Herzog Zwei

From Sega Retro

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HerzogZwei Title.png

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

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP 		¥6,8006,800 T-18023
Sega Mega Drive
US 		$44.9544.95[1] 1400
Sega Mega Drive
EU 		1400
Sega Mega Drive
CA

Herzog Zwei (ヘルツォーク・ツヴァイ) is a strategy video game developed by Technosoft, released exclusively for the Sega Mega Drive in 1989, and a sequel to Herzog, which was only released for Japanese home computers in 1988. It was published in Japan by Technosoft in 1989 and in North America and Europe by Sega in 1990.

Herzog Zwei is often credited for creating the foundations of the RTS (real-time strategy) and MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) genres as we know them today.

Gameplay

In Herzog Zwei, 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. It combines concepts from the Thunder Force series (as it stood in 1989) with a strategic element which plays out in real time, as opposed to the more traditional turn-based strategy games which derive from games such as chess.

Along with a single-player mode, it features a split-screen two-player mode where both players are in action simultaneously. There are no pauses while decisions are taken, forcing players to think quickly while on the move. 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.

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

History

Development

The Western packaging art was created by veteran San Francisco game box illustrator Marc Ericksen, who had previously created the art for Thunder Force II.

Legacy

Herzog Zwei went on to influence future RTS games, particularly 1992's Dune II[3].

With Technosoft closing its doors in 2001 and the status of the intellectual property being unknown, the future of the series is likely sealed.

Magazine articles

Main article: Herzog Zwei/Magazine articles.

Artwork

  • HerzogZwei MD Art Cover.jpg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
80 №4/90, p78
76 №4, p31[4]
82 №101, p103[5]
43 №15, p85[6]
№1993, p46[7]
73 Famitsu
75 №28, p50[8]
100 Insomnia
78 №10, p102[9]
85 №5, p63
74 №9, p20
76 №1, p78[10]
85 №6/91, p116/117[11]
80 №4/90, p121[12]
80 №5, p58/59[13]
78 №20
80 №23, p53
80 №3, p61[14]
76 №18, p66
Sega Mega Drive
 78
Based on
18 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[15]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
80
[16]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
78
[17]
Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)
76
[4]
Console XS (UK) PAL
76
[18]
Cool Gamer (RU)
40
[19]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
82
[5]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
43
[20]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU)
40
[21]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 3 (RU)
40
[22]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
73
[23]
The Games Machine (UK)
75
[8]
Game Informer (US) NTSC-U
97
[24]
Igry Sega Luchshiye iz luchshikh. Vypusk 2 (RU)
50
[25]
Joystick (FR)
78
[9]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK)
85
[26]
Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J
75
[27]
Mega (UK) PAL
74
[28]
Mega (UK)
74
[29]
MegaTech (UK)
76
[10]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
76
[30]
Play Time (DE)
78
[11]
Power Play (DE)
58
[31]
Raze (UK) PAL
80
[13]
Sega Power (UK)
78
[32]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
75
[33]
Sega Pro (UK)
80
[14]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
76
[34]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
75
[35]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
66
[36]
User (GR) NTSC-J
90
[37]
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
HerzogZwei MD CA Box.jpg
Cover

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
✔
CRC32 a605b65b
MD5 e812002daafb264fc2ab1dff9bd06ac2
SHA-1 8f7262102c2b2334f0bc88ee6fd6b08797919176
512kB 1989-12 Cartridge (US/EU)
Sega Mega Drive
✔
CRC32 4cf676b3
MD5 cf5984ce943babe3e8551ee0e9b771a8
SHA-1 851be7abad64a4fb05e4c51ce26fbe5efe12ea42
512kB 1989-09 Cartridge (JP)

References

  1. ↑ File:VG&CE US 16.pdf, page 38
  2. ↑ File:Raze UK 05.pdf, page 59
  3. ↑ http://www.above-the-garage.com/rblts/vie16b.htm (Wayback Machine: 2003-05-04 03:49)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 File:CGtC UK 04.pdf, page 31 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CGtC UK 04.pdf_p31" defined multiple times with different content
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 File:CVG UK 101.pdf, page 103 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 101.pdf_p103" defined multiple times with different content
  6. ↑ File:EGM US 015.pdf, page 85
  7. ↑ File:EGM US BuyersGuide 1993.pdf, page 46
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 File:TGM UK 28.pdf, page 50 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:TGM UK 28.pdf_p50" defined multiple times with different content
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 File:Joystick FR 010.pdf, page 102 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Joystick FR 010.pdf_p102" defined multiple times with different content
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf, page 78 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf_p78" defined multiple times with different content
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 File:PlayTime DE 1991-06.pdf, page 116 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:PlayTime DE 1991-06.pdf_p116" defined multiple times with different content
  12. ↑ File:PowerPlay DE 025.pdf, page 121
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 File:Raze UK 05.pdf, page 58 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Raze UK 05.pdf_p58" defined multiple times with different content
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 File:SegaPro UK 03.pdf, page 61 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaPro UK 03.pdf_p61" defined multiple times with different content
  15. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 95
  16. ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Avril 1990" (DE; 1990-03-30), page 78
  17. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "February 1990" (JP; 1990-01-08), page 69
  18. ↑ Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 130
  19. ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 102
  20. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "May 1990" (US; 1990-xx-xx), page 20
  21. ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 321
  22. ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 3, "" (RU; 2000-xx-xx), page 107
  23. ↑ Famitsu, "" (JP; 1989-xx-xx), page 1
  24. ↑ Game Informer, "May 1999" (US; 1999-0x-xx), page 72
  25. ↑ Igry Sega Luchshiye iz luchshikh. Vypusk 2, "" (RU; 2001-08-27), page 207
  26. ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 63
  27. ↑ Mega Drive Fan, "May 1990" (JP; 1990-04-07), page 89
  28. ↑ Mega, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 20
  29. ↑ Mega, "August 1994" (UK; 1994-07-21), page 79
  30. ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 139
  31. ↑ Power Play, "4/90" (DE; 1990-03-16), page 123
  32. ↑ Sega Power, "July 1991" (UK; 1991-06-06), page 26
  33. ↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 53
  34. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 66
  35. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
  36. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 16
  37. ↑ User, "Noémvrios 1990" (GR; 1990-1x-xx), page 63
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