Herzog Zwei
Encyclopedia
Herzog Zwei is a Mega Drive / Genesis game by Technosoft
, published in 1989
(released in the United States in early 1990
). It is an early real-time strategy
game, the first with a feature set that falls under the contemporary definition of the genre, predating the genre-popularizing Dune II
. Herzog Zwei is also considered one of the best two-player Genesis games, combining the arcade-style play of Technosoft's own Thunder Force series
with a simple, easy-to-grasp level of strategy.
Herzog Zwei (ˈhɛɐ̯tsok ˈtsvai) translates from German
to Duke Two. It is the sequel to Herzog, which was available on the Japan
ese MSX
and PC-8801 personal computers.
In Herzog Zwei, the player directly pilots a flying, transforming mech (similar to the variable fighter
depicted in Macross
), a multi-role vehicle 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.
Both the player's ground-forces and the mech have finite fuel and ammunition. A prolonged engagement requires considerable micromanagement, as vehicles will not auto-repair, and the fragile combat-supply vehicles have limited radius of service.
With a total of eight different types of land-units to purchase, the player can determine the composition of his army. Each combat vehicle type represents a tradeoff between speed, anti-air, ground-attack, and cost. Units are assigned mission-orders from a menu selection: "fight from a fixed position", "patrol this area", "fight in fixed radius," "go to/attack/occupy intermediate base." New orders can only be issued during airlfit, and every time a unit's mission-orders are re-assigned, a cost is incurred.
In addition to the player's main base, there are nine permanent (outpost
s) scattered across the battlefield. These indestructible buildings are the only production resources on the battlefield players. Once under a player's control, an outpost generates additional revenue (for purchase of units), and serves as a remote base of operations (repair/refuel, pickup delivery of purchased unit.) A key strategy is to capture as many outposts as possible, or deny enemy use through nuisance actions.
Herzog Zwei supports both single-player mode (against the AI), and two-player mode (head-to-head.) In single-player mode, the entire screen is devoted to the human-player's field of view. However, the game's unsophisticated AI
renders the single-player experience lacking. The game partially offsets the AI's inherent weakness by increasing the armor and offensive-damage of computer player side with each advancing level.
The game concept of a central command/fighting vehicle directing other friendly units to attack remote enemy base appeared in past games, such as Sir Tech's 1984 game Rescue Raiders
. However, Scott Sharkey of 1UP.com
states that the 1988 game Modem Wars
was possibly "[t]he closest predecessor" to Herzog Zwei, but that it "was fairly primitive and abstract by comparison," that earlier such games lacked the ability to construct units or manage resources which made them "much more tactical
than strategic," and that the slower processors made the ticks "so long that the games were practically turn based". The closest modern equivalent to Herzog Zwei is considered to be the Dota
games. However, Dota and its antecedents give the player control over a fully customizable command unit with role-playing video game
elements, while severely limiting or removing the player's ability to produce and command other friendly units. Total Annihilation
(1997) and its spiritual successor Supreme Commander
also inherit the concept of a large robotic command vehicle which is used to construct and command an army. However, Total Annihilation
and Supreme Commander
are controlled in similar fashion to traditional real-time strategy
games; unlike in Herzog Zwei, the command vehicle in those games is mainly nothing more than a particularly powerful and versatile unit.
games, making for more thoughtful play. The player's view of the screen is always centered on the player's mech. The player can pilot the mech to any location on the map while shooting at enemy units, airlifting friendly ground vehicles, or placing purchase orders for more vehicles. If the mech is destroyed in battle (or runs out of fuel), a new mech respawns over the player's primary base. Unlimited respawning allows the mech to engage in suicide tactics, as it is essentially a disposable asset.
Although the vehicle-purchasing menu can be activated from anywhere on the battlefield, only one vehicle may be purchased at a time. The completed order must picked up from a friendly base (by the player's mech), before the next purchase can be made. The game has a hard upper-limit of 100 active units (50 per player.) But when a game session exceeds seventy active units, the console
slows down, making play difficult.
Herzog Zwei requires the mech-vehicle to airlift vehicles for close-inspection and mission-reassignment. Later RTS games use the virtual-console style of interface, allowing direct control of any player-owned vehicle.
