Herzog Zwei

From Sega Retro

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Herzog Zwei
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Technosoft
Developer:
Genre: Simulation

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code

Herzog Zwei (ヘルツォーク・ツヴァイ) is the sequel to Herzog, and was released exclusively for the Sega Mega Drive in 1989.

Herzog Zwei is often credited for creating the foundations of the real time strategy genre. The player controls a unit which can freely transform from a plane to a robot, and must create and transport units to capture structures and destroy enemy bases.

Overview

Herzog Zwei (ヘルツォーク・ツヴァイ| Herutsuōku Tsuvuai) (German: Herzog Zwei "Duke Two") is a real-time strategy video game developed by Technosoft for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis home console. It was published in Japan by Technosoft in 1989 and in North America and Europe by Sega in early 1990.[1][2] It is the sequel to Herzog, which was released only in Japan for the MSX and PC-8801 personal computers in 1988.

Herzog Zwei combined the fully real-time, fast-paced, arcade-style action gameplay of Technosoft's own Thunder Force series with a fairly easy-to-grasp level of strategy gameplay. [1][2][3] It differed significantly from both turn-based strategy and real-time tactics, [3] and is the earliest example of a game with a feature set that falls under the contemporary definition of modern real-time strategy. [4][4] Along with a single-player mode against a computer opponent, it featured a split-screen two-player mode where both players are in action simultaneously and there are no pauses while decisions are taken, forcing players to think quickly while on the move.[3] Though the player only controls one unit, a transforming mech, the manner of control foreshadowed the point-and-click mechanic of later games. It introduced much of the genre conventions, including unit construction and resource management, with the control and destruction of bases being an important aspect of the game, as were the economic/production aspects of those bases. [5]

Upon release, the game received little mainstream recognition, and its novel approach to strategy gameplay polarized critics who were uncertain about what to make of it.[5] [6] It was generally well received by Japanese [7] and European critics,[6] with Computer and Video Games recognizing that its fully real-time, fast-paced gameplay set it apart from other strategy games at the time,[3] while The Games Machine found its mixture of strategy and shoot 'em up elements to be unusual but refreshing.[2] Reactions from North American critics, however, were generally negative,[5] with Electronic Gaming Monthly criticizing it for being too complex, judging it as a flawed shooter rather than a novel strategy game, [8] and giving it some of its lowest review scores for a Genesis game.[5]

Years after its release, the game eventually gained a cult following. [9] It has since been considered one of the best two-player Mega Drive/Genesis games, and has been listed among the best games of all time, by Electronic Gaming Monthly,[7][8] IGN[9][10] and Next Generation. [10] It has been credited with laying the foundations for the real-time strategy (RTS) genre, [11][4][11] predating and influencing the genre-popularizing Dune II.[12][13] It is also retrospectively considered a precursor to the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre, which uses a similar formula of each player controlling a single command unit in one of two opposing sides on a battlefield.[14][15][16] Herzog Zwei has been listed as one of the most important games ever made by 1UP, [12] while GameSpy listed it as one of the most underrated games of all time.[17]

Production Credits

Main Program: Takashi Iwanaga
Weapon Program: Haruhiko Ohtsuka
Map Design: Osamu Tsujikawa
Character Design: Izumi Fukuda
Demo Program: Izumi Fukuda
Music Compose: Naosuke Arai, Tomomi Ohtani
Sound Effect: Naosuke Arai, Tomomi Ohtani
Manual Writer:Fumio Sugano
Herzog: T. O.
Special Thanks: Marie Hughes, Kamometei
Copyright: Tecno Soft

Physical Scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
76 №4, p31
82 №101, p103
75 №28, p50
78 №10, p102
85 №5, p63
74 №9, p20
76 №1, p78[18]
85 6/91, p116/117
80 4/90, p121
80 №5, p58/59
78 №20
80 №23, p53
80 №3, p61[19]
76 №18, p66
Sega Mega Drive
 79
Based on
14 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[20]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
80
[21]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
78
[22]
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
76
[23]
Console XS (UK) PAL
76
[24]
Cool Gamer (RU)
40
[25]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
82
[26]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
43
[27]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU)
40
[28]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 3 (RU)
40
[29]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
73
[30]
The Games Machine (UK)
75
[31]
Game Informer (US) NTSC-U
97
[32]
Igry Sega Luchshiye iz luchshikh. Vypusk 2 (RU)
50
[33]
Joystick (FR)
78
[34]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)
85
[35]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
75
[36]
Mega (UK) PAL
74
[37]
Mega (UK)
74
[38]
MegaTech (UK)
76
[39]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
76
[40]
Play Time (DE)
78
[41]
Power Play (DE)
58
[42]
Raze (UK) PAL
80
[43]
Sega Power (UK)
78
[44]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
75
[45]
Sega Pro (UK)
80
[46]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
76
[47]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
75
[48]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
66
[49]
User (GR) NTSC-J
90
[50]
Sega Mega Drive
 70
Based on
31 reviews

