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The Commodore 64 version also fared well with ''[[Commodore User|CU Amiga-64]]'' giving a 'CU Screen Star' award with a 92% rating.
The Commodore 64 version also fared well with ''[[Commodore User|CU Amiga-64]]'' giving a 'CU Screen Star' award with a 92% rating.
<ref>Dillon, Tony. ''CU Amiga-64'', March 1989, p 45</ref>
<ref>Dillon, Tony. ''CU Amiga-64'', March 1989, p 45</ref>
''[[Zzap!64]]'' gave the game 83% and stated that the game was "an obsorbing and very fresh approach to man-to-man combat..."
''[[Zzap!64]]'' gave the game 83% and stated that the game was "an absorbing and very fresh approach to man-to-man combat..."
<ref>''Zzap!64'', issue 53, September 1989, p 40</ref>
<ref>''Zzap!64'', issue 53, September 1989, p 40</ref>


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Each of these games shares some or all of attributes such as action point and morale systems, "line of sight" and "[[fog of war]]", overwatch (or "snap fire") and the ability to equip your squad from a selection of ballistic, energy, grenade and hand-to-hand combat weapons.
Each of these games shares some or all of attributes such as action point and morale systems, "line of sight" and "[[fog of war]]", overwatch (or "snap fire") and the ability to equip your squad from a selection of ballistic, energy, grenade and hand-to-hand combat weapons.


More recently, the ''Laser Squad'' franchise has been revived by [[Codo Technologies]] with both the play-by-email game ''[[Laser Squad Nemesis]]'' (although this departs from the turn based action point system and does not have customisable weaponry), and with the [[Game Boy Advance]] title ''[[Rebelstar: Tactical Command]]''. There is also a Java MIDP remake of the original game, designed for mobile phones, although it is not clear if this an officially licensed title, and an unofficial Java J2SE version called ''L.Squad'' by Tim Stridmann.
More recently, the ''Laser Squad'' franchise has been revived by [[Codo Technologies]] with both the play-by-email game ''[[Laser Squad Nemesis]]'' (although this departs from the turn based action point system and does not have customizable weaponry), and with the [[Game Boy Advance]] title ''[[Rebelstar: Tactical Command]]''. There is also a Java MIDP remake of the original game, designed for mobile phones, although it is not clear if this an officially licensed title, and an unofficial Java J2SE version called ''L.Squad'' by Tim Stridmann.


Some of the name choices for characters and organisations in the games of Mythos and Codo are a thread connecting all the ''Laser Squad'' and ''[[Rebelstar]]'' games. Examples include the recurring character Corporal Jonlan and the arms manufacturer Marsec (Mars Security).
Some of the name choices for characters and organizations in the games of Mythos and Codo are a thread connecting all the ''Laser Squad'' and ''[[Rebelstar]]'' games. Examples include the recurring character Corporal Jonlan and the arms manufacturer Marsec (Mars Security).


==Screenshots==
==Screenshots==

Revision as of 00:54, 23 April 2009

Laser Squad
Developer(s)Target Games
Publisher(s)Blade Software
Designer(s)Julian Gollop
Platform(s)Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum
Release1988 (ZX Spectrum/C64)
1989 (CPC/Amiga/Atari ST)
1992 (PC)
Genre(s)Turn-based tactics
Mode(s)Single player, Two player

Laser Squad is a turn-based tactics computer game, originally released for the ZX Spectrum and later for the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Amiga and Atari ST computers, as well as PC computers. It was designed by Julian Gollop and his team at Target Games (Now Codo Technologies) and published by Blade Software. The game expanded on the ideas applied in their previous Rebelstar series of games.

The game originally came with five mission scenarios, with a expansion pack released for the 8-bit versions, containing a further two scenarios. Reaction from the games industry and magazines was generally positive, gaining accolades and high ratings in reviews. The influence of the game can be seen in other titles like the X-COM series and Laser Squad Nemesis.

Gameplay

Laser Squad is a turn-based tactics war game where the player completes objectives such as rescue or retrieval operations, or simply eliminating all of the enemy, by maneuvering the squad's team members around a map one at a time, taking actions such as move, turn, shoot, pick up and so on that would use up the unit's Action Points. By taking advantage of cover, squad level military tactics, and careful use of weaponry, the cunning player could complete their objectives before their opponent. More heavily laden units would tire more easily, and would have to rest to avoid running out of Action Points more quickly in subsequent turns. Morale also played a factor; a unit witnessing the deaths of all his teammates could panic and run out of the player's control.

Scenarios

Including the expansion pack, there are 7 scenarios in total. Each one with its own difficulty settings and squad allocation.

The Assassins

Your mission is to assassinate Sterner Regnix, the boss of a weapons manufacturer who is using illegal methods to get the best out of his workers. You will lead a small squad of troops and infiltrate Regnix's hideout and eliminate him by any means. All the while dealing with Regnix's Droid squad that patrol the hideout.

Moon Base Assault

A small squad must penetrate the Omni Corporation moon base, via the airlocks, and destroy a great number of their databanks and analyzers that hold sensitive information on billions of the population in the galaxy.

Rescue From The Mines

After a routine mission goes badly wrong, three members of the rebel squad are held prisoner in the Metallix Corp mines. Your squad of troops must negotiate the mine complex, free all three prisoners and escape.