To complete the game in single-player mode, the player must defeat the computer on each level four times, each time representing an increasing level of difficulty. When the game is completed, the ending offered differs depending on whether the player played as the first player (red), or the second player (blue). Two-player mode divides the screen into two playfields. Each player can see the opponent's actions, eliminating any element of surprise.
in the middle of the board that slows troops movement and eats up energy. Other levels, such as the volcano
stage Vulkan are covered in lava
rivers that will destroy any unit that comes in contact with it. This makes it difficult to launch ground assaults against the main bases as well as the mini-bases as the individual units artificial intelligence
is quite limited. Only three of the levels, Strand, Eisfrei, and Oase, have bodies of water that allow boats to be launched against the enemy. The Abgrund level features a river but the player is not allowed to purchase boat units.
On all levels with the exception of Abgrund, both sides start off with a certain number of mini-bases already claimed. In Abgrund, all bases are neutral, including those directly near the main base.
which can transform into a Jet Fighter/Transport. It can pick up friendly units and deploy them into battle. When necessary, player can overwrite the command of the picked-up unit instantly. (Cost of the command will be deducted from the player's account.) In mecha mode (English manual calls it "Infantry Soldier") Commander can fire on ground units and burn very low amount of fuel, but he will move much slower. In Jet Fighter mode, Commander can only engage to enemy Commander in jet mode. Commander will burn more fuel in Jet mode, especially carrying other units. Commander's weapons can never damage enemy base and it needs to return to nearby outpost or main base to refuel and reload its ammo. Unlike original Herzog, player has unlimited number of Commander units as when destroyed, Commander will simply reappear in a few seconds in main base. (Respawn time depends on distance from the point Commander destroyed.) If the Commander is destroyed while carrying a unit, that unit will be destroyed as well.
Infantry: Infantry is slowest and most fragile unit, but it is nevertheless essential as it is the only unit that can capture outposts. There is a random chance that an infantry unit appears whenever a unit (except FWA & ST-57U) is destroyed. The cheapest unit in the game, infantry are also capable of climbing cliffs in the Abgrund level. Infantry fire twice as fast when attacking at close range, making them more useful for offense than defense. Infantry also have a lot of ammo so their total damage output is relatively high if kept alive.
FWA: A combat bike with limited firepower, durability, and ammunition. However, it is the fastest unit in the game and has a very long patrol range. FWA has the weakest weapon in the game, per shot, however it will fire twice as fast as normal when attacking at close range (like Infantry). The FWA, however, has a very limited ammo supply and thus cannot inflict much total damage. Not generally useful as a defensive unit.
AMR-51D: An Light tank
with light armor but good firepower. Second fastest unit in the game. Destroyed easily by heavier units (defense fortifications, tanks, and Commanders) but useful against light units and when not under direct fire. Very good at attacking the main base if defenses aren't well established.
Supply: A supply vehicle which can reload ammunation of units in the battleground. It is completely defenceless.
TAX-52: Heavy tank
. It has strongest armor and high firepower. It is nevertheless quite fast for its size. Can kill any other unit in direct combat (including the much more expensive defense fortification), but vulnerable to the Commander and fairly expensive.
ST-57U: Patrol boat
. Slow, but has a very long range and can attack many targets, including enemy bases from afar. Can only be deployed in "Strand", "Eisfrei" and "Oase" levels.
SAM-42: Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon
. Although it is an air-defence vehicle, strangely it can attack enemy Commanders even when they are on the ground as well, but cannot engage any other unit. Since Commander is the only unit that can fly, SAM can only be used as a defensive measure against them, and cannot attack any other units. The SAM only carries ten missiles and has a long reload time, but the missiles are very powerful and have long range.
GMR-34A: Defence Fortification. This stationary double-barrelled turret can fire at enemy units with cannons and can fire missiles to enemy Commander units. (Similar to SAMs) Has very high firepower and good armor and long range, but very expensive. These carry twenty missiles with a short reload time, but short range and lower damage per missile compared to the SAM-42.
BDF-1SD "Hold Position."
AF-001A "Patrol"
AT-101 "Engage the enemy then occupy the outpost."
DF-F02A "Stand guard, engage (when enemy discovered) then return. (when enemy destroyed)"
AT-101H "Occupy the Outpost, engaging the enemies is secondary priority."
BA-001C "Attack the enemy main base." (most expensive command)
PW-SS10 "Resupply and repair units in the field." (Supply vehicle only)
genre on what was considered an arcade game console
. Electronic Gaming Monthly
gave the game a rating of 4.25 out of 10. However, long after its release, it gained a cult following and achieved popularity. Daniel Thomas of Sega-16 gave the game a score of 10 out of 10 in 2004, while GameSpot
users have given Herzog Zwei an average score of 8.8 out of 10.
