Baldies

Baldies is a real time strategy video game for the Atari Jaguar CD, DOS, Microsoft Windows, the PlayStation, Amiga and (under the title "Baldy Land") the Sega Saturn and Macintosh. It was initially released for the Jaguar in 1995, followed by the PC version, which was released Nov 28, 1996 . It was produced by Creative Edge Software, with the Jaguar version published by Atari, the PC version published by Panasonic Interactive Media, and the Saturn version published by Banpresto. The PlayStation version was released in 2003 by Mud Duck Productions.

The game was a top view Real Time Strategy game, in the vein of Command & Conquer & Warcraft. The object of the game was to build a community of characters called "baldies", which appeared as short, plump bald people, and help them against the 'hairies', who were bearded short little hairy people.

In 1998 a sequel named Skull Caps, also developed by Creative Edge Software and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, was released but had little success when compared to its predecessor Baldies, and went mostly unnoticed.

Reception

Part of Panasonic's marketing campaign for the game was a tour of bald-haired promoters distributing free demos of the game in New York after its release.[1] However, critics of the game did not always like it, for example the reviewer of GameSpot called the game "the single weirdest game I have ever played", criticizing the concept as well as the execution of the game.[2]

In the Game

The aim of the game is to completely kill every baldy of the opposing team; usually the hairies. This is achieved by constructing houses which in turn breed baldies. After this, you may construct a barracks and/or a scientist lab. A barracks builds bullets for the first stage of the house, then grenades. Soldiers outside equip these items.

Scientist labs research and create inventions, which can burn, blow up, drown etc. other baldies and hairies. These inventions can be very handy.

After constructing 4 big houses, you may give your baldies wings, which in turn allows you to fly your soldiers into enemy houses or just to particular spots.

References

  1. ↑ Peter Binazeski (1996-12-10), BALDIES TAKE MANHATTAN, Business Wire
  2. ↑ Chris Hudak (1997-02-06), From initial concept to practical execution, Baldies is sick and wrong., GameSpot

External links