The Cyber Hordes

Your small squad must defend a rebel station from the attack of an advancing droid squad invasion. The rebel base holds seven stabilizer cores vital to the planet's stability and the droids have focused their efforts on these targets.

Paradise Valley

Following on from The Cyber Hordes, the destruction of the stabilizer cores has left the colony in ruins and assault ships hover above waiting for the time of attack. To prevent capture of the rebel blueprints for their advanced starfighter the data has been transferred onto a portable security device and a squad is given the task of escaping from the colony with the device.

The Stardrive

A group of mercenaries have captured the stardrive controller for a new Rebel fighter. A rebel squad must go to their hidden base and retrieve the device.

Laser Platoon

A free for all deathmatch as equal team are pitted against each other. Massive ten man squads, with reinforcements arriving frequently, explore the symmetrical map hunting down or sniping the equally equipped opposition.

Reception

The response from the games industry was very positive from the majority of the magazines.

Computer and Video Games reviewed the Spectrum version and was impressed awarding it with a 97% rating and a 'C+VG HIT!'. Reviewer, Tony Dillon, stating that "Laser Squad is one of the hottest games I've ever played."[1] Other Spectrum reviews included Sinclair User, who gave an 89% [2] while Your Sinclair gave the game a 9/10 explaining "A sophisticated strategy wargame with endless possibilities. On a par with Elite for thinking warmongers." [3]

The Commodore 64 version also fared well with CU Amiga-64 giving a 'CU Screen Star' award with a 92% rating. [4] Zzap!64 gave the game 83% and stated that the game was "an absorbing and very fresh approach to man-to-man combat..." [5]

Amstrad Action awarded the CPC version with 91% [6] and an 'AA Mastergame' accolade. The Expansion Pack 2 received an even higher rating of 93% when it became available for review, stating "two excellent additions to a game that was already excellent."[7]

The Amiga version also received positive reviews. Amiga Format awarded a 'Gold Award' for a 93% rating explaining that it "is a terrific game that is superbly playable and can definitely be recommended."[8]Other Amiga reviews given by Zero and CU Amiga-64 gave the game 88% [9]and 87%[10] respectively.

Expansion Packs

The original Target Games 8-bit release came with the first three missions with an expansion pack offered via mail order for the next two. The subsequent Blade Software 8-bit release included these as standard; the mail order expansion pack now offered was for missions six and seven instead. Both offers covered cassette and diskette versions. As well as featuring new scenarios, the expansion packs included additional weapons as part of the scenarios.

Influence on the games market

Rebelstar and Laser Squad are among the earliest examples of turn based unit level computer wargames, later examples being Sabre Team, X-COM (on the Amiga and PC) and more recently Silent Storm for PC and Pathway to Glory on the N-Gage. Its influence and influences are also apparent in miniature based war games such as Space Hulk.

Mythos later released a similar game called Lords of Chaos, which had many similarities to Laser Squad but was set in a fantasy genre of wizards, dragons and spell-casting. This game was a follow-up to Mythos's earlier ZX Spectrum game Chaos.

Many of the Laser Squad mechanics were re-used in the later X-COM series of games, by the same authors (but published by Microprose). In this case however the missions formed part of a larger campaign and storyline, unlike the Laser Squad scenarios which were largely self contained, at least in the sense that the results of one mission did not affect any other.

Each of these games shares some or all of attributes such as action point and morale systems, "line of sight" and "fog of war", overwatch (or "snap fire") and the ability to equip your squad from a selection of ballistic, energy, grenade and hand-to-hand combat weapons.

More recently, the Laser Squad franchise has been revived by Codo Technologies with both the play-by-email game Laser Squad Nemesis (although this departs from the turn based action point system and does not have customizable weaponry), and with the Game Boy Advance title Rebelstar: Tactical Command. There is also a Java MIDP remake of the original game, designed for mobile phones, although it is not clear if this an officially licensed title, and an unofficial Java J2SE version called L.Squad by Tim Stridmann.

Some of the name choices for characters and organizations in the games of Mythos and Codo are a thread connecting all the Laser Squad and Rebelstar games. Examples include the recurring character Corporal Jonlan and the arms manufacturer Marsec (Mars Security).

Screenshots

References

  1. ^ Dillon, Tony. Computer and Video Games, issue 86, December 1988, p 89
  2. ^ Sinclair User, issue 80, November 1988, p 61
  3. ^ Shaw, Pete. Your Sinclair, issue 35, November 1988, p 76
  4. ^ Dillon, Tony. CU Amiga-64, March 1989, p 45
  5. ^ Zzap!64, issue 53, September 1989, p 40
  6. ^ Webb, Trenton. Amstrad Action, issue 49, October 1989, p 50,51
  7. ^ Waring, Adam. Amstrad Action, issue 56, May 1990, p 52
  8. ^ Smith, Andy. Amiga Format, issue 5, December 1989, p 52,53
  9. ^ McCandless, David. Zero, issue 2, December 1989, p 53,54,55
  10. ^ Patterson, Mark. CU Amiga-64, November 1989, p 69

See also

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Laser_Squad&oldid=285559664"