It is often found on several "best of..." lists of video games, owing to its precedence in the real-time strategy genre, as well to the increasing understanding of finer points of its mechanics. It was featured in the "Top 100 Games Ever" list of Electronic Gaming Monthly, in the November 1997 issue which ranked it at #43, and in the January 2002 issue which ranked it #52. The February 1999 issue of Next Generation
ranked it at #39 in its list of 50 best games of all time. It has also been featured in IGN
's "Top 100 Games of All Time", in the 2003 list which ranked it at #62, and in the 2005 list which ranked it #95.
1UP.com
included the game in its "Essential 50" list of "The Most Important Games Ever Made". The game went on to influence future RTS games, such as Dune II
(1991), Warcraft
(1994), Command & Conquer
(1995), Starcraft
(1998), War of the Rings
(2003), and Brütal Legend
(2009). Herzog Zwei is also considered a predecessor to the Dota
subgenre, though a key difference is that Herzog Zwei has a fully customizable command unit with role-playing video game
elements that the player has full control over, while commanding an army to go into battle with rather than mindless drones that respawn at set intervals.
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 Tecno Soft closing its doors in 2001
and the status of the intellectual property being unknown, the future of the series is likely sealed.
Technosoft
Technosoft is a Japanese video game developer that is known for the Thunder Force series of shooter games, as well as Herzog Zwei, regarded as the world's first real time strategy game....
, published in 1989
1989 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* October 3, Brøderbund releases the Prince of Persia game, the first in a series of games, noted for its advancements in animation....
(released in the United States in early 1990
1990 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Bonk's Adventure is released for NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and is the first US appearance of Bonk, the mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.*February 12 — Nintendo releases the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America...
). It is an early real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
game, the first with a feature set that falls under the contemporary definition of the genre, predating the genre-popularizing Dune II
Dune II
Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty is a Dune computer game released in 1992 by Westwood Studios...
. Herzog Zwei is also considered one of the best two-player Genesis games, combining the arcade-style play of Technosoft's own Thunder Force series
Thunder Force series
The is a series of scrolling shooter type video games developed by the Japanese software company Technosoft. The games are known by fans of the genre for their hardcore appeal, pleasing graphics, and generally well composed synthesizer-based soundtracks....
with a simple, easy-to-grasp level of strategy.
Herzog Zwei (ˈhɛɐ̯tsok ˈtsvai) translates from German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
to Duke Two. It is the sequel to Herzog, which was available on the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
and PC-8801 personal computers.
Gameplay
The instruction manual explains the player's role:- 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.
In Herzog Zwei, the player directly pilots a flying, transforming mech (similar to the variable fighter
Variable fighter
A Variable Fighter is a series of fictional transforming aerospace fighter mecha primarily designed by Studio Nue's Shoji Kawamori for the animated series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and later related projects...
depicted in Macross
Macross
is a series of science fiction mecha anime, directed by Shōji Kawamori of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. It consists of three TV series, four movies, six OVAs, one light novel and five manga series, all sponsored by Big West...
), a multi-role vehicle 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.
Both the player's ground-forces and the mech have finite fuel and ammunition. A prolonged engagement requires considerable micromanagement, as vehicles will not auto-repair, and the fragile combat-supply vehicles have limited radius of service.
With a total of eight different types of land-units to purchase, the player can determine the composition of his army. Each combat vehicle type represents a tradeoff between speed, anti-air, ground-attack, and cost. Units are assigned mission-orders from a menu selection: "fight from a fixed position", "patrol this area", "fight in fixed radius," "go to/attack/occupy intermediate base." New orders can only be issued during airlfit, and every time a unit's mission-orders are re-assigned, a cost is incurred.
In addition to the player's main base, there are nine permanent (outpost
Outpost (military)
An Outpost in military terminology essentially means a detachment of troops stationed at a distance from the main force or formation, usually at a station in a remote or sparsely populated location, positioned to stand guard against unauthorized intrusions and surprise attacks; and the station...
s) scattered across the battlefield. These indestructible buildings are the only production resources on the battlefield players. Once under a player's control, an outpost generates additional revenue (for purchase of units), and serves as a remote base of operations (repair/refuel, pickup delivery of purchased unit.) A key strategy is to capture as many outposts as possible, or deny enemy use through nuisance actions.
Herzog Zwei supports both single-player mode (against the AI), and two-player mode (head-to-head.) In single-player mode, the entire screen is devoted to the human-player's field of view. However, the game's unsophisticated AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
renders the single-player experience lacking. The game partially offsets the AI's inherent weakness by increasing the armor and offensive-damage of computer player side with each advancing level.
