them. You see an icon and some names, you might get an idea based on their image, but that's it.
This is a game that is in some ways really ahead of its time, but outdated at the same time. It's a game that came from a time when the internet didn't exist and expects you to have the Instruction Manual on hand to even grasp the mechanics. It's quite a huge risk and at first it didn't pay off given it wasn't a marketing success given its circumstances surrounding it, but as time goes on, it would be acknowledged by several RTS producers for games like Dune II, Warcraft, Starcraft, and Command and Conquerer as a huge inspiration. Heck, you can say it that it even created the domino effect that led to the MOBA genre which would create games like DOTA, DOTA 2, Heroes of the Storm, Smite, and League of Legends. That is an achievement that I see in very few arts and deserves my respect.
But, the games it went on to inspire would obsolete it. Even in the way that it operates where you control a singular unit while deploying and managing other units, Brutal Legends which is one of my favorite video games, has RTS segments where you do just that, but it's much more refined and easier to grasp.
It's an impressive take-off for the RTS genre, but it's a game that when I do try to play it, I find myself stressed out and overwhelmed even though I have a basic understanding of the mechanics.
(played with MagneticBurn)
After many, many failed attempts to get a feel for this on single player, I booted it up with a friend on Fightcade and it turns out with two people it kinda kicks ass.
It's still really obtuse, though. We did three games (all of which I won :sunglasses:) and I still don't really get half of the mechanics. I really don't think I would feel like returning to try single player, which has to count against something I suppose. A tutorial would've helped a fair amount, I think.
The takeaway here is to grab a friend if possible for this one. The learning curve is a lot less irritating when you have a second person to bumble around with, similarly to a lot of fighting games around the same time. Maybe Mortal Kombat is secretly a good game with two players, too.
After many, many failed attempts to get a feel for this on single player, I booted it up with a friend on Fightcade and it turns out with two people it kinda kicks ass.
It's still really obtuse, though. We did three games (all of which I won :sunglasses:) and I still don't really get half of the mechanics. I really don't think I would feel like returning to try single player, which has to count against something I suppose. A tutorial would've helped a fair amount, I think.
The takeaway here is to grab a friend if possible for this one. The learning curve is a lot less irritating when you have a second person to bumble around with, similarly to a lot of fighting games around the same time. Maybe Mortal Kombat is secretly a good game with two players, too.
The fact this came out in 1989 is unreal. Sega really did what Nintendidn't.
Herzog Zwei is a real-time strategy shoot 'em up hybrid video game developed by Technosoft of the "Thunderforce" series and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis. This is considered by many to be the birthplace of real-time strategy games, predating even innovative games such as Dune II. It is the sequel to Herzog, hence the name "Herzog Zwei", meaning Duke Two, the first game had you fighting alongside an army, without being able to construct units. In this entry, each player control a plane able to drop units dispensed from a factory which must be protected or destroyed, other bases can be controlled, as map control gives you more gold to spend on units. Your plane can also transforms into a controllable mecha, able to shoot at grounded enemies.