Earth is once again in jeopardy! Military Madness, the timeless name in turn-based strategy, is coming for Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PlayStation®Network, and WiiWare™! Staged on the cold lunar surface of the Moon in the future, war has been declared and it’s up to you to lead your army to victory. Military Madness has stood the test of time with a long history spanning two decades. Having updated this classic for downloadable consoles everywhere with rich graphics, cinematic 3D battle scenes, new units, and online co-op and multiplayer, not many may know about its pixel predecessor.
Once upon a time in 1989, this pre-eminent classic debuted on the old-school gaming platform TurboGrafx-16. Since conception, Military Madness has had a continually growing fanbase and has even evolved to mobile gaming. But who sired the original video game royalty? It all started in the gaming motherland of Japan…
In the beginning, there was a turn-based war strategy Hudson game developed in Japan circa 1989 which practically started the 16-bit legacy. Titled “Nectaris,” this little miracle ran on their PC-Engine and was very loved and successful. Nectaris then ported over to NEC’s TurboGrafx-16, which was the North American equivalent of its glorified Japanese PC-Engine, and changed its name to what we now humbly know as Military Madness.
Known for being easy to pick up and play, Military Madness can also be a challenge for veterans. You’ll have to remember the complex tactical elements, such as varied terrain, help or hinder your mobility and defense. Each of your units are unique with their own different movements, attacks, and defensive advantages and disadvantages. Military Madness was the one and only war strategy game on a North American HuCard. It was the winner of many awards, such as Video Games & Computer Entertainment’s “1990 Best Military Strategy Game Award” and Game Player’s Magazine’s “1990 Best War Game.”
Although many Nectaris little ones were raised in Japan, only two (including the original 1989 Military Madness) immigrated to the Americas. Fast forward ten years and leagues of dedicated fans later, the second Nectaris immigrant was remade for the Sony PlayStation in 1998 and was dubbed, “Nectaris: Military Madness.” This remake added not only the unfolding 3D battle scenes, but also an option for some engaging 2-player skirmishes and a map editor to create your own battlefields as you see fit.
Cellular gaming has also experienced the phenomenon of Military Madness. The port of the original TG-16 Military Madness has been available on i-mode since 2003, and for Verizon in 2006. Even sleeker is the all-new version available on phones supporting the Android operating systems, such as the T-Mobile's G-1; Military Madness is now ready at your fingertips!
With such a classic being modernized for both the newer generation of gamers who have never experienced such strategic wars and for old-school players who can't wait for a taste of nostalgia, Military Madness won't disappoint!