The game concept of a central command/fighting vehicle directing other friendly units to attack remote enemy base appeared in past games, such as Sir Tech's 1984 game Rescue Raiders
Rescue Raiders
Rescue Raiders is a game by Sir-Tech Software for the Apple II.In 1991 Three-Sixty Pacific released Armor Alley, a recreation of Rescue Raiders for Mac OS and DOS...
. However, Scott Sharkey of 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
states that the 1988 game Modem Wars
Modem Wars
Modem Wars is a 1988 Real-Time Tactics game developed by Ozark Softscape and published by Electronic Arts for the IBM PC and Commodore 64 platforms.-Summary:The first multi-computer online game...
was possibly "[t]he closest predecessor" to Herzog Zwei, but that it "was fairly primitive and abstract by comparison," that earlier such games lacked the ability to construct units or manage resources which made them "much more tactical
Real-time tactics
Real-time tactics or RTT is a subgenre of tactical wargames played in real-time simulating the considerations and circumstances of operational warfare and military tactics...
than strategic," and that the slower processors made the ticks "so long that the games were practically turn based". The closest modern equivalent to Herzog Zwei is considered to be the Dota
Dota (genre)
The Dota genre is a sub-genre of real-time strategy video games, characterized by their likeness to Defense of the Ancients, a custom scenario for Warcraft 3 drawing from both real-time strategy and role-playing game influences. Compared to traditional real-time strategy games, elements such as...
games. However, Dota and its antecedents give the player control over a fully customizable command unit with role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
elements, while severely limiting or removing the player's ability to produce and command other friendly units. Total Annihilation
Total Annihilation
Total Annihilation is a real-time strategy video game created by Cavedog Entertainment, a sub-division of Humongous Entertainment, and released on September 30, 1997 by GT Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. It was the first RTS game to feature 3D units and terrain...
(1997) and its spiritual successor Supreme Commander
Supreme Commander (video game)
Supreme Commander is a real-time strategy computer game designed by Chris Taylor and developed by his company, Gas Powered Games. The game is considered to be a spiritual successor to Taylor's 1997 game Total Annihilation,, alongside the Spring remake...
also inherit the concept of a large robotic command vehicle which is used to construct and command an army. However, Total Annihilation
Total Annihilation
Total Annihilation is a real-time strategy video game created by Cavedog Entertainment, a sub-division of Humongous Entertainment, and released on September 30, 1997 by GT Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. It was the first RTS game to feature 3D units and terrain...
and Supreme Commander
Supreme Commander (video game)
Supreme Commander is a real-time strategy computer game designed by Chris Taylor and developed by his company, Gas Powered Games. The game is considered to be a spiritual successor to Taylor's 1997 game Total Annihilation,, alongside the Spring remake...
are controlled in similar fashion to traditional real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
games; unlike in Herzog Zwei, the command vehicle in those games is mainly nothing more than a particularly powerful and versatile unit.
Mechanics
The mechanics of Herzog Zwei have a slower feel than most modern RTSReal-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
games, making for more thoughtful play. The player's view of the screen is always centered on the player's mech. The player can pilot the mech to any location on the map while shooting at enemy units, airlifting friendly ground vehicles, or placing purchase orders for more vehicles. If the mech is destroyed in battle (or runs out of fuel), a new mech respawns over the player's primary base. Unlimited respawning allows the mech to engage in suicide tactics, as it is essentially a disposable asset.
Although the vehicle-purchasing menu can be activated from anywhere on the battlefield, only one vehicle may be purchased at a time. The completed order must picked up from a friendly base (by the player's mech), before the next purchase can be made. The game has a hard upper-limit of 100 active units (50 per player.) But when a game session exceeds seventy active units, the console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
slows down, making play difficult.
Herzog Zwei requires the mech-vehicle to airlift vehicles for close-inspection and mission-reassignment. Later RTS games use the virtual-console style of interface, allowing direct control of any player-owned vehicle.
To complete the game in single-player mode, the player must defeat the computer on each level four times, each time representing an increasing level of difficulty. When the game is completed, the ending offered differs depending on whether the player played as the first player (red), or the second player (blue). Two-player mode divides the screen into two playfields. Each player can see the opponent's actions, eliminating any element of surprise.
