North & South (computer game)
| North & South | |
|---|---|
| Original title | North & South |
| Studio | Infogrames |
| Publisher | Infogrames |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1989 |
| platform | Atari ST , Commodore 64 , Commodore Amiga , MS-DOS , MSX , NES , Schneider CPC , Sinclair ZX Spectrum |
| genre | Strategy game , action |
| Subject | American Civil War |
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer |
| control | Keyboard , joystick , mouse |
| medium | Floppy disks , cartridge |
| language | German, English, French, Italian, Spanish |
North & South is a computer game by Infogrames based on the Belgian comic series The Blue Boys , which gives the player the opportunity to re- enact the civil war in a very simplified form on the part of the Union or the Confederation .
action
Game principle and technology
Different starting years allow the player only a superficial look at the history and development of the war. The focus is clearly on the battles that are fought between the armies on the battle screen.
Here, infantry , cavalry and artillery easily controlled via keyboard or joystick. The controls are as follows: At the start of the battle, the artillery and infantry of both parties appear on opposite sides of the screen, the cavalry rides off. The artillery can only be moved sideways, the cavalry can only be moved fully sideways, but it is also possible to slow down and accelerate the speed. The infantry can be fully controlled. Only one type of weapon can be controlled at a time, switching is possible with another button. The units will only attack if they are currently controlled by the player.
The attraction of the game is to avoid the attacks of the enemy as much as possible and to destroy the enemy units by cleverly choosing the unit you are currently controlling.
Production notes
The game was first developed and released in 1989 for the home computers Commodore Amiga and Atari ST . With the versions for PC , Commodore 64 , Schneider / Amstrad CPC and NES , significant compromises had to be made in terms of graphics and sound due to the limited capabilities of these systems.
North & South could be described as the forerunner of the real-time strategy game in that it was possible to switch between the three different branches of weapon and use them in a targeted manner, and the fight took place in real time. However, all aspects of modern real-time strategy games are missing, such as building bases, producing units, research and fighting for resources, as well as the free mobility of the units and the autonomous warfare of the units that are currently not being monitored by the player.
Sequel and similar games
In 2012 the German publisher bitcomposer Entertainment published a reinterpretation of North & South for the Apple iPad . In this version too, players can compete against each other in multiplayer (locally or via the matchmaking function). In addition, the controls have been adapted to the touch interface of the iPad. This remake was also released in 2013 for Android and PC, both in a version for Windows Store and in retail.
Another version was released in June 2012 by Microïds under the name The Bluecoats: North vs South , for iOS and Android as well as for Windows.
reception
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The Amiga Joker noted “wit, great graphics and cool sound” and rated the game as “a very hot tip for cold winter evenings”. Only the lack of storage facilities during a campaign was criticized.
Web links
- North & South at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ "North & South" conquers the App Store. bitComposer Entertainment AG, June 5, 2012, accessed October 30, 2014 (press release).
- ↑ "NORTH & SOUTH - The Game" is now also available in the Windows Store and Google play. bitComposer Entertainment AG, February 14, 2013, accessed October 30, 2014 (press release).
- ↑ NORTH & SOUTH - The Game will be available as a PC retail version. bitComposer Entertainment AG, March 12, 2013, accessed October 30, 2014 (press release).
- ↑ Sean Koch: The Bluecoats: North vs. South Review. In: iFanzine. May 11, 2012, accessed October 30, 2014 .
- ↑ The Bluecoats: North vs. South. In: Ign.com . Retrieved October 30, 2014 .
- ^ The Bluecoats: North & South for PC. (No longer available online.) In: GameSpot . Archived from the original on January 12, 2013 ; accessed on November 12, 2015 .
- ^ A b Werner Hiersekorn: North & South . In: Amiga Joker . December 1989, p. 11.