Herzog Zwei

Mega Drive, US
HerzogZwei MD US Box.jpg
Cover
HerzogZwei MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
Herzogzwei md us manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, EU
HerzogZwei MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
HerzogZwei MD EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, JP
HerzogZwei MD JP Box.jpg
Cover
HerzogZwei MD JP CartTop.jpg
HerzogZwei MD JP Cart.jpg
Cart
Herzogzwei md jp manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, CA

  1. ↑ http://www.gamefaqs.com/genesis/473001-herzog-zwei/data
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://amr.abime.net/review_23961
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 http://amr.abime.net/review_27759
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://gamespy-archives.quaddicted.com/sites/www.strategyplanet.com/features/articles/strategypeak/index.html
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 http://www.sega-16.com/2005/07/herzog-zwei/
  6. ↑ http://segaretro.org/Herzog_Zwei#Physical_Scans
  7. ↑ http://kisrael.com/vgames/powerlist/egm100.html
  8. ↑ http://kisrael.com/vgames/powerlist/
  9. ↑ http://top100.ign.com/2003/61-70.html#62
  10. ↑ http://top100.ign.com/2005/091-100.html
  11. ↑ http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/real_time/ (Wayback Machine: 2011-04-27 05:26)
  12. ↑ http://www.above-the-garage.com/blog/1998/8/18/the-origin-of-realtime-strategy-games-on-the-pc
  13. ↑ http://www.edge-online.com/features/the-making-of-dune-ii/
  14. ↑ http://www.destructoid.com/review-airmech-242461.phtml
  15. ↑ http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/moba-the-story-so-far/0133335
  16. ↑ http://www.gamesradar.com/ask-gr-anything-whats-moba/
  17. ↑ http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/september03/25underrated/index19.shtml
  18. ↑ File:Megatech UK 01.pdf, page 78
  19. ↑ File:Segapro UK 03.pdf, page 61
  20. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 95
  21. ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Avril 1990" (DE; 1990-03-30), page 78
  22. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "February 1990" (JP; 1990-01-08), page 69
  23. ↑ Complete Guide to Consoles, "Volume IV" (UK; 1990-11-xx), page 31
  24. ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 130
  25. ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 102
  26. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "April 1990" (UK; 1990-03-16), page 103
  27. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "May 1990" (US; 1990-xx-xx), page 20
  28. ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 321
  29. ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 3, "" (RU; 2000-xx-xx), page 107
  30. ↑ Famitsu, "" (JP; 1989-xx-xx), page 1
  31. ↑ The Games Machine, "March 1990" (UK; 1990-02-08), page 50
  32. ↑ Game Informer, "May 1999" (US; 1999-0x-xx), page 72
  33. ↑ Igry Sega Luchshiye iz luchshikh. Vypusk 2, "" (RU; 2001-08-27), page 207
  34. ↑ Joystick, "Novembre 1990" (FR; 1990-1x-xx), page 102
  35. ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 63
  36. ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "May 1990" (JP; 1990-04-07), page 89
  37. ↑ Mega, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 20
  38. ↑ Mega, "August 1994" (UK; 1994-07-21), page 79
  39. ↑ MegaTech, "Xmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-06), page 78
  40. ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 139
  41. ↑ Play Time, "6/91" (DE; 1991-05-10), page 116
  42. ↑ Power Play, "4/90" (DE; 1990-03-16), page 123
  43. ↑ Raze, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-01-31), page 58
  44. ↑ Sega Power, "July 1991" (UK; 1991-06-06), page 26
  45. ↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 53
  46. ↑ Sega Pro, "Christmas 1991" (UK; 1991-12-12), page 61
  47. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 66
  48. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
  49. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 16
  50. ↑ User, "Noémvrios 1990" (GR; 1990-1x-xx), page 63
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