Levels
A key aspect of the game play is how the player interacts with the environments of the different levels. Each of the eight levels takes place in a different location that requires a different strategy for attacking the other side. Some levels have a large, physical barrier in the middle of the level that prevents a user from launching a direct ground attack at the main base in a timely fashion. For example, the jungle stage Waldung has a large swampSwamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
in the middle of the board that slows troops movement and eats up energy. Other levels, such as the volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
stage Vulkan are covered in lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
rivers that will destroy any unit that comes in contact with it. This makes it difficult to launch ground assaults against the main bases as well as the mini-bases as the individual units artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
is quite limited. Only three of the levels, Strand, Eisfrei, and Oase, have bodies of water that allow boats to be launched against the enemy. The Abgrund level features a river but the player is not allowed to purchase boat units.
On all levels with the exception of Abgrund, both sides start off with a certain number of mini-bases already claimed. In Abgrund, all bases are neutral, including those directly near the main base.
Units
Commander: The unit the player controls, Commander is a transformable mechaMecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
which can transform into a Jet Fighter/Transport. It can pick up friendly units and deploy them into battle. When necessary, player can overwrite the command of the picked-up unit instantly. (Cost of the command will be deducted from the player's account.) In mecha mode (English manual calls it "Infantry Soldier") Commander can fire on ground units and burn very low amount of fuel, but he will move much slower. In Jet Fighter mode, Commander can only engage to enemy Commander in jet mode. Commander will burn more fuel in Jet mode, especially carrying other units. Commander's weapons can never damage enemy base and it needs to return to nearby outpost or main base to refuel and reload its ammo. Unlike original Herzog, player has unlimited number of Commander units as when destroyed, Commander will simply reappear in a few seconds in main base. (Respawn time depends on distance from the point Commander destroyed.) If the Commander is destroyed while carrying a unit, that unit will be destroyed as well.
Infantry: Infantry is slowest and most fragile unit, but it is nevertheless essential as it is the only unit that can capture outposts. There is a random chance that an infantry unit appears whenever a unit (except FWA & ST-57U) is destroyed. The cheapest unit in the game, infantry are also capable of climbing cliffs in the Abgrund level. Infantry fire twice as fast when attacking at close range, making them more useful for offense than defense. Infantry also have a lot of ammo so their total damage output is relatively high if kept alive.
FWA: A combat bike with limited firepower, durability, and ammunition. However, it is the fastest unit in the game and has a very long patrol range. FWA has the weakest weapon in the game, per shot, however it will fire twice as fast as normal when attacking at close range (like Infantry). The FWA, however, has a very limited ammo supply and thus cannot inflict much total damage. Not generally useful as a defensive unit.
AMR-51D: An Light tank
Light tank
A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major...
with light armor but good firepower. Second fastest unit in the game. Destroyed easily by heavier units (defense fortifications, tanks, and Commanders) but useful against light units and when not under direct fire. Very good at attacking the main base if defenses aren't well established.
Supply: A supply vehicle which can reload ammunation of units in the battleground. It is completely defenceless.
TAX-52: Heavy tank
Heavy tank
A heavy tank was a subset of tank that filled the heavy direct-fire role of many armies.Heavy tanks have usually been deployed to breakthrough enemy lines, though in practice have been more useful in the defensive role than in the attack...
. It has strongest armor and high firepower. It is nevertheless quite fast for its size. Can kill any other unit in direct combat (including the much more expensive defense fortification), but vulnerable to the Commander and fairly expensive.
ST-57U: Patrol boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
. Slow, but has a very long range and can attack many targets, including enemy bases from afar. Can only be deployed in "Strand", "Eisfrei" and "Oase" levels.
SAM-42: Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon
Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon
An anti-aircraft vehicle, also known as a self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon or self-propelled air defense system , is a mobile vehicle with a dedicated anti-aircraft capability...
. Although it is an air-defence vehicle, strangely it can attack enemy Commanders even when they are on the ground as well, but cannot engage any other unit. Since Commander is the only unit that can fly, SAM can only be used as a defensive measure against them, and cannot attack any other units. The SAM only carries ten missiles and has a long reload time, but the missiles are very powerful and have long range.
GMR-34A: Defence Fortification. This stationary double-barrelled turret can fire at enemy units with cannons and can fire missiles to enemy Commander units. (Similar to SAMs) Has very high firepower and good armor and long range, but very expensive. These carry twenty missiles with a short reload time, but short range and lower damage per missile compared to the SAM-42.
Commands
Units need to be created with their commands, which will cost additional resources. Commands can be changed anytime by picking up the unit and entering the production screen.BDF-1SD "Hold Position."
