| General Chaos | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Game Refuge Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Designer(s) | Brian Colin, Jeff Nauman |
| Programmer(s) | Jeff Nauman |
| Artist(s) | Brian Colin |
| Platform(s) | Sega Genesis |
| Release date(s) | 1994 |
| Genre(s) | Real-time tactics |
| Mode(s) | Single Player, multiplayer |
General Chaos is a 1994 video game developed by Game Refuge Inc. and published by Electronic Arts for the Sega Genesis. General Chaos is a satirical arcade/strategy game.
The game is a quick and dirty battle (or a longer campaign mode that is a series of battles fought over a dynamic strategic map) between two generals, "General Chaos" and "General Havoc". The objective of the game is to capture the enemy's capital city.
Each player has to pick one of 4 teams, 3 of which have 5 soldiers (with differing selections weapons), while one has 2 "commandos" and uses a different control system giving greater control.
The player views the action from an isometric perspective, watching cartoony soldiers duke it out on the battlefield. The game features a balance between action and strategy. For instance, whenever two soldiers on opposite sides get close enough, close combat will ensue. The soldiers can punch, kick, or block the attack. If one of the player's men loses all his health points, he will fall down on the ground. To help the fallen soldier, the player must move the cursor, or another soldier in the case of the commandos, close to the injured soldier and call out for a medic to revive him. However, there is a limit on the number of times that a medic may be called. There are also many items that yield points on the battlefield to pick up.
With a multiplayer adapter (or appropriate settings in the emulator), up to four people can play simultaneously against the computer in campaign mode where each battle is more difficult than the last. The player can also fight other human players without co-operation. Another feature of the game is the tutorial mode called “boot camp” which is the recruit training, this mode explains all the basics of gameplay and user interface in a clear-cut manner.
The director of Hogan's Heroes TV series filed a lawsuit in 1994 based on some of the quotations used in the game. "HOGAN!!!", Col. Klink's infamous line, was used when a soldier was flame broiled on the battlefield. The suit flopped a few months later and EA recovered the blow.
Gunner: The well-rounded unit of the game with a high rate of fire though his gun might jam. It is used primarily for attacking.
Launcher: While the game lacks a "sniper" character, the launcher serves essentially the same purpose with powerful long range attacks and a low rate of fire. Attack may randomly result in an "instant death" of an opposing combatant (reduced to a skeleton and therefore can't call a medic). Can destroy bonus objective targets.
Chucker: Grenades are the primary weapon of this class. They have a low rate of fire but the explosions they cause can damage multiple units. Can destroy bonus objective targets.
Scorcher: Possibly the most dangerous unit in the game, these soldiers use a close-range rapid firing flame thrower to do damage. Once a scorcher is on top of another unit, it is very difficult to survive. Because of this capability, they make excellent flanking and escort units. Attack may randomly result in an "instant death" of an opposing combatant (reduced to a pile of ash and therefore can't call a medic).
Blaster: Considered the weakest unit in the game and needs to be protected. The Blaster is similar to the Chucker. Instead of using grenades, they throw dynamite which inflicts heavy damage. However, they have an extremely slow rate of fire and a low range, so they are not as useful. Can destroy bonus objective targets.