Herzog Zwei

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Herzog Zwei

Developer(s)	TechnoSoft
Publisher(s)	TechnoSoft
Release date(s)	January 11, 1990
Genre(s)	Strategy
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer Split-screen
Rating(s)	ESRB: Not Applicable (NA)
Platform(s)	Mega Drive/Genesis

Herzog Zwei is a Mega Drive/Genesis game by Technosoft, published in 1989 (released in the United States in early 1990). It is one of the first real-time strategy games, predating the genre-popularizing Dune II. Many also consider it one of the best two-player Genesis games, combining arcade-style play of Technosoft's own Thunder Force series with a simple, easy-to-grasp level of strategy. It is the sequel to Herzog, which was only available on the Japanese MSX personal computer.

Herzog Zwei (pronounced ['hɛətsok tsvai]) is German for Duke Two or, in a more Anglo-saxon light, The Second Baron, reflecting its two-player nature. It can be played alone, and the weak AI of the computer opponent is offset by having many more units than the player, but this style of play is the only way to play the game in full-screen mode; multiplayer is only possible via a split-screen setup where players can each see what the other is doing.

The mechanics of Herzog Zwei make it a game with a slower feel than most modern RTS games, making for more thoughtful play. It was not a huge success, due to its lack of marketing, relatively early release on the Genesis platform, and its non-arcade genre on what was considered an arcade game console. Scores for the game were generally very low from professional reviewers, but long after its release, it has achieved a cult status and has often found itself on several "best of..." lists of video games in its precedence in the real-time strategy genre, as well as the finer points of the gameplay being discovered.

A sequel was planned for Sega's 32X platform, but with the subsequent failure of that console, so, too, died the plans for a third Herzog title. With Technosoft closing its doors in 2001 and the status of the intellectual property being unknown, the future of the series is likely sealed.

[edit] Objective

The objective of the game as defined in the user's manual:

War!

The world is at war! When you turn on your Genesis Game System, the Title screen appears. Then the demonstration battles begin.

As the high commander, you're in charge of mobilizing and controlling all troops. You must occupy the neutral bases and gain control of the enemy's advance bases. You decide what weapons to deploy and where to place your forces. You must also protect your occupied territory from enemy attacks. Your final objective --- and the final battle --- is destroying the enemy's base camp.

[edit] Mechanics

Herzog Zwei has eight different land-based units and a unit representing the player, a transformable flying/land-based robot. Units can be picked up and dropped by the player, saving the power of the carried unit. Units are given orders such as "fight from a fixed position", "patrol this area", "fight in fixed radius," "go to/attack/occupy intermediate base" via six "programs" which cost differing amounts of money to activate.

The maximum number of units allowed in the game at once is one hundred (fifty for each player), but after seventy units the console slows down, making play difficult.

In addition to the two main bases are nine outposts or mini-bases, sometimes neutral, that can be captured to provide an additional 40G. Outposts act as a refueling station as well, both for the player-controlled transformer (who can only walk or fly for a finite time before running out of fuel, at which point he is destroyed and renewed at home base) and for any units he creates. Units will move and attack for as long as they have the fuel and ammunition to do so, and will come to a complete, vulnerable standstill when they run out.