AF-001A "Patrol"
AT-101 "Engage the enemy then occupy the outpost."
DF-F02A "Stand guard, engage (when enemy discovered) then return. (when enemy destroyed)"
AT-101H "Occupy the Outpost, engaging the enemies is secondary priority."
BA-001C "Attack the enemy main base." (most expensive command)
PW-SS10 "Resupply and repair units in the field." (Supply vehicle only)
Reception and legacy
Herzog Zwei was not a huge commercial success, due to its lack of marketing, relatively early release on the Genesis platform, and non-arcadeArcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
genre on what was considered an arcade game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
gave the game a rating of 4.25 out of 10. However, long after its release, it gained a cult following and achieved popularity. Daniel Thomas of Sega-16 gave the game a score of 10 out of 10 in 2004, while GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
users have given Herzog Zwei an average score of 8.8 out of 10.
It is often found on several "best of..." lists of video games, owing to its precedence in the real-time strategy genre, as well to the increasing understanding of finer points of its mechanics. It was featured in the "Top 100 Games Ever" list of Electronic Gaming Monthly, in the November 1997 issue which ranked it at #43, and in the January 2002 issue which ranked it #52. The February 1999 issue of Next Generation
Next Generation Magazine
Next Generation Magazine was a video game magazine that was made by Imagine Media publishing company . It was affiliated to and shared editorial with the UK's Edge magazine. Next Generation ran from January 1995 until January 2002. It was published by Jonathan Simpson-Bint and edited by Neil West...
ranked it at #39 in its list of 50 best games of all time. It has also been featured in IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's "Top 100 Games of All Time", in the 2003 list which ranked it at #62, and in the 2005 list which ranked it #95.
1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
included the game in its "Essential 50" list of "The Most Important Games Ever Made". The game went on to influence future RTS games, such as Dune II
Dune II
Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty is a Dune computer game released in 1992 by Westwood Studios...
(1991), Warcraft
Warcraft
Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is a real-time strategy game , developed by Blizzard Entertainment and published by Blizzard and Interplay Entertainment. The MS-DOS version was released in November 1994 and the Macintosh version in late 1996. Sales were fairly high, reviewers were mostly impressed, and the...
(1994), Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer, abbreviated to C&C and also known as Tiberian Dawn, is a 1995 real-time strategy computer game developed by Westwood Studios for MS-DOS and published by Virgin Interactive. It was the first of twelve games to date to be released under the Command & Conquer label, including a...
(1995), Starcraft
StarCraft
StarCraft is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first game of the StarCraft series was released for Microsoft Windows on 31 March 1998. With more than 11 million copies sold worldwide as of February 2009, it is one of the best-selling...
(1998), War of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring is a 2003 real-time strategy game developed by Liquid Entertainment, the makers of the previous Battle Realms and its expansion, Winter of the Wolf, and published by Sierra Entertainment. Set in J. R. R...
(2003), and Brütal Legend
Brütal Legend
Brütal Legend is an action-adventure/real-time strategy game created by Double Fine Productions and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was released during October 2009 in North America and Europe...
(2009). Herzog Zwei is also considered a predecessor to the Dota
Dota (genre)
The Dota genre is a sub-genre of real-time strategy video games, characterized by their likeness to Defense of the Ancients, a custom scenario for Warcraft 3 drawing from both real-time strategy and role-playing game influences. Compared to traditional real-time strategy games, elements such as...
subgenre, though a key difference is that Herzog Zwei has a fully customizable command unit with role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
elements that the player has full control over, while commanding an army to go into battle with rather than mindless drones that respawn at set intervals.
A sequel was planned for Sega's 32X
Sega 32X
The Sega 32X, codenamed Project Mars, is an add-on for the Mega Drive/Genesis video game console by Sega. Its aim was to increase the lifespan of the aging Mega Drive/Genesis system, which was facing stiff competition from the SNES...
platform, but with the subsequent failure of that console, so, too, died the plans for a third Herzog title. With Tecno Soft closing its doors in 2001
2001 in video gaming
-Events:* Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts John Carmack of id Software to the AIAS Hall of Fame...
and the status of the intellectual property being unknown, the future of the series is likely sealed.
External links
- A Herzog Zwei homepage (contains passwords of all 32 levels, and weapons statistics)
- Technodynamic Herzog Zwei Shrine Technodynamic has a write-up on this game with unit information.
- Join the Herzog Fight Set and compare level times and "kill" stats.