Military Madness: Nectaris (PSN) Review
Posted by Mark Salmela on 11.16.2009
What’s this? An HD remake of an old game? I don't believe it...
Title: Military Madness: Nectaris
Publisher: Hudson Soft
Developer: Hudson Soft
Genre: Turn-Based Strategy
Players: 1-4
Rated: E for Everyone
Also available on: Wii, XBLA
Military Madness: Nectaris is an HD remake of an old TurboGrafx-16 game called Military Madness. The game basically boils down to a turn-based strategy game. It’s rather basic when it comes to strategy games, but the hook is that there are a lot of little tricks hidden within the layout of each map.
Like most strategy games you are given control of a variety of infantry units and you must defeat your opponent who is using a combination of the same types of infantry units. You’ll have tanks, artillery, helicopters, basic soldiers, and mechs. Each unit has a strength or weakness against the other units, making the game a lot like the traditional rock-paper-scissors battles that a lot of strategy games boil down too. The game is a turn-based strategy game which means you and your enemy will take turns moving around the map. You have the option to move/attack each unit once per turn, and battles must be won within 50 turns.
Military Madness: Nectaris takes place on the moon. And since it’s the moon the layout of each map is very extreme. There are craters, paves roads, rocky areas, and even mountains on each map. Depending on which type of surface you’re on you’ll either receive a defense bonus or a decrease in your defense capabilities. The basic rule of thumb it to take the high road, but there is a constant hud on the right side of the screen letting you know how much of a percentage change your defense will receive by landing on a certain formation.
There are two ways to win a battle in Military Madness: Nectaris. You can either eliminate all of the opposing forces or you can take control of the enemy base. The basic soldier class is the only class capable of capturing the enemy base, so be sure to use them wisely, because in return they are the weakest class and can be taken out easily by the enemy. The same tactics apply against you. You must protect your base at all costs, because starting around the 5th stage the enemy will start making tactical beelines towards your base. If you’re not careful you can be caught off guard and lose out of nowhere.
In addition to the location and placement of your units you can also receive a bonus by keeping your units together. These bonuses are called support bonuses and while they’re not quite as useful as the location bonuses and are harder to pull off they are another tactic that can lead to your survival. I say this because the game does get had, especially when factories start popping up around the 4th or 5th level. They start out under enemy control and are very hard to take over. These factories can fully replenish the health of any unit in return for being inactive for one turn.
One of the problems with Military Madness: Nectaris is that there is no tutorial. Since this is an HD remake it takes after its predecessor in that the game is very trial and error. As I said there is an in-game hud that lets you know how effective your units will be but as for useful strategies you are left to figure that out for yourself. You can watch the enemy and try to copy them but for the most part you just have to keep retrying each level until you find a strategy that works. The game gets very hard after the first few levels and you’re going to have to master each element of the game if you want to survive. You have a very limited number of units and each mistake can be devastating. If you lose the one or two soldier units given to you at the beginning of the round you have to win by brute force and that is not easy.
There is an online multiplayer mode where up to 4 players can compete at once. Just like in the single player you are given a limited number of units and you must use the landscape to your advantage if you want to win. Be forewarned that the game has only been out a couple of weeks and it is already getting hard to find people to play online. The longevity of this community is definitely in question.
The 411
Yep, that’s the combat.
Military Madness: Nectaris is an old-school turn-based strategy. You must strategically place each unit each and every turn if you want to win. It’s challenging, and often the only way to win after the first few maps is trial and error until you’ve mastered each map. There is online multiplayer, but don’t make that the sole reason for your purchase. The game can be very fun, but if you don’t mind searching the bargain bins you can find a lot more in-depth and more enjoyable retail strategy games for the same price as this downloadable PSN game.
Graphics
6.0
Pretty bland and uninspiring.
Gameplay
7.0
Classic turn-based strategy. The idea of location being a key element of your attack is rather interesting.
Sound
4.0
Repetitive and once again uninspiring. Be prepared to find some music to listen to while playing.
Lasting Appeal
7.0
The name of the game is trial and error. It will take you a while to beat the single player. The multiplayer community may not last.
Fun Factor
6.5
It all depends on how much of a fan you are of strategy games. If you have never played one before, do not make this